More than 90 police officers at a jungle base in Peru have been taken to hospital with food poisoning.
The officers developed fever, nausea and stomach ache after eating chicken soup at Mazuco police base in Tambopata province, officials say.
Police said they would investigate the suppliers of the meals.
A study conducted by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)found that almost half of the chickens sold in supermarkets in the United States are contaminated with faeces.
The study looked at chickens produced by Pilgrim’s, Sanderson Farms, Perdue, and 22 other brands. The tests found that “48% of the chicken samples tested positive for faecal contamination, indicated by the presence of coliform bacteria commonly found in chicken dung.”
Chicken samples from every city and every grocery store chain tested positive. In Dallas, 100 percent of the chicken bought at the Kroger’s store tested positive for faecal matter. In Washington, D.C., 83 percent of the chicken bought at a Giant store and 67 percent of the chicken bought at a Safeway tested positive. Samples were also tested in Charleston, S.C., Milwaukee, Phoenix, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Miami, and San Diego.
Survival of Salmonella in a high sugar, low water-activity, Peanut Butter Flavoured Candy Fondant
This study examined the survival of a two strain mixture of Salmonella serovar Typhimurium in peanut butter flavoured candy fondant during ingredient mixing and after storage up to 7 weeks. The sample was further tested for the presence or absence of Salmonella after six and twelve months of storage. Fondant ingredients mixed with inoculated peanut butter at a starting temperature of 70 °C led to 2.2 and 2.9 log cfu reduction in level of surviving Salmonella after 10 and 20 min of mixing respectively. A lower mixing temperature (65 °C) resulted in 1.2 log cfu reduction at both 10 and 20 min. Flavoured fondant from both mixing temperatures were then stored at room temperature. During storage for up to 7 weeks, there was reduction in the level of surviving salmonellae by an average of 0.58 log cfu/week. The combination of heated mixing and storage for 5 weeks resulted in a 5-log reduction in the colony counts of salmonellae. In comparison, the average reduction of the inoculum in peanut butter was 0.45 log cfu per week totalling 3.16 log cfu after 7 weeks of storage. This study suggests that common candy industry mixing temperatures will not lead to a significant lethality of Salmonella in this product. Although the heated mixing followed by storage of flavoured fondant for five weeks at room temperature provided a 5-log reduction in Salmonella survival, there was a presence of Salmonella in samples for up to twelve months of room temperature storage. Therefore, the need for good sanitation practices exists.
Posted in Cryptosporidium, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Parasite, Pathogen, Water
Sales of norovirus-free oysters at the Cornish Shellfish Co have grown by 100% since an FSA study in November revealed that three quarters of all UK oysters carried the virus.
Cornish Shellfish has been selling its Cornish Assured shellfish for three years. But sales had grown to 3,500 oysters a week since September, a spokesman told The Grocer.
“Chefs like to serve oysters, but you cannot have customers falling ill, especially in high-profile, prestigious restaurants,” said a spokesman.
Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen
Tagged food
UC Santa Barbara researchers have discovered Salmonella bacteria that are up to 100 times more capable of causing disease. Their findings may help prevent food poisoning outbreaks that continue to plague public health and the food industry.
Now that scientists know what to look for, they are developing methods to discriminate them from their less-virulent cousins. The researchers have been successful in forcing the bacteria to reveal their weapons in the laboratory — the first step in combating them.
Albie’s Foods, a Gaylord, Mich. establishment, is recalling approximately 311 pounds of pizza calzone products due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The fully cooked, ready-to-eat, calzone products were produced on April 10, 2012, and then shipped to institutions in Indiana and Michigan.
The problem was discovered during routine FSIS testing. FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products.
Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella
Tagged animals
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the salted and cured fish product (fesikh) described below because it may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. Toxins produced by this bacteria may cause botulism, a life-threatening illness.
The affected product, whole fesikh mullet, was sold in clear vacuum-packaged bags of varying count and weight, bearing no code or date information.
This product was sold from Lotus Catering and Fine Food, 1960 Lawrence Ave. E, Toronto, ON, on or before April 17, 2012.
There have been 3 reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.
A new survey shows Canadians might be willing to eat food with small doses of radiation to prevent foodborne illnesses.
The survey was conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion for the Consumers Association of Canada. It found that while Canadians are concerned about food contamination, most don’t know much about food irradiation.
The online survey of 1,006 Canadians found 57 per cent of respondents had not heard of irradiation, which is a process that exposes foods to minute doses of radiation like X-rays to kill off bacteria.
And yet when the Canadians polled in the survey were given a brief explanation of the process, most said they would support having irradiated food at the grocery store as a choice.
FoodWorld 