Thursday, December 26, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Organic Spinach Recall Precedes Hawaii E-Coli Outbreak, DOH says No Connection
By Andrew Walden @ 1:41 PM :: 9955 Views :: Environment, Agriculture, GMOs

Organic Spinach Recall Precedes Hawaii E-Coli Outbreak

by Andrew Walden

A February 15, 2013 food recall warned of possible Hemorrhagic E Coli contamination of  “Taylor Farms Organic Baby Spinach” sold in Hawaii.  Now the Hawaii Department of Health is investigating six “molecularly matched E. coli infections with illness onsets from February 19 to March 2, 2013.”  That’s just four days after the recall announcement.

Organic food is dangerous.  Organic food kills. 

Meanwhile not a single human being has ever been shown to have been harmed by GMOs.

Is there a connection?  Responding March 27 to an inquiry from Hawai’i Free Press, Michele Nakata of the Hawaii DoH says:

“Produce consumption is a part of our standard food history inquiry for E. coli O157:H7 investigations. Only one case reported consumption of spinach prior to illness. The spinach that was consumed by that case was an ingredient on a pizza.

“The information that we received from USFDA about the Taylor Farms recall, was that it was precautionary out of a possibility of contamination. We are following up with USFDA to determine if there were any confirmed laboratory results and if so, what the DNA patterns were for those isolates.”

On March 28, Nakata had her results: "Per USFDA, Taylor Farms initiated this recall on a presumptive test result. The next day the result was determined negative and the recall was re-classified as a market withdrawal. USFDA removed the recall posting since it determined that there was no violation.”

  *   *   *   *   *

From Hawaii Department of Health

Dear Oahu Healthcare Provider:

The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) is investigating a cluster of six confirmed, molecularly matched E. coli O157:H7 infections with illness onsets from February 19 to March 2, 2013. Five of the six cases are children, while the sixth is elderly; all are Oahu residents with no travel history.  Three of the six cases have been hospitalized with two developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Five cases have recovered or are recovering; one remains hospitalized. Investigation is ongoing, now with a likely seventh case (onset in the past week and subsequent HUS and hospitalization).

This particular molecular pattern of E. coli O157:H7 is very uncommon both nationally as well as in Hawaii. We ask all medical providers to consider E. coli O157 when evaluating patients with severe or bloody diarrhea and order a stool culture to specifically isolate E. coli O157. HDOH also requests you report cases of bloody diarrhea with onset within the past month and going forward (contact numbers listed below).

read … DoH Memo

  *   *   *   *   *

CDC Dec 2012:  Multistate Outbreak of Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 Infections Linked to Organic Spinach

  *   *   *   *   *

Flashback: Hawai`i Free Press February 15, 2013

SALINAS FIRM INITIATES A PRECAUTIONARY MARKET WITHDRAWAL BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE HEALTH RISK

News Release from http://spinachmarketwithdrawal.com/

Out of an abundance of caution, Taylor Farms Retail, Inc. is initiating a voluntary market withdrawal of select Organic Baby Spinach products with the potential to be contaminated with Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC).

The salad trays subject to the market withdrawal are limited to the following:

Brand
Item Description
UPC Number
Best By
State

Central Market Organics
Organic - Baby Spinach, 16 oz. tray
0-41220-18534-4
2/24/2013
TX

Full Circle Organic
Organic - Baby Spinach, 16 oz. tray
0-36800-28875-1
2/24/2013
CA

Marketside Organic
Organic - Baby Spinach, 5 oz. tray
6-81131-32898-2
2/24/2013
AR, CO, LA, NM, OK, TX

Simple Truth Organic
Organic - Baby Spinach, 5 oz. tray
0-11110-91128-5
2/24/2013
AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, LA, MO, MT, NM,
OR, TX, UT, WA, WY

Taylor Farms Organic
Organic - Baby Spinach, 16 oz. tray

0-30223-04780-3
2/24/2013
AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IN, IL, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MN, MS, MT, NC, NE, NM, NV, NJ, NY, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI, WY

No other products or code dates are affected by this market withdrawal. The company is cooperating with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) regarding this market withdrawal. There have been no reported illnesses attributed to the items withdrawn from the market.

Customers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume the products and should dispose of them. Consumers may contact Taylor Farms Retail, Inc. for further information at 855-293-9811. Consumers with concerns about an illness from consumption of this product should contact a health care provider.

---30---

HNN: Baby spinach recalled in several states including Hawaii

CB: Some Baby Spinach Recalled in Hawaii For Possible E-Coli

Organic Cultists: Kauai Anti-GMO protests continue, Anti-GMO protests in Kapaa, Kauai, Hawaii on Wednesday (Video)

2012: Same Organic farm, Another EColi Recall

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii