Category Archives: Campylobacter

Research – Campy/Salmonella/E.coli Heat Resistance

Posted on June 21, 2012 by | 1 comment

Hidawi

The aim of this research was to determine the decimal reduction times of bacteria present on chicken fillet in boiling water. The experiments were conducted with Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli. Whole chicken breast fillets were inoculated with the pathogens, stored overnight (4∘C), and subsequently cooked. The surface temperature reached 70∘C within 30 sec and 85∘C within one minute. Extremely high decimal reduction times of 1.90, 1.97, and 2.20 min were obtained for C. jejuni, E. coli, and S. typhimurium, respectively. Chicken meat and refrigerated storage before cooking enlarged the heat resistance of the food borne pathogens. Additionally, a high challenge temperature or fast heating rate contributed to the level of heat resistance. The data were used to assess the probability of illness (campylobacteriosis) due to consumption of chicken fillet as a function of cooking time. The data revealed that cooking time may be far more critical than previously assumed.

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, E.coli, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella

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RASFF Alerts – Aflatoxin, Salmonella, E.coli, DSP, Listeria

Posted on June 16, 2012 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – Aflatoxin in Peanut Paste Belgium sourced from the Ivory Coast

RASFF – Salmonella in Cumin Powder in the UK sourced from Denmark

RASFF – Salmonella broiler leg meat in France sourced from Lithuania

RASFF – DSP (Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning) Razor Clams UK

RASFF –  Salmonella Soya Bean meal in Italy sourced in Switzerland

RASFF – Aflatoxins in Spice Mix in Ireland sourced from India

RASFF – Listeria monocytogenes in smoked bacon from Poland

RASFF – Listeria monocytogenes in smoked Halibut from France

RASFF – Campylobacter in fresh chicken from Germany

RASFF – Salmonella in soya bean meal in Germany

RASFF – Salmonella in rape cake from Germany

RASFF –  High levels of E.coli Oysters in France

 

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Bacteria, Campylobacter, DSP, E.coli, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Salmonella

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Japan Raw Beef Liver Restaurant Ban – E.coli O157

Posted on June 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Global Meat News

Japan has announced that it will ban the sale of raw beef liver in restaurants, following a spate of food poisoning cases last year.

The Daily Yomiyuri

The health ministry has decided to ban restaurants from serving raw beef liver from July 1 due to food poisoning concerns, and violators of the new rule could be fined or even imprisoned.

The ministry made the decision after its food sanitation council approved the policy at a meeting Tuesday.

Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O-157 and Campylobacter bacteria, both of which can cause severe stomachache, have been detected in raw beef liver. A research report said it is difficult to remove or kill the bacteria through screening tests or disinfection, and that liver can only be guaranteed safe to consume if it has been cooked.

Operators of barbecue restaurants and other establishments that ignore the ban on raw beef liver could be sentenced to up to two years in prison or fined up to 2 million yen.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry presented comments submitted by the public over the month through May 18. Although most of the 1,532 opinions were against outlawing raw liver, ministry officials insisted a ban–backed up by penalties–was necessary because there is no 100 percent safe way of eating raw beef liver.

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, E.coli, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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New US Raw Milk Campylobacter Outbreak

Posted on May 11, 2012 by | 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

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HPA – UK – Campylobacter Still Number 1 in 2011

Posted on May 6, 2012 by | Leave a comment

HPA

Eighty three general outbreaks of foodborne infectious disease in England and Wales were reported in 2011 to the HPA’s electronic Foodborne and Non-foodborne Gastrointestinal Outbreak Surveillance System (eFOSS)[§]. In the previous year there were 63 outbreaks of foodborne diseases (figure 1).

The rise in the number of general outbreaks in 2011 could be due to the continued increase in outbreaks caused by Campylobacter spp (20/83 in 2011; 18/63 in 2010) and a rise in the outbreaks caused by Salmonella spp compared to the previous year (18 in 2011; 8 in 2010).

Outbreaks of campylobacter have increased since 2009 and concurrently campylobacter is now the most frequently implicated causative agent in reported outbreaks representing 24% of all outbreaks [1,2 ]. In 2011, as in preceding years, most campylobacter outbreaks were associated with consumption of undercooked poultry liver pâté or parfait f rom food service establishments [3,4]. Salmonella spp. accounted for 22% of the outbreaks, most of which were caused by an increase in S. Enteritidis non PT 4 (44%, 8/18) or S. Typhimurium (33%, 6/18). The next most frequently identified agents included: norovirus (10%, 8/83), VTEC O157 (10%, 8/83) and Clostridium perfringens (8%, 7/83)

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Standards Agency, Foodborne Illness, HPA, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella

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EFSA Food Videos – Salmonella/Campylobacter/Pathogens

Posted on April 18, 2012 by | Leave a comment

EFSA Videos

Understanding Science short videos including Salmonella and Campylobacter.

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, EFSA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Food Testing, Microbiology, Research, Salmonella

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Australia + New Zealand – Chicken Liver Pate – Campylobacter

Posted on April 17, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FSANZ

There have been outbreaks of Campylobacter food poisoning linked to dishes such as pâté, where poultry liver has been undercooked.

Like other poultry meat, livers need to be cooked all the way through to kill bacteria that may be present. Lightly frying the surface is not enough.

In recent surveys of raw chicken meat in Australia, campylobacter was found in more than 85% of samples tested. Studies in New Zealand have also shown that livers and other offal are often contaminated on the surface and internally.

Advice Leaflet

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

One in Five Chickens Contaminated by Pathogenic Bacteria – Which Report

Posted on April 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

UKPA 

One in five supermarket chickens is contaminated with the food poisoning bacteria campylobacter, an investigation has found.

The study of chicken samples from nine supermarkets by the Which? consumer group found 18% were contaminated with campylobacter and 17% were contaminated with listeria, with 4% containing levels of the latter classed as “high” by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Salmonella was present in 1.5% of samples.

The watchdog tested 192 samples of whole chickens and chicken portions – standard, free range and organic and all reared in the UK – from Aldi, Asda, The Co-operative, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose in March. Bacterial contamination was found in samples from each of the retailers.

The headline in the Sun Newspaper was a little more graphic!

The Telegraph had a view as well.

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

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Report into Salmonella and Campylobacter In Senegal Households

Posted on April 12, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online 

“We used a quantitative microbiological risk assessment model to describe the risk of Campylobacter and Salmonella infection linked to chicken meals prepared in households in Dakar, Senegal. The model uses data collected specifically for this study, such as the prevalence and level of bacteria on the neck skin of chickens bought in Dakar markets, time-temperature profiles recorded from purchase to consumption, an observational survey of meal preparation in private kitchens, and detection and enumeration of pathogens on kitchenware and cooks’ hands. Thorough heating kills all bacteria present on chicken during cooking, but cross-contamination of cooked chicken or ready-to-eat food prepared for the meal via kitchenware and cooks’ hands leads to a high expected frequency of pathogen ingestion. Additionally, significant growth of Salmonella is predicted during food storage at ambient temperature before and after meal preparation. These high exposures lead to a high estimated risk of campylobacteriosis and/or salmonellosis in Dakar households. The public health consequences could be amplified by the high level of antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella and Campylobacter observed in this setting. A significant decrease in the number of ingested bacteria and in the risk could be achieved through a reduction of the prevalence of chicken contamination at slaughter, and by the use of simple hygienic measures in the kitchen. There is an urgent need to reinforce the hygiene education of food handlers in Senegal.”

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella

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Bad Bug New Release

Posted on April 6, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FDA

This book is a great source of Microbiology Information and can be downloaded as a 264 page PDF.

The second edition of the Bad Bug Book3, published by the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides current information about the major known agents that cause foodborne illness. The information provided in this handbook is abbreviated and general in nature, and is intended for practical use. It is not intended to be a comprehensive scientific or clinical reference. Each chapter in this book is about a pathogen – a bacterium, virus, or parasite – or a natural toxin that can contaminate food and cause illness. The book contains scientific and technical information about the major pathogens that cause these kinds of illnesses. A separate “consumer box” in each chapter provides non-technical information, in everyday language. The boxes describe plainly what can make you sick and, more important, how to prevent it.

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, Cryptosporidium, E.coli, E.coli O104, E.coli O157, E.coli O26, EHEC, Enterobacteriaceae, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Legionella, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, MRSA, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus, STEC