Category Archives: Eurofins Laboratories

Schmallenberg virus – FSA Advice to Consumers

Posted on February 28, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FSA 

The Food Standards Agency is advising the public that, based on current evidence, there is unlikely to be any risk to consumers through the food chain from the virus that is causing abnormalities in livestock.

No illness has been reported to date in humans exposed to animals infected with the Schmallenberg virus, which is thought to be carried by midges. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the Health Protection Agency (HPA) have stated the virus is unlikely to cause disease in humans.

Defra is actively monitoring the situation and the FSA is in contact with both Defra and the HPA to keep the issue under review.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Safety, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Food Virus, Schmallenberg virus

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FSA – Spar Chicken Chunks Recall – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on February 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FSA 

SPAR is recalling one batch of SPAR Flame Grilled Chicken Chunks due to the presence of low levels of Listeria monocytogenes being detected in one sample during routine monitoring.

The affected batch of 140g packs has a use-by date of 3 March 2012 and was distributed to stores in the Midlands and Wales.

No cases of illness linked to the product have been reported but, as a precaution, consumers who have bought the affected product should not consume it and can return it to SPAR for a full refund.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

Kuwait Imported Chicken Contaminated Salmonella

Posted on February 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Arab Times

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 23: Member of Municipal Council Jenan Bushahri has revealed that a consignment of frozen chicken which was imported into the country through the Shuwaikh Port was unfit for human consumption, reports Annahar daily.
She added the sample of chicken which was sent to the Ministry of Health laboratory proved the chicken contained bacteria called salmonella.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Salmonella

Updated Numbers US/Canadian Sprout and Pita – E.coli O026/Salmonella

Posted on February 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CDC

A total of 14 individuals infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O26 have been reported from 6 states. The two new cases have been reported from Michigan. Both new cases reported eating at Jimmy John’s restaurants and consuming sprouts in the 7 days preceding illness.

The Spec

Hamilton Public Health officials have discovered another 12 cases of salmonella illnesses after asking anyone who has eaten at Eat a Pita on Main Street East since Feb. 1 to call them.

Officials declared a salmonella outbreak connected to Eat a Pita after investigating four salmonella cases linked to the restaurant. Eat a Pita has been closed as a result of improper food handling. During a previously scheduled health inspection on Feb. 1, it was found that cooked chicken wasn’t being kept at a high enough temperature.

 

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O26, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella

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Norovirus Four Major US Outbreaks this Winter

Posted on February 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Penn State Blog 

The leading cause of foodborne disease is making its mark this winter. Just this February, Norovirus caused more than 200 attendees at a cheerleader camp in Washington State to become ill. In St. Maarten, a cruise ship returned to port as 31 became ill. In Virginia, an elementary school was closed because so many students were ill. And in New Jersey, more than 400 college students become ill at three universities located in the same county.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Virus, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall

Canadian Food Recalls – Listeria monocytogenes/E.coli

Posted on February 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CIFA

 The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the refrigerated cold smoked sockeye salmon trim products described in the link above because the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

CIFA

The public warning issued on February 24, 2012has been expanded to include an additional product and distribution information.

The affected product, Country Morning brand Beef Burgers, is sold frozen, in a 2.27 kg package bearing the UPC 057316 086624 and one of the following codes: 12861 EST 761, 22861 EST 761, 32861 EST 761 or 42861 EST 761.

The Country Morning Beef Burgers product has been distributed to Co-op and TGP grocery stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut.

There has been one reported illness associated with the consumption of this product.

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Posted in CIFA, E.coli, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall

Canada – Four Salmonella Illness – Pita Restaurant

Posted on February 24, 2012 by | 1 comment

The Spec Com

Four cases of salmonella are being investigated by Hamilton’s public health department.Public health says it believes the cases are connected to the Eat a Pita restaurant on Main Street East at Kenilworth Avenue.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella

CDC – Advice Raw Sprouts

Posted on February 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

The most recent outbreak of food borne illness linked to raw sprouts is a restaurant-based outbreak of E. coli O26 associated with consumption of raw clover sprouts served on sandwiches at certain Jimmy John’s locations in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Wisconsin.

Like other restaurant chains and some large food retailers, Jimmy John’s has now removed sprouts from its menu offerings because of the inherent risk of pathogen contamination in this area of fresh produce.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O26, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Microbiology

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Mobile Phone Detection of E.coli?

Posted on February 24, 2012 by | 1 comment

Bites

Researchers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed a new cell phone–based fluorescent imaging and sensing platform that can detect the presence of the bacterium Escherichia coli in food and water. The engineers combined antibody functionalized glass capillaries with quantum dots (semiconductors often used for medical imaging) as signal reporters to specifically detect E. coli particles in liquid samples using a lightweight, compact attachment to an existing cell-phone camera.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O104, E.coli O157, E.coli O26, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, STEC

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Hot Air and Infrared – Salmonella Control – Almonds

Posted on February 24, 2012 by | 1 comment

Food Quality News

US food safety researchers are exploring the combined use of infrared and hot air as a tool in the pasteurisation of almonds – a method to prevent potential Salmonella contamination.

 

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella, USDA