Restaurant Law Group

Queseria Chipilo announced a recall of several sizes of Oaxaca string cheese, sold under the brand names of Queseria Chipilo, Chipilo and Aztlan, according to the FDA.

The recalled cheese was distributed in New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware, Connecticut and Virginia. The cheese could be infected with listeria, which can be fatal in young children, the elderly, or frail individuals.

For more information, call the company in Passaic, New Jersey, 973, 685-7148.

It seems a shame to waste hundreds of millions of eggs just to keep crazies who like their food raw from getting some well-deserved natural toxins.

Who doesn’t know to cook eggs, after all? Salmonella, etc. etc. DIES at 160 degrees Fahrenheit, not a hard thing to remember. So, if you’re the runny-egg type of person, you’re lucky if you haven’t been kissing toilet seats all your life. Use a thermometer! Cook the yolk!

Here are a few more tips, straight from your friends at the FDA, the guys who put the egg on those Iowa farmers’ faces.

Whatever Mamey Pulp is, it is made (or processed) in Guatemala and is being recalled by Goya Foods, whose label it carries. Because of a potential salmonella hazard, Goya is voluntarily recalling the stuff. We’ll miss you, Mamey.

The notorious NY Health Department shut down over 1700 restaurants in 2009, 27 percent more than in 2008. According to the Daily News, it wasn’t because more restaurants were violating the rules, it was because the Health Department actually got around to inspecting almost all of them.

Apparently not so concerned with trans fats and calorie counts on menus, the inspectors had more time to inspect for real hazards. The result, too, is a windfall of cash for the Department in fines, which enables them to hire more inspectors.

It’s a wonder why the FDA hasn’t considered this business model for its inspection of imports.

The FDA reports that Del Bueno of Grandview, WA, is recalling its 16 ounce packages of Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese because it could be contaminated with listeria.

Washington State Ag officials found the contamination. The product is only distributed in Washington and Oregon.

USDA scientists have developed an ultra-small nanotechnological device that can detect salmonella in foods, and could be adapted to detect other pathogens. The device includes an organic fluorescent dye which, when it finds salmonella, “lights up” so that it can be seen more easily.

There is no shortage of tips on keeping your loved ones from contracting a food-borne illness. But the NBC affiliate in Wisconsin is nice enough to supply a video as well as text. Here is part of their cornucopia of advice:

The most important rule is not to cook the stuffing with the turkey. Just don’t do it. The stuffing rarely reaches the bacteria-killing temperatures when it’s inside the turkey.

By the way, that temperature is 165 degrees.

Most of the other tips would be known as common sense — if they were more commonly followed: keep raw and ready to eat foods separate; separate raw meats and produce in the fridge; store meat on the bottom shelf.

It seems uncanny that Canada could have yet another round of listeria problems, but UPI reports that in routine testing of food from Eurest Dining Services, traces of listeria were discovered.

The company supplies meat to, among other places, correctional institutions in Ontario. The acting chief of health services for the province has warned those who may have been exposed to such meats earlier in the month to seek medical attention if they develop symptoms of listeriosis –diarrhea, nausea, fever, severe headaches and a stiff neck.

So far, no cases have been reported.

So that your Thanksgiving is truly thankful and memorable in a good way, there are quite a few things to watch out for when preparing turkey. You’d be surprised at how often that great “stuffed” feeling becomes unstuffed with salmonella.

What is it about poor Canada that is taking such a beating with food safety this year? After epidemics of salmonella, E. coli and listeria, now it seems that someone is dumping potentially poisoned candy on the market in Toronto illegally.

Hershey’s candy that was recalled two years ago for potential salmonella poisoning, and supposedly destroyed, was stolen from the recall center, and now has surfaced at some stores.

Hershey Co. emphasizes that its Halloween candy is safe.