The eggs included in the recall were sold exclusively to wholesalers and distributors and were not available directly from the company to consumers at the retail level. These eggs are purchased by companies which further process them to be included in other products.

Eggs included in the Michaels Foods recall were sold to customers in 34 states. It includes eggs packed in brine and sold in 10- and 25-pound pails. These pails are prepared at teh company’s headquarters in Wakefield, Neb. They are packed and sold under six different brand names: Columbia Valley Farms, GFS, Glenview Farms, Papetti’s, Silverbrook and Wholesome Farms. Products can be identified by their Lot codes. Those in the recall have a Lot code of 1 LOT 1350W through 1 LOT 2025W and expiration dates ranging from 1/30/2012 to 3/10/2012.

Michael Foods does not identify customers which may have received contaminated hard-boiled eggs. The company said its lab testing revealed the presence of Listeria bacteria, which prompted the recall. An initial recall was issued on Jan. 26 but was expanded this week to include more products.

Michael Foods has not received any reports of illness associated with its potentially contaminated food. The company said repairs to equipment in an area of its facility where the eggs are processed is the likely source of the contamination.

According to a Reuters report, the popular fast food chain admitted in a statement that some of the 68 people in 10 different states confirmed as victims of the Salmonella outbreak ate at a Taco Bell just before falling ill.

In a recently completed investigation into the outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention failed to identify the actual source of the outbreak. Instead, the CDC used the anonymous identifier for the restaurant most commonly linked to the outbreak. The agency used a similar tactic in a 2010 outbreak, also eventually linked to Taco Bell restaurants.

Salmonella poisoning cases associated with this outbreak were reported in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio and Tennessee. Nearly one-third of the people who reported their illness as part of this outbreak required hospitalization to treat the infection.

Though Taco Bell admitted that some of the people in that outbreak ate at its restaurants, it believes more restaurants also served contaminated food that contributed to the widespread nature of the outbreak. Taco Bell believes food it receives from a wholesaler or distributor was likely contaminated when it arrived to its stores.

According to an MSNBC.com report, at least three recent outbreaks have resulted in hundreds of sick Americans but left them all wondering how they acquired a food-borne infection.

Most recently, the CDC finalized an investigation into an outbreak of Salmonella bacteria which resulted in 68 people sick in 10 states.  The report indicates the investigation reveals almost every detail about the outbreak but omits one key detail: exactly what “Restaurant Chain A” is other than a “Mexican-style fast food” establishment.

In August 2010, a similar outbreak and response happened when at least 155 people in 21 states. The CDC acted as it did recently and only identified the source as a “Mexican-style fast food restaurant.” It was later determined this restaurant was Taco Bell.

CDC also did had the same identifying vagueness during an outbreak last summer linked to lettuce sold at a specific grocery store chain.

Along with the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration is pushing for more disclosure and power when it comes to policing food safety across the country. In that pitch for more power, the FDA said it aims to keep the public more informed about potential threats to consumers. This practice of not identifying known sources of an outbreak works against those claims.

According to a press release from the Food and Drug Administration, the agency has asked a federal judge in a New York court to order Mexicali Cheese, of Woodhaven, to stop all production because it has ignored FDA and New York state health official warnings to remedy persistent Listeria contamination at its facility.

Separate inspections by FDA and New York Dept. of Agriculture and Markets officials each resulted in failing grades for Mexicali, with evidence of Listeria bacteria throughout the company’s facility.

Despite these findings, the company has continued to process and distribute cheese products and this has resulted in continual outbreaks of Listeria monocytogenes and putting thousands of people at risk for life-threatening infection. Mexicali processes and distributes soft Mexican-style cheeses which it sells to retail locations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Specifically, the company produces queso fresco [fresh cheese], queso oaxaca [Oaxacan cheese] and queso para freir [cheese for frying], according to the release.

The FDA requested a federal judge allow a permanent injunction against the company until it can “bring their operations into full compliance with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and FDA food safety regulations.”

An outbreak of Salmonella bacteria prompted a recall of store-ground ground beef sold at Hannaford stores mostly in New England states. At least 19 people were sickened by ground beef sold at these stores in December.

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture said Hannaford stores use “high-risk practices” when opting to grind beef in-store but believes other retailers also do the same and that is likely not the source of the contamination that prompted the recall. Specifically, Hannaford uses trimmings from steaks and other cuts of beef to create a ground beef product. It mixes this product with other ground beef the store buys from another source and mixes it before selling it in stores. It is not against USDA laws.

However, a spokesperson with the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service told The Portland (Maine) Press-Herald there are different standards for accepted bacteria levels in the cuts of meat it grinds at Hannaford stores and that which is bought from another source and arrives in pre-packaged tubes for re-packaging.

The USDA said it plans to close its investigation by the end of the week and does not expect to identify a source. The agency said recommendations to adopt “best practices” when handling ground beef are not being followed by retailers and processors but those are likely to turn into mandates by the end of the year.

According to a recall statement from the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the Dept. of Agriculture, 18th Street Deli Inc. has been forced to call back its 18th St. Deli Julienne Salad, 18th St. Deli Julienne Salad Lite and Balanced Choice Julienne Salad Lite. Eggs contained in these salads were confirmed to be contaminated with Listeria bacteria by 18th St. Deli’s supplier of this product. The recall includes about 118 pounds of the salad products.

The release provides other identifying information on the recalled products. All products are packaged at 9.5-ounce size and have the Establishment number P-22061 marked in the USDA inspection mark. They feature Expiration dates of 01/27/12 and 01/30/12, so it is likely a consumer may have one of these products.

The recalled salads include turkey, ham and hard-boiled eggs. The eggs were products of Michael Food Egg Products Inc., which recently issued a recall on its product included in the salad recall.

There are no reports of illness associated with the consumption of the salads in this recall. Listeria poisoning can be life-threatening and pregnant women, children and the elderly face the greatest risk of suffering severe symptoms of Listeria poisoning.

According to a report posted at the National Restaurant News Web site, an unnamed Mexican-style fast food restaurant has been identified as the source of the outbreak but what exactly caused that outbreak remains unknown. Despite that major unknown, the outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis has been declared over and no longer a threat.

Victims of the outbreak who were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they ate at that unidentified restaurant chain. Based on the agency’s research, it is believed the outbreak may be linked to produce used as ingredients in many of the products sold by the restaurant. The CDC said evidence which comes to that theory is inconclusive and merits more investigation.

Several food poisoning outbreak reported in the last year have been linked to produce like lettuce or tomatoes. The CDC the products which caused this outbreak of Salmonella poisoning were likely contaminated before they reached the restaurants where they were served.

At least 18 restaurants of the unnamed chain served contaminated food, according to the report.

Salmonella poisoning can be life-threatening to some individuals and certain strains of the bacteria often require hospitalization for treatment as recent reports indicate common antibiotics are ineffective at killing bacteria. Otherwise healthy individuals usually endure a few days of symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. These symptoms are usually more severe in children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

According to a press release, Mill Stream Corp., of Hancock, Maine, destroyed its supply of cold-smoked salmon under the supervision of the Food and Drug Administration. An FDA investigator recently visited the Mill Stream Corp. facility. Samples taken from the facility revealed the presence of Listeria bacteria in the food and on equipment used to process and pack it.

That inspection happened last month and upon the discovery of the bacteria, Mill Stream Corp. volunteered to destroy the product in question. If it had not volunteered to destroy the cold-smoked salmon, the FDA could have invoked its power of administrative detention of the product, which allows the agency to hold food it believes poses a public health threat for up to 30 days.

There have been no illnesses associated with the consumption of any cold-smoked salmon products distributed by Mill Stream Corp.

Listeria poisoning can be life-threatening. An outbreak of the bacteria in contaminated cantaloupe this past summer claimed 30 lives and sickened potentially hundreds more. Early symptoms of Listeria poisoning include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle and joint pain and dizziness. Symptoms are usually more severe among pregnant women, children and the elderly. Listeria poisoning has resulted in miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

According to a release from the company, the recall includes its Jones’ Mock Salt Original and Jones’ Mock Salt Spicy Southwest Blend. The company said no illnesses have been associated with the consumption of its products.

The recall is necessary because the Mock Salts contain potentially-contaminated Celery Seed, which has been the subject of its own recall and has prompted the recall of numerous products which contain the questionable ingredient.

The products included in this recall were sent to grocery stores in California, Minnesota and Washington state. They were also sold through the company’s Web site, jonesmocksalt.com. Here is a full product description of the mock salt items in the recall:

Jones’ Mock Salt Original: Organic Salt Free Seasoning, 1.6 oz bottles (UPC 0 94922 16616 6), 12 oz bags (UPC 0 94922 07199 6) and 16 oz bags (0 94922 16616 6).

Jones’ Mock Salt Spicy Southwest Blend: Organic Salt Free Seasoning, 1.6 oz bottles (UPC 0 94922 01560 0).

Any products purchased between July 1 and Dec. 14 should be discarded as they contain the impacted Celery Seed.