| Taste of Roux brand vegetarian soups | Taste of Roux, LLC,
Valley Village, CA |
Possible
Clostridium botulinum contamination |
KSWFoodWorld
Monthly Archives: May 2012
US – Soup Recall – Clostridium botulinum Risk
“Garbage Juice” – Listeria
NORTHEAST OHIO — Listeria, a potentially deadly food-borne bacteria, was found in high levels of fluids dripping from garbage trucks onto neighbourhood streets, a Channel 3 News investigation found.
The bacteria has a mortality rate of 20 percent and, according to microbiologist Roger Pryor, of Accra Labs in Twinsburg, it poses an especially significant threat to the elderly, children and to pregnant women.
Channel 3 news collected samples of fluids spilling from garbage trucks in Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Maple Heights and Brooklyn and had them tested.
In addition to listeria, Accra Labs found very high levels of bacteria and low levels of salmonella.
Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek says homeowners in the Collinwood neighbourhood he represents often complain about the filthy stains left behind by city trash haulers.
“It becomes a major problem because you don’t know what’s in it,” said Polensek.
Some experts say a single drop of listeria is enough to make you sick. Children playing ball in the streets can easily come in contact with the contaminated fluid.
Research- Sheep E.coli O26 and Clostridium difficile
American Society of Microbiology
A previous national survey of Escherichia coli in Norwegian sheep detected eae-positive (eae+) E. coli O26:H11 isolates in 16.3% (80/491) of the flocks. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the human-pathogenic potential of these ovine isolates by comparing them with E. coli O26 isolates from humans infected in Norway. All human E. coli O26 isolates studied carried the eae gene and shared flagellar type H11. Two-thirds of the sheep flocks and 95.1% of the patients harbored isolates containing arcA allele type 2 and espK and were classified as enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) (stx positive) or EHEC-like (stx negative). These isolates were further divided into group A (EspK2 positive), associated with stx2-EDL933 and stcEO103, and group B (EspK1 positive), associated with stx1a. Although the stx genes were more frequently present in isolates from patients (46.3%) than in those from sheep flocks (5%), more than half of the ovine isolates in the EHEC/EHEC-like group had multiple-locus variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) profiles that were identical to those seen in stx-positive human O26:H11 isolates. This indicates that EHEC-like ovine isolates may be able to acquire stx-carrying bacteriophages and thereby have the possibility to cause serious illness in humans. The remaining one-third of the sheep flocks and two of the patients had isolates fulfilling the criteria for atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC): arcA allele type 1 and espK negative (group C). The majority of these ovine isolates showed MLVA profiles not previously seen in E. coli O26:H11 isolates from humans. However, according to their virulence gene profile, the aEPEC ovine isolates should be considered potentially pathogenic for humans. In conclusion, sheep are an important reservoir of human-pathogenic E. coli O26:H11 isolates in Norway.
American Society of Microbiology
The prevalence of Clostridium difficile in retail meat samples has varied widely. The food supply may be a source for C. difficile infections. A total of 102 ground meat and sausage samples from 3 grocers in Pittsburgh, PA, were cultured for C. difficile. Brand A pork sausages were resampled between May 2011 and January 2012. Two out of 102 (2.0%) meat products initially sampled were positive for C. difficile; both were pork sausage from brand A from the same processing facility (facility A). On subsequent sampling of brand A products, 10/19 samples from processing facility A and 1/10 samples from 3 other facilities were positive for C. difficile. The isolates recovered were inferred ribotype 078, comprising 6 genotypes. The prevalence of C. difficile in retail meat may not be as high as previously reported in North America. When contamination occurs, it may be related to events at processing facilities.
Worldwide Recall – Tempeh Starter Yeast Culture – Salmonella
Indonesianfoodmart.com of Rockville, MD, is recalling all packages of “Tempeh Starter Yeast” because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhoea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
The recalled ” Tempeh Starter Yeast “and “Super Starter Yeast” were distributed nationwide and internationally through direct mail orders. The product was also distributed to the following areas: Australia, Canada, Slovenia, New Zealand, Brunei, Darussalam, Poland and Croatia.
