E.Coli, metal and even a dead bat have been found in recalled food. In fact, food recalls are increasing. Yet, that might actually be a good sign. Here's why.
Ready-to-eat chicken and beef. Frozen waffles and pancakes. Salmon.
And let's not forget a popular burger from a top, globally recognized brand temporarily removed from menus because it made some people sick.
There has been a rash of foodborne illnesses reported of late caused by food products potentially tainted with bacteria such as listeria, salmonella and E. coli bacteria.
Possibly contaminated products have led to investigations by government health agencies, and to the recall of, in some cases millions of pounds, of product by big names in the food and restaurant industries.
Many of the potentially tainted recalled products were distributed nationwide to U.S. food distributors, restaurants and retail stores such as small- and large-scale grocers, according to recall alerts.
Recent foodborne illnesses leading to recalls and certain products include:
What are foodborne illnesses?
Foodborne illnesses happen and come from eating contaminated foods, per the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) arm of the the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). People can experience symptoms right away or days or weeks after eating the contaminated food.
Symptoms of foodborne illness are often flu-like, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or fever. The CDC says the symptoms may often go unrecognized as being from a bacteria or other pathogens in food.
Nearly 48 million people are sickened each year from a foodborne illness, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die, the CDC estimates.
Following these steps from the CDC can help prevent foodborne illnesses:
Clean: Wash your hands and surfaces often. Always wash hands after handling uncooked meat, chicken and other poultry, seafood, flour, or eggs. Wash fruits and vegetables before eating, cutting or peeling. After preparing each food item, wash utensils, cutting boards, and countertops with hot, soapy water.
Separate: don't cross contaminate. Keep foods that won't be cooked before they are eaten -- such as fresh fruit, salads and deli meats -- away from raw meat, poultry and seafood. Use separate cutting boards and plates for raw foods to be cooked and those that are not cooked. Also, make sure you keep raw or marinating meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs away from all other foods in the refrigerator.
Cook: Make sure food is heated to a temperature high enough to kill germs. Here are the safe cooking temperatures for a variety of foods:
Ground meats, such as beef and pork: 160 degrees.
All poultry, including ground chicken and turkey: 165 degrees
Whole cuts of beef, veal, lamb, and pork, including fresh ham: 145 degrees plus a three-minute rest before carving or eating.
Fish with fins: 145 degrees or until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork.
Leftovers and casseroles: 165 degrees.
Chill: Refrigerate foods promptly becuse bacteria can mutliply if left at room temperature reaching the "danger zone" between 40 degrees and 140 degrees. Foods shouldn't be left out more than two hours or one hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees. Your refrigerator's temperature should be at 40 degrees or below and the freezer at zero degrees or below.
What are the symptoms of E. coli?
While there are several strains of E. coli, the bacteria strain causing the multistate outbreak of infections related to the Quarter Pounder is listed as E. coli O157:H7.
Symptoms of this strain of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 according to the CDC include:
Symptoms of E. coli infections usually start three to four days after swallowing the bacteria and most people recover without treatment after five to seven days.
The CDC says some people may develop serious kidney problems called hemolytic uremic syndrome or HUS, a type of kidney failure.
Who is at increased risk of E. coli infection?
At increased risk for E. coli infection, according to the CDC, include: