Author Archives: KSW

ACSA

Document published this year by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Safety and Health (ANSES).

Focused on enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia Coli (STEC), producer of shigatoxin and responsible for serious foodborne infections in young children, the elderly and immunosuppressed people.

In this report, ANSES classifies the strains of bacteria responsible for severe forms of infection. It also issues recommendations to improve monitoring of the risks of contamination of products before they are placed on the market.

Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli are responsible for a number of disorders, ranging from mild diarrhea to more severe forms, such as bloody diarrhea and severe kidney damage called hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). Infections mainly affect young children, especially those under 5 years of age, the elderly, and immunosuppressed people. Approximately 140 cases of childhood HUS are identified each year.

In France, the foods most often implicated in outbreaks of EHEC infections are minced meat fillets, eaten raw or undercooked, and raw milk cheeses. The flours can also be contaminated, so the consumption of raw or undercooked pizza dough was the origin of an epidemic in 2022.

Among the advice addressed to consumers we find that of not eating raw or undercooked foods when they are intended to be eaten cooked. In addition, for more sensitive populations such as children, it is recommended to thoroughly cook (70 °C) minced meat and minced meat products, avoid consumption of raw milk and raw milk products (with the exception of cooked pressed cheeses). ) and avoid eating raw or undercooked flour-based products (cookie dough, etc.).