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Sickness by cereal: Contaminated food scandals in the US
- The US just experienced a months-long salmonella outbreak that has just been linked to Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal on Thursday. The foodborne outbreak is the latest to hit the US but it's far from being the first one. In America's recent history, at least 17 foods have been tied to illnesses and even deaths.
Check out the worst foodborne outbreaks to hit the US in the past few decades as listed by Health Line.
© Shutterstock
0 / 32 Fotos
Honey smacks - Beginning March 3, there have been 73 cases of salmonella in 31 states, the CDC reports.
© Shutterstock
1 / 32 Fotos
Honey Smacks - The CDC has attributed the outbreak to Honey Smacks cereal, and Kellogg's has issued a voluntary recall due to the potential health risk.
© iStock
2 / 32 Fotos
Illnesses - One in six Americans die every year from foodborne illnesses.
© Getty Images
3 / 32 Fotos
Deaths and hospitalizations - The CDC also estimates that are 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths worldwide annually.
© Getty Images
4 / 32 Fotos
How do they start? - Outbreaks happen when foods carry dangerous germs or toxins, such as salmonella, the bacteria that causes the the most hospitalizations in the US with more 19,000 cases per year.
© Getty Images
5 / 32 Fotos
Salmonella outbreaks - The symptoms associated with salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, and they usually appear 12 to 72 hours after infection. If treated, those affected by it recover within a week.
© Getty Images
6 / 32 Fotos
PCA peanut butter (2009) - In 2009, 714 people fell ill and nine died from a salmonella outbreak associated with peanut butter produced by the Peanut Corporation of America. The now-bankrupted company had to recall 3,600 peanut butter products.
© Getty Images
7 / 32 Fotos
Cargill ground turkey (2011) - In 2011, Cargill, Incorporated had to recall 36 million lbs of ground turkey after one person died, and another 136 became ill across the 34 states that were suspected of having been infected by an antibiotic-resistant strain of salmonella associated with the company's product.
© Getty Images
8 / 32 Fotos
Foster Farms chicken (2013) - The California producer issued a voluntary recall after its chicken products became suspected of infecting 634 people with Salmonella across 29 states and Puerto Rico. No deaths were reported.
© Getty Images
9 / 32 Fotos
Mexican cucumbers (2015) - Cucumber imported from Mexico was suspected of infecting 907 people in 40 states, resulting in six deaths and about 200 hospitalizations.
© Getty Images
10 / 32 Fotos
E. coli outbreaks - Escherichia coli is a bacteria that normally lives in the intestines of people and animals, but infections by certain strains can cause people to become ill. Symptoms include diarrhea, bloody stool, abdominal pain, vomiting, and fever. What causes people to get sick is actually a toxin produced by the bacteria, so antibiotics are ineffective in treating the infection.
© Getty Images
11 / 32 Fotos
Jack in the Box hamburgers (1993) - Contaminated hamburger meat is suspected to have killed four people in California and Washington, along with causing hundreds of hospitalizations. The fast-food chain almost closed because of the generalized panic that ensued. The outbreak prompted the government to tighten regulations associated with food handling.
© iStock
12 / 32 Fotos
Dole baby spinach (2006) - The FDA linked E. coli infections to uncooked spinach in 26 states in September. During the outbreak, three people died, while 31 others suffered kidney failure and 205 reported having diarrhea and dehydration. Dole recalled its bagged baby spinach products. The contamination could have originated in a cattle ranch that leased land to a spinach farmer.
© Getty Images
13 / 32 Fotos
Taco Bell fast food (2006) - That same year, another E. coli outbreak that affected more than 70 people was associated with the fast-food chain. The infection led to more than 50 hospitalizations, 31 of which involved kidney failure. The outbreak is believed to have been due to contaminated lettuce from California. The outbreak led to a stronger regulation of lettuce.
© Getty Images
14 / 32 Fotos
Chipotle Mexican Grill fast food (2015) - The popular fast-food chain experienced an E. coli outbreak between October and November, which resulted in 22 hospitalizations and no deaths. No cause for the outbreak has been confirmed.
