Category Archives: E.coli

USA – E.coli Outbreaks Updates

Food Poisoning BulletinEcoli Istock

Salads and sandwich wraps linked to a multistate E. coli outbreak were sold at Walgreens stores in Northern California and Trader Joe’s stores in California, Washington, Oregon and Arizona, according to a retail distribution list compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS).  At least 26 people who ate the salads or sandwich wraps containing the salads, have become ill. Six of them have been hospitalized

Food Poisoning Bulletin

More salads have been recalled in the wake of an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in western states. The FDA and Whole Foods Market are recalling ready-to-eat Artichoke Wheatberry Salad and Southwest SooFoo Salads as a preventive measure after the large Glass Onion Catering recall because they may be contaminated with the pathogenic bacteria.

The salads have expiration dates between November 9 and November 13, 2013. They were sold in California Whole Foods Stores. The PLU numbers for the Artichoke Wheatberry Salad are 28563300000 and 28563400000. The PLU numbers for the Southwest SooFoo Salad are 28563700000 and 28563800000. The salads were sold during an unspecified time period.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Two strains of E. coli that have never been seen before are the source of two separate, ongoing  food poisoning outbreaks in California, health officials told Food Poisoning Bulletin today. One of these new strains is the source of the multistate outbreak linked to ready-to-eat salads produced by Glass Onion Catering of Richmond, CA and sold at Trader Joe’s and other grocery stores in several states. The other new strain has sickened four people in Humboldt County, in Northern California

RASFF Alerts – E.coli – Histamine – Clams – Canned Anchovy

RASFF -histamine (>2500 mg/kg – ppm) in canned anchovy fillets from Italy in France

RASFF -too high count of Escherichia coli (230; 330; 1300 MPN/100g) in live clams (Venus verrucosa) from Greece in Italy

Research – Blackberry Juice Anitmicrobial

Science DirectBlack_Butte_blackberry

Berries such as blueberry, blackberry and raspberry possess several biological activities including antimicrobial and nutritional effects. In this study, the antimicrobial activities of blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) juice against foodborne pathogens including Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7 were investigated. Inhibition of growth of these foodborne pathogens was measured in broth (Luria–Bertani broth for E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium, and brain heart infusion broth for L. monocytogenes), skim milk and whole milk supplemented with 10% blackberry juice at different time points (0, 24, 48 and 72 h). The effects of blackberry juice on the growth of Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus rhamnosus were also investigated in Man–Rogosa–Sharpe (MRS) broth and skim and whole milk supplemented with blackberry juice. The growth of L. monocytogenes, S. Typhimurium and E. coli O157:H7 were significantly inhibited by blackberry juice by 1–3 logs in both milk and broth. We also observed that the growths of Lactobacillus strains were significantly stimulated (1–4 logs CFU/mL) by blackberry juice in both milk and MRS broth. These data clearly demonstrate that diluted blackberry juice can be used as a preservative in food processing and a preventive in foodborne infections as a natural antimicrobial.

Canada . Ecoli O157 Outbreak Update

E.coli Blog

The Public Health Agency of Canada, along with its health and food safety partners, is investigating 27 confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 illness; 12 in British Columbia, 10 in Alberta, 2 in Saskatchewan, 2 in Manitoba and 1 in Quebec.

These individuals became ill between mid-July and late-September.  There has been one death.

Certain contaminated cheese products manufactured by Gort’s Gouda Cheese Farm in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, have been identified as the source of the illnesses. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a Health Hazard Alert warning the public not to consume the affected product.

RASFF Alerts – DSP – Mussels – Hepatitis A- Frozen Berries – E.coli – Clams – Mussels

RASFF -Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) toxins – okadaic acid (188 µg/kg – ppb) in chilled mussels (Mytlius Galloprovincialis) from Spain in Italy

RASFF -hepatitis A virus in frozen mixed berries processed in Italy, with raw material from Poland, Serbia, Chile, Bulgaria, Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina in Italy

RASFF -high count of Escherichia coli (5400 MPN/100g) in clams (Venus verrucosa) from Greece in Italy

RASFF -too high count of Escherichia coli (3500 MPN/100g) in chilled mussels from France

RASFF -too high count of Escherichia coli (9200; 2400 MPN/100g) in chilled mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from Spain in Italy

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

Canada – Ground Beef Recall Update – E.coli O157

CFIAEcoli Istock

The public warning issued on October 11th, 2013 has been updated to include an additional product which was sold at only one Costco store location.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd. are warning the public not to consume the Kirkland Signature brand Lean Ground Beef described in the link above because it may be contaminated with pathogenic E. coli bacteria.

This product has been sold from the Costco warehouse in Lethbridge, Alberta.

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

The retailer, Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd., Ottawa, Ontario, is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall

RASFF Alerts DSP – Live Mussels- E.coli – Clams

RASFF -Too high count of Escherichia coli (1130;2230;3230;5230 MPN/100g) in clams (Venus gallina) from Turkey in Greece

RASFF -Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) toxins – okadaic acid (826.3 µg/kg – ppb) in live mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from Spain in italy

Canada – CFIA Recall – Ground Beef – E.coli

CFIA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd. are warning the public not to consume the Kirkland Signature brand Organic Lean Ground Beef described below because it may be contaminated with pathogenic E. coli bacteria.

This product has been sold from Costco warehouses in BC, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

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

Research -Raw Milk Concumption Benefits and Risks

Science DirectimagesCAZ9J1WP

In the context of the prevailing trend toward more natural products, there seems to be an increasing preference for raw milk consumption as raw milk is associated with several perceived health benefits that are believed to be destroyed upon heating. However, many human pathogens can be isolated from raw cow milk. The prevalence of foodborne pathogens in raw cow milk varies, but their presence has been demonstrated in many surveys and foodborne infections have been repeatedly reported for Campylobacter, Salmonella spp. and human pathogenic verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli. In industrialized countries, milk-borne and milk product-borne outbreaks represent 2–6% of the bacterial foodborne outbreaks.

The aim of this review is to present scientifically sound data regarding the risks and benefits related to the consumption of raw and heated cow milk. Both microbiological aspects (e.g., the prevalence of milk-borne pathogens, pathogen growth inhibition by antimicrobial systems and by lactic acid producing bacteria, probiotic bacteria, etc.) and nutritional or health aspects (nutritional value, immunity, allergies, lactose intolerance, diabetes, milk digestibility, etc.) are considered.

As such, it is demonstrated that consumption of raw milk poses a realistic health threat due to a possible contamination with human pathogens. It is therefore strongly recommended that milk should be heated before consumption. With the exception of an altered organoleptic profile, heating (in particularly ultra high temperature and similar treatments) will not substantially change the nutritional value of raw milk or other benefits associated with raw milk consumption.

 

Science Direct