Shayna told you last week about the recall involving Malt-o-Meal cereal because of possible salmonella contamination. Now comes word that people might have actually gotten sick from the cereal.

Officials are investigating 23 cases of people getting sick from the same strain of salmonella that affected the cereal. The cereal recalled was distributed across the country under the Malt-O-Meal name as well as other names, including Acme, America's Choice, Food Club, Giant, Hannaford, Jewel, Laura Lynn, Pathmark, Shaw's (yikes, that's where I shop!), ShopRite, Tops and Weis Quality.

The people who got sick are from 13 different states.

It sure does seem like I've heard about a lot of recalls lately. Is it always like this, or did I just not pay attention before? I don't know about that, but I do know that Malt-o-Meal is voluntarily recalling some of it's cereals due to the possibility of salmonella contamination.

The unsweetened Puffed Rice and unsweetened Puffed Wheat cereals with the "best if used by" dates from April 8, 2008 to March 18, 2009 are the focus of the recall. Malt-o-Meal says that the recall is a result of internal safety testing and that no one has reported becoming ill.

You can get full details and information here.

Several brands of alfalfa sprouts are on recall in western U.S. states over fear of salmonella contamination. Salad Cosmo USA Corporation recalled shipments of sprouts from Save Mart Supermarkets and Lucky Stores across California and Washington Saturday. A day later, Trader Joe's recalled tubs of Nature's Choice Alfalfa Sprouts in their California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington stores. The recall only applies to the TJ's sprouts with a "Sell By" date of March 9 or earlier.

Apparently no illnesses have been reported but still better safe than sorry. If you can't find good sprouts try some finely chopped green peppers or a little watercress in your sandwich instead.

Between beef recalls and threats of mad cow disease, the simple action of eating is quickly becoming less of a pleasurable activity and more of a chore, or, in some cases, a big wager.

Think you know your salmonella from your E.Coli? Feeling bored? Test your smarts with National Geographic's food safety quiz. Yes, I know, online quizzes are pretty nerdy, but this one actually provides you with decent information. After you answer each question, the site gives you a brief synopsis of the topic, so you can bulk up on your food safety knowledge for your next dinner party.

Or, even better: when the weather gets warmer and you attend a picnic, turn to your friend as she takes her first bite of chicken salad and bust out with, "Did you know that food borne illnesses are more common in warmer weather?" and watch her spit out her food and glare at you. If nothing else, your new found knowledge will provide you with hours of entertainment.

And when you're finished with that quiz, you can get to know your inner organic foodie. Because, seriously, we know you have nothing better to do.

A food recall involving chocolate? Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Yup, Kraft food is recalling 24,000 cases of their Baker's Premium White Chocolate Baking Squares (6 oz.) because they might contain salmonella. The use by dates are March 31, April 1, April 2, and April 3 (all 2008), followed by the letters XCZ. The UPC code 0043000252200.

Kraft is advising that customers throw out the white chocolate. If you need more information about the recall, Kraft's phone number is 800-310-3704.

Another day, another food recall. This time it's a sequel: fresh spinach.

A year after E coli in fresh spinach caused a massive recall comes this recall for Metz Fresh spinach because of possible salmonella contamination. The spinach was distributed to 48 states and also Canada. The company says that 90 percent of the recall food involved hasn't been distributed, but consumers should watch out for the 10 percent that has been shipped to stores. There have been no reports of illness as of yet.

Here is a list of the products, including the package sizes, tracking codes, and a phone number if you have any questions.

Seventeen visitors to the Taste of Chicago food festival have become sick, and officials say that several of them are sick from salmonella poisoning.

All of the sick people ate from the same booth at the show, a booth that served grilled lamb and beef, pomegranate barbecued chicken, baklava, and cucumber salad over hummus. They're not sure how the outbreak occurred, since the festival (which showcases foods from 70 restaurants) was under the supervision of the Health Department. Though I think any festival that lasts 10 days and has that many people eating various foods from 70 different places isn't too easy to monitor.

Three of the 17 were hospitalized.

There seems to have been a large number of food-related product recalls lately, and it has brought up some very valid questions. What happens when consumers don't hear about the recalls of products they have recently purchased, and equally frightening - what happens when the stores that sell these products aren't even aware? The FDA hopes to change that with a 6-month pilot program they are launching, designed to educate and assist consumers in identifying recalled products that could potentially pose significant health risks.