© Getty Images
15 / 32 Fotos
Romaine lettuce - The largest multi-state E-coli scare since 2006, the CDC announced the outbreak in April and continued updates until June. The outbreak ended up killing five people and included 35 states.
© Getty Images
16 / 32 Fotos
Romaine lettuce - The CDC reported 197 cases of illnesses associated with E. coli in romaine lettuce from the region around Yuma, AZ, as the outbreak started there.
© Getty Images
17 / 32 Fotos
Romaine lettuce - 89 people were hospitalized in connection with the outbreak.
© Getty Images
18 / 32 Fotos
Yuma, AZ - Authorities linked the outbreak to romaine lettuce produced in the Yuma region of Arizona, which is responsible for most romaine lettuce produced in the country during the winter months.
© iStock
19 / 32 Fotos
Botulism outbreaks - This illness is caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Symptoms include difficulty swallowing or speaking, blurry vision, abdominal pain, muscle weakness, and paralysis.
© iStock
20 / 32 Fotos
Trini & Carmen’s hot sauce (1977) - This outbreak started in Pontiac, MI, after customers of Trini and Carmen's Restaurant began reporting symptoms of food poisoning in March. Investigators linked the outbreak to the restaurant's hot sauce made from home-canned jalapeño peppers. The restaurant was closed within days. No deaths were reported and 58 people became ill.
© iStock
21 / 32 Fotos
Home-canned potatoes (2015) - The worst outbreak of botulism in recent US history took place in Fairfield County, OH, when one person died from respiratory failure and 29 others got sick. The outbreak was linked to improperly home-canned potatoes that were used in a potato salad made for a church potluck picnic.
© iStock
22 / 32 Fotos
Listeria outbreaks - Listeria infection is particularly worrisome for pregnant women, as they are 10 times more likely to contract it. Symptoms include headaches, confusion, loss of balance, seizures, fatigue, muscle aches, and fever.
© Getty Images
23 / 32 Fotos
Jalisco Products cheese (1985) - The listeria outbreak lasted for seven months and killed 10 newborns and 18 adults, affecting a total of 42 in Los Angeles country. 20 women also miscarried after contracting the infection.
© iStock
24 / 32 Fotos
Hot dogs (1998-1999) - Contaminated hot dogs caused 100 people across 24 states to become ill, causing 14 adult deaths and four women to miscarry. The contamination started at Bil Mar Foods’ manufacturing plant in Zeeland, MI, and affected at least nine brands, including Sara Lee Deli Meat.
© Getty Images
25 / 32 Fotos
Pilgrim’s Pride turkey meat (2002) - The brand's sliced deli meat was deemed the cause of this outbreak that killed seven adults and caused three stillbirths across Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Michigan. The company had to recall more than 27 million lbs of the product.
© Getty Images
26 / 32 Fotos
Cantaloupes (2011) - Authorities attributed 33 deaths to tainted cantaloupes, which investigators said started at Jensen Farms’ packing facility near Holly, CO. A total of 147 people became infected during the outbreak.
© Getty Images
27 / 32 Fotos
Hepatitis A from food contamination - Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. Its spread occurs primarily when food and/or water becomes contaminated with feces from an infected person. Symptoms of the illness includes fever, jaundice, dark urine, abdominal pain, joint pain, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
© iStock
28 / 32 Fotos
Frozen strawberries (1997) - An outbreak in Calhoun County, MI, caused 153 people to become infected. The tainted fruit was used in a federal school lunch program and distributed across six states.
© Getty Images
29 / 32 Fotos
Chi-Chi’s salsa and chili con queso (2003) - The outbreak, which killed three people and affected 555 total, was traced to green onions imported from Mexico and used to make salsa and chili con queso at Chi-Chi’s restaurant in Monaca, PA.
© iStock
30 / 32 Fotos
Tropical Smoothie Café drinks (2016) - The outbreak affected 143 people, including 56 who were hospitalized, and was linked to Tropical Smoothie Café's strawberries imported from Egypt. No deaths were reported.
© iStock
31 / 32 Fotos
Sickness by cereal: Contaminated food scandals in the US
- The US just experienced a months-long salmonella outbreak that has just been linked to Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal on Thursday. The foodborne outbreak is the latest to hit the US but it's far from being the first one. In America's recent history, at least 17 foods have been tied to illnesses and even deaths.
