Category Archives: E.coli

Ireland – Recall of Saint Marcellin Unpasteurised Cheeses due to the Possible Presence of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli O26

Posted on May 2, 2019 by | Leave a comment

FSAI

Message:

Fromagerie Alpine is recalling all batches of the below Saint-Marcellin unpasteurised cheeses due to the possible presence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O26. Point-of-sale recall notices will be displayed in retailers that sold the affected batches advising consumers not to eat the affected cheese.

Nature Of Danger:

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), also known as Verocytotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC), are a specific group of E. coli.  While most E. coli are harmless and live in the intestines of healthy humans, STEC produce a powerful toxin which can cause severe illness. Symptoms include abdominal cramps and diarrhoea which is sometimes bloody. Usually there is little or no fever, and patients recover within 5 to 10 days.  In some people however, particularly children under 5 years of age and the elderly, the infection can cause a complication called haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), in which the red blood cells are destroyed and the kidneys can stop working properly.  The time between the initial infection and the first symptoms appearing is typically between 3 and 4 days but can range between 1 and 8 days.

Implicated Cheeses
Photo of Saint Marcellin Cheeses

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O26, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Shigatoxin, STEC, Uncategorized

Ireland – Recall of Tesco Finest St Felicien Du Dauphine Unpasteurised Cheese due to the Possible Presence of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli

Posted on May 2, 2019 by | Leave a comment

FSAI

Message:

Tesco is recalling all batches of Tesco Finest St Félicien Du Dauphiné unpasteurised cheese, due to the possible presence of Shiga toxin-producing Eschericia coli.  Point-of-sale recall notices will be displayed in Tesco stores advising consumers not to eat the affected cheese.

Nature Of Danger:

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), also known as Verocytotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC), are a specific group of E. coli.  While most E. coli are harmless and live in the intestines of healthy humans, STEC produce a powerful toxin which can cause severe illness. Symptoms include abdominal cramps and diarrhoea which is sometimes bloody. Usually there is little or no fever, and patients recover within 5 to 10 days.  In some people however, particularly children under 5 years of age and the elderly, the infection can cause a complication called haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), in which the red blood cells are destroyed and the kidneys can stop working properly.  The time between the initial infection and the first symptoms appearing is typically between 3 and 4 days but can range between 1 and 8 days.

Tesco Cheese

 

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O26, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Shigatoxin, STEC, STX 1, STX 2, Uncategorized

USA – E. coli O26 Outbreak Associated with Seattle Cafe Mario Ends Unsolved

Posted on May 2, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

The E. coli O26 outbreak that was associated with Cafe Mario at the Nintendo of America campus in Redmond, Washington state is over and is unsolved, according to the King County Health Department. The outbreak, which happened in 2018, sickens 22 people who developed symptoms consistent with a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infection.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O26, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Uncategorized

UK – Fromagerie Alpine recalls Saint Félicien and Saint Marcellin raw cow’s milk cheese because of possible contamination with E. coli

Posted on May 2, 2019 by | Leave a comment

FSA

Product details

Tesco Finest Saint Félicien du Dauphiné Cheese
Pack size 180g
Lot number All lot numbers from 032 to 116
Use by All date codes
Xavier David, Saint Marcellin PGI (sold by Harrods)
Pack size 80g
Lot number All lot numbers from 032 to 116
Use by All date codes between 8 March 2019 and 16 June 2019

No other Fromagerie Alpine products are known to be affected.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O26, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Raw Milk, raw milk cheese, Uncategorized

French Cheese – STEC E.coli 026 – Germany and Canada

Posted on May 1, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Ecoli Istock

Image CDC

Canada is one of a number of countries that has received raw milk cheese linked to an outbreak of E. coli O26 in France.

French authorities reported 13 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in young children since March 21. HUS is a severe complication of E. coli infection that causes kidney failure and can occur a week or more after the onset of diarrhea.

Food Poison Journal

Two types of French cheese have been recalled in Germany over fears they could be contaminated with E.coli O26, just a few days after a similar scare in France, the German food safety authority announced on Tuesday.

French cheesemaker, Fromagerie Alpine, has been asked to recall its cheeses Saint-Felicien and Saint-Marcellin, sold in Germany under the name “Xavier David, tradition of good cheese, Alpine”, the authority said.

The decision was a precaution over concerns the brands could have been contaminated with the bacteria E.coli type 026, commonly found in the intestines of humans, livestock and other animals.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O26, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, STEC, Uncategorized

Canada – Le Pic brand “Saint-Félicien” cheese recalled due to E. coli O26

Posted on April 30, 2019 by | Leave a comment

CFIA Le Pic - Saint-Félicien

Recall details

Ottawa, April 29, 2019 – La Fromagerie Hamel is recalling Le Pic brand “Saint-Félicien” cheese from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O26 contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.

