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Monthly Archives: March 2021
Singapore – Recall of eggs from Linggi Agriculture Sdn Bhd (Malaysia)due to presence of Salmonella Enteritidis
Singapore – Update on investigations on peanut products manufactured by Li Kwong Agencies Co. –Recall of “Sunflower Brand” Peanut Powder due to high levels of aflatoxins exceeding permitted levels
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has directed Yiak Say Hang Food Industries Pte Ltd, a manufacturer, to recall all batches of its “Sunflower Brand” Peanut Powder.
The product was made from a batch of peanut powder sourced from Li Kwong Agencies Co., which was found to contain aflatoxins exceeding the maximum standards stated in the Singapore Food Regulations.
This detection is a result of SFA’s further investigations into peanut products manufactured by Li Kwong Agencies Co., following a recall on of its “Instant Satay Spices”on 15 March 2021.
Investigations are ongoing for other peanut products manufactured by Li Kwong Agencies Co. 4Aflatoxins are known to be genotoxic and carcinogenic, and exposure through food should be kept as low as possible.
Aflatoxins can occur in foods such as groundnuts, as a result of fungal contamination before and after harvest.
Consumers who have purchased the implicated product are advised not to consume it. Those who have consumed the implicated product and have concerns about their health should seek medical advice. Consumers may contact their point of purchase for enquiries.
Madagascar – Nineteen die in Madagascar after eating turtle – Algal Toxin
Nineteen people, nine of them children, have died from food poisoning in Madagascar after eating a turtle, sources said Thursday.
Thirty-four people were hospitalized on Monday in Vatomandry, in the east of the island, after eating the protected species, the Health and Food Safety Control Agency said.
Ten of them died, it said.
Another nine people, all of them children, died at home after eating meat from the same turtle, region’s governor said.
Health authorities have warned against eating turtles, as well two dozen species of fish, which feed on algae that can be toxic during the November-March hot season.
Dozens of food poisonings occur each year in coastal Madagascar and deaths are common.
Sixteen fatalities were recorded in two incidents in the 2017-18 hot season.
Posted in Algal Toxin, food contamination, food death, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, Food Poisoning Death, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Toxin
Italy – LOOSE SAUSAGE, LOOSE MIGNON SAUSAGE, LOOSE SPICY SAUSAGE, PASTIN SAUSAGE – Salmonella
Brand : SALUMIFICIO COLETTI PIERINO & C. SNC
Name : LOOSE SAUSAGE, LOOSE MIGNON SAUSAGE, LOOSE SPICY SAUSAGE, PASTIN SAUSAGE
Reason for reporting : Recall due to microbiological risk
Publication date : 22 March 2021
Documentation
Research – Quality changes and shelf life prediction of cooked cured ham stored at different temperatures
Cooked cured ham is a ready-to-eat food that is popular among consumers. Stored temperature has a key effect on the quality and shelf life of ham. In this work, the quality changes and shelf life prediction of cooked cured ham stored at different temperatures were investigated. Sensory evaluation, physical and chemical indicators, and aerobic plate count were determined. Results showed that high storage temperature of cooked ham accelerates quality deterioration. Partial least squares (PLS) regression analysis based on the variable importance for projection (VIP) identified nine important variables for predicting the shelf life of cooked cured ham. Compared with either PLS or back-propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN), the hybrid PLS–BP-ANN model better predicts the shelf life of cooked cured ham using the nine important variables. This study provides a theoretical basis and data support for the quality control of cooked cured ham and a new idea for research on the shelf life prediction of cooked cured ham.
Research – Ozone Treatments for Preserving Fresh Vegetables Quality: A Critical Review
Ozone is recognized as an antimicrobial agent for vegetables storage, washing, and processing. This strong disinfectant is now being used in the food industry. In this review, the chemical and physical properties of ozone, its generation, and factors affecting ozone processing efficiency were explained as well as recent regulatory developments in the food industry. By then selecting three vegetables, we show that ozone avoids and controls biological growth on vegetables, keeping their attractive appearance and sensorial qualities, assuring nutritional characteristics’ retention and maintaining and increasing the shelf-life. In liquid solution, ozone can be used to disinfect processing water and vegetables, and in gaseous form, ozone helps to sanitize and preserve vegetables during storage. The multifunctionality of ozone makes it a promising food processing agent. However, if ozone is improperly used, it causes some deleterious effects on products, such as losses in their sensory quality. For an effective and a safe use of ozone, specific treatment conditions should be determined for all kinds of vegetables. In a last step, we propose highlighting the different essential characteristics of ozone treatment in order to internationally harmonize the data relating to the treatments carried-out.
Research – Rapid Testing and Interventions to Control Legionella Proliferation following a Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak Associated with Cooling Towers
Most literature to date on the use of rapid Legionella tests have compared different sampling and analytical techniques, with few studies on real-world experiences using such methods. Rapid tests offer a significantly shorter feedback loop on the effectiveness of the controls. This study involved a complex of five factories, three of which had a history of Legionella contamination in their cooling water distribution system. Multiple sampling locations were utilised to take monthly water samples over 39 months to analyse for Legionella by both culture and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Routine monitoring gave no positive Legionella results by culture (n = 330); however, samples were frequently (68%) positive by qPCR for Legionella spp. (n = 1564). Legionella spp. qPCR assay was thus found to be a good indicator of cooling tower system health and suitable as a routine monitoring tool. An in-house qPCR limit of 5000 genomic units (GU)/L Legionella spp. was established to trigger investigation and remedial action. This approach facilitated swift remedial action to prevent Legionella proliferation to levels that may represent a public health risk. Cooling tower operators may have to set their own action levels for their own systems; however, in this study, 5000 GU/L was deemed appropriate and pragmatic. View Full-Text
Research – Microbiological contamination of ready to eat algae and evaluation of Bacillus cereus behavior by microbiological challenge test
Consumption of seaweeds, often categorized as a superfood, is becoming popular in western countries. Algae can be marketed fresh, but are usually sold dehydrated to ensure longer shelf life. The consumption, often as ready to eat, open up possible risks for public health because of foodborne pathogens that can contaminate the raw material during harvesting or manipulation. In this study, fourteen ready to eat foods based on dehydrated algae, representative of the most consumed species, were considered. The microbial content, with a focus on Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus, was investigated by plate counts and B. cereus strains were isolated and identified by 16s rRNA gene sequencing. The microbiological quality was heterogeneous among the samples and, in particular, marine bacteria, Listeria spp., B. cereus and coliforms were detected. To contribute to related risk assessment, the ability of B. cereus to grow during refrigerated storage was evaluated, to our knowledge for the first time, by a microbiological challenge test on two ready to eat foods based on Undaria pinnatifida and Palmaria palmata. Despite this study demonstrating the inability of B. cereus to proliferate in seaweed-based food, its presence in dehydrated foodstuffs cannot rule out the replication after rehydration before consumption, making it necessary to shed light on the possible risks for consumers.
Research – Biofilm-forming ability of poultry Campylobacter jejuni strains in the presence and absence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Canadian Journal of Microbiology
The aims of this study were to evaluate the ability of Campylobacter jejuni isolated from a poultry slaughterhouse to form biofilm in the presence and absence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the effect of surface (stainless steel, polystyrene), temperature (7, 25, and 42 °C), and oxygen concentration (microaerophilic and aerobic conditions) on the formation of biofilm. The genes ahpC, cadF, clpP, dnaJ, docA, flaA, flaB, katA, kpsM, luxS, racR, and sodB, related to biofilm formation by C. jejuni, were also investigated. All isolates formed biofilm on stainless steel and on polystyrene, in both aerobic and microaerophilic atmospheres, including temperatures not optimal for C. jejuni growth (7 and 25 °C), and biofilm also was formed in the presence of P. aeruginosa. In dual-species biofilm on stainless steel, biofilm formation was 2–6 log CFU·cm−2 higher at 7 °C for all isolates, in comparison with monospecies biofilm. Ten genes (ahpC, cadF, clpP, dnaJ, docA, flaA, flaB, luxS, racR, and sodB) were detected in all isolates, but katA and kpsM were found in four and six isolates, respectively. The results obtained are of concern because the poultry C. jejuni isolates form biofilm in different conditions, which is enhanced in the presence of other biofilm formers, such as P. aeruginosa.
Research – Investigation of On-Farm Transmission Routes for Contamination of Dairy Cows with Top 7 Escherichia coli O-Serogroups
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are foodborne bacterial pathogens, with cattle a significant reservoir for human infection. This study evaluated environmental reservoirs, intermediate hosts and key pathways that could drive the presence of Top 7 STEC (O157:H7, O26, O45, O103, O111, O121 and O145) on pasture-based dairy herds, using molecular and culture-based methods. A total of 235 composite environmental samples (including soil, bedding, pasture, stock drinking water, bird droppings and flies and faecal samples of dairy animals) were collected from two dairy farms, with four sampling events on each farm. Molecular detection revealed O26, O45, O103 and O121 as the most common O-serogroups, with the greatest occurrence in dairy animal faeces (> 91%), environments freshly contaminated with faeces (> 73%) and birds and flies (> 71%). STEC (79 isolates) were a minor population within the target O-serogroups in all sample types but were widespread in the farm environment in the summer samplings. Phylogenetic analysis of whole genome sequence data targeting single nucleotide polymorphisms revealed the presence of several clonal strains on a farm; a single STEC clonal strain could be found in several sample types concurrently, indicating the existence of more than one possible route for transmission to dairy animals and a high rate of transmission of STEC between dairy animals and wildlife. Overall, the findings improved the understanding of the ecology of the Top 7 STEC in open farm environments, which is required to develop on-farm intervention strategies controlling these zoonoses.
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