In the test program, they will mostly be focusing on the awareness of class I recalls - tainted products that could potentially cause serious adverse health consequences or death. These include foods contaminated with Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and more, plus those that contain food allergens ingredients such as nuts, soy, dairy, etc. In 2006 alone there were over 100 such recalls, though the average over the past 5 years is more like 188 - quite a significant number.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just issued a salmonella warning for some batches of Peter Pan peanut butter after linking more than 280 cases of food poisoning in 39 different states to the product. Con Agra, the manufacturer of the peanut butter, has already called for a recall, but unlike with the fresh veggies that were affected by an E. coli contamination last fall, the long shelf-life of peanut butter means that people who fail to check their jars at home could face problems at a later time. Fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps are common effects, but for those with autoimmune disorders or other serious medical conditions, salmonella infections can be life threatening.

All of the peanut butters in question are under the brand names "Peter Pan" and "Great Value" and bear the number 2111 at the beginning of the product code on the lid. They were all made at a single factory in Georgia. The first consumer that was affected by the peanut butter-borne salmonella became ill in August of 2006, so if you bought your peanut butter (assuming it's Peter Pan brand) around that time, or even a bit before, it is wise to throw it out and start with something fresh.

In a recent study, Consumer Reports concluded that 83% of all the chickens sold in the US are likely to contain foodborne illness-causing bacteria, such as campylobacter and salmonella. Known for its reliable research techniques and consumer-minded approach to issues, Consumer reports has come under criticism from the USDA, which "called the report 'junk science.'"

The CR study involved running tests on 525 supermarket chickens (from leading brands) before drawing their conclusions. Despite the fact that different brands were tested, the USDA says that the sample size was too small to conclude anything about all the chickens in the country - especially considering that there are something like 9 billion chickens killed for food in the US every year. A spokesperson for the U.S. Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service said that the methodology was not there, or at least was not sufficiently explained, to justify the conclusions. For example, the study found that 15% of chickens carried salmonella (a number actually in line with USDA data), but failed to identify the strain(s) present, not even mentioning that not every strain makes people sick.

The USDA will conduct its own study of the matter beginning in January.

Following the withdrawal in the UK of a million bars of Cadbury's chocolate it looks like the company's directors are to face criminal charges. The Times reports today that their products are the only common link between the 37 people that became ill recently with salmonella.

The UK's Health Protection Agency has reviewed food diaries from the 37, who included many kids under 10 years old, and discovered that many specifically mentioned eating Cadbury's Chocolate. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has already said that other infected Cadbury's products may still be on sale as the suspect base ingredient was used in as many as 43 product lines.

Cadbury is conducting a recall of seven of its products - they have withdrawn these because of a fear that they may contain "minute traces of salmonella".

1. 250 gram - Cadbury Dairy Milk Turkish
2. 250 gram - Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel
3. 250 gram - Cadbury Dairy Milk Mint
4. Cadbury Dairy Milk 8 chunk
5. 1 kilogram - Cadbury Dairy Milk
6. Cadbury Dairy Milk Button Easter Egg – 105 gram
7. Cadbury Freddo 10p

Cadbury's say they have "identified the source of the problem and rectified it", and is taking "steps to ensure these particular products are no longer available for sale". 

I recently came across a brief Q&A about mayonnaise and food poisoning on the Mayo Clinic's website. Surely someone at MayoClinic.com must be aware of the irony here. At any rate, with the picnic season gearing up, some of the tips on the page are worth mentioning. I'm not sure how many folks out there make homemade mayo on a regular basis, but according to the Mayo Clinic, homemade is not the way to go if you're planning on using it for your picnic potato salad. Store-bought mayo is made with pasteurized eggs, which, according to the MC, pose a far lower risk of bacterial growth in your side dish than mayo made with raw eggs. Foods with mayonnaise-based dressings should also be kept on ice during serving, just to be on the safe side.

[Photo: Kraft Foods]

The results of a four year study of over 15,000 Americans shows that fewer people are eating "risky" foods associated with E. Coli, salmonella and other foodborne diseases. The number of people eating foods such as undercooked meat, raw oysters and seafood and runny eggs dropped by about 10 percent between 1998 and 2002, according to the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, or FoodNet. Men ages 18 to 64 were almost 10 percent more likely to eat risky foods than women of the same age. For some reason, people 18 years and younger with compromised immune systems were more likely to eat risky foods. The most commonly eaten food on the list was runny eggs, reported FoodConsumer.org.