Health officials say a NY man has died from a listeria infection from tainted cantaloupes—and they warn that the outbreak will likely spread even more. Altogether, 21 people have died from the infection, and 109 people have become seriously ill in 23 states. The western NY man who died, whose name hasn't been released, was the first in the state to die from the infection. more ›

Here's a handy excuse to avoid eating your vegetables: romaine lettuce is being recalled from 21 states over concerns that the greens are tainted with listeria, which you may recall as the same deadly bacteria found in cantaloupes last week. more ›

Careful with the cantaloupes! Though no cases have been reported in New York, yet, the CDC says that as many as 16 people have died from listeria-related illnesses traced to cantaloupes grown in Colorado, making it the deadliest food-related outbreak in more than a decade. more ›

If there's one thing New Yorkers love, it's brunch. And if there's one ingredient integral to brunch, it's smoked salmon. On a bagel with schmear, on an English muffin with poached eggs, or straight-up on an appetizing platter, the pink stuff is integral to any Sunday morning. But beware! More than 8,000 individually wrapped packages of smoked salmon across the country are being recalled due to listeria concerns. more ›

Your bologna has a first name, it's l-i-s-t-e-r-i-a. It's been discovered that the nasty little bacteria that can cause food poisoning (and possibly death) has adapted to survive refrigerator temperatures! According to Boing Boing, cold cuts are basically hostels for listeria, and "all it takes is some improper handling of the meat, somewhere along the production chain, and a little listeria can bloom—inside your fridge—into a potentially serious problem." The scienticians at Bovine University never mentioned this... more ›

The F.D.A. has filed a complaint seeking an injunction against Williamsburg-based Peregrina Cheese in an attempt to stop the company from manufacturing and distributing food until further action is taken by the court. During visits this year, investigators reported filthy conditions at the factory, including standing water in food processing equipment and a dead rodent. More troubling was the the detection of Listeria bacteria in a sample of the cheese products and throughout the factory. According to the Listeria Blog, Listeria monocytogenes is a potentially fatal foodborne pathogen that can cause meningitis, septicemia, and other serious illnesses. The F.D.A. says the company's owners, Javier Peregrina and his wife Isabel, have failed to correct numerous violations cited as far back as 2004. (In March the F.D.A. ordered a recall on Peregrina's Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese after contaminants were found.) No illnesses have been documented from consumers who ate Peregrina cheese, which produces several Mexican-style cheeses. But according to the F.D.A., the bacteria collected by inspectors in 2004 is the same strain of Listeria found this year, which suggests "that the strain has formed a niche at Peregrina Cheese's facility...for at least five years." more ›