Author Archives: KSW

USA – Update to Palmer Candy Company Recall of White Confectionary Products Because of Possible Health Risk – Salmonella

Posted on May 20, 2024 | Leave a comment

FDA

The firm previously issued a public notification on 05/06/2024. The firm is issuing this public notification to include additional best by dates and products.

This press release was updated to include additional best by dates of the products:

Caramel Swirl Pretzels 4oz
Cookies & Cream Yummy Chow 14#
Munchy Medley 4oz
Peanut Butter Snack Mix 12oz
Vanilla Yogurt Covered Pretzels 10oz
Zebra Fudge Cookies 7oz

and to include the following two items:

Patriotic White Fudge Cookies 13.5oz
Drizzled Caramel Corn 5oz and 12oz

The revisions are identified in bolded and highlighted text.

The recalled confectionary items were distributed nationwide in Walmart, HyVee, Target, Dollar General, and to distributors in Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The product comes in a variety of retail packaging like bags, pouches and tubs.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

Palmer Candy was notified by its liquid coating supplier that there was a potential for contamination with salmonella from an ingredient that was potentially contaminated from one of their suppliers.

Production of the product has been suspended while FDA and the company continue their investigation as to the source of the problem.

Consumers who have purchased White coated confectionary items manufactured by Palmer Candy Company are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-831-0828 Monday through Friday 8am – 5pm.

PRODUCTS BEST BY DATES
CARAMEL SWIRL PRETZELS 4oz 12/18/24-12/28/24
CARAMEL SWIRL PRETZELS 6oz 12/19/24, 12/20/24 and 1/19/25
CLASSIC YOGURT PRETZELS 28# 12/11/24 – 1/8/25
COOKIES & CREAM YUMMY CHOW 14# 12/6/24 – 1/23/25
ENROBED PRETZEL RODS 8oz 1/22/2025
FAVORITE DAY BAKERY WHITE FUDGE MINI COOKIES 7oz 4/4/25, 4/5/25, 4/15/25 – 4/18/25
FROSTED MUNCHY MEDLEY BOWL 15oz 1/3/2025
FROSTED PATRIOT FROSTED PRETZELS 28# 1/2/25, 1/3/25
FROSTED PRETZELS 6oz 1/23/2025
MUNCHY MEDLEY 15# 12/14/24, 1/3/25
MUNCHY MEDLEY 4oz 12/25/24 – 12/28/24 and 1/19/25
MUNCHY MEDLEY TO GO 4oz 12/25/24 – 1/19/25
MUNCHY MEDLEY 6oz 12/20/24, 4/25/25
PATRIOTIC MUNCHY MEDLEY BOWL 15oz 1/19/2025
PATRIOTIC PRETZELS 14oz 1/25/25, 1/26/25
PATRIOTIC PRETZELS 6oz 1/19/2025
PATRIOTIC RED, WHITE & BLUE PRETZEL TWISTS 14oz 12/13/24 – 1/15/25
PATRIOTIC SNACK MIX 13oz 1/19/25 – 2/1/25
PATRIOTIC WHITE FUDGE COOKIES 13.5oz 4/22/2025
PATRIOTIC WHITE FUDGE COOKIES 7oz 4/23/25, 4/24/25
PEANUT BUTTER SNACK MIX 12oz 11/13/24 – 12/22/24
PEANUT BUTTER SNACK MIX TO GO 4.5oz 1/18/2025
SNACKIN’ WITH THE CREW! MIZZOU MUNCHY MEDLEY 7oz 12/18/24, 12/19/24
SNACKIN’ WITH THE CREW! TIGER TREATS 7oz 12/18/24, 12/19/24
STAR SNACKS CHOW DOWN 25# 12/6/24, 12/7/24
STRAWBERRY YOGURT COATED PRETZELS 10oz 1/5/25, 1/23/25
SWEET SMILES YOGURT COVERED PRETZELS 3.25oz 12/18/24 – 1/4/25
VANILLA YOGURT COVERED PRETZELS 10oz 12/18/24, 1/5/25, 1/22/25
YOGURT PRETZEL 14# 12/14/24 – 12/21/24
ZEBRA FUDGE COOKIES 7oz 3/20/25 – 4/30/25
DRIZZLED CARAMEL CORN 5oz 1/22/2025
DRIZZLED CARAMEL CORN SNACK MIX BOWL 12oz 1/22/2025

Original Press Release

Company Contact Information

Consumers:
Palmer Candy Company
 1-800-831-0828

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Posted in FDA, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, Salmonella

Germany – Sliced ​​Cloud Ear Fungus – dried mushrooms – Salmonella

Posted on May 20, 2024 | Leave a comment

Lebensmittelwarnung

Alert type: Groceries
Date of first publication: May 17, 2024
Product name:

Sliced ​​Cloud Ear Fungus – dried mushrooms

Manufacturer (distributor):

Hung Van Do Halberstädter Straße 183, 39112 Magdeburg

Reason for warning:

Detection of salmonella

Packaging Unit: 1 kg
Durability: Best before: April 16, 2025
Production date: October 16, 2023
Additional Information:

We have determined that this product is contaminated with Salmonella Weltevreden. If prepared incorrectly, salmonella causes symptoms such as sudden diarrhea, headaches, stomach aches, general malaise and occasionally vomiting, and often a slight fever. If symptoms persist, please seek medical help immediately.
We ask all customers who have purchased this product not to consume or resell it and to return it immediately to the following store:
Address:
Hung Van Do Halberstädter Straße 183, 39112 Magdeburg Tel.:0172 8186146
You will be refunded the full purchase price, too without presenting the receipt.

Click to access SOFORTIGER+PRODUKTR%DCCKRUF.pdf

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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 Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, Lebensmittelwarnung, Salmonella

USA – United Supermarkets Advises Guests in New Mexico and Texas of Palmer Candy’s Voluntary Recall of White Coated Confectionary Items Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination

Posted on May 20, 2024 | Leave a comment

FDA

LUBBOCK, TX — May 17, 2024 — United Supermarkets is advising guests about a recall by its supplier Palmer Candy of its white coated confectionary items due to possible Salmonella contamination. Palmer Candy was notified by its liquid coating supplier that there was a potential for contamination with Salmonella from an ingredient that was potentially contaminated from one of their suppliers. The white coated confections items include Chocolate Caramel Corn and Candy Trays available for purchase at Albertsons Market, Amigos, Market Street and United stores in New Mexico and Texas. The FDA’s recall announcement can be found here.

Product Name

UPC

Size

Sell Thru Dates

Store Banners

States
Chocolate Caramel Corn 20942400000 1/5 oz Sell thru dates from
August 26, 2024, up
To and including
September 12, 2024		 Albertsons
Market, Amigos,
Market Street,
United		 NM, TX
Candy Tray 20647600000 1/25 oz Sell thru dates from
August 26, 2024, up
To and including
September 12, 2024		 Albertsons
Market, Amigos,
Market Street,
United		 NM, TX

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Guests who have purchased these items are urged not to consume these products and to dispose of them or return the items to their local store for a full refund. There have been no known reports of injuries or adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

Guests with questions should contact Albertsons Companies’ Customer Service Center at 1-877-723-3929 Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. PST.

Company Contact Information

Consumers:
Albertsons Companies’ Customer Service Center
 1-877-723-3929

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Research – Rapid detection of the source of a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak in Switzerland through routine interviewing of patients and whole-genome sequencing

Posted on May 19, 2024 | Leave a comment

SMW

In summer 2022, 20 patient-derived L. monocytogenes serotype 4b sequence type 388 strains were found to belong to an outbreak cluster (≤10 different alleles between neighbouring isolates) based on core genome multilocus sequence typing analysis. Geographically, 18 of 20 outbreak cases occurred in northeastern Switzerland. The median age of patients was 77.4 years (range: 58.1–89.7), with both sexes equally affected. Rolling analysis of the interview data revealed smoked trout from a local producer as a suspected infection source, triggering an on-site investigation of the production facility and sampling of the suspected products by the responsible cantonal food inspection team on 15 July 2022. Seven of ten samples tested positive for L. monocytogenes and the respective cantonal authority ordered a ban on production and distribution as well as a product recall. The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office released a nationwide public alert covering the smoked fish products concerned. Whole-genome sequencing analysis confirmed the interrelatedness of the L. monocytogenes smoked trout product isolates and the patient-derived isolates. Following the ban on production and distribution and the product recall, reporting of new outbreak-related cases rapidly dropped to zero.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Microbiology Research, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria Smoked Fish, outbreak, Research

Research – Scientists call for more awareness of raw pet food risks for people

Posted on May 19, 2024 | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

A study has added to evidence of the risk posed by contaminated raw pet food to human health.

Researchers investigated whether dog food, including raw meat-based diets (RMBD), available in Portugal can be a source of Salmonella or other Enterobacteriaceae strains resistant to last-line antibiotics such as colistin.

Since 2020, there have been more than 20 reports or recalls of pet food and RMBD in the EU because of the detection of pathogens.

Fifty-five samples from 25 brands of various meat and dog food types from 12 suppliers were screened by standard cultural methods between September 2019 and January 2020. Forty-one of the 55 samples were processed, and 14 were raw, according to the study published in the journal Eurosurveillance.

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Posted in Food Pathogen, Pathogen, Pet Food, Pet Food Illness, Pet Food Listeria monocytogenes, Pet Food Recall, Pet Food Salmonella, Pet Food Testing, raw pet food

Research – Inactivation mechanism of phenyllactic acid against Bacillus cereus spores and its application in milk beverage

Posted on May 19, 2024 | Leave a comment

Science Direct

Phenyllactic acid (PLA) as a natural phenolic acid exhibits antibacterial activity against non-spore-forming bacteria, while the inhibitory effect against bacterial spore remained unknown. Herein, this study investigated the inactivation effect of PLA against Bacillus cereus spores. The results revealed that the minimum inhibitory concentration of PLA was 1.25 mg/mL. PLA inhibited the outgrowth of germinated spores into vegetative cells rather than germination of spores. PLA disrupted the spore coat, and damaged the permeability and integrity of inner membrane. Moreover, PLA disturbed the establishment of membrane potential due to the inhibition of oxidative metabolism. SEM observations further visualized the morphological changes and structural disruption caused by PLA. Besides, PLA caused the degradation of DNA of germinated spores. Finally, PLA was applied in milk beverage, and showed promising inhibitory effect against B. cereus spores. This finding could provide scientific basis for the application of PLA against spore-forming bacteria in food industry.

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, Bacterial Spores, Food Microbiology Research, Food Technology, Phenyllactic Acid, Research, Technology

Research -Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 Illness Outbreak Associated with Untreated, Pressurized, Municipal Irrigation Water — Utah, 2023

Posted on May 18, 2024 | Leave a comment

CDC

During July–September 2023, an outbreak of Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 illness among children in city A, Utah, caused 13 confirmed illnesses; seven patients were hospitalized, including two with hemolytic uremic syndrome. Local, state, and federal public health partners investigating the outbreak linked the illnesses to untreated, pressurized, municipal irrigation water (UPMIW) exposure in city A; 12 of 13 ill children reported playing in or drinking UPMIW. Clinical isolates were genetically highly related to one another and to environmental isolates from multiple locations within city A’s UPMIW system. Microbial source tracking, a method to indicate possible contamination sources, identified birds and ruminants as potential sources of fecal contamination of UPMIW. Public health and city A officials issued multiple press releases regarding the outbreak reminding residents that UPMIW is not intended for drinking or recreation. Public education and UPMIW management and operations interventions, including assessing and mitigating potential contamination sources, covering UPMIW sources and reservoirs, indicating UPMIW lines and spigots with a designated color, and providing conspicuous signage to communicate risk and intended use might help prevent future UPMIW-associated illnesses.

