Category Archives: Eurofins Laboratories

FSA – Olympic Food Safety Campaign Launch

Posted on April 3, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FSA

The Food Standards Agency has launched the Play it Safe campaign, to raise awareness of food safety during the London 2012 Games. The Agency is working with food businesses and food safety enforcement officers to ensure all food sold, cooked and eaten during the Games is safe.

The first strand of the campaign focuses on the Food Safety Squad, the 10 environmental health officers acting as ambassadors for food safety. They represent the hundreds of environmental health officers around the country who are carrying out vital work to keep visitors to the Games safe and healthy.

The campaign highlights the Agency measures being undertaken to minimise the risk of food safety incidents occurring during London 2012. These include a food safety coaching programme for small businesses in Olympic areas that are in need of improvement; funding and training initiatives for local authorities in Olympic areas; and providing extra equipment for sampling and checks on cleaning.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Spoilage, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Hygiene, Microbiology, Pathogen

Climate Change – Influences Pathogen Outbreaks?

Posted on April 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News 

To me this seems to be a reasonably logical assumption and this report attempts to back that up.

The transmission of foodborne pathogens may be impacted by the effects of climate change, according to a report released March 28 by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Studying hundreds of peer-reviewed publications on six different food- and waterborne pathogens, the report’s authors observed 1,653 “key facts” that link the viability of those pathogens to a range of climatic variables such as air temperature, water temperature and precipitation. The pathogens under study included Campylobacter, Listeria, Salmonella, Norovirus, Cryptosporidium and non-cholera Vibrio.

Link to Report : Free Report

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Posted in Bacteria, ECDC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

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Japan – Raw Beef Liver – E.coli O157

Posted on April 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

The Japan Times

A health ministry panel on Friday proposed banning all raw beef liver served at restaurants, after it was discovered that it contains the O-157 strain of E. coli bacteria.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry will swiftly refer the matter to the Food Safety Commission under the Cabinet Office. Once the commission compiles a report, the new ban could be incorporated in the Food Sanitation Law and come into effect as early as June.

Violations regarding raw liver, considered a delicacy, would be punishable by up to two years in prison or a maximum fine of ¥2 million.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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Cananda – Cured Sausage Recall – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on April 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CIFA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the La Vecchia Fattoria brand Cacciatore Dry Cured Sausages described below because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The affected product, La Vecchia Fattoria brand Cacciatore Dry Cured Sausages, is sold in packages of 2 units each (approximately 300g), bearing UPC 8 81248 33336 1 and a Best Before date of 12 23 JL.

This product has been distributed in Quebec.

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

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Posted in Bacteria, CIFA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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Norovirus Epidemiology Review

Posted on March 31, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Cambridge Journals Online 

Food Safety Review

Norovirus – a bug that causes gastrointestinal illness – is responsible for 12 percent of all diarrheal disease worldwide and is estimated to cause 218,000 deaths among children under 5 each year. 
 
Now a clearer picture of how this virus spreads and where it originates is being drawn by a review published this week in Epidemiology & Infection.
 
Norovirus is derived from fecal matter, and can infect people via 4 routes: contaminated water, contaminated food, contaminated environmental surfaces or contact with an infected person. 
 
Researchers from Emory University and the University of Michigan looked at 902 Norovirus (NoV) outbreaks documented between 1993 and 2011, finding that most were associated with transmission through food or in a food service setting.
 
 

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen, Research

US – Tofu In New York Linked to Botulism Cases

Posted on March 31, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal 

New York City Health Department is currently investigating two cases of foodborne Botulism linked to fresh bulk tofu sold at a store in Flushing.  As reported by WABC, New York City has reported only one other foodborne-linked botulism over the past 15 years.

The two reported cases are Chinese-speaking residents of Queens who recently purchased the unrefrigerated bulk tofu from the same store.  According to reports, the tofu was not made at the store and its source is under investigation.

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

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Pets – Salmonella Bacterial Infection Issues – USA

Posted on March 31, 2012 by | 1 comment

FDA – Tropical Fish Food Flakes – Salmonella

The Hartz Mountain Corporation, located in Secaucus, N.J. is voluntarily recalling product from four specific lots of Wardley® Advanced Nutrition™ Perfect Protein™ Tropical Flake Fish Food 1 oz. size due to concerns that one or more containers within the specified lots may have been potentially contaminated with Salmonella.  Hartz is fully cooperating with the US Food and Drug Administration in this voluntary recall.

CDC – Small Pet Turtles – Salmonella – 66 Ill.

CDC is collaborating with public health officials in multiple states to investigate three overlapping, multistate outbreaks of human Salmonella infections linked to exposure to turtles or their environments (e.g., water from a turtle habitat). The first is an outbreak of human Salmonella Sandiego infections, the second is an outbreak of human Salmonella Pomona infections, and the third is an outbreak of human Salmonella Poona infections. These are rare types of Salmonella.

Portales News Tribune – Chicks For Easter Presents – Salmonella

The New Mexico Department of Health and the New Mexico Livestock Board issued a press release Thursday advising families to avoid potential exposure to salmonella by not giving baby chicks and ducklings to children as Easter gifts:

In the last six years, New Mexico has had 16 Salmonella cases related to baby chicks. Many of the cases were in young children. The Department also discourages families from buying small turtles (less than 4 inches) sold at flea markets and roadside stands because they are also known to carry salmonella that could infect people and their children.

 

 

 

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Posted in Bacteria, CDC, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella

More Salmonella Issues – Canadian Products – Sprouting Seeds

Posted on March 31, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Mumm’s Sprouting Seeds Ltd. are warning the public not to consume the Mumm’s brand Sprouting Seeds described below because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The affected product, Mumm’s brand Sprouting Seeds – Sunflower, are sold in 75 g packages bearing UPC 7 73295 07582 3 and lot # SF2020.

This product is known to have been distributed in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario and may have been distributed nationally.

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

 

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Posted in Bacteria, CIFA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella, Sprouting Seeds

More Jalepeno Pepper Problems -Canada – Salmonella

Posted on March 31, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CIFA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Veg-Pak Produce Ltd. are warning consumers, distributors and retailers not to consume, distribute or sell the jalapeno peppers described below because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.

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

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Posted in Bacteria, CIFA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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FDA – Jalepeno Pepper Recall Salmonella

Posted on March 30, 2012 by | 1 comment

FDA 

Castellini Company LLC is recalling certain jalapeno peppers distributed from its Wilder, Kentucky facility because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

While there have been no illnesses reported to date in connection with this problem, Castellini Company is collaborating closely with the FDA and adhering to all safety regulations and standards.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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