Category Archives: Bacteria

FSA – Food Safety Videos Link

Posted on May 15, 2012 by KSW | Leave a comment

The Food Standards Agency has published 10 short videos to help caterers produce food safely. Each video is about a minute long and covers specific food hygiene practices.

These training resources are designed to illustrate messages within the ‘Safer food, better business’ packs and they follow the same innovative and practical approach to food safety management as the packs.

The videos provide best practice guidance on a number of potential food safety issues, such as:

effective handwashing
chilling foods down as quickly as possible
checking that foods are cooked thoroughly
effective cleaning
what to do if a member of staff is ill at work
keeping pests out of your business, what to look for and the action to take

The films are being used as part of a training programme, funded by the Agency, to coach catering businesses in Olympic host boroughs in order to help raise standards and compliance levels.

The videos are available via the Agency’s YouTube channel.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Spoilage, Food Standards Agency, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Research

FSA – London 2012 Food Safety

Posted on May 15, 2012 by KSW | Leave a comment

FSA

The Food Standards Agency has published a toolkit and newsletter for stakeholders to support their participation in the Agency’s Play it Safe campaign. This campaign is helping to ensure that food bought, cooked and eaten during the 2012 Olympics is safe.

The toolkit provides suggestions on how stakeholders, such as food businesses, tourism groups and trade associations, can contribute to the campaign. These include posting details of the campaign on company websites and in newsletters, using social media and issuing press releases. The toolkit also answers frequently asked questions about the campaign and about food hygiene and safety.

The newsletter, the first in the campaign, explains the work being done to protect consumers during the Olympics. It also includes details on how to subscribe to future editions.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Research

Tagged environment

US Herring Recall – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on May 12, 2012 by KSW | Leave a comment

Listeria Blog

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine today alerted consumers that Mazowsze Deli Inc., 420 Church Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11218 is recalling (sliced) Herring due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

The recalled in-store packed (sliced) Herring comes in an un-coded, one pound clear plastic container with a plastic lid. The Herring was sold from the deli’s retail location at 420 Church Avenue in Brooklyn only.

The recall was initiated after routine sampling by New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets Food Inspectors and subsequent analysis of the product by New York State Food Laboratory personnel, found Listeria monocytogenes present in the product.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. Consumers who have purchased the Herring should not consume it, but should discard the product or return it to Mazowsze Deli.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

Tagged food, research

Tempah Salmonella Outbreak Traced to Spores

Posted on May 11, 2012 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

North Carolina’s Department of Public Health laboratory confirmed on Thursday that the ongoing Salmonella Paratyphi B outbreak linked to Smiling Hara unpasteurized tempeh was caused by contaminated packages of spore culture used in the product’s fermentation process.

Tempeh is made from cooked and slightly fermented soybeans and formed into a patty, similar to a very firm veggie burger

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Salmonella, Spores

Tagged food

CDC – Five Multistate Outbreaks of Human Salmonella Infections Linked to Small Turtles

Posted on May 11, 2012 by KSW | Leave a comment

CDC

Contact with reptiles (such as turtles, snakes, and lizards) and amphibians (such as frogs and toads) can be a source of human Salmonella infections. Small turtles, with a shell length of less than 4 inches, are a well-known source of human Salmonella infections, especially among young children. Because of this risk, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the sale and distribution of these turtles since 1975. Amphibians and reptiles can carry Salmonella germs and still appear healthy and clean. Salmonella germs are shed in their droppings and can easily contaminate their bodies and anything in areas where these animals live. Reptiles and amphibians that live in tanks or aquariums can contaminate the water with germs, which can spread to people.

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Posted in Bacteria, CDC, Eurofins Laboratories, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Pet Food, Research, Salmonella

Tagged animals, environment, water

RASFF Alerts

Posted on May 11, 2012 by KSW | Leave a comment

RASFF – Listeria monocytogenes Sweden Cheese Raw material from France

RASFF – Salmonella typhimurium Norway Beef from Uruguay.

RASFF – Salmonella and Bacillus cereus in All Spice in Austria orginating in Germany.

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Posted in Bacillus cereus, Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, RASFF

Tagged bacillus cereus, food, salmonella typhimurium

New US Raw Milk Campylobacter Outbreak

Posted on May 11, 2012 by KSW | Leave a comment

Campylobacter Blog

Raw milk, raw skim milk (non-fat), raw cream and raw butter produced by Organic Pastures Dairy of Fresno County is the subject of a statewide recall and quarantine order announced by California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Whiteford. The quarantine order came following the confirmed detection of campylobacter bacteria in raw cream.

Consumers are strongly urged to dispose of any Organic Pastures products of these types remaining in their refrigerators, and retailers are to pull those products immediately from their shelves.

From January through April 30, 2012, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reports that at least 10 people with campylobacter infection were identified throughout California and reported consuming Organic Pastures raw milk prior to illness onset. Their median age is 11.5 years, with six under 18. The age range is nine months to 38 years. They are residents of Fresno, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Luis Obispo and Santa Clara counties. None of the patients have been hospitalised, and there have been no deaths.

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall

Tagged food, health, organic pastures dairy

Irish Hospital Listeria Outbreak – Warning Over Hospital Sandwiches

Posted on May 11, 2012 by KSW | Leave a comment

Belfast Telegraph

Health trusts across Northern Ireland have been advised to stop serving sandwiches from a specific food supplier following an outbreak of listeria which claimed the life of a patient.

Four patients in the Northern Health & Social Care Trust were affected by the outbreak — an elderly woman being treated at Antrim Area Hospital died on the morning of April 8 and the last case was confirmed on April 20.

I think this needs to be extended to other high risk foods served in hospitals and have done for quite a while.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen

Tuna Strips Recalled Possible Salmonella Risk

Posted on May 11, 2012 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Moon Fishery Pvt. Ltd of India, the company that manufactured the yellow fin tuna Nakaochi Scrape that was recalled in the United States and sickened at least 258 people in 24 states and the District of Columbia, is recalling 22 pound cases of “Tuna Strips” because they may also be contaminated with Salmonella. The specific serotype of the bacteria was not specified.