Monthly Archives: October 2018

USA – Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Pot ‘O Gold Dairy Raw Milk in Bear Lake, PA

Posted on October 15, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin Raw Milk Food Safety KSW Foodworld

A Salmonella outbreak has been linked to raw milk from Pot ‘O Gold Dairy Specialties in Bear Lake, Warren County. That dairy is located in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania State Department of Agriculture released information about the outbreak late yesterday.

So far, nine cases of Salmonella food poisoning have been diagnosed and confirmed. The press release did not state the ages of the patients, whether or not anyone has been hospitalized, or the illness onset dates.

The raw whole milk was sold in glass half gallon containers with the Pot ‘O Gold label at 16 stores in these counties: Erie, Crawford, McKean, Warren, and Venango. The milk that was sold from September 10, 2018 to the present is part of this recall.

The milk was sold at these Crawford County facilities: Buck and Kathy in Titusville, D&J Bakery in Cambridge Springs, MIller’s Country Store in Cochranton.It was sold there locations in Erie County: Corry Lumber in Corry, Duran’s Farm Fresh Products in Waterford, Edinboro Market in Edinburg, Orton’s Fruit Market in North East, and Sander’s Market in Corry. The raw whole milk was sold at Circle K Feeds in Kane in McKean County, and at Farmer’s Daughter’s Country Market in Venango County. Finally, in Warren County, it was sold at Kondak’s Markert in Clarendon, Lottsville Miling in Lottsville, Scandia General Store in Scandia, Shell Service Center in Warren, Town and Country Store in Sugar Grove, and Youngsville Hardware in Youngsville.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Raw Milk, Salmonella, Uncategorized

Research – Occurrence of Salmonella in Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Product Samples from U.S. Department of Agriculture–Regulated Producing Establishments. I. Results from the ALLRTE and RTE001 Random and Risk-Based Sampling Projects, from 2005 to 2012

Posted on October 14, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

Ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry product samples collected from RTE-producing establishments for the ALLRTE (random) and RTE001 (risk-based) sampling projects of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) were tested for both Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. The FSIS analyzed Salmonella results for RTE meat and poultry product samples collected for the two sampling projects from 2005 to 2012. Data for 24,385 ALLRTE samples collected from 3,023 establishments and 66,653 RTE001 samples collected from 2,784 establishments were evaluated for the percentages of Salmonella-positive samples, product types of positive samples, and Salmonella serotypes. There also were descriptive summaries with respect to establishment hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) size, production volumes, L. monocytogenes control alternatives, geographic location, and season or month of sample collection. Results showed low occurrences of Salmonella-positive samples from the ALLRTE and RTE001 sampling projects, with 14 positive samples (0.06%) for ALLRTE and 33 positive samples (0.05%) for RTE001. Percentages of establishments with at least one Salmonella-positive sample averaged 0.46% for ALLRTE and 1.11% for RTE001. Three product types—sausage products, pork barbecue, and head cheese—accounted for 62% of all positive samples. There were 27 distinct serotypes from 48 Salmonella isolates, with serotypes Infantis and Typhimurium being the most common (5 isolates each). All but one of the Salmonella-positive samples were obtained from establishments with HACCP sizes of small or very small. More than half of the positive samples were obtained from establishments using L. monocytogenes control alternative 3 (sanitation only, highest-risk category). Positive Salmonella samples were found in all geographic regions at all times of the year. Information obtained from these sampling projects is relevant to the prevention of foodborne Salmonella illnesses from RTE meat and poultry products.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Safety, Food Testing, Salmonella, Uncategorized

Research -Research reveals probiotic’s potential against Staphylococcus

Posted on October 14, 2018 by | Leave a comment

CIDRAP 

 

New research from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) indicates a type of bacteria that’s commonly used in many probiotic nutritional supplements helps eliminate Staphylococcus aureus in the gut.

In a study published yesterday in Nature, scientists from NIAID, along with colleagues in Thailand, found that among a group of volunteers from rural Thailand, individuals with Bacillus bacteria in their gut had no S aureus bacteria in their intestines or their nasal passages. Lab experiments conducted on Bacillus revealed that the bacteria prevent S aureus colonization by secreting a substance that interferes with cellular communication and the regulation of gene expression in the pathogen.

The scientists suggest the surprising findings open the door for exploring the potential of using Bacillus as a tool to decolonize patients found to carry S aureus in their nose or their intestines, which can increase the risk for developing dangerous Staph infections. Although nasal or intestinal carriage of S aureus bacteria is not harmful on its own, S aureus infections, particularly those caused by methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA), can be severe and sometimes fatal.

 

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Posted in Staphylococcus aureus, Uncategorized

Research – Prevalence and Concentration of Salmonella on Raw, Shelled Peanuts in the United States

Posted on October 13, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection Salmonella kswfoodworld

Recalls and outbreaks associated with Salmonella contamination in peanut-containing products have been reported over the past several years. Very limited data existed on the prevalence and concentration of Salmonella on raw, shelled peanuts in the United States. An initial study was completed in 2012 to estimate the prevalence and concentration of Salmonella on Runner- and Virginia-type raw, shelled peanuts in the United States from the 2008 through 2011 crop years, which were proportionately sampled from each growing region based on 2007 production volume. That study was extended to include samples of Runner- and Virginia-type peanuts from 2013, 2014, and 2015 crop years proportionately sampled from each growing region on the basis of the 2008 through 2010 volumes. Of the total 2,506 raw, shelled peanut samples, 41 (1.63%) were positive for Salmonella by the VIDAS SLM assay. Salmonella serovars identified in this study included Agona, Anatum, Bardo, Braenderup, Cannstatt, Dessau, Gaminara, Litchfield, Hartford, Inverness, Mbandaka, Meleagridis, Muenchen, Newport, Pakistan, Rodepoort, Rubislaw, Tennessee, and Tornow. The concentration levels of Salmonella in positive samples, as determined by most probable number (MPN), ranged from <0.003 to 2.4 MPN/g. These data will be useful when designing and validating processes for the reduction or elimination of Salmonella in peanuts or peanut-containing products or both.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Testing, Salmonella, Uncategorized

Research – Molecular detection and genotype identification of Toxoplasma gondii in domestic and industrial eggs

Posted on October 13, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online 

 

Abstract

Birds are important intermediated hosts of Toxoplasma gondii. Consumption of chicken meat and its infected products is one of the main sources of human infection with T. gondii. However, little information is available about T. gondii infection in egg. In this study, the contamination of industrial and local eggs with Toxoplasma was investigated by PCR method targeting the RE gene in two tropical cities of Iran. Genotypes of T. gondii were determined by PCR‐RFLP method targeting the SAG3 gene. T. gondii DNA was detected in 11% (22/200) of the eggs. Genotyping of 14 T. gondii isolates revealed that all of the isolates were belonged to genotype III of T. gondii. Sequencing of the isolates by the SAG3 gene showed 95%–100% similarity with the T. gondii isolates in GenBank.

Practical applications

The findings of this study suggested that consumption of raw or undercooked eggs might play a role in human infection with Toxoplasma. Hence, consumption of adequately cooked eggs should be considered for prevention of human toxoplasmosis.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Safety, Food Testing, Parasite, Research, Toxoplasma gondii, Toxoplasmosis, Uncategorized

Research – Traveler’s diarrhoea: Researchers develop 3-in-1 vaccine

Posted on October 13, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today 

Image CDC

 

A first-ever vaccine designed to deliver a one-two-three punch against the main causes of traveller’s diarrhea worldwide may result from new research published by a University of Guelph chemist.

Prof. Mario Monteiro says his novel three-in-one approach to developing a new vaccine could also save lives in developing countries, where it’s estimated that these three common pathogens kill more than 100,000 children under age five each year.

His research was recently published in the journal Vaccine.

