Monthly Archives: April 2015

SFI

What We Do

STOP Foodborne Illness is a national nonprofit public health organization dedicated to the prevention of illness and death from foodborne illness by advocating for sound public policy, building public awareness, and assisting those impacted by foodborne illness.

Advocating for sound public policy
We encourage our constituents to participate locally, statewide, and nationally in food safety policy issues. STOP actively participates in three food safety coalitions. We create and provide press releases, public service announcements, public comments, and personal stories to journalists and media outlets.

As we discuss foodborne illness statistics with the media and others, our volunteer advocates provide a human face behind the numbers – a powerful reminder of the need for a stronger food safety system.

On the federal and state levels, STOP provides public testimony for proposed and pending legislation. STOP’s consumer representation is front and center during meetings with agencies such as the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Staff and board members interface with stakeholders regarding food safety programs, further sharing member’s united concerns.

Building public awareness
With STOP’s e-Alerts, constituents are up-to-date with news regarding recalled food and potentially harmful outbreaks. Once a month, our eNews further informs subscribers about the activities of staff, STOP’s Board of Directors, and volunteer advocates. Our website provides a variety of information including research on foodborne illnesses, opportunities for volunteers, and educational materials such as factsheets about food safety topics, consumer information and tips to mitigate food safety risks.

The Honor Wall is a page on our website dedicated to those who have been impacted by foodborne illness, whose stories are life-changing and eye-opening. Using their powerful voices, many of our advocates volunteer to share their foodborne illness experience when speaking opportunities arise across the country. In addition to giving lectures and presentations about food safety, our advocates offer many kinds of support to others who are facing the devastating effects of foodborne disease.

Epidemiology and Infection

Many serogroups of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) other than serogroup O157 (non-O157 STEC), for example STEC O26:H11, are highly pathogenic and capable of causing haemolytic uraemic syndrome. A recent increase in non-O157 STEC cases identified in England, resulting from a change in the testing paradigm, prompted a review of the current methods available for detection and typing of non-O157 STEC for surveillance and outbreak investigations. Nineteen STEC O26:H11 strains, including four from a nursery outbreak were selected to assess typing methods. Serotyping and multilocus sequence typing were not able to discriminate between the stx-producing strains in the dataset. However, genome sequencing provided rapid and robust confirmation that isolates of STEC O26:H11 associated with a nursery outbreak were linked at the molecular level, had a common source and were distinct from the other strains analysed. Virulence gene profiling of DNA extracted from a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive/culture-negative faecal specimen from a case that was epidemiologically linked to the STEC O26:H11 nursery outbreak, provided evidence at the molecular level to support that link. During this study, we describe the utility of PCR and the genome sequencing approach in facilitating surveillance and enhancing the response to outbreaks of non-O157 STEC.

The Local

Two people have died in a new listeria outbreak that may be related to the one that killed 17 last year, health officials said on Tuesday.

• How safe is your food? Five tips for safety (07 Apr 15)
• New listeria discovery in Danish supermarkets (30 Dec 14)
• 3,000 Copenhagen kids get listeria-infested food (18 Nov 14)
• Denmark’s listeria outbreak hits yet another (07 Nov 14)

CFIA 

April 29, 2015 – Sun Rich Fresh Foods Inc. is recalling sliced apples and products containing sliced apples produced in its Brampton, Ontario facility from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Consumers should not consume and distributors, retailers and food service establishments such as hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, hospitals and nursing homes should not sell or use the recalled products described below.