The product comes in sealed, clear plastic packages marked with a small computer printed label. The following sizes were sold: 30gm, 50gm, 250 gm, and 1000 gm
Several illnesses have been reported to date that may be in connection with this problem
Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella
Tagged experience fever, food, health, medicine, restaurants, weakened immune systems
Raw Milk the Facts Information Site
In the light of recent issues with raw milk this website may offer you some information if you are concerned or just interested. It is US based but the facts are still applicable.
Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Research
RASFF Alerts – Salmonella, Histamine, Listeria, Aflatoxins
RASFF – Salmonella Agona – Soya Bean Meal from Italy
RASFF – Aflatoxins – Halva and Pistachios from Turkey
RASFF – Salmonella Derby – Bulls Pizzle from Germany
RASFF – Listeria monocytogenese – Smoked Salmon from Poland
RASFF – Histamine – Sardines in Oil, Sardines in Tomato from Morroco
RASFF – Salmonella Infantis- Frozen Chicken from Poland
Listeria Research – Growth Dynamics on Produce
Several Listeriosis outbreaks have been linked to the consumption of fresh or processed produce in recent years. One major determinant of the Listeriosis risk is the ability of a food to support growth of Listeria monocytogenes during storage. However, data regarding the ability to support growth of L. monocytogenes are scarce or no existing for many produce commodities. Here we synthesize the available data regarding growth behaviour of L. monocytogenes on produce, compare the growth data with Listeriosis outbreak data, and evaluate the adequacy of the data for predictive modelling. Growth rates and maximum L. monocytogenes population densities differed markedly among produce commodities, and post-harvest processing had a considerable effect on growth dynamics for certain commodities such as tomatoes. However, data scarcity prevented reliable estimation of growth rates for many commodities. Produce outbreaks seemed frequently associated with processed produce and often involved storage under suboptimal conditions (e.g., at room temperature for several hours or for several months in the refrigerator) or environmental cross-contamination after processing. However, no clear associations between high growth rates of L. monocytogenes on fresh produce and outbreaks were detected. In conclusion, produce commodities differ in the supported growth rate of L. monocytogenes, the maximum attainable L. monocytogenes population density, and possibly in the impact of post-harvest processing, but data are currently insufficient to predict growth behaviour, and the Listeriosis risk appears to be also governed by additional factors.
US – Baby Spinach Recall – Salmonella
Taylor Farms Retail, Inc. is initiating a voluntary recall of Organic Baby Spinach with the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella following a random test conducted on a finished package of spinach by USDA.
There have been no reported illnesses attributed to the recalled items. The “Best By” Code Date for the recalled products can be located on the lower right portion of the front label. These recalled items were distributed from Taylor Farms Retail, Inc. on May 9, 2012 and May 10, 2012.
No other products or code dates are affected by this recall. The company is cooperating with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) regarding this recall.
Cruise Ship “HMS Holby City”- Norovirus
Scores of passengers on board a luxury cruise liner have had their £2,000 holidays ruined by a sickness outbreak. Around 170 passengers on the Boudicca were hit by the suspected norovirus during its 13-night trip to the Canary Islands. The virus, which causes vomiting and diarrhoea, is highly contagious and those infected were quarantined during the doomed voyage.
The ship, carrying around 828 passengers and 348 crew, was greeted by NHS staff and ambulance crews when it docked in Greenock, Scotland last night.
One passenger told the Daily Mirror: ‘We started calling the ship HMS Holby City.
‘There were two nurses wandering around all the time visiting people, most of them elderly.
‘Half the facilities were shut down and we were even told not to swap quiz sheets to stop the bug spreading.
‘Passengers were offered £150 discounts on their next cruise. We don’t know anyone who accepted.
FoodWorld 