Check out the worst foodborne outbreaks to hit the US in the past few decades as listed by Health Line.
© Shutterstock
0 / 32 Fotos
Honey smacks - Beginning March 3, there have been 73 cases of salmonella in 31 states, the CDC reports.
© Shutterstock
1 / 32 Fotos
Honey Smacks - The CDC has attributed the outbreak to Honey Smacks cereal, and Kellogg's has issued a voluntary recall due to the potential health risk.
© iStock
2 / 32 Fotos
Illnesses - One in six Americans die every year from foodborne illnesses.
© Getty Images
3 / 32 Fotos
Deaths and hospitalizations - The CDC also estimates that are 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths worldwide annually.
© Getty Images
4 / 32 Fotos
How do they start? - Outbreaks happen when foods carry dangerous germs or toxins, such as salmonella, the bacteria that causes the the most hospitalizations in the US with more 19,000 cases per year.
© Getty Images
5 / 32 Fotos
Salmonella outbreaks - The symptoms associated with salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, and they usually appear 12 to 72 hours after infection. If treated, those affected by it recover within a week.
© Getty Images
6 / 32 Fotos
PCA peanut butter (2009) - In 2009, 714 people fell ill and nine died from a salmonella outbreak associated with peanut butter produced by the Peanut Corporation of America. The now-bankrupted company had to recall 3,600 peanut butter products.
© Getty Images
7 / 32 Fotos
Cargill ground turkey (2011) - In 2011, Cargill, Incorporated had to recall 36 million lbs of ground turkey after one person died, and another 136 became ill across the 34 states that were suspected of having been infected by an antibiotic-resistant strain of salmonella associated with the company's product.
© Getty Images
8 / 32 Fotos
Foster Farms chicken (2013) - The California producer issued a voluntary recall after its chicken products became suspected of infecting 634 people with Salmonella across 29 states and Puerto Rico. No deaths were reported.
© Getty Images
9 / 32 Fotos
Mexican cucumbers (2015) - Cucumber imported from Mexico was suspected of infecting 907 people in 40 states, resulting in six deaths and about 200 hospitalizations.
© Getty Images
10 / 32 Fotos
E. coli outbreaks - Escherichia coli is a bacteria that normally lives in the intestines of people and animals, but infections by certain strains can cause people to become ill. Symptoms include diarrhea, bloody stool, abdominal pain, vomiting, and fever. What causes people to get sick is actually a toxin produced by the bacteria, so antibiotics are ineffective in treating the infection.
© Getty Images
11 / 32 Fotos
Jack in the Box hamburgers (1993) - Contaminated hamburger meat is suspected to have killed four people in California and Washington, along with causing hundreds of hospitalizations. The fast-food chain almost closed because of the generalized panic that ensued. The outbreak prompted the government to tighten regulations associated with food handling.
© iStock
12 / 32 Fotos
Dole baby spinach (2006) - The FDA linked E. coli infections to uncooked spinach in 26 states in September. During the outbreak, three people died, while 31 others suffered kidney failure and 205 reported having diarrhea and dehydration. Dole recalled its bagged baby spinach products. The contamination could have originated in a cattle ranch that leased land to a spinach farmer.
© Getty Images
13 / 32 Fotos
Taco Bell fast food (2006) - That same year, another E. coli outbreak that affected more than 70 people was associated with the fast-food chain. The infection led to more than 50 hospitalizations, 31 of which involved kidney failure. The outbreak is believed to have been due to contaminated lettuce from California. The outbreak led to a stronger regulation of lettuce.
© Getty Images
14 / 32 Fotos
Chipotle Mexican Grill fast food (2015) - The popular fast-food chain experienced an E. coli outbreak between October and November, which resulted in 22 hospitalizations and no deaths. No cause for the outbreak has been confirmed.
© Getty Images
15 / 32 Fotos
Romaine lettuce - The largest multi-state E-coli scare since 2006, the CDC announced the outbreak in April and continued updates until June. The outbreak ended up killing five people and included 35 states.
