Category Archives: Bacteria

Hong Kong – Imported Clotted cream samples detected with total bacterial count exceeding legal limit

Posted on October 17, 2024 by | Leave a comment

CFS

​The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 16) that samples of prepackaged pasteurized Cornish clotted cream imported from the United Kingdom (UK) were detected with total bacterial count exceeding the legal limit. The affected batch of product has been marked and sealed, and has not entered the market. The CFS is following up on the incident.

Product details are as follows:

Product name: Cornish Clotted Cream
Brand: M&S
Place of origin: UK
Sole importer: Alf Retail Hong Kong Limited
Packing: 227 grams per pack
Use-by date: October 18, 2024

A spokesman for the CFS said, “The CFS collected the above-mentioned samples at the import level for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test results showed that the total bacterial count of the samples were 620,400, 1,128,000 and 1,504,000 per milliliter respectively. According to the Milk Regulation (Cap 132 AQ), milk after heat treatment by means of pasteurisation should not contain more than 30,000 bacteria per millilitre.

The CFS has informed the importer concerned of the irregularity. An investigation revealed that the affected batch of the product is still stored in the importer’s warehouse. It has not entered the local market. The CFS has temporarily suspended the permission to import for sale of the product concerned granted earlier to the importer. Other types of similar products of the same brand being sold in the market are not affected.

The spokesman said that the total bacterial counts exceeding the legal limit indicated that the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory, but did not mean it would lead to food poisoning.

The CFS has informed the British authorities of the incident, and will continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action.

Ends/Wednesday, October 16, 2024

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Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, Center for Food Safety, CFS, food recall, product recall, Recall

Hong Kong – Do Not Eat Raw Freshwater Fish to Avoid Harmful Bacteria and Parasites

Posted on September 29, 2024 by | Leave a comment

CFS

Consuming raw freshwater fish (Chinese Yu Sang) can be hazardous to health. Raw freshwater fish including grass carp, bighead carp or snakehead may carry parasites such as Chinese liver fluke, which can cause obstruction, inflammation and cancer of the biliary ducts in the liver. Chinese liver fluke contributes to the majority of local human cases of enteric parasites.

In addition to parasites, eating raw or undercooked freshwater fish can lead to foodborne infections. In the past, there were outbreaks of Group B streptococcus (GBS) infections in Singapore which were associated with raw freshwater fish consumption. GBS can cause infections in different parts of the body including the bloodstream, lungs, bones and joints. People, especially the elderly and people with weakened immunity (e.g. people with chronic diseases), may also contract GBS by exposure to seawater through an existing open wound or a puncture wound when handling raw aquatic products.

In order to protect public health, raw freshwater fish (Chinese Yu Sang) is a prohibited food under the Food Business Regulation (Cap 132X) in Hong Kong. Consumers are advised not to eat raw or undercooked freshwater fish while dining locally or travelling and eat freshwater fish only if it is adequately cooked, especially when having hot pot or congee.

To prevent foodborne diseases, the public should also pay attention to personal, food and environmental hygiene:

  • Always keep your hands clean
  • Cover all wounds when handling raw seafood, and wear protective gloves if possible
  • Store raw and cooked foods separately, and use different knives and cutting boards to handle them separately to avoid cross-contamination
  • Cook food thoroughly before eating

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Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, Faecal Streptpcocci, Food Microbiology Research, Group B Streptococcus, Research

France – Sardine with olive oil and chili pepper – Bacterial Contamination

Posted on June 7, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Gov France

Product category
Food
Product subcategory
Fishing and aquaculture products
Product brand name
Parmentier
Model names or references
Sardines Parmentier hand-canned “olive oil and chili” 135g Sardines Parmentier hand-canned “olive oil and chili” 135g in batches of 4
Product identification
GTIN Date
3019089044673 Minimum durability date 03/27/2029
3019081238650 Minimum durability date 03/27/2029
Products List
2024-06_Traceability.pdfAttachment
Packaging
/
Start/end date of marketing
From 05/24/2024 to 06/03/2024
Storage temperature
Product to be stored at room temperature
Health mark
PT C.241.1P CE
Further information
/
Geographical sales area
Whole France
Distributors
AUCHAN CASINO CARREFOUR CORA MATCH INTERMARCHE LECLERC SYSTEM U

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Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, food contamination, food recall, microbial contamination, product recall, Recall

RASFF Alert- Bacterial Contamination – Spring Water

Posted on April 5, 2024 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

Bacteria in natural sping water from Finland to Singapore

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Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, Contaminated water, cross contamination, food contamination, microbial contamination, RASFF

RASFF Alert- High Levels of Microorganisms – Zander Fillet

Posted on March 22, 2024 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

High count of microorganisms in Zander fillet from Poland, via Germany in Austria

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Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, food contamination, microbial contamination, RASFF

Finland – Detection of bacteria in cheese dips

Posted on September 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Epressi

Cheddar Cheese Sauce and Dip Nacho Cheese Style.

Paulig has announced a recall of two Santa Maria cheese dips/sauces. The recall is based on a confirmed bacterial observation in a single production batch of cheese sauce. As a precautionary measure, a larger number of production batches are recalled. The recall concerns two products and their following dates:

  1. Cheddar Cheese Sauce (3000 g)
    best before date is between  1.6.2024 and 31.8.2024
  1. The best before date for  Dip Nacho Cheese Style (250 g) is between 1 June 2025 and 31 August 2025.

Instructions for consumers can be found  in the bulletin on Paulig’s website.

More information:

Paulig’s Customer Service 
Tel. 0800 0110 (weekdays 9–12:30) 
consumerservice@paulig.com

The matter is handled at the Food Agency by special expert Mika Varjonen, tel. 050 38 68 416,  firstname.surname@ruokavirasto.fi .

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Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, food recall, product recall, Recall

Research – The Application of Ultraviolet Treatment to Prolong the Shelf Life of Chilled Beef

Posted on June 24, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

This study simulated the storage conditions of chilled beef at retail or at home, and the sterilization and preservation effects of short-time ultraviolet irradiation were studied. The conditions of different irradiation distances (6 cm, 9 cm, and 12 cm) and irradiation times (6 s, 10 s, and 14 s) of ultraviolet (UV) sterilization in chilled beef were optimized, so as to maximally reduce the initial bacterial count, but not affect the quality of the chilled beef. Then, the preservation effect on the chilled beef after the optimized UV sterilization treatment during 0 ± 0.2 °C storage was investigated. The results showed that UV irradiation with parameters of 6 cm and 14 s formed the optimal UV sterilization conditions for the chilled beef, maximally reducing the number of microorganisms by 0.8 log CFU/g without affecting lipid oxidation or color change. The 6 cm and 14 s UV sterilization treatment of the chilled beef was able to reduce the initial microbial count, control the bacterial growth, and delay the increase in the TVB-N values during storage. Compared with the control group, the total bacterial count decreased by 0.56–1.51 log CFU/g and the TVB-N value decreased by 0.20–5.02 mg N/100 g in the UV-treated group. It was found that the TBARS value of the UV treatment group increased during late storage; on days 9–15 of storage, the TBARS values of the treatment group were 0.063–0.12 mg MDA/kg higher than those of the control group. However, UV treatment had no adverse impact on the pH, color, or sensory quality of chilled beef. These results prove that UV treatment can effectively reduce the microbial count on the surface of beef and improve its microbial safety, thus maintaining the quality of beef and prolonging its shelf life. This study could provide a theoretical basis for the preservation technology of chilled beef in small-space storage equipment.

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Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk

Hong Kong – Food Safety Focus – Bacteria in Raw Meat vs Cooked Meat

Posted on May 18, 2023 by | Leave a comment

CFS

Recently, bacterial contamination of meat has attracted public attention. According to the World Health Organization, contamination of food by microbiological agents is a worldwide public health concern; and most countries have documented significant increases over the past few decades in the incidence of diseases caused by microorganisms in food. In this article, we will introduce some factors that determine the growth of bacteria in food, and discuss the different food safety considerations for bacteria in raw meat and cooked meat and the measures to reduce risks of food poisoning caused by bacteria.

Factors Determining the Growth of Bacteria in Food

Bacteria grow best when intrinsic and extrinsic properties are optimal for their growth. Intrinsic properties are the properties that are inherent parts of the food, such as pH and water activity, while extrinsic properties are the properties of the environment in which the food is stored, such as temperature. Water activity is not the same as the moisture content of the food but is a measure, ranging from 0 to 1, of the availability of water in food which determines the growth and survival of bacteria. By controlling these factors (e.g. controlling the storage temperature of the food), bacterial overgrowth can be prevented.

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Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk

RASFF Alert – Bacterial Contamination – Milk

Posted on April 21, 2023 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

Milk with a sour taste due to bacterial growth from Denmark in Germany

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Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Quality, food recall, Food Spoilage, Food Temperature Abuse, Food Testing, RASFF

Research – Bacterial signaling across biofilm affected by surface structure

Posted on April 10, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Science Daily

Bacteria are also able to communicate with each other through chemical signals, a behavior known as quorum signaling (QS). These chemical signals spread through a biofilm that colonies of bacteria form after they reach a certain density, and are used to help the colonies scavenge food, as well as defend against threats, like antibiotics. Researchers examined how different structures affects biofilm growth and QS by the bacteria in the presence of antibiotics. They found structure does have an effect on QS in some strains of the bacteria.

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Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, Biofilm, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk