Monthly Archives: August 2016

FSANZ 

Why has a warning about consuming rockmelons been issued?

What action has been taken?

What should I do?

Are there any particular shops or brands I should be avoiding?

What is a salmonella illness?

How did the rockmelons get contaminated?

What else can I do in future?

What advice is given to businesses that use rockmelon within their operations?

More information

FDA

AUSTIN, Texas – In response to Grassfields Cheese LLC’s organic cheese recall, Whole Foods Market is voluntarily recalling the product from select stores in the Midwest and South out of an abundance of caution. Grassfields Cheese issued the recall due to possible contamination with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), a bacteria that can cause serious illness in humans.

E.coli infection symptoms vary by individual, but often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. If there is fever, it usually is not very high (less than 101˚F/less than 38.5˚C). Most people get better within 5–7 days. Some infections are very mild, but others are severe or even life-threatening. Around 5–10% of those diagnosed with Shiga-toxin producing E.coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Signs that a person is developing HUS include decreased frequency of urination, feeling very tired, and losing pink color in cheeks and inside the lower eyelids.

The recall includes the following types of Grassfields Cheeses: Gouda, Onion ‘n Garlic, Country Dill, Leyden, Edam, Lamont Cheddar, Fait Gras and Polkton Corners which were cut and packaged in clear plastic wrap with scale labels beginning with PLU codes that ranged from 0206151 to 0206159 and “sell by” dates through 9/2/2016.

The products were sold at Whole Foods Market stores in the following states: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin. Not all products were sold in all stores.

The potential for contamination was identified during an ongoing investigation of seven cases of human illnesses occurring between March and July 2016 caused by a same type of STEC. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Geagley Laboratory confirmed the presence of STEC bacteria in a sample of Grassfields cheese collected by MDARD food and dairy inspectors.

Consumers who have purchased any of these recalled products can return them to the store for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Grassfields Cheese at 616-997-8251 Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm EST or Grassfieldscheese@gmail.com.

FDA

JML Ingredients, Inc. of East Petersburg, PA is recalling IQF Cut Green Beans, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although 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.

IQF Cut Green Beans was distributed to manufacturers in Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

FDA

(Coopersville, MI) – Out of an abundance of caution, Grassfields Cheese LLC, is conducting a voluntary recall of approximately 20,000 pounds of organic cheeses due to possible contamination with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), a bacteria that can cause serious illness in humans. The recalled cheeses were sold from the firm’s retail store located at 14238 60th Ave., Coopersville MI 49404, to wholesale and retail customers, and to consumers nationwide via sales through the firm’s website: http://www.Grassfieldsscheese.com/.

This recall involves all types and sizes of organic cheeses manufactured by the firm between December 1, 2015 through June 1, 2016 including: Gouda, Onion ‘n Garlic, Country Dill, Leyden, Edam, Lamont Cheddar, Chili Cheese, Fait Fras, Polkton Corners and Crofters. The cheeses were sold as wheels, half wheels, and wedges of various sizes.

The potential for contamination was identified during an ongoing investigation of seven cases of human illnesses occurring between March and July 2016 caused by a same type of STEC. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Geagley Laboratory confirmed the presenceof STEC bacteria in a sample of Grassfields cheese collected by MDARD food and dairy inspectors.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

The Hawaii Department of Health has issued a press release stating that two new hepatitis A cases in food service workers have been diagnosed. An employee at Chili’s restaurant at 590 Farrington Highway in Kapolei, and a Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant are sick. There are 93 confirmed cases of hepatitis A in Hawaii, with 29 people hospitalized.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Employees of Hawaiian Airlines and Chili’s are among the 93 people sickened in a Hepatitis A outbreak on Oahu. Also included are employees from Baskin Robbins, Sushi Shiono, Taco Bell, and Costco. This does not indicate that these establishments are the source of the outbreak, and at this time no other illnesses have been attributed to these locations, according to the Hawaii Department of Health

RASFF – shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (stx1+; O145 /25g) in organic wheatgrass tablets from Germany in Germany

RASFF – Foodborne outbreak suspected (Salmonella enteritidis) to be caused by organic mung beans sprouts from China, via the Netherlands in Finland

Barf Blog

Adi Dovrat-Meseritz of Haaretz reports that after refusing for several days to say which batches of its Telma Cornflakes and Delipecan breakfast cereals were contaminated with salmonella, yesterday Unilever Israel published the production codes and dates of the affected products. They included Cocoman, a brand that was not mentioned in earlier reports.

IFAP

Introduction: Consumption of fresh bagged spinach contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) has led to severe illness and death. Since not all STEC strains are considered human pathogens, virulence characterization of STEC strains is important. Shotgun metagenomics may provide a rapid method to detect, obtain virulence gene information, and determine strain identification and phylogenetic relatedness.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the comprehensiveness of a metagenomics approach for detection and strain level identification of STEC on bagged spinach using pathogenic STEC strains of a variety of serotypes and Shiga toxin subtypes.

Methods: Bagged spinach was spiked with one of 12 STEC strains at a level of 0.1 CFU/g spinach and processed according to the U.S. FDA BAM protocol. Sequencing data generated from each sample was used to determine molecular serotype and STEC-specific virulence genes by BLAST analysis, identify the microbial communities present in the enriched sample using a discriminative k-mer method, and perform E. coli core gene SNP analysis on de novo assemblies of the metagenomic sequencing data.

Results: Bacterial community analysis determined that E. coli was a major component of the population in most samples, but molecular serotyping using the metagenomic data revealed the presence of indigenous E. coli in some samples. Despite the presence of additional E. coli strains, the serotype and virulence genes of the spiked STEC, including correct Shiga toxin subtype, were detected in 92% of the samples. E. coli core gene SNP analysis of the metagenomic sequencing data correctly placed the spiked STEC in a phylogeny of related strains in cases where the indigenous E. coli did not predominate.

Significance: Utilizing a shotgun metagenomics approach to characterize STEC contaminating bagged spinach may expedite the time necessary to ascertain the risk level to public health and response time during outbreaks.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

An E. coli outbreak at the Richey Centennial Event & All Class Reunion in Richey, Montana in Dawson County has sickened at least 30 people in 8 states. That event was held from July 15 to July 17, 2016