Monthly Archives: March 2019

Denmark – Denmark investigates rise in Salmonella positive chicken flocks

Posted on March 28, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

Denmark found Salmonella in 2.7 percent of chicken flocks that lay eggs last year which is above the limit set by the European Commission to qualify for special conditions. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration found Salmonella in 12 out of 454 tested chicken flocks that supply eggs to consumers in 2018. This compares to three positive flocks out of 446 in 2017 and out of 426 in 2016. Salmonella was not found in tested flocks in 2015.
A common source for the increase has not been revealed but contributing factors include insufficient biosecurity at some producers.

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Posted in Salmonella, Uncategorized

UK – Wedlinka Delight recalls Metka Lososiowa (Polish sausage) due to possible contamination with Salmonella

Posted on March 28, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

FSA

Wedlinka Delight has taken the precautionary step of recalling Metka Lososiowa, a Polish sausage, because it might contain salmonella.

Product details

Metka Lososiowa
Pack size	approximately 250g
Lot number	72
Best before	03 April 2019

No other Wedlinka Delight products are known to be affected.

Risk statement

The product listed above might be contaminated with salmonella. Symptoms caused by salmonella usually include fever, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps.

Action taken by the company

Wedlinka Delight is recalling the above product. Point of sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling this product. These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product. Please see the attached notice.

Wedlinka Delight recalls Metka Lososiowa

Our advice to consumers

If you have bought the above product do not eat it. Instead, return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund.

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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, fsa, Salmonella, Uncategorized

Canada – Updated Food Recall Warning – Lee’s Tea brand Teas recalled due to Salmonella

Posted on March 28, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

CFIA Lee's Tea - Gold Rush Loose Leaf

Recall details

Ottawa, March 27, 2019 – The food recall warning issued on March 21, 2019 has been updated to include additional product information. This additional information was identified during the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) food safety investigation.

Lee’s Provisions Inc. is recalling Lee’s Tea brand teas from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled products described below.

Recalled products

Brand Name	Common Name	Size	Code(s) on Product	UPC
Lee’s Tea	Gold Rush Loose Leaf	110 g	4-102318 4-102518 2020DE07GR 2021FE11GR 2021FE15GR 04-02021	6 28055 21002 3
Lee’s Tea	Mint Chill Loose Leaf	70 g	2-102518 2020DE07MC 02-01019 02-02021	6 28055 21003 0
Lee’s Tea	Original Loose Leaf	50 g	1-101918 1-102518 2020DE07OG 2020MR21OG	6 28055 21001 6
Lee’s Tea	Pink Chai Loose Leaf	90 g	3-112018 3-102518 2020DE07PC 2021JA07PC 2021JA23PC 2021FE05PC 2021FE11PC 03-02021	6 28055 21004 7
Lee’s Tea	Pink Chai Loose Leaf	30 g	3062718	6 28055 21014 6

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Posted in CFIA, 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, Salmonella, Uncategorized

Research – Bacteria can travel thousands of miles through the air on its own

Posted on March 28, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

Earth.com

A new study is providing evidence that bacteria can fly thousands of miles through the air without depending on people and animals for transport. According to the experts, their new “air bridge” theory may explain how harmful bacteria have the same antibiotic resistance genes in common.

Study senior author Konstantin Severinov is a principal investigator at the Waksman Institute of Microbiology and a professor of Molecular Biology at Rutgers University.

“Our research suggests that there must be a planet-wide mechanism that ensures the exchange of bacteria between faraway places,” said Professor Severinov. “Because the bacteria we study live in very hot water – about 160 degrees Fahrenheit – in remote places, it is not feasible to imagine that animals, birds or humans transport them. They must be transported by air and this movement must be very extensive so bacteria in isolated places share common characteristics.”

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Microbiology, Uncategorized

USA – Beef heel and chuck tender recalled over E. coli O157:H7 fears

Posted on March 27, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Aurora Packing Company, Inc., located in North Aurora, IL is recalling approximately 4,838 pounds of beef heel and chuck tender products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157: H7, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The bulk beef products were produced and packed on Feb. 27, 2019. The following products are subject to recall:

Varying catch weight cardboard box case packages containing bulk pieces of “AURORA ANGUS BEEF BONELESS BEEF – CHUCK TENDER” and case code 61150 represented on the label.
Varying catch weight cardboard box case packages containing bulk pieces of “BONELESS BEEF – HEEL MEAT” and case code 29970 represented on the label.
Varying catch weight cardboard box case packages containing bulk pieces of “BONELESS BEEF – HEEL MEAT” and case code 49970 represented on the label.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 788” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped for institutional use in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

The problem was discovered during traceback activities following routine FSIS testing. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized

USA – FDA finds Salmonella in three lots of Darwin’s raw dog food; cautions pet owners

Posted on March 27, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) cautioned pet owners not to feed certain Darwin’s Natural Pet Products raw dog foods after finding Salmonella in the products.

FDA collected and analyzed unopened packages from the products in response to a consumer complaint.

The products were manufactured by Arrow Reliance, Inc. (Arrow), a company based in Tukwila, Washington and doing business as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products.

