Monthly Archives: December 2012

Canada – Recall Beef Peppercron Steak – E.coli O157

Posted on December 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

he Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Loblaw Companies Ltd. are warning the public not to consume certain Butcher’s Choice Garlic Peppercorn Beef Burgers because this product may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

The affected product, Butcher’s Choice Garlic Peppercorn Beef Burgers, is sold frozen in 1.13 kg packages bearing UPC0 60383 89363 7. The affected product bears the code BEST BEFORE 2013 MR 03 EST 752.

This product has been distributed nationally.

This recall is the result of an ongoing investigation into a number of E. coli O157:H7 related illnesses in Canada. The CFIA is currently testing additional products collected from across the country. The recall may be expanded to include other codes or products as test results are received.

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Posted in Bacteria, CFIA, E.coli, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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USA – Recall Dog Pet Food – Moulds

Posted on December 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FDA Mould

The product in question is a single production run and packed in a 7.5 ounce paw print bag marked with a best by date of 08-2015. The best by date can be found on the ingredient label on the back of the package just above the UPC bar code.  The UPC for the Blueberry Hound Cake is:  692614010058; The UPC for the Holiday Hound Cake is:  692614010041.

The recall applies to 7.5 oz. bags of DogCandy® Holiday Hound Cake and Blueberry Hound Cake because the cakes have the potential to become moldy.  These cakes were manufactured specifically for PetSmart Corporation and distributed to approximately 130 PetSmart stores in 36 states.  No other products have been impacted.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Spoilage, Food Testing, Microbiology, Moulds, Pet Food, Recall

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UK – FSA – Recall Harrods Date and Tea Cake – Moulds

Posted on December 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FSA

Harrods Ltd recalls specific codes of its own-brand Date and Tea Fruit Cake due to mould spoilage.

FSA

Harrods has recalled some packs of its own-brand Date and Tea Fruit Cake as some products have developed signs of mould spoilage. The Agency has issued a Product Recall Information Notice.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Spoilage, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Microbiology, Moulds, Recall

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USA – Norovirus Healthcare Professionals Meeting

Posted on December 12, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Around 90 people fell ill with gastrointestinal symptoms after attending a meeting of women healthcare professionals at the Oregon Zoo last week.

The meeting was attended by 220 members of the Women’s Healthcare Associates group last Wednesday morning. After the event, nearly 100 people became sick with what officials believe was Norovirus infection, according to The Oregonian.

“Norovirus is the most likely culprit,” Dr. Kristina Hedberg, a state epidemiologist, told the paper.

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen

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RASFF/European Alerts – Salmonella, E.coli, Listeria, Norovirus, Clostridium, Enterobacteriaceae

Posted on December 12, 2012 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – Salmonella in Celery in Denmark sourced in Vietnam

RASFF – Enterobacteriaceae in Dog Chews in Italy sourced in China

RASSF – Norovirus in Clams in France sourced in the UK

RASFF – Salmonella in Beef Meat in Sweden via Germany/Netherlands

RASFF – Clostridium and E.coli in Green Beans in Denmark sourced in France

France – Listeria in Fresh Goats Cheese

 

 

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Posted in Bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, E.coli, Enterobacteriaceae, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hygiene, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Salmonella

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Canada – More Nuts Recalled – Salmonella

Posted on December 12, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CFIA – CIFA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the Golden Boy brand Inshell Mixed Nuts described below because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The affected product, Golden Boy brand Inshell Mixed Nuts are sold in 1.36 kg (3 lb) mesh bags bearing UPC0 4684 10948 0.

This product has been distributed nationally.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

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Posted in Bacteria, CFIA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella

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Research – Norovirus v Dishwashers

Posted on December 12, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

What do norovirus and baked-on lasagna have in common? Both can survive the dishwasher.

Researchers at Ohio State University have made a discovery that may help to explain why restaurants have a hard time controlling the spread of norovirus, the leading cause of food poisoning worldwide. About half of all foodborne illness outbreaks in the US are caused by norovirus, most of them, about 80 percent, happen between November and April, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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Posted in CDC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, Research

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USA – Another Raw Milk Recall – Possible Food Poisoning

Posted on December 11, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Raw milk produced by Kimberton Farms Dairy and sold at the Kimberton Whole Foods co-sops in Pennsylvania has been removed from store shelves after a number of illnesses were reported by consumers who drank the milk,  according to the Chester County Health Department. Those sickened have reported food poisoning symptoms that include bloody diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramping.

Kimberton Farms Dairy, of Kimberton, Pa., also known as Camp Hill Village or Kimberton Hills supplied the milk to  Kimberton Whole Foods co-op which sold the product at its Kimberton and Downingtown stores. The product has been removed from those locations.

Raw milk, milk that has not been pasteurized, can carry many types of disease-causing germs such as Campylobacter, E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Yersinia, and Brucella. These bacteria can cause severe illness with symptoms listed above. Sometimes hospitalization is required. Those most at risk include small children, pregnant women, and others with compromised immune systems. For more information, see the fact sheet produced by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Or, check out the raw milk information compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

 

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Recall

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USA – Recall Sliced Apples – Possible Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on December 11, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Freshway Foods is voluntarily recalling 6,671 pounds of sliced apples that were packaged on November 12 using the same packaging machine, which may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. A table of recalled consumer pack products, their respective use-by-dates and the states to which the company shipped them is provided below. No illnesses have been linked to this recall.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

 

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Research – E.coli O157 Testing in Water

Posted on December 10, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Science Direct

The performances of three chromogenic agars were evaluated for the recovery of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from spiked de-chlorinated tap, ground and surface water, and treated drinking water samples. The chromogenic agars: ChromAgar O157 (CHROM), Rainbow Agar O157 (RB) and HiCrome EC O157 (HC) were compared to cefixime-tellurite Sorbitol MacConkey (CT-SMAC), commonly used for the isolation of E. coli O157:H7. Confirmation of suspect E. coli O157:H7 colonies were performed by colony real-time PCR (C-RTi-PCR) based on the presence of Shiga-toxin genes (stx1 and stx2). Recovery of inoculated E. coli O157:H7 from de-chlorinated tap water indicated that RB and CHROM agars demonstrated improved recovery when compared to HC or CT-SMAC. There was a significant drop in recovery on all agars tested after 120 hours (day 5). Twenty de-chlorinated tap and/or treated drinking water samples were inoculated with a pure culture of E. coli O157:H7 (ATCC 43894), and a mixed culture of E. coli O157:H7 (ATCC 43894), E. coli strain K-12, and Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 063589). After a 48 hour holding time, the recovery using CHROM (99 %) and HC (12 %) from samples contaminated with the pure culture were found to be significantly different (p < 0.05). Recovery results using CHROM (39 %) and CT-SMAC (32 %) from samples contaminated with the mixed culture after 48 hour holding time were not significantly different (p > 0.05). Analysis by C-RTi-PCR of forty five environmental water samples (surface, sewage, and final effluents) which were negative for E. coli O157:H7 showed an incidence of false suspect positive colonies of 38 % (CHROM), 53 % (RB), 58 % (HC), and 91 % (CT-SMAC). Further analysis of eight of the environmental samples inoculated with E. coli (ATCC 43894) showed 100% recovery when utilizing CHROM, 50% when using RB and 40 % when using HC. In addition, the C-RTi-PCR positive confirmation rate was 100% for CHROM and HC and 65% for RB. CHROM demonstrated improved recovery of E. coli O157:H7 over RB, HC, and CT-SMAC in terms of sensitivity and specificity.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

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