Category Archives: Campylobacter

HPS -Scotland E.coli Report 2011

Posted on February 4, 2012 by | Leave a comment

HPS Report

Health Protection Scotland (HPS) said it had recorded 253 positive cases of E.coli during 2011, up from 212 the previous year.

The agency blamed the increase on a UK-wide outbreak believed to have originated from contaminated vegetables. The outbreak, between December 2010 and July 2011, saw 250 cases of E.coli infection throughout England, Wales and Scotland and 74 victims treated in hospital.

The agency blamed the increase on a UK-wide outbreak believed to have originated from contaminated vegetables. The outbreak, between December 2010 and July 2011, saw 250 cases of E. coli infection throughout England, Wales and Scotland and 74 victims treated in hospital.

However, the HPS report also noted that the apparent spike in E. coli between 2010 and 2011 was partly due to the unusually low rate of E. coli infection in 2010.

The report also noted decreases in salmonella and campylobacter.
In 2011, HPS received reports of 736 cases of salmonella infection – a decrease of almost 22% on the 941 reported in 2010.

Cases of campylobacter were also down 3.6% to 6366 last year, although the figure remains “one of the highest on record.”

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Posted in Campylobacter, E.coli, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, HPA, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, outbreak, Recall, Salmonella

US – Raw Milk – Campylobacter – Now 38 Cases

Posted on February 4, 2012 by | 1 comment

Pennsylvania health officials have updated the number of reported ill in the outbreak of campylobacter linked to Your Family Cow Dairy, located in that state.   The ill persons, though, are now found in four states, Pennsylvania (31), Maryland (4), West Virginia (2), and New Jersey (1). 

Earlier in the week Maryland officials reported that they had isolated the  strain of campylobacter also isolated from ill persons who consumed the milk in two unopened raw milk samples from the homes of customers.

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Posted in Campylobacter, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak

US Raw Milk – Campylobacter Outbreak

Posted on January 28, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Six people have been infected with Campylobacter in an outbreak linked to raw milk from a farm in Pennsylvania, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said Friday.
 

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Three cases of campylobacteris have been reported in Pennsylvania and three in Maryland. All six infected individuals drank unpasteurized milk from the Family Cow dairy in Chambersburg, PA, according to the health department news release.
 

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Posted in Campylobacter, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak, Recall

Petting Zoo / Livestock Fair – Ban – Microbiology Issues ?

Posted on January 9, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

This article reports on investigation into another outbreak of food poisoning last year at the North CArolina State FAir in which 25 people became ill through E.coli O157 after visiting livestock enclosures. The article then reports on another 20 incidents from other livestock settings around the world mainly E.coli O157 but also Campylobacter and Cryptosporidium.

The CDC have put together another task for to investigate, it is interesting that farmers do not appear to have this problem, could it be that they have built up greater immunity or have they got better hygiene habits than the general public?

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Posted in Campylobacter, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak

Poultry Packaging and Campylobacter

Posted on December 22, 2011 by | Leave a comment

A Food Manufacture article has reported on food packaging for raw chicken that could help control Campylobacter.

The type of packaging used for raw poultry could influence the levels of Campylobacter found on the external wrapping, according to a new study from the West of Scotland Food Liaison Group (WOSFLG).

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Posted in Campylobacter, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Testing, Microbiology

10% Retail Raw Poultry Packaging Contaminated by Campylobacter

Posted on December 14, 2011 by | Leave a comment

A report on the results of a survey on the contamination of raw poultry packaging was published by the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) on 9 December. The report discovered that about 10% of samples were found to be contaminated with Campylobacter on the external packaging. It is for this reason that consumers are advised to make sure they keep raw poultry separate from ready-to-eat food at purchase, in storage and during preparation. Consumers should carry raw poultry home in separate bags and should store raw poultry at the bottom of their refrigerator away from ready-to-eat foods. During preparation they should wash hands thoroughly after handling raw poultry or other raw foods, and take all steps to avoid cross contamination through utensils or surfaces including cleaning and disinfecting food contact surfaces which are used to prepare raw poultry. Consumers should always cook food thoroughly to kill any bacteria that may be present.

REHIS REPORT

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Posted in Campylobacter, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak

Health Protection Scotland – Campylobacter Outbreaks – 2011

Posted on December 8, 2011 by | Leave a comment

New figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) have revealed that over 90% of outbreaks of Campylobacter infection at catering venues in 2011 were linked to chicken liver pâté consumption. In light of this, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has again reminded caterers to cook poultry livers thoroughly to avoid the risk of food poisoning.

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Posted in Campylobacter, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak

Chicken Liver Pate – Campylobacter

Posted on December 2, 2011 by | Leave a comment

An article in MeatInfo has reported on the incidence of Campylobacter in Chicken Liver Pate which is a popular Christmas product.  

According to figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA), there have been a total of 18 outbreaks of Campylobacter infection in the UK this year, with more than 443 people taken ill. Fourteen of these outbreaks occurred in catering venues and 13 of these were linked to chicken or duck liver pâté.

The FSAhave also released information reminding people to cook home-made Chicken Liver Pate thoroughly.

Poultry livers carry a high risk of Campylobacter. The bacteria can be present throughout the liver, not just on the surface as is the case for poultry meat, and may remain a source of infection if they are not cooked sufficiently.

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Posted in Campylobacter, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology

USDA -Kitchen Companion – Food Safety

Posted on December 1, 2011 by | Leave a comment

The USDA have a Food Safety PDF for Food Safety in the Kitchen that some of you may find interesting. It is of course american based, but the principles are still the same. Kitchen Companion

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Posted in Campylobacter, Clostridium botulinum, E.coli, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Poisoning, Food Virus, Listeria, Microbiology, Salmonella

Pulsed Electric Fields – Campylobacter

Posted on October 28, 2011 by | Leave a comment

An article in Food Production Daily has reported that Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) may not be suitable for controlling Campylobacter as first indicated by other studies. It would appear that the PEF is more suitable for use on liquids which could be applied to poultry processing such as scald water or chilled processing water. The full report is at the link above.

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Posted in Campylobacter, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Testing, Microbiology