Recalled products

Brand Name Common Name Size Code(s) on Product UPC
Le Pic Saint-Félicien 180 g All codes up to and including April 29, 2019 0 20060641300 0

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O26, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, STEC, STX 1, STX 2, Uncategorized

USA – E. coli O26 outbreak associated with Sodexo’s Café Mario sickens 22

Posted on April 30, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

Public Health investigated an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) associated with I Love Sushi and Café Mario at Nintendo of America campus in Redmond. Café Mario is operated by Sodexo and is not open to the public. I Love Sushi is a food establishment that operates out of Café Mario once a week.

This outbreak appears to be over. After a thorough investigation, we do not have enough evidence to connect I Love Sushi to this outbreak.. No single food item prepared by Café Mario has been identified as the source of the illnesses. Everyone who reported illness has recovered.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O26, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, STEC, STX 1, STX 2, Uncategorized

USA – 53,200 and 113,424 pounds of raw ground beef products recalled in E. coli O103 Outbreak – more recalls likely

Posted on April 29, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

As of this week, a total of 156 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O103 have been reported from 10 states – Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida.

To date there have been two recalls.  Link between two producers of meat and the recalls remain unclear (How are the two connected?  Presumably a common supplier?) except that both recalls were prompted by positive E. coli O103 tests on “Unopened, intact, packages of ground beef collected as part of the ongoing investigation tested positive for E. coli O103 at an FSIS laboratory.”

It is likely that more recalls will happen as FSIS, CDC and state health authorities continue their efforts to find the source.

Food Poison Journal

What we know is that illnesses began March 1 and it is now almost May 1 – why did it take so long to figure out that 177 people with E. coli O103 were linked to ground beef? Why do we do not yet know the original source of the contamination?  Why is the public not being told the location where known illnesses occurred? Finally, are more people going to get sick?

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O103, food bourne outbreak, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, STEC, Uncategorized

France – French Cheeses Recalled after 12 with E. coli caused Kidney Failure

Posted on April 29, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

CDC E.coli

Image CDC

According to press reports and French health authorities, the cheeses Saint-Félicien and Saint-Marcellin, both made by the Société Fromagerie Alpine in Romans-sur-Isère in the Drôme department, were pulled from shelves yesterday (Saturday April 27) due to the likely link to an E. coli outbreak.

The brands are mainly sold in large supermarkets such as Leclerc, Lidl and Auchan.

The recall was a “precautionary measure”, said the ministers for health and agriculture, after 13 children in several regions were reported to have contracted cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) due to an E. coli infection, since March 21.  In the US, only about 5% of outbreak victims develop HUS, raising the question that this outbreak may impact a significant number of people.

Investigations revealed that several of the children had eaten these cheeses before symptoms appeared.

Anyone who still has cheese from this brand is advised not to eat the product.

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Posted in E.coli, HUS, STEC, STX 1, STX 2, Uncategorized

Research – Efficacy of Acetic Acid or Chitosan for Reducing the Prevalence of Salmonella- and Escherichia coli O157:H7–Contaminated Leafy Green Plants in Field Systems

Posted on April 28, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

Outbreaks associated with fresh-cut leafy greens continue to occur despite efforts to implement horticultural practices that minimize introduction of enteric pathogens to the crop. The experimental trials in this study were designed to examine the efficacy of an acetic acid (AA)- and chitosan-based spray treatment, applied 1 day prior to harvest, for reducing the prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (O157) and Salmonella in field-grown leafy greens contaminated at levels detectable only through enrichment culture. Responses to the treatment solution were variable and depended on the type of leafy green (leafy lettuce, spinach, or cabbage), cultivar, pathogen, and AA concentration (0.3 to 0.7%). No significant differences in E. coli O157 prevalence were found for untreated and treated cabbage heads and spinach plants (P > 0.05). In contrast, treatment significantly affected Salmonella on ‘Bravo F1’ green cabbage and ‘7-Green’ spinach (P < 0.05), with odds ratios of 2.2 and 3.3 for finding the pathogen on untreated versus treated greens, respectively. Salmonella was also 7.1 times more likely to be found on an untreated lettuce plant than on a lettuce plant sprayed with a 0.7% AA treatment solution (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.1 to 12.2; P < 0.0001). In studies addressing the efficacy of chitosan (0.1 or 0.3%), this chemical failed to reduce the prevalence of either pathogen on lettuce (P > 0.05). Similarly, spraying with 0.3% AA did not affect the prevalence of Salmonella on lettuce plants (P > 0.05); however, treatment solutions with 0.4% AA reduced the likelihood of detecting Salmonella in treated versus untreated plants by 6.6 times (95% CI, 2.1 to 20.9; P = 0.0007). After the lettuce was harvested and hand washed, consumers failed to distinguish either visually or organoleptically between untreated lettuce and lettuce sprayed with an acetic acid solution (P > 0.05). These results indicate that acetic acid could be used to reduce the microbiological risk of preharvest leafy greens.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Salmonella, Uncategorized