Monthly Archives: March 2022

Taiwan – Norovirus on the rise in Taiwan

Posted on March 7, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Thursday that the number of hospital visits for diarrhea in the country has increased recently, and the pathogens detected in cluster incidents are mainly norovirus.

The public is advised to pay attention to food safety and hand hygiene. Seek medical attention as soon as possible and take rest at home if you are sick; catering and accommodation operators must strengthen environmental hygiene management and pay attention to the health status of employees. If you have suspected symptoms, please suspend work immediately to reduce the risk of virus transmission.

According to the monitoring data of the CDC, there were a total of 110,783 outpatient and emergency visits for diarrhea in Taiwan last week (February 20 to February 26), a slight increase from the number of visits in the past two weeks (109,522 in the 7th and 6th weeks, 109,289), but lower than the same period in recent years. In previous years, the number of patients with diarrhea was likely to increase after consecutive holidays. In the past four weeks (weeks 5 to 8), a total of 83 diarrhea cluster reports were received across the country. There were 49 positive cases of pathogen detection, mainly norovirus (46 cases, accounting for 94%).

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Norovirus, Virus

France – Turkey fillet – Salmonella

Posted on March 7, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Gov france

Identification information of the recalled product

  • Product category Food
  • Product subcategory Meats
  • Product brand name come
  • Model names or references traditional turkey fillet or in a tray with the Intermarché logo
  • Identification of products
    Lot Dated
    050460472212 Use-by date 02/24/2022
    050460472212 Use-by date 02/25/2022
    050460472212 Use-by date 02/26/2022
    050460472212 Use-by date 02/27/2022
    050460472212 Use-by date 02/28/2022
    050460472212 Use-by date 03/01/2022
  • Packaging by the cup or in a tray
  • Marketing start/end date From 02/22/2022 to 03/01/2022
  • Storage temperature Product to be stored in the refrigerator
  • Geographic area of ​​sale Whole France
  • Distributors Intermarché

Practical information regarding the recall

  • Reason for recall presence of salmonella
  • Risks incurred by the consumer Salmonella spp (causative agent of salmonellosis)

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Salmonella, Salmonella in Chicken

Research – Hygiene indicators and Salmonella sp. on swine carcass surfaces from two slaughterhouses in northern Portugal.

Posted on March 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

The monitorization of carcass surfaces contamination along the slaughter lines enables the verification of the slaughter operations hygiene and the good manufacturing practices. Pork meat is a common source of human non-typhoidal salmonellosis, one of the most frequently reported foodborne illnesses worldwide. This study aimed to gather data on microbial loads in carcass surfaces in two slaughterhouses, before and after evisceration. Salmonella enterica search was made after evisceration, due to the frequent reference to pork as being a common carrier of this microorganism. The contamination of carcass surfaces was evaluated by delimitation of surface area with sterilized templates (100 cm2), and sampled by gauze swabs. Enumeration of total aerobic mesophilic microorganisms, Enterobacteriaceae, and Escherichia coli was performed. The detection of Salmonella was performed for carcass surfaces after evisceration, and from animal liver and floor drains (environmental). Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed for mesophilic microorganisms, Enterobacteriaceae, and E. coli counts on the external surfaces, with higher counts after evisceration. The neck and abdominal area presented higher levels for mesophilic microorganisms, Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli, and a high prevalence of Salmonella. Salmonella was detected only in one of the studied slaughterhouses; 19 out of 259 analysed carcass samples were positive for Salmonella (7.3%). Salmonella was also detected in two livers and in two floor drains. A collection of 52 Salmonella isolates (44 from carcasses, 5 from livers, 3 from drains) was gathered. Three serovars of Salmonella were identified (Typhimurium 4,5:i- , Wernigerone and Derby), and 53.8% of isolates were multidrug-resistant. The results demonstrate the need for continuous improvement of slaughtering operations and good manufacturing practices, to ensure food safety of pork produced in Portugal.

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Posted in Carcass, Drug Resistance, drug resistant, E.coli, Enterobacteriaceae, escherichia coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Multi Drug Resistant, Research, Salmonella

Research – Rising Incidence of Legionnaires’ Disease and Associated Epidemiologic Patterns, United States, 1992–2018

Posted on March 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Abstract

Reported Legionnaires’ disease (LD) cases began increasing in the United States in 2003 after relatively stable numbers for >10 years; reasons for the rise are unclear. We compared epidemiologic patterns associated with cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before and during the rise. The age-standardized average incidence was 0.48 cases/100,000 population during 1992–2002 compared with 2.71 cases/100,000 in 2018. Reported LD incidence increased in nearly every demographic, but increases tended to be larger in demographic groups with higher incidence. During both periods, the largest number of cases occurred among White persons, but the highest incidence was in Black or African American persons. Incidence and increases in incidence were generally largest in the East North Central, Middle Atlantic, and New England divisions. Seasonality was more pronounced during 2003–2018, especially in the Northeast and Midwest. Rising incidence was most notably associated with increasing racial disparities, geographic focus, and seasonality.

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Posted in Contaminated water, Cooling Towers, Food Microbiology Research, Legionella, Legionnaires’ disease, Research, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety

Research – Microbial Diversity and Safety in Fermented Beverages

Posted on March 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

For thousands of years, humans have exploited the natural process of fermentation of various foods to preserve them, and to enjoy the changes in the sensory characteristics that could be produced. Recently, the world of fermented beverages has gone through a rapid transformation linked to deep changes in consumer preferences, consumption habits, climate, new regulations and entry of emerging countries, accompanied by safety concerns and an important reduction in economic resources available to people. As with all food handling and preparation, we need to be sure the fermented food produced is safe. Fermentation is a complex biological process where microbial diversity takes place and the environment created inside of the fermented food provides the conditions to reduce the risk of pathogenic bacteria growth, thus providing safe food. In addition, food manufacturers fermenting food carefully control their processing and must comply with the National Food Standards Codes. Although these products have a generally good food safety record, sometimes inadequate manufacturing practices or the presence of acidophilic pathogens could compromise food safety. In fact, fermented beverages may adversely become contaminated with pathogens or microbial toxins and thereby transform into vehicles that can transmit diseases to the consumers. Moreover, many microorganisms can deteriorate the physical-chemical and sensory properties as well as the flavor of the final products. In this editorial, we present an overview of a review and six original research papers published in the Special Issue “Fermentation Process and Microbial Safety of Beverages” of the Beverages journal.

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Posted in Aspergillus, Bacillus, escherichia coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Lactobacillus, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Yeasts

Research – Distribution and Characteristics of Listeria spp. in Pigs and Pork Production Chains in Germany

Posted on March 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Listeria (L.) monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that can cause disease, mainly in elderly, pregnant or immunocompromised persons through consumption of contaminated food, including pork products. It is widespread in the environment and can also be found in asymptomatic carrier animals, for example, in different tissues of pigs. To learn more about their nature, 16 Listeria spp. isolates found in tonsils and intestinal content of pigs and 13 isolates from the slaughterhouse environment were characterized using next-generation sequencing (NGS). A wide distribution of clonal complexes was observed in pigs, as well as in the pork production chain, suggesting multiple sources of entry. Hypervirulent clones were found in pig tonsils, showing the potential risk of pigs as source of isolates causing human disease. The presence of closely related isolates along the production chain suggests a cross-contamination in the slaughterhouse or recontamination from the same source, strengthening the importance of efficient cleaning and disinfection procedures. The phenotypical antimicrobial resistance status of L. monocytogenes isolates was examined via broth microdilution and revealed a low resistance level. Nevertheless, genotypical resistance data suggested multiple resistances in some non-pathogenic L. innocua isolates from pig samples, which might pose a risk of spreading resistances to pathogenic species. View Full-Text

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Posted in antimicrobial resistance, Antimicrobials, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Pathogen, pathogenic, Research

Research – Insight into Bacillus cereus Associated with Infant Foods in Beijing

Posted on March 5, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

This study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence gene profiles of Bacillus cereus in different brands of infant formula in Beijing supermarkets. Eighty-eight Bacillus cereus isolates were recovered in sixty-eight infant formulas of five domestic brands and fourteen imported brands. The prevalence rate in domestic and imported samples were 70.6% and 52.9%, respectively. Lower mean prevalence level was found in domestic samples (1.17 MPN/g) compared with the imported samples (3.52 MPN/g). Twenty-four virulence gene profiles were found, and most strains carried at least one virulence gene. The prevalence of nheA, nheB, nheC, cytK, bceT, and entFM in domestic and imported brand samples was similar. The occurrence of enterotoxin genes hblA, hblC, and hblD in domestic samples were 22.2%, 27.8%, and 22.2%, respectively, which was significantly higher than imported samples. Antimicrobial drugs-susceptibility analysis showed that all isolates were susceptible to gentamincin, amikacin, and ciprofloxacin; 38%, 7%, and 2.3% were resistant to rifampin, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol, respectively; and only one isolate was resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Moreover, the cell numbers of Bacillus cereus in prepared infant formula increased rapidly at room temperature. Thus, monitoring guidelines are needed for accepted levels of Bacillus cereus in infant formula.

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research

Research – Genetic Diversity and Relationships of Listeria monocytogenes Serogroup IIa Isolated in Poland

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MDPI

In the present study, 100 L. monocytogenes isolates of serogroup IIa from food and food production environments in Poland were characterized towards the presence of virulence, resistance, and stress response genes using whole-genome sequencing (WGS). The strains were also molecularly typed and compared with multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and core genome MLST analyses. The present isolates were grouped into 6 sublineages (SLs), with the most prevalent SL155 (33 isolates), SL121 (32 isolates), and SL8 (28 isolates) and classified into six clonal complexes, with the most prevalent CC155 (33 strains), CC121 (32 isolates), and CC8 (28 strains). Furthermore, the strains were grouped to eight sequence types, with the most prevalent ST155 (33 strains), ST121 (30 isolates), and ST8 (28; strains) followed by 60 cgMLST types (CTs). WGS data showed the presence of several virulence genes or putative molecular markers playing a role in pathogenesis of listeriosis and involved in survival of L. monocytogenes in adverse environmental conditions. Some of the present strains were molecularly closely related to L. monocytogenes previously isolated in Poland. The results of the study showed that food and food production environments may be a source of L. monocytogenes of serogroup IIa with pathogenic potential.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Pathogen, pathogenic, Research

Research – Using lactic acid to control Salmonella in raw dog food

Posted on March 5, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Pet Food Processing

Can encapsulated and raw acidulants help to control Salmonella in raw meat-based dog foods? Samuel Kiprotich, a Ph.D. student at Kansas State University (KSU), presented his research on this topic at the American Feed Industry Association’s (AFIA) Pet Food Conference on Jan. 25, held in conjunction with International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta, Ga.

Kiprotich noted that current methods of achieving kill steps for raw diets, such as high pressure pasteurization and irradiation, can be costly. The purpose of his study is to find a more inexpensive way to control foodborne pathogens, looking specifically at organic acids such as citric acid and lactic acids.

When incorporated into a raw meat-based pet food formula, organic acids can “shock” the product, causing discoloration and syneresis, Kiprotich explained. Encapsulating the organic acid, or coating it with edible vegetable oil, would allow it to be released more slowly into the product, “giving us the antimicrobial protection that we want without damaging the product,” he said.

Kiprotich’s study was conducted in two parts over a 22-day storage period: one to determine the efficacy of encapsulated and dry-plated lactic acids in controlling growth and survival of Salmonella enterica in a raw pet food, and another to monitor pH progression to measure acidity.

The experiment included two types of lactic acids — encapsulated and dry-plated — and three treatment levels for each acidulent: 1%, 2% and 3%. Two control diets formulated without acidulants were used, in which the positive control was inoculated with Salmonella, and the negative control was not inoculated.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Pet Food, Pet Food Testing, raw pet food, Research, Salmonella, Salmonella Dog Food

Research – Contamination of Soil, Water, Fresh Produce, and Bivalve Mollusks with Toxoplasma gondii Oocysts: A Systematic Review

Posted on March 5, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Toxoplas

Toxoplasma gondii is a major foodborne pathogen capable of infecting all warm-blooded animals, including humans. Although oocyst-associated toxoplasmosis outbreaks have been documented, the relevance of the environmental transmission route remains poorly investigated. Thus, we carried out an extensive systematic review on T. gondii oocyst contamination of soil, water, fresh produce, and mollusk bivalves, following the PRISMA guidelines. Studies published up to the end of 2020 were searched for in public databases and screened. The reference sections of the selected articles were examined to identify additional studies. A total of 102 out of 3201 articles were selected: 34 articles focused on soil, 40 focused on water, 23 focused on fresh produce (vegetables/fruits), and 21 focused on bivalve mollusks. Toxoplasma gondii oocysts were found in all matrices worldwide, with detection rates ranging from 0.09% (1/1109) to 100% (8/8) using bioassay or PCR-based detection methods. There was a high heterogeneity (I2 = 98.9%), which was influenced by both the sampling strategy (e.g., sampling site and sample type, sample composition, sample origin, season, number of samples, cat presence) and methodology (recovery and detection methods). Harmonized approaches are needed for the detection of T. gondii in different environmental matrices in order to obtain robust and comparable results.

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Posted in Contaminated water, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Toxoplasma gondii, Toxoplasmosis, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety