Monthly Archives: August 2016

RASFF – histamine (212 mg/kg – ppm) in chilled atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) from France in Italy

RASFF – histamine (302 mg/kg – ppm) in chilled mackerel from Spain in Italy

RASFF

Vibrio cholerae (presence /25g) in frozen shrimps (Penaeus vannamei) from India in the Netherlands

RASFF

Vibrio (presence /25g) in frozen tiger prawns (Penaeus monodoni) from Vietnam, via the Netherlands in t he Netherlands

Food Poisoning Bulletin

After Tropical Smoothie Cafe was linked to a Hepatitis A outbreak that has sickened at least 17 people in Virginia, CEO Mike Rotondo apologized to customers on a video posted on the company’s website.  Health officials say the source of the outbreak was frozen strawberries imported from Egypt.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Another Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant has tested positive for hepatitis A, according to the Hawaii State Department of Health. Anyone who traveled on the flights where that person worked may have been exposed to the virus.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

The hepatitis A outbreak associated with Tropical Smoothie Cafe products in Virginia has now sickened at least 17 people, according to the Virginia Department of Health. The outbreak has been linked to strawberries imported from Egypt that were used in smoothies.

Food Poisoning Journal

According to the Virginia Department of Health, there have been 23 confirmed cases of hepatitis A linked to frozen strawberries used at Tropical Smoothie Cafes across Virginia.

This includes four cases in Central Virginia. There are seven is Northern Virginia, four in Northwest Virginia, and eight in the eastern region on the state.

Food Poisoning Journal

The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) is continuing to investigate a cluster of hepatitis A infections in the state.

On August 15, 2016, HDOH identified raw scallops served at Genki Sushi restaurants on Oahu and Kauai as a likely source of the ongoing outbreak. The product of concern is Sea Port Bay Scallops (Wild Harvest, Raw Frozen) that originated in the Philippines (states “Product of the Philippines” on the box), distributed by Koha Oriental Foods and True World Foods. As a result, HDOH ordered this product embargoed (not to be sold, purchased, or consumed) throughout the state, and the temporary closure of all Genki Sushi restaurants on Oahu and Kauai. The scallops received by True World Foods have not been distributed to any restaurants in the state, and were embargoed at their warehouse. The scallops served at Genki locations on the Big Island and Maui originated from a different supplier and have not been associated with the outbreak.

FDA

Food Safety.Gov

The start of a new school year is the perfect time to incorporate food safety practices into your school lunch routine.

USDA created a poem to teach children about hand washing and safe food storage. Read the poem on our blog and download the poster for your home or classroom.

Meat Info

The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) has continued to apply pressure to the Food Standards Agency, saying it has continued to “undermine the meat processing sector”. 

AIMS highlighted a recently published article about campylobacter as an example of this.

According to the FSA, it is believed that campylobacter causes up to 280,000 cases of food poisoning a year, leading to 100 deaths and costing the UK economy roughly £900 million.

However, AIMS acknowledged that the source of this extract was taken from the paper: ‘Costed extension to the Second Study of Infectious Intestinal Disease in the Community: Identifying the proportion of foodborne disease in the UK and attributing foodborne disease by food commodity’, which was funded by the FSA.

The paper stated: “We could not estimate deaths attributable to foodborne illness, due to the lack of reliable data sources on pathogen-specific mortality rates.”

FSIS – USDA 

Young Chicken and Turkey Carcass Individual Establishments by Performance Category; Aggregate Category Data for Young Chicken and Turkey Carcass Establishments, Raw Chicken Parts, and Not Ready-To-Eat (NRTE) Comminuted Chicken and Turkey Products

FSIS continuously samples (up to once a week) poultry establishments producing young chicken and turkey carcasses, and raw chicken parts, so that it can more closely monitor an establishment’s process control over time.

FSIS uses these Salmonella and Campylobacter sampling results to assess establishment performance based on a 3-category system. Establishments at or below half of the performance standard are placed in Category 1, those that meet the standard are placed in Category 2, and those that fail the standard are placed in Category 3. FSIS also continuously samples NRTE comminuted chicken and turkey products for Salmonella and Campylobacter, with Campylobacter results in comminuted poultry products determined on a pass or fail basis.

At this time only aggregate sampling results (not individual establishments) relative to process control for establishments producing raw chicken parts and comminuted poultry will be publicly posted. This information is being made available to the public on the FSIS website to inform consumers and to incentivize establishments to improve their performance.

The Express

SCIENTISTS have discovered two deadly strains of salmonella that are almost impossible to treat after the bug mutated in Africa.

There are fears the bacteria could spread overseas, because researchers have yet to locate exactly where the bug is found and grows.

The discovery followed the first global-scale genetic study of the Salmonella Enteritidis bacteria, which is a major cause of blood poisoning and death in Africa, and food poisoning in the West.

The research found for the first time there are three separate strains of salmonella.

The study also showed that the two African types carried more of the genes that give them resistance to common antibiotics.

Fraser Coast Chronicle

A VIOLENT stomach bug is spreading across the Fraser Coast, infecting dozens of people in the past week.

The outbreak of gastroenteritis has inundated home doctors, and is putting a strain on the region’s hospitals.

House Call Doctor’s Assistant Clinical Director Dr Ryan Harvey said this particularly aggressive bug had been making people sick across the state.

He said it appeared to be a far more virulent strain than in previous years, with a 15% increase in the number of people with gastroenteritis being admitted to hospitals.

“It is worse than what we have seen and causing worse illness,” he said.

Egypt Indpendant