Category Archives: Bacteria

USA – FDA Extended Smoked Fish Call -Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on January 12, 2013 by | Leave a comment

FDAFDA

GIANT Food Stores, LLC and MARTIN’S Food Markets, following a recall by Ocean Beauty Seafoods LLC, announced it removed from sale several varieties of smoked salmon due to possible contamination by listeria monocytogenes.

The following products are included in this recall:

* Nathan’s Nova Salmon, 3 o.z., UPC 7303080368, all sell by dates * Nathan’s Nova Salmon, 8 o.z., UPC 7303080369, all sell by dates * Lascco Smoked Salmon, 3 o.z., UPC 7284001703, all sell by dates

We have received no reports of illnesses to date. Customers who have purchased the product should discard any unused portions and bring their purchase receipt to GIANT/MARTIN’S for a full refund.

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Posted in Bacteria, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

UK – FSA Second Update Recall of Tofu – Bacillus cereus

Posted on January 10, 2013 by | Leave a comment

FSAfood_standards_agency_logo

The Food Standards Agency is issuing a second updated Food Alert for Action on the Koon Yick Wah Kee rose bean curd (tofu) and chilli bean curd (tofu) originating from China via The Netherlands, because of confirmation that further tofu from the same company has high levels of Bacillus cereus.

The affected products have a best before date of 30 December 2013 but there are currently no distributions details available. The levels of the bacteria detected can cause vomiting or diarrhoea.

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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Australia New Advice About Listeriosis – Rising Number of Cases

Posted on January 10, 2013 by | Leave a comment

NSW Food Authority

The NSW Food Authority advises those most at risk to avoid the following ready to eat foods:

  • soft cheese such as brie, blue, fetta, camembert and ricotta
  • cold chicken or turkey particularly if sliced or diced – such as used in chicken sandwiches
  • cold meats, pate and meat spreads
  • pre-prepared or packaged salads greens and salads
  • raw seafood such as oysters, sashimi, smoked salmon or oysters (canned oysters are safe)
  • sushi
  • unpasteurised dairy products including raw goat’s milk and Roquefort cheese

“Signs of listeriosis include flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhoea that can sometimes lead to septicemia, meningitis and in some cases, miscarriage in pregnant women,” Dr McAnulty said.

Investigations into listeriosis are complex as it can be difficult to identify the source. Symptoms of illness can take up to 70 days to appear.

Healthy people usually show only mild symptoms. However, in people at risk, early symptoms of listeria infection include fever, headache, tiredness and aches and pains.

Other useful links can be found at the base of the articel in the link above.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

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USA – Another Smoked Fish Recall – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on January 10, 2013 by | 1 comment

FDAFDA

As precautionary measure, Delifish has decided to expand the voluntary recall to include cold smoked products related to Julian dates 235 to 345, the previous voluntary recall included cold smoked products related to Julian dates 249- 291. There have been no new detections on products placed on the market in relation to this expansion.

The expansion means that all cold smoked products that have been produced in the same period as the product type which initially tested positive in the U.S.A. are now voluntarily recalled. The decision is taken in agreement with the FDA and is carried out as a precautionary measure.

There have been no complaints or illnesses reported. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

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Posted in Bacteria, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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Research – Campylobacter in Chicken Factory Workers

Posted on January 9, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety NewsimagesCAYZ5I84

New analysis of Campylobacter infections among workers at a Virginia poultry plant offers hints about which employees more likely to fall ill from the bacteria.

Government researchers examined health data for plant employees from January 2008 through May 2011 and found that 29 Campylobacter cases had been confirmed during that time period.

Their findings reveal three characteristics of workers who were more likely to be sickened:

  • Recently employed: A full 83 percent of these patients had worked at the plant less than a month before falling ill, suggesting that illness is more common among new employees.
  • Worked in the live-hang area: Those whose job involved hanging live chickens were far more likely to be infected than those working in other parts of the facility. Of those sickened, 62 percent worked in a live-hang area.
  • Resided in diversion centers: Almost all the employees who contracted Campylobacter infections (26 out of 29) lived in state-operated diversion centers. The authors say the high illness rate among this group may be due to the fact that diversion center residents are disproportionately assigned to live-hang areas, where they are more likely to be exposed to the bacteria.

The fact that new employees fell ill more frequently than those who had been there more than a month is consistent with findings from other studies, which have suggested that workers develop immunity to the bacteria during the first few weeks of work.

CDC – Report

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

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Research – Do Reuseable Grocery Bags Present a Micro Risk?

Posted on January 9, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Social Science Network

Abstract:

Recently, many jurisdictions have implemented bans or imposed taxes upon plastic grocery bags on environmental grounds. San Francisco County was the first major US jurisdiction to enact such a regulation, implementing a ban in 2007. There is evidence, however, that reusable grocery bags, a common substitute for plastic bags, contain potentially harmful bacteria. We examine emergency room admissions related to these bacteria in the wake of the San Francisco ban. We find that ER visits spiked when the ban went into effect. Relative to other counties, ER
admissions increase by at least one fourth, and deaths exhibit a similar increase.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

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USA – E.coli O157 – Outbreak in Leafy Greens

Posted on January 9, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

 E.coli outbreak likely caused by leafy greens has sickened five people in Hamilton County, Ohio, Food Poisoning Bulletin has learned. The outbreak was confirmed this morning by  Mike Samet, a public information officer, for the county’s public health department.

There are five confirmed cases and one probable case of  E.coli 0157:H7 infection which were likely caused by tainted leafy greens, he said. The case patients, four females and two males,  range in age from 12 to 83 and first showed signs of illness from December 10 to December 15, 2012

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen

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Canada – E.coli O157 Outbreak Update

Posted on January 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety NewsEcoli Istock

Canada’s eastern and adjoining provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are reporting 15 confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7. None of the illnesses have yet been traced to a source.

Ten of the E. coli illnesses are located in central Nova Scotia, with five reported by the Capital District Health, two by the Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority, and one each by the Pictou, Cumberland, and Colcherster East Hants health authorities.

On the other side of the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, heath officials reported two cases were reported in the St. John region and three in the Fredericton region.

Dr. Eilish Cleary, chief medical officer for New Brunswick, said it is not known if there is a common source for the cases. A number of possible sources are being investigated. Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer for Nova Scotia, said that it would not be uncommon for there to be additional cases as it may take as long as ten days for some people to begin to experience symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 and get tested.

One of the Nova Scotia patients experienced kidney failure, but along with the others is said to be recovering. In New Brunswick, four illnesses were treated by emergency room visits, and one victim was hospitalized.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, EHEC, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen

USA – Another Smoked Salmon Recall – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on January 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Listeria Blog

GIANT Food Stores, LLC and MARTIN’S Food Markets, following a recall by Ocean Beauty Seafoods LLC, announced it removed from sale several varieties of smoked salmon due to possible contamination by Listeria monocytogenes.

The following products are included in this recall:

* Nathan’s Nova Salmon, 3 o.z., UPC 7303080368, all sell by dates * Nathan’s Nova Salmon, 8 o.z., UPC 7303080369, all sell by dates * Lascco Smoked Salmon, 3 o.z., UPC 7284001703, all sell by dates

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene

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USA – Sprouts and Pathogenic Bacteria

Posted on January 7, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning BulletinEurofins

Raw sprouts have been the cause of several food poisoning outbreaks in the last several years. In 2012, there were many recalls of raw sprouts for bacterial contamination. Several facilities, including Kroger and Jimmy John’s, decided to stop offering sprouts for sale altogether, although Jimmy John’s put the vegetables back on their menu in October 2012.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been warning those in high risk groups to avoid sprouts completely, unless they are thoroughly cooked. And FoodSafety.gov just released information about what you, as a consumer, should know about sprouts.

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Posted in Bacteria, CDC, E.coli, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Research

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