Caso: Sun Orchard Salmonella Outbreak –

Multistate
In June of 1999, the Washington State Department of Health (WDOH) and the Oregon
Health Division (OHD) independently investigated clusters of Salmonella serotype
Muenchen infections among state residents. By July 13, fifteen states and two Canadian
provinces had reported 207 confirmed cases of Salmonella Muenchen associated with this
outbreak; 91 additional cases had been reported and were still under investigation.

Epidemiological investigations by WDOH, ODH, and other state health departments, in

cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), identified
unpasteurized orange juice products produced by Sun Orchard, Inc., an Arizona based
company, as the source of the outbreak. A genetically indistinguishable strain of Salmonella
Muenchen was isolated from Sun Orchard unpasteurized orange juice products, blenders
where smoothies were made with the orange juice, and from victims’ stool, thereby
confirming the link.

Sun Orchard recalled all of its unpasteurized orange juice products, which had been
distributed in a variety of forms to retail stores, restaurants, and other food service
institutions, on June 25, 1999. On July 10, 1999, the Food and Drug Administration issued
a nationwide warning to consumers against drinking unpasteurized orange juice products
distributed under a variety of brand names by Sun Orchard, Inc. due to the continuing
reports of illness related to the product.

During the outbreak investigation health officials learned that Sun Orchard had blend
unpasteurized orange juice produced in its own plant, that had gone through its own
sanitation system process, with containers of unpasteurized orange juice that the company
had purchased from a supplier in Mexico. The blended juice from Mexico was eventually
identified as the source of the Salmonella infection. A number of shipments of Mexican juice
tested positive. The FDA border inspection of the orange juice did not include a test for
Salmonella before this outbreak. Sun Orchard testing of the Mexican orange juice prior to
the blending process had also failed to reveal the presence of the Salmonella bacteria.

Ironically, Sun Orchard again recalled thousands of gallons of orange juice believed
contaminated with Salmonella in November 1999. It was the second recall of contaminated
juice in five months
PREGUNTAS:

1. Indique como pudo haberse contaminado el Jugo de Naranja Mexicano.

2. Indique como puede controlarse este peligro microbiológico.
3. Haga un listado de los Prerrequisitos que pudieron haber fallado en este caso.