FSAI – Additional Batches of Organic Chlorella Powder Recalled by Nua Naturals Due to the Presence of Salmonella Rissen (Update 1)

FSAI – Recall of Batches of Organic SuperGreens+ Powder by Nua Naturals Due to the Possible Presence of Salmonella Rissen

FSAI -Recall of a Batch of Ballymassey Country Butter due to Presence of Listeria monocytogenes

American Society for Microbiology

Irrigation water has been implicated as a likely source of produce contamination by Salmonella enterica. Therefore, the distribution of S. enterica was surveyed monthly in irrigation ponds (n=10) located within a prime agricultural region in Southern Georgia and Northern Florida. All ponds and 28.2% of all samples (n=635) were positive for Salmonella with an overall geometric mean concentration (0.26 MPN/L) that was relatively low compared to prior reports for rivers in this region. Salmonella peaks were seasonal; levels correlated with increased temperature and rainfall (p<0.05). Numbers and occurrence were significantly higher in water (0.32 MPN/L and 37%) compared to sediment (0.22 MPN/L and 17%) but did not vary with depth. Representative isolates (n=185) from different ponds, sample types, and seasons were examined for resistance to 15 different antibiotics; most strains were resistant to streptomycin (98.9%), while 20% were multidrug resistant (MDR) for 2-6 antibiotics. DiversiLab rep-PCR revealed genetic diversity and showed 43 genotypes among 191 isolates, as defined by >95% similarity. Genotypes did not partition by pond, season, or sample type. Genetic similarity to known serotypes indicated Hadar, Montevideo, and Newport as the most prevalent. All ponds achieved the current safety standards for generic Escherichia coli in agricultural water, and regression modeling showed E. coli levels were a significant predictor for the probability of Salmonella occurrence. However, persistent populations of Salmonella were widely distributed in irrigation ponds, and associated risks for produce contamination and subsequent human exposure are unknown, supporting continued surveillance of this pathogen in agricultural settings.

The Bellingham Herald

LYNDEN — Six Whatcom County schoolchildren have been sickened by E. coli bacteria after attending the Milk Makers Fest in Lynden last week.

Two have been hospitalized, according to Whatcom County Health officer Greg Stern.

The Whatcom County Health Department is investigating what could have caused the outbreak.

News Shopper

An illegal food factory owner in Erith was fined £14,000 after admitting that his “ready to eat” food produced on site was not produced hygienically.

‘SOY’ business owner Tony Chuoc Ha Lam pleaded guilty to 14 offences under food safety legislation at Bexley Magistrates’ Court last Monday (April 14).

Microbiology 

We investigated the potential of bacteriophages alone as well as in combination with xylitol for tackling mixed species biofilm of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. When mixed species biofilm was established on polycarbonate discs, Pseudomonas aeruginosa formed the base layer which was physically shielded on the top by Klebsiella pneumoniae. Thereafter, mixed species biofilm was treated with bacteriophages. K. pneumoniae specific depolymerase producing phage KPO1K2, caused significant reduction in the count of Klebsiella. In contrast, P. aeruginosa specific non-depolymerase producing phage Pa29 failed to cause any reduction in the count of Pseudomonas. However, application of both the phages together resulted in significant reduction in the count of both the organisms. This observation suggests that depolymerase produced by phage KPO1K2, hydrolysed the top layer of K. pneumoniae and guided the entry of Pa29 to reach P. aeruginosa lying underneath. This phenomenon was confirmed when K. pneumoniae specific non-depolymerase producing phage NDP was used alongwith Pa29. Pa29 could not penetrate and reach its host bacterium. Xylitol worked synergistically along with phage resulting in significant decrease in counts of both the organisms. Disruption of mixed species biofilm by phage and xylitol was confirmed on the basis of amount of protein and DNA released. This phage based approach for altering the structural pattern and disrupting the mixed species biofilm is first of its kind. It can be used as topical application, coating for foreign devices or for aerosol delivery to tackle infections where both pathogens coexist in a biofilm mode.

FSAI 

Following the detection of Salmonella Rissen in a jar of Organic Chlorella Powder, Nua Naturals is recalling the above batch sold in jars and pouches. It was sold in a number of health stores around Ireland and also sold online by the manufacturer. Nua Naturals is providing in-store point-of-sale notices requesting customers who have bought this batch to return it.  No action is required by official agencies, unless specifically asked.