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Posted in Boil Water Notice, Contaminated water, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Microbiology Research, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Research, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety

Research – Differential mechanism between Listeria monocytogenes strains with different virulence contaminating ready-to-eat sausages during the simulated gastrointestinal tract

Posted on May 18, 2024 | Leave a comment

Science Direct

Listeria monocytogenes exhibits varying levels of pathogenicity when entering the host through contaminated food. However, little is known regarding the stress response and environmental tolerance mechanism of different virulence strains to host gastrointestinal (GI) stimuli. This study analyzed the differences in the survival and genes of stress responses among two strains of L. monocytogenes 10403S (serotype 1/2a, highly virulent strain) and M7 (serotype 4a, low-virulence strain) during simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The results indicated that L. monocytogenes 10403S showed greater acid and bile salt tolerance than L. monocytogenes M7, with higher survival rates and less cell deformation and cell membrane permeability during the in vitro digestion. KEGG analysis of the transcriptomes indicated that L. monocytogenes 10403S displayed significant activity in amino acid metabolism, such as glutamate and arginine, associated with acid tolerance. Additionally, L. monocytogenes 10403S demonstrated a higher efficacy in promoting activities that preserve bacterial cell membrane integrity and facilitate flagellar protein synthesis. These findings will contribute valuable practical insights into the tolerance distinctions among different virulence strains of L. monocytogenes in the GI environment.

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Posted in Food Microbiology Research, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Research

Research – Inactivation of Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus in Tilapia Fillets (Oreochromis niloticus) with Lactic and Peracetic Acid through Fogging and Immersion

Posted on May 18, 2024 | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

This study investigated the antimicrobial effects of lactic acid (LA) (3%) and peracetic acid (PA) (300 ppm) on tilapia fillets (Oreochromis niloticus) by fogging (15 min) or by immersion (2 s) in a pool of Escherichia coli (NEWP 0022, ATCC 25922, and a field-isolated strain), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923 and a field-isolated strain), and Salmonella Typhimurium (ATCC 13311 and ATCC 14028), as well as the effects on the physicochemical characteristics of the fillets. Fogging was effective and the best application method to control S. Typhimurium regardless of the acid used, promoting reductions of 1.66 and 1.23 log CFU/g with PA and LA, respectively. Regarding E. coli, there were significant reductions higher than 1 log CFU/g, regardless of the treatment or acid used. For S. aureus, only immersion in PA showed no significant difference (p < 0.05). For other treatments, significant reductions of 0.98, 1.51, and 1.17 log CFU/g were observed for nebulized PA, immersion, and LA fogging, respectively. Concerning the pH of the samples, neither of the acids used differed from the control. However, treatments with LA, and fogging with PA, reduced the pH compared to immersion in PA. As for color parameters, L* and a* values showed changes regardless of the acid or method used, resulting in an improved perception of fillet quality. These results indicate that fogging and immersion are alternatives for reducing S. Typhimurium, E. coli, and S. aureus in tilapia fillets.

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Posted in E.coli, Food Microbiology Research, Food Technology, Research, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Technology

Research – Outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes in hospital linked to a fava bean product, Finland, 2015 to 2019

Posted on May 18, 2024 | Leave a comment

Eurosurveillance

Listeriosis is a severe bacterial infection caused by  (), usually via consumption of food contaminated with the bacterium. However, other ways of transmission than food-borne have been reported [1].  species are ubiquitous in the environment and many animals shed  in their faeces. Infections are often associated with raw, chilled or ready-to-eat (RTE) foods. Symptoms develop within 1–70 days after eating food contaminated with  [2]. The disease can manifest as severe, invasive illness, more likely in elderly people, pregnant women, unborn or newborn babies and people with weakened immune systems [3]. In these persons, listeriosis may present as septicaemia or meningitis and lead to high hospitalisation and mortality rates.

In 2021, an incidence of 0.5 per 100,000 population was reported for listeriosis in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA), while the incidence in Finland was 1.3 per 100,000 [4].

Listeriosis cases have been reported in healthcare facilities [5–11]. Two healthcare-associated  outbreaks have been reported in Finland during the last three decades. In 1999, a large hospital outbreak occurred with six deaths in 25 cases of invasive listeriosis. The source of the outbreak was butter which may have been contaminated after pasteurisation [12]. In 2012, RTE meat jelly was suspected to be the source of a hospital outbreak affecting 25 people [9].

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Microbiology Research, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Research