The paper discusses Monteiro’s so-called conjugate vaccine that yokes together proteins from pathogenic E. coli with sugars from Shigella and Campylobacter jejuni. All three bugs are major causes of bacterial diarrhea globally.

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Posted in Campylobacter, E.coli, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Shigatoxin, Shigella, Uncategorized, Water Safety

Italy – Recall of eggs due to Salmonella enteritidis

Posted on October 12, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Poultry Med

The Ministry of Health has published a recall notice of three batches of free range hen’s eggs from the Bosi Luigi farm.The cause is the presence of Salmonella enteritidis. The eggs recalled were produced by the Bosi Luigi farm of Bosi Costanza in the province of L’Aquila (identification mark IT X8HOM CE).

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Recall, Salmonella, Uncategorized

USA – FSIS urges the public to check homes for recalled meat, chicken entrees

Posted on October 12, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Valley Fine Foods is recalling more than 35,000 pounds of refrigerated Simple Dishes brand pasta entrees containing meat and chicken after discovering the products might be contaminated with “spoilage organisms.”

The Forest City, NC, company reports it produced the recalled products from Aug. 15 through Oct. 4. The products are heat-treated, but are not fully cooked, according to a recall notice posted by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

Some of the Simple Dishes products have Nov. 25 best-if-used-by dates, prompting FSIS to urge consumers to check their homes for the chicken and meat pasta dishes. No one should eat any of the recalled products. Company and government officials say the products should immediately be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

“The problem was discovered on Oct. 4 by the establishment’s (Valley Fine Foods) research and development department during routine internal testing. FSIS was notified on Oct. 10,” according to the recall notice. As of the posting of the notice Thursday evening, no confirmed illnesses had been reported in relation to the recalled products.

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Spoilage, Food Testing, Uncategorized

News- Science or ‘scapegoat’? E. coli outbreak leaves day care owners worried, frustrated

Posted on October 12, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Knox News

Science, public health officials said, sleuthed out the source of the E. coli infection that sickened five children this spring at Pam Walker’s Mascot day care center.But for Walker, there’s been no closure — and she may never get the answers to exactly how a microorganism turned her dream of a bucolic child care center in a farm setting to a weeks-long nightmare.

Meanwhile, the health department was already investigating an E. coli outbreak among 10 children who’d consumed raw milk from a nearby dairy, French Broad Farms. Because it would be so unusual for two different E. coli O157 outbreaks to occur in the same area simultaneously, the health department, in the course of extensive interviews, looked for a link between Kids Place and the dairy. Did any children at the day care drink raw milk? Socialize or swim with anyone in the other group of infected children? Did any person or animal go back and forth between the dairy and the day care? The answers, they found, were no.

With the positive culture from goat feces, the health department’s investigators determined that bacteria from the goats had somehow gotten into the baby house — and probably would have been present there before cleaning. When the specimens were sent back to the Tennessee Department of Health for DNA comparison with stool samples from the sick children, the DNA “fingerprint” from the goat samples and the Kids Place children were an exact match — but different from the DNA “fingerprint” of the cow feces from the dairy and the children who’d consumed raw milk, which matched each other. That meant, though unusual, that Knox County had two separate E. coli outbreaks in young children happening at the same time.

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Posted in Uncategorized

USA – Processing error blamed for small chicken jerky recall in Tennessee

Posted on October 12, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

About 23 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken jerky were recalled Thursday by Pigeon Forge, TN-based Jerky Boyz because of a processing deviation that may have led to under-processing of products, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The problem was discovered Oct. 10 by FSIS inspection personnel during a records review verification.

The ready-to-eat chicken jerky was produced from Sep. 6 through Sep. 26. The following products are subject to recall:

  • 2.5-oz. clear plastic packages containing “Jerky BoyZ Chicken Jerky Buffalo Wing” with lot code 81101.
  • 2.5-oz. clear plastic packages containing “Jerky BoyZ Chicken Jerky Kickin’ Pepper” with lot code 81101.

The recalled products bear establishment number “P-46388” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations in Tennessee.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Uncategorized