Category Archives: Eurofins Laboratories

UK – Legionella Update from the HPA

Posted on July 31, 2012 by | Leave a comment

HPA

Public and environmental health experts investigating the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at Stoke-on-Trent believe they have identified a probable source.

The probable source is a hot tub based at JTF Warehouse, City Road, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent. We would like to emphasise that investigations are still ongoing. Environmental Health specialists from the Health and Safety Executive and Stoke-on-Trent City Council have taken and continue to take samples from sites across Stoke.

A spokesperson from the Health and Safety Executive said: “HSE continues to inspect premises where we are the enforcing authority and will do so until we have eliminated those sites from our investigations and are sufficiently assured there are no other possible sources.”

If people are displaying symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease, such as: aching muscles, fever, tiredness, headaches and a dry cough, they should see their doctor or contact NHS Direct on 0845 46 47

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Illness, Legionella, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen

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CDC 2011 Foodborne Disease Figures

Posted on July 30, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CDC

The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) conducts active population-based surveillance in ten areas (Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, and selected counties in California, Colorado, and New York) for laboratory-confirmed cases of infection caused by Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Listeria, Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC, including STEC O157 and STEC non-O157), Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia.

FoodNet also conducts surveillance for postdiarrheal hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a complication of STEC infection characterized by renal failure and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, through a network of pediatric nephrologists and infection-control practitioners. Hospital discharge data are reviewed to validate HUS diagnoses and verify the presence of diarrhea in the 21 days before HUS onset. This report contains preliminary postdiarrheal HUS data for 2010, rather than for 2011, because additional time is needed to review hospital records.

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Posted in Bacteria, CDC, Cryptosporidium, E.coli, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella, Shigella, STEC

Staphylococcus aureus – Colombian Style Cheese Recall

Posted on July 30, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Consumer Org

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine today warned consumers in the Metropolitan New York area not to consume “Quesito Colombiano, Colombian style Cheese” made by Productos Tita Corp., 70-06 88th  Street, Glendale, New York 11385 due to possible Staphylococcus aureus contamination.

The recalled Colombian style cheese under the Brand name “Tita” is contained in 8oz. clear plastic pouches or tubs with a plant code of #36-8440 and with a stamped code of “AUG 10 2012” stamped beneath the label bar code. The product was distributed in the Metropolitan New York area.

A routine sample of the cheese, taken by an inspector from the Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services on July 25, 2012, was subsequently tested by the Department’s Food Laboratory and discovered to be contaminated with high levels of Staphylococcus aureus.  On July 28, 2012, the manufacturer was notified of the positive test result and voluntarily recalled the product.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, Toxin

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Another Cantaloupe Scare – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on July 30, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

North Carolina’s Burch Farms and Hannaford Supermarkets on Saturday initiated a recall of 580 crates of whole Athena cantaloupes sent to New York due to possible contamination of Listeria monocytogenes.

The cantaloupes were shipped July 15. No illnesses have been linked to this outbreak.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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US- Sausage Recall – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on July 30, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

A Mississippi firm is recalling approximately 314 pounds of sausage products because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. 

Enslin & Son Packing Company of Hattiesburg, MS, issued a voluntary recall of it’s “Cedar Grove Red Hots” Friday after the company received test results showing that the product had tested positive for Listeria. Product had already been shipped to retail establishments in Meridian and Philadelphia, MS when the company acquired the test results.
No illnesses have been linked to consumption of this product to date.
 

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

FSA – Update Olives and Botulisum

Posted on July 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FSA 

The Food Standards Agency is warning people not to eat a certain batch of Italian olives sold in jars after one person became ill with botulism poisoning after eating them. The Agency has now received further information from the Italian Authorities confirming that 60 jars of the affected Divini Di Chicco Francesco olives product were distributed to one supplier in the UK.

Divini Di Chicco Francesco olives

The Agency has issued an updated Food Alert for Action. The news story about the original Food Alert for Action, which was issued on 25 July 2012.

