Come February, milk sold in India will have to be tested for harmful bacteria like E Coli.
According to the new food safety rules that come into effect six months from August, 2011, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has made it mandatory for milk manufacturers to test it for organisms such as E Coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes