Monthly Archives: April 2023

USA – Consumer Reports compiles a list of 10 ‘risky foods’ to watch out for

Food Safety News

Consumer Reports is out with a new analysis of what it describes as risky foods consumers should know about.

The list was compiled after the organization looked at data from 2017 through 2022. The researchers focused on widely consumed foods that had recalls during the study period. They did not include recalled food related to allergens or extraneous materials. The report ranked recalls based on how many people died or became ill, as well as how widespread the outbreaks were and how many times a food was recalled.

The 10 foods that made the list are:

  • Leafy greens
  • Deli cheese and meat
  • Ground beef
  • Onions
  • Turkey
  • Chicken
  • Papayas
  • Peaches
  • Cantaloupe
  • Flour

“We aren’t saying people need to avoid these foods entirely, said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, who lead the analysis.

“After all, these foods are usually safe and many of them are in fact import parts of a healthy diet.” Instead, he says, the list underscores the “importance of following best food safety practices with all of your foods, including knowing how to track and respond to food recalls when they happen.”

Vanuatu: Dozens of ciguatera cases reported since the beginning of the year

Outbreak News Today

The Vanuatu Ministry of Health reports that from January 1 to March 19, 27 ciguatera fish poisoning cases were recorded, all were clinically diagnosed.

The cases were distributed as follows: Seventeen (17) cases from Efate, 6 cases from Maewo, 2 cases from Ambrym, 1 from Ambae, 1 from Pentecost and 1 from Santo.

No deaths have been recorded.

From the cases reported, 69% of the cases consumed reef fish – not specified, 16 consumed Snapper and 15% consumed grouper.

More than 400 species of fish, including barracuda, black grouper, blackfin snapper, cubera snapper, dog snapper, greater amberjack, hogfish, horse-eye jack, king mackerel, and yellowfin grouper have been implicated in this food borne illness that’s relatively common in several areas of the world.

Research – Major pathogens rise in Ireland in 2022

Food Safety News

Campylobacter, Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria infections all increased in Ireland in 2022, according to the latest figures.

Data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), which is part of the Health Service Executive (HSE), shows the number of reports for the four pathogens rose compared to 2021.

Notifications of Salmonellosis doubled and the number of E. coli infections passed 1,000.

Full reports on these four pathogens and for outbreaks have not been published since 2018 because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic response and limited capacity at HPSC.

Campylobacter infections went up from 3,147 in 2021 to 3,619 in 2022.

Salmonella cases doubled from 173 in 2021 to 342 in 2022 but this is similar to 2018 and 2019 levels.

More than 1,000 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) notifications were noted. Up from 962 in 2021.

A total of 18 listeriosis cases were recorded, up from 15 in 2021. Fourteen were men and four were women. Fifteen cases were in the over-65 age group while two were less than 1 to 4 years old.

Figures also show three cases of Bacillus cereus foodborne infection or intoxication compared to none in 2021.

The published data, which covers 2018 to 2022, reveals two cases of botulism, although it is unclear if food was the cause. There was also one report of brucellosis in 2022. All other years reported no notifications of these diseases.

There were 17 yersiniosis cases in 2022 compared to 18 in 2021. Cryptosporidiosis declined from 845 in 2021 to 566 in 2022.

Shigellosis went up from 70 in 2021 to 157 in 2022. Norovirus also increased from 439 in 2021 to 990 in 2022.

Denmark – Aflatoxin in pop corn

DVFA

Midsona Danmark A/S is recalling Urtekram Popcorn, as an excessively high content of the fungal toxin aflatoxin B1 has been found in the product. The product should be returned to the store where it was purchased or discarded.

Recalled foods , Published: April 5, 2023

​​​​Which food:

​Urtekram Popcorn ( see a picture of the product here )
Net content: 400g
EAN code: 5765228112533
​​Best before date: 25.07.2024

Sold in: Kvickly, SuperBrugsen, Løvbjerg and Helsam all over the country.

​Why is the food recalled:

​​​​​​An excessively high content of the fungal toxin aflatoxin B1 has been found in the product. A health risk cannot therefore be ruled out if you eat the product. It is important not to have too high an intake of aflatoxin over a long period of time. So it is not the individual meal that is decisive, but rather intake over a longer period of time. Therefore, you will not experience acute symptoms if you have eaten the product.

Read more about aflatoxin here

​What should you do as a consumer:

​The Norwegian Food Agency advises consumers to return the product to the store where it was purchased, or to discard it.

​Who is recalling the product:

Midsona Danmark A/S​

Research – What is the History of Outbreaks Linked to Flour?

Food Poisoning Bulletin

With the newest identified outbreak on the FDA CORE Outbreak Investigation Table a Salmonella Infantis outbreak linked to flour, the question arises: What is the history of outbreaks linked to flour?

Because flour is dry and seems so inert, many people assume that it could not harbor pathogens. But flour is a raw agricultural product, and can be contaminated in the field by birds and animals, during harvest, during transportation, and during processing. Many pathogens can survive with very little water. And no “kill step,” that is, heating the grain to a temperature high enough to destroys pathogens, is used when flour is processed.

That’s why food safety experts warn consumers to be careful handling flour, and to avoid eating raw cookie dough and cake batter made with untreated flour. While you can buy heat-treated flour, a Purdue researcher says that home treated flour may not be safe.

France – GOAT’S CHEESE – STEC E.coli

Gov france

Identification information of the recalled product

  • Product category Feed
  • Product subcategory Milk and dairy products
  • Product brand name Crays goatherd
  • Model names or references FAISSELLE by 4
  • Identification of products
    GTIN Batch Date
    3503961310043 051 Date of minimum durability 03/21/2023
  • Packaging box of 4
  • Marketing start/end date From 02/23/2023 to 03/01/2023
  • Storage temperature Product to be stored in the refrigerator
  • Health mark EN.71235001.CE
  • Further information Fresh goat cheese made from raw milk
  • Geographic area of ​​sale Regions: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, , Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
  • Distributors List attached
  • List of points of sale List_of_distributors_Faisselles.pdf

Practical information regarding the recall

  • Reason for recall Sanitary problem
  • Risks incurred by the consumer Toxigenic Shiga Escherichia coli (STEC)

Belgium – “Tahina” tahini from the Setalkel brand – Salmonella

AFSCA

FASFC recall
Product: “Tahina” tahini from the Setalkel brand.
Problem: possible presence of Salmonella.

Following a notification via the RASFF system (European Food and Feed Rapid Alert System), the FASFC withdrew from sale the tahini “Tahina” of the Setalkel brand and recalled it from consumers due to the possible presence of Salmonella .

The FASFC asks not to use this product and to return it to the point of sale where it was purchased.

Product description:

– Product name: Tahina
– Brand: Setalkel
– Best before date (BDD): 01/12/2023
– Lot: 1329814
– Weight: 400g

This product was sold via:
– BV SALAM FOOD, Everselkiezel 110, 3550 Heusden-Zolder
– Kriakos Group NV, Chaussee de Louvain 650-652, 1030 Schaerbeek

For any additional information , you can contact the FASFC contact point for consumers: 0800/13.550 or pointdecontact@afsca.be .

France – FRESH GOAT CHEESE – STEC E.coli

Gov france

Identification information of the recalled product

  • Product category Feed
  • Product subcategory Milk and dairy products
  • Product brand name CHEVENET
  • Model names or references CHURNS
  • Identification of products
    GTIN Batch Date
    3503961017027 052 Date of minimum durability 03/21/2023
    3503961017027 052 Date of minimum durability 03/28/2023
  • Packaging plastic tray or bare product in traditional network
  • Marketing start/end date From 02/21/2023 to 03/03/2023
  • Storage temperature Product to be stored in the refrigerator
  • Health mark FR-71-235-001-CE
  • Further information Fresh goat cheese made from raw milk
  • Geographic area of ​​sale Departments: COTE-D’OR (21), RHONE (69), SAONE-ET-LOIRE (71)
  • Distributors List attached
  • List of points of sale List_of_distributors_BARATTES_FRAICHES.pdf

Practical information regarding the recall

  • Reason for recall Recall information for health reasons
  • Risks incurred by the consumer Toxigenic Shiga Escherichia coli (STEC)

Italy – I BUONI SALUMI D’ITALIA – SOPRESSA NOSTRANA C/A – Salmonella

Salute

Brand : I BUONI SALUMI D’ITALIA

Denomination : SOPRESSA NOSTRANA C/A

Reason for reporting : Remind for microbiological risk

Date of publication : 5 April 2023

Documentation

Documentation

France – DRY GOAT CHEESE – STEC E.coli

Gov france

Identification information of the recalled product

  • Product category Feed
  • Product subcategory Milk and dairy products
  • Product brand name CHEVRIER des CRAYS – CHEVRIGNY
  • Model names or references Maconnais
  • Identification of products
    GTIN Batch Date
    3503962313005 061 Date of minimum durability 04/17/2023
    3503960021506 062 Date of minimum durability 04/24/2023
    3503961324156 067 Date of minimum durability 04/24/2023
    3503962316082 062 Date of minimum durability 04/17/2023
    3503962322427 061 Date of minimum durability 04/17/2023
    3503963156007 061 Date of minimum durability 04/17/2023
  • Packaging wooden tray
  • Marketing start/end date From 03/03/2023 to 10/03/2023
  • Storage temperature Product to be stored in the refrigerator
  • Health markFR-71-235-001-CE
  • Further information Mâconnais goat cheese
  • Geographic area of ​​sale Regions: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, , Burgundy-Franche-Comté, , Centre-Val de Loire, , Grand-Est, , Hauts-de-France, , Île-de-France, , New-Aquitaine, , Occitanie, , Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
  • Distributors Attached List
  • List of points of sale List_of_Maconnais_distributors.pdf

Practical information regarding the recall

  • Reason for recall Recall for health reasons
  • Risks incurred by the consumer Toxigenic Shiga Escherichia coli (STEC)