© Getty Images
16 / 32 Fotos
Romaine lettuce - The CDC reported 197 cases of illnesses associated with E. coli in romaine lettuce from the region around Yuma, AZ, as the outbreak started there.
© Getty Images
17 / 32 Fotos
Romaine lettuce - 89 people were hospitalized in connection with the outbreak.
© Getty Images
18 / 32 Fotos
Yuma, AZ - Authorities linked the outbreak to romaine lettuce produced in the Yuma region of Arizona, which is responsible for most romaine lettuce produced in the country during the winter months.
© iStock
19 / 32 Fotos
Botulism outbreaks - This illness is caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. Symptoms include difficulty swallowing or speaking, blurry vision, abdominal pain, muscle weakness, and paralysis.
© iStock
20 / 32 Fotos
Trini & Carmen’s hot sauce (1977) - This outbreak started in Pontiac, MI, after customers of Trini and Carmen's Restaurant began reporting symptoms of food poisoning in March. Investigators linked the outbreak to the restaurant's hot sauce made from home-canned jalapeño peppers. The restaurant was closed within days. No deaths were reported and 58 people became ill.
© iStock
21 / 32 Fotos
Home-canned potatoes (2015) - The worst outbreak of botulism in recent US history took place in Fairfield County, OH, when one person died from respiratory failure and 29 others got sick. The outbreak was linked to improperly home-canned potatoes that were used in a potato salad made for a church potluck picnic.
© iStock
22 / 32 Fotos
Listeria outbreaks - Listeria infection is particularly worrisome for pregnant women, as they are 10 times more likely to contract it. Symptoms include headaches, confusion, loss of balance, seizures, fatigue, muscle aches, and fever.
© Getty Images
23 / 32 Fotos
Jalisco Products cheese (1985) - The listeria outbreak lasted for seven months and killed 10 newborns and 18 adults, affecting a total of 42 in Los Angeles country. 20 women also miscarried after contracting the infection.
© iStock
24 / 32 Fotos
Hot dogs (1998-1999) - Contaminated hot dogs caused 100 people across 24 states to become ill, causing 14 adult deaths and four women to miscarry. The contamination started at Bil Mar Foods’ manufacturing plant in Zeeland, MI, and affected at least nine brands, including Sara Lee Deli Meat.
© Getty Images
25 / 32 Fotos
Pilgrim’s Pride turkey meat (2002) - The brand's sliced deli meat was deemed the cause of this outbreak that killed seven adults and caused three stillbirths across Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Michigan. The company had to recall more than 27 million lbs of the product.
© Getty Images
26 / 32 Fotos
Cantaloupes (2011) - Authorities attributed 33 deaths to tainted cantaloupes, which investigators said started at Jensen Farms’ packing facility near Holly, CO. A total of 147 people became infected during the outbreak.
© Getty Images
27 / 32 Fotos
Hepatitis A from food contamination - Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. Its spread occurs primarily when food and/or water becomes contaminated with feces from an infected person. Symptoms of the illness includes fever, jaundice, dark urine, abdominal pain, joint pain, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
© iStock
28 / 32 Fotos
Frozen strawberries (1997) - An outbreak in Calhoun County, MI, caused 153 people to become infected. The tainted fruit was used in a federal school lunch program and distributed across six states.
© Getty Images
29 / 32 Fotos
Chi-Chi’s salsa and chili con queso (2003) - The outbreak, which killed three people and affected 555 total, was traced to green onions imported from Mexico and used to make salsa and chili con queso at Chi-Chi’s restaurant in Monaca, PA.
© iStock
30 / 32 Fotos
Tropical Smoothie Café drinks (2016) - The outbreak affected 143 people, including 56 who were hospitalized, and was linked to Tropical Smoothie Café's strawberries imported from Egypt. No deaths were reported.
© iStock
31 / 32 Fotos
Sickness by cereal: Contaminated food scandals in the US
The latest outbreak of salmonella
© Shutterstock
A months-long salmonella outbreak has been linked to Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal, the CDC announced on Thursday, June 14. The foodborne outbreak is the latest to hit the US, but it's the latest among many. In America's recent history, at least 18 foods have been tied to illnesses and even deaths.
Check out the worst foodborne outbreaks to hit the US in the past few decades as listed by Health Line.
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