The UK supplier has confirmed that the implicated product was distribution to three independent delicatessens in the UK between July 2011 and July 2012. These delicatessens have been visited by the supplier and any remaining stock of the product has been removed from sale.

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Posted in Bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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RASFF Alerts – Listeria, STEC, Algae, Histamine

Posted on July 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – Algae in Bottled Spirng Water Dennmark

RASFF – Listeria Sliced Smoked Salmon in Italy sourced in Denmark

RASFF – STEC E.coli Roquefort Cheese in France

RASFF – Hisatmine in Sardines in France sourced in Morocco

 

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Histamine, Hygiene, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall

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Canada – Advisory Alert Shellfish Vibro parahaemolyticus

Posted on July 27, 2012 by | 1 comment

CDC BC 

The BC Centre for Disease Control is reminding the public there’s a risk of illness associated with eating raw or undercooked bivalve shellfish such as oysters, clams, mussels, scallops, and cockles.

 Shellfish may accumulate bacteria(Vibrio parahaemolyticus), viruses (norovirus, hepatitis A), and toxins (paralytic shellfish poisoning, diarrhetic shellfish poisoning) or other impurities present in the water. Thorough cooking destroys bacteria and viruses, but does not destroy toxins.

 To date in 2012, five cases of locally-acquired Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection have been reported. In 2011, 42 cases of vibrio were reported. These illnesses have been linked to raw shellfish served in restaurants, bought at retail, or self-harvested in communities throughout the province including, Gibsons, Sechelt, Powell River, Ladysmith, Qualicum, Ucluelet, Gabriola Island, Cortes Island and Parksville.

In addition to individual cases, BC has also experienced outbreaks associated with shellfish. In 2010, an outbreak of norovirus from raw oysters affected over 30 people and in 2011 more than 60 people became ill after consuming cooked mussels contaminated with diarrhetic shellfish poisoning.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hepatitis A, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen, Shellfish, Toxin, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus

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Chinese Infant Formula Recall – Aflatoxin

Posted on July 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Reuters

China’s Hunan Ava Dairy Co Ltd said on Monday it will recall baby formula sold under its Nanshan Bywise brand after a cancer-causing agent was found in test samples, the latest blow to the country’s scandal-ridden milk industry struggling to restore consumer confidence.

Five batches of Nanshan Bywise infant milk powder produced between July and December last year failed sample tests for aflatoxin, a toxin produced by a fungus that is widespread in nature

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Illness, Microbiology, Moulds, Pathogen

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Research – Listeria Control on Smoked Salmon by X – Ray

Posted on July 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Science Direct

Abstract

In this study, smoked salmon fillets were artificially inoculated with L. monocytogenes (3.7±0.2 log CFU/g) and treated with X-ray irradiation generated by a RS 2400 X-ray machine (Rad Source Technologies Inc.) using doses of 0.0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 kGy. Unirradiated and irradiated samples were then stored at 5°C for 35 days and tested for L. monocytogenes count after 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 days. Also, uninoculated-untreated and uninoculated-treated samples with the lowest and highest X-ray doses (0.1 and 2.0 kGy) were stored at 5°C and examined for psychrotrophs and mesophiles counts after 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 days. The initial L. monocytogenes population (3.7 log CFU/g) was significantly (p<0.05) reduced to an undetectable level (< 1.0 log CFU/g) by treatment with 1.0 kGy X-ray. Treatment with 0.1 kGy X-ray significantly reduced the initial psychrotrophs and mesophiles counts from 5.3 and 3.0 to 3.3 and 2.3, respectively. However, L. monocytogenes, psychrotrophs and mesophiles counts were gradually increased during storage. Treatment with 2.0 kGy X-ray kept the L. monocytogenes population under detectable level until 35 days. Treatment with 2.0 kGy X-ray kept the mesophiles and psychrotrophs counts within the acceptable level until 35 days. These results revealed that treatment with X-ray irradiation can significantly reduce the risk of Listeriosis and extend the shelf life of smoked salmon during storage at 5°C.

 

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Safety, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

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