The products that are affected by FDA’s alert to pet owners are:

Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Chicken Recipe with Organic Vegetables for Dogs: 5309(11)181019, manufactured on October 19, 2018
Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Chicken Recipe with Organic Vegetables for Dogs: 5375(11)181106, manufactured on November 11, 2018
Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Turkey Recipe with Organic Vegetables for Dogs: 5339(11)181026, manufactured on October 26, 2018

Arrow has taken steps to remove these products from the marketplace, but has not issued a public notification, according to the FDA. The agency is concerned that the company’s customer notifications may not be effective, and is working with Arrow on recalling the remaining products from these lots.

In a statement released on its website today, Darwin’s expressed its disappointment in FDA’s decision to issue a public warning. The company also asserted its belief that its products do not pose any danger to either humans or pets, and stated that it had received no medical reports of illnesses attributable to these meals.

Animals infected with Salmonella may suffer symptoms that include vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, loss of appetite and decreased level of activity. An infected animal may not exhibit any symptoms but may still shed the bacteria in its feces, passing the infection to human companions.

Salmonella can cause illness and death in humans and in animals. People infected with Salmonella may develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. The elderly, the very young, and individuals with weak immune systems are more prone to suffering severe symptoms, including secondary infections in other organs.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Salmonella, Salmonella Dog Food, Uncategorized

Research – Influence of Antimicrobial Agents on the Thermal Sensitivity of Foodborne Pathogens: A Review

Posted on March 27, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

Consumers are driving food production toward the use of more organic antimicrobial agents such as essential oils (EOs) by demanding more natural and clean-label food products. Due to the strong aromatic and flavor properties of EOs, their use is often precluded, or limited to concentrations below the flavor threshold. However, adding EOs at concentrations this low often renders their biocidal activity ineffective. An opportunity exists for low concentrations of EO antimicrobial agents to be combined with mild heating (e.g., 42 to 55°C) for short treatment times to use the hurdle concept for additive or synergistic effects on foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, or Listeria monocytogenes; norovirus; and surrogate organisms. In some cases, especially with fruit juices, this intervention combination is described as antimicrobial-assisted pasteurization. Used below the organoleptic quality threshold, EOs, which otherwise would have little effect on the inactivation of foodborne pathogens, are effective antimicrobial agents when used in conjunction with mild thermal processes. Thermal processes combined with antimicrobial agents can be used for processing liquids, eggs, juices, drinks, and fresh produce. This review highlights research literature where antimicrobial agents and mild heating have been combined to increase the inactivation of foodborne pathogen populations. Commodities and testing substrates reviewed include buffers and nutrient broths, juices, liquid egg, mangoes, cut lettuce, cut and shredded cabbage, shredded carrot, baby spinach leaves, and salsa. Opportunities exist for the application of this hurdle technology to a whole array of food products, which could benefit from pathogen reduction or elimination, and to prevention of aqueous cross-contamination and/or internalization during the washing of fresh produce.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Norovirus, Salmonella, Uncategorized

Europe – ECDC – Multi-country cluster of Listeria monocytogenes ST1247 in five EU countries

Posted on March 27, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

ECDC

CDC has identified a microbiological link between an outbreak of nine Listeria monocytogenes ST1247 cases in Denmark and nine additional cases reported between 2014 and 2018 in Estonia (2 cases) Finland (2), France (1) and Sweden (4).

ECDC has identified a microbiological link between an outbreak of nine Listeria monocytogenes ST1247 cases in Denmark and nine additional cases reported between 2014 and 2018 in Estonia (2 cases) Finland (2), France (1) and Sweden (4). In Denmark, the outbreak investigation is led by Statens Serum Institut (SSI), the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the DTU Food Institute.

Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis performed at the national level and by ECDC found all isolates from the 18 cases within two allelic differences from each other (core genome MLST using Moura scheme, 1540 of 1748 loci detected in all 18 isolates). The latest case was reported in Denmark in February 2019 (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Distribution of Listeria monocytogenes isolates by country and time of reporting 2014-2019 (n=18)

A large-scale study led by ECDC on whole genome sequencing shows that most listeria outbreaks such as this one remain undetected. The study, published in 2018, suggests that more than half of the severe listeriosis cases in the European Union belong to clusters, many of which are not being picked up fast enough by the current surveillance system.

Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis, which primarily affects pregnant women, newborns, and adults with a weakened immune system. Listeriosis is a relatively rare but potentially severe food-borne disease that has been reported in increasing numbers in the EU/EEA countries since 2008. In 2016, 2 536 cases were reported, including 247 deaths.

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Posted in food contamination, food death, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, listeriosis, MLST, Uncategorized, Whole Genomic Sequencing

USA -Valley Milk Simply Bottled Raw Milk Recalled for Possible Campylobacter in CA

Posted on March 27, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Raw milk that was produced and packaged by Valley Milk Simply Bottled in Stanislaus County, California is being recalled for possible Campylobacter contamination. The farm’s packaged raw whole milk was sampled and tested by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the lab confirmed detection of the pathogen.