Four months into its $100,000 yearlong federal grant, the Sprout Safety Alliance has a website and is recruiting people to help develop best practices materials for sprout growers.
Food and Drug Administration officials announced the alliance Feb. 28, saying it is similar to other public-private alliances for seafood, juice, produce and preventive controls set up by the agency. It created the Produce Safety Alliance in 2010 and the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance in 2011.
Posted in Bacteria, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Food Testing, Microbiology, Research, Sprouting Seeds
Tagged science
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Phoenicia Group Inc. are warning the public not to consume Alkanater brand Tahina, described below, because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella.
The affected product, Alkanater brand Tahina, is sold in 454 g containers bearing the UPC 6 92551 00002 0, lot code TT3N-280312 and codes PRO: 28/03/2012 AND EXP: 28/03/2014.
This product has been distributed in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and New Brunswick and may have been distributed nationally.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.
At least 66 people have fallen ill in 20 states in a Salmonella Montevideo outbreak linked to live poultry from a Missouri hatchery, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday. Sixteen people have been hospitalized while one infected person in Missouri has died, though Salmonella infection was not considered a contributing factor to the person’s death.
Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Hand Washing, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Salmonella
Tagged food safety news, health, science
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is investigating two fatal cases of Vibrio vulnificus infection, with one of them causing necrotising fasciitis (flesh-eating disease).
The case of necrotising fasciitis caused by Vibrio vulnificus affected a 48-year-old man with underlying medical conditions who lived in Shenzhen
His clinical diagnosis was necrotising fasciitis and bilateral above-knee amputations were performed. His condition continued to deteriorate and he passed away yesterday (June 19).
The patient’s blood culture grew Vibrio vulnificus and his tissue and wound swabs also detected Vibrio vulnificus.
The case of Vibrio vulnificus infection involved a 61-year-old man with chronic illness who lived in Yuen Long. He developed fever since June 16 and loss of consciousness on June 17. He was admitted to Pok Oi Hospital on the same day. His condition deteriorated and he passed away on June 18.
His blood specimen taken during his admission yielded Vibrio vulnificus.
The CHP’s investigation revealed that the patient had consumed raw mantis shrimp
Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Vibrio, Vibrio vulnificans
Tagged blood specimen, flesh eating disease, health, loss of consciousness, mantis shrimp, medicine
Five children admitted to hospital in northern France after eating beef burgers infected with a strain of E.coli bacteria are seriously ill, health officials said on Thursday, fanning fears of a wider outbreak.
This study simulated factors that influence the levels of bacteria on foodservice workers’ hands. Relevant data were collected from the scientific literature and from laboratory experiments. Literature information collected included: initial bacterial counts on hands and water faucet spigots, bacterial population changes during hand washing as effected by soap type, sanitizing agent, drying method, and the presence of rings. Experimental data were also collected using Enterobacter aerogenes as a surrogate for transient bacteria. Both literature and experimental data were translated into appropriate discrete or probability distribution functions. The appropriate statistical distribution for each phase of the hand washing process was determined. These distributions were: initial count on hands, beta (2.82, 2.32, 7.5); washing reduction using regular soap, beta (3.01, 1.91, −3.00, 0.60); washing reduction using antimicrobial soap, beta (4.19, 2.99, −4.50, 1.50); washing reduction using chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG), triangular (−4.75, −1.00, 0); reductions from hot air drying, beta (3.52, 1.92, −0.20, 1.00); reduction from paper towel drying, triangular (−2.25, −0.75, 0); reduction due to alcohol sanitizer, gamma (−1.23, 4.42)−5.8; reduction due to alcohol-free sanitizer, gamma (2.22, 5.38)−5.00; and the effect of rings, beta (8.55, 23.35, 0.10, 0.45). Experimental data were fit to normal distributions (expressed as log percentage transfer rate): hand-to-spigot transfer, normal (−0.80, 1.09); spigot to hand, normal (0.36, 0.90). Soap with an antimicrobial agent (in particular, CHG) was observed to be more effective than regular soap. Hot air drying had the capacity to increase the amount of bacterial contamination on hands, while paper towel drying caused a slight decrease in contamination. There was little difference in the efficacy of alcohol and alcohol-free sanitizers. Ring wearing caused a slight decrease in the efficacy of hand washing. The experimental data validated the simulated combined effect of certain hand washing procedures based on distributions derived from reported studies. The conventional hand washing system caused a small increase in contamination on hands vs. the touch-free system. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the primary factors influencing final bacteria counts on the hand were sanitizer, soap, and drying method. This research represents an initial framework from which sound policy can be promulgated to control bacterial transmission via hand contacts.
Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Hand Washing, Research
Tagged chlorhexidine gluconate, science
Dole Fresh Vegetables is voluntarily recalling 1,077 cases of bagged salads.
Due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes. Dole Fresh Vegetables is coordinating closely with regulatory officials. No illnesses have been reported in association with the recall.
The Product Code and Use-by date are in the upper right-hand corner of the package; the UPC code is on the back of the package, below the barcode. The salads were distributed in six U.S. states (Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia).
No illnesses have been reported in association with the recall. This precautionary recall notification is being issued due to an isolated instance in which a sample of Marketside Leafy Romaine salad yielded a positive result for Listeria monocytogenes in a random sample test conducted by the State of North Carolina.
A total of 15 persons infected with the outbreak strain of STEC O145 infection have been identified in 6 states.
The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (2), California (1), Florida (1), Georgia (5), Louisiana (5), and Tennessee (1).
Four ill persons have been hospitalised. One death has been reported in Louisiana.
Marchetti Smallgoods has recalled Leg Ham (sliced) from small independent supermarkets in Victoria due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Listeria may cause illness in pregnant women and their unborn babies, the elderly and people with low immune systems. Consumers should not eat this product. Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.
Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, FSANZ, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall
Tagged immune systems, independent supermarkets, medical advice, medicine, smallgoods, unborn babies
Public health officials are investigating an unusually large outbreak of shigellosis, a bacterial gastrointestinal illness that has sickened 25 people in Onondaga County.
The county Health Department announced there have been 15 laboratory confirmed cases and another 10 probable cases of shigellosis. More than half the cases involve children. Two of the people infected have been hospitalised and some others have been treated in emergency rooms and urgent care centers, said Dr. Cynthia Morrow, Onondaga County’s health commissioner.
FoodWorld 