Health Department pulls products tied to salmonella from seaweed farm
JAMM AQUINO / APRIL 3, 2012
Limu is added to ahi limu poke.
The state Department of Health has ordered an Oahu seaweed farm to stop selling and distributing its Kahuku Ogo, Robusta Ogo and Sea Asparagus products, which have been connected to salmonella infections.
The Kahuku farm, Marine Agrifuture LLC, is also known as Olakai Hawaii.
>> Salmonella cases reported, linked to limu
>> Salmonella-tainted limu in poke sickens 14 on Oahu
The state said reports of salmonella infections on Oahu were linked to consumption of ogo (or limu) and led to the investigation of Olakai Hawaii on Nov. 2 and 7. Lab tests identified salmonella bacteria in packing and processing tanks at the farm, as well as in the environment there.
“Distributors and retailers have been notified to remove the affected products from sale or distribution immediately,” said Peter Oshiro, chief of the DOH Sanitation Branch. “We advise the public to discard any suspect product they may have.”
“Marine Agrifuture is a major distributor of ogo and sea asparagus in Hawaii and its products may have been shipped to all islands as well as the mainland (California and Washington state). The department is still confirming all locations and states the product may have been shipped to,” a press release said.
Earlier today, Times Supermarkets said it would temporarily stop using raw limu (seaweed) in its poke products over concerns about salmonella.
There have been 14 cases of salmonella on Oahu linked to eating poke prepared with raw fish and limu (seaweed) from the seaweed farm.
The salmonella cases involve children and adults, who developed diarrheal illness from mid- to late October. Four cases required hospitalization.
Times said in a news release that although the limu has not been recalled, “the health and safety of Times’ shoppers is the company’s primary concern.”
17 responses to “Health Department pulls products tied to salmonella from seaweed farm”
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Foodland, too! None available yesterday. First, hepatitis, and now this. Pretty soon, we’re gonna have to cook EVERYTHING!
I remember the good ‘ole days when limu was readily available in the ocean. Never got sick eating stuff fresh from the ocean. 🙁
You got sick if you ate too much!
We used to pick down Ewa Beach side. Sadly, those days are long gone.
And the reason why the Natatorium salt water pool can NEVER be opened again. Duke Kahanamoku and other Hawaii residents swimming in the Natatorium and waters around Oahu did not have to deal with Salmonella, Hep A, Norovirus, MRSA, and a host of other vriuses and ‘super’ bacteria that lurk around Oahu’s water. Much have to do with primary only treated released in the ocean, polluted runoff that inckudes poop and waste from people, cats, pigs,….This is the consequence when you try to squeezw hundreds of thousands more people and tourists on Oahu. Shatz and other waste has to go someplace and eventually it ends up in the ocean around Oahu.
Another reason why the Natorium pool can never be safe is that without chlorine in the water, people who have these illnesses and swim in the salt water pool can spread it to other people in the pool.
Correction: ..primary only treated SEWAGE released in the ocean water around Oahu…
I hope there will be a way.
I once read that virus can only survive for a few minutes in salt water.
I did a small Google and found that there are six ocean salt water pools in Sydney Australia.
Still won`t tell us who makes/sell`s it.
the source … “The problem seaweed came from Olokai Hawaii, a seaweed farm in Kahuku.”
so where was the poki purchased from?????? more than one location?????? etc, etc, etc
Humane Society
LOL Good one!
Your sickness is really scary. It doesn’t come from a bacteria nor from a virus. It comes from inside your sick mind.
So……what is plan B?
who else is selling Limu?
Plan B? Send a batch to Klastri and all the protesters. They’ll at least have a real legitimate excuse for defecating in the streets.
Now, cannot tell what can get contaminated. Supposedly this is an aquaponic system, yet this happens. Vegetables grown this way has potential to be contaminated. If you eat vegetables raw, need to make sure it is cleaned REALLY GOOD.
It can’t be the system itself. Something happened in Sept/Oct to bring in the bacteria. Somebody didn’t wash their hands? LOL
Perhaps they had brought in some new stock without testing it?