Category Archives: Bacteria

Canada – CFIA Updated Recall – Listeria monocytognes

CFIA

The public warning issued on October 23, 2013 has been updated to correct some product information.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Reser’s Fine Foods Inc. are warning the public not to consume the salad products described in the link above, because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

The manufacturer, Reser’s Fine Foods Inc., Beaverton, Oregon, USA, is voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

USA – Lean Ground Meat Recalls – E.coli O157

E.coli Blog

Costco, in Coon Rapids, Minn., is recalling an undetermined amount of lean fresh ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The product subject to recall is 383 units of 88% lean fresh ground beef (88/12). It bears the Costco item number 33724 under the Costco label. This product was sold directly to 342 consumers in a Costco located at 12547 Riverdale Blvd., Coon Rapids, Minn., between Sept. 4 and Sept. 7.

USA – Recall Chicken and Ham Products – Listeria monocytogenes

USDAE.coli O157

Reser’s Fine Foods, a Topeka, Kan. establishment, is recalling approximately 22,800 pounds of chicken, ham and beef products due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The company announced that these products are being recalled in conjunction with other foods regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A full list of products being recalled can be found on FDA’s website at www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Recalls/default.htm. Products regulated by FSIS bear the establishment number “EST. 13520” or “P-13520” inside the USDA mark of inspection and include the following:

Research – Breastmilk Sold Online – Microbiology

Food Safety News

An estimated three-quarters of breast milk samples available to purchase through the Internet may be contaminated with high levels of bacteria and even pathogens, according to a new study led by researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Following a growing trend of sharing breast milk via websites, authors of the study released online Monday in the journal Pediatrics tested samples from two major human milk-sharing sites.

RASFF Alerts Salmonella – Sweet Basil – Sweet Pepper- Chicken – Clams – Cheese –

RASFF – Salmonella Lexington (present /25g) in sweet basil from Laos in Norway

RASFF -Salmonella Mbandaka (in 2 out of 5 samples) in ground sweet pepper with raw material from Spain, packaged in Slovakia

RASFF -Salmonella enteritidis (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in chilled chicken wings from Poland in Czech Republic

RASFF -Salmonella enteritidis (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in chilled chicken breast fillets from Poland

RASFF -Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in clams (Tapes semidecussatus) from Italy

RASFF -Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in frozen cooked clams from Vietnam

RASFF -Salmonella enteritidis (presence /25g) in cheese from the Czech Republic, with raw material from Poland

RASFF -Salmonella enteritidis (presence /25g) in chilled chicken filet from Poland in the Czech Republic

RASFF – Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in frozen chicken meat preparations (Gallus domesticus) from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF Alerts – E.coli – Beef and Parsley

RASFF -high count of Enterobacteriaceae (17000 CFU/g) in dried parsley from Egypt in Italy

RASFF -shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (presence /25g) in fresh vacuum packed boneless beef (Bos taurus) from Argentina in Italy

RASFF -shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (presence /25g) in frozen boneless beef (Bos taurus) from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF -shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (presence /25g) in chilled beef (Bos taurus) from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF Animal Feed Alerts – Aflatoxin in Maize -Salmonella in Fish Meal and Soyabean

RASFF -aflatoxins (B1 = 30.7 / B1 = 11.5 / B1 = 2.3 / B1 = <1 µg/kg – ppb) in maize from Hungary in Germany

RASFF -Salmonella (present /25g) in fish meal from South Africa in Spain

RASFF -Salmonella (1 out of 5 samples /25g) in soybean meal from Argentina in LAtvia

Research – Norwegian Salmon and Listeria monocytogenes

Epidemiology and InfectionEurofins Food Testing UK

The objective of this study was to characterize Listeria monocytogenes isolated from farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and the processing environment in three different Norwegian factories, and compare these to clinical isolates by multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). The 65 L. monocytogenes isolates obtained gave 15 distinct MLVA profiles. There was great heterogeneity in the distribution of MLVA profiles in factories and within each factory. Nine of the 15 MLVA profiles found in the fish-associated isolates were found to match human profiles. The MLVA profile 07-07-09-10-06 was the most common strain in Norwegian listeriosis patients. L. monocytogenes with this profile has previously been associated with at least two known listeriosis outbreaks in Norway, neither determined to be due to fish consumption. However, since this profile was also found in fish and in the processing environment, fish should be considered as a possible food vehicle during sporadic cases and outbreaks of listeriosis.

Canada – CFIA – Updated Meat Recall E.coli O157 – Updated Salad Recall Listeria monocytogenes

CFIAEurofins Food Testing UK

– The public warning issued on October 8, 2013 has been  updated to include an additional product.

The Canadian  Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Belmont Meats Ltd. (Est. 112) are warning the  public not to consume the uncooked lean ground beef in the link above because it may  be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

This recall is the result of an ongoing food  safety investigation initiated as a result of a recent outbreak investigation.  There may be recalls of additional products or best before dates as the food  safety investigation at this facility continues.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of  this product.

The manufacturer,  Belmont Meats Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, is voluntarily recalling all affected  product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the  recall.

CFIA

The public warning issued on October 5, 2013 has been updated to include an additional product.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Reser’s Fine Foods Inc. are warning the public not to consume certain Reser’s Fine Foods brand Cheesy Macaroni salad, in the link above, because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

This product has been distributed in Walmart stores.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

The manufacturer, Reser’s Fine Foods Inc., Beaverton, Oregon, USA, is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace.  The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

UK- Public Health England New Food Web Link

We are pleased to inform you that the UK National Reference Laboratory for Food Microbiology has launched a webpage within Public Health England Food, Water and Environmental Microbiology Services, giving details of recent activities and events.  Please click on this link PHE

Within our webpage you will see two published documents which are free to download as pdf copies:-

  • “Audit      of Official Control Laboratories capabilities and accreditation status in      the UK 2013”
  • “2012      – 2013 Report of UK National Reference Laboratory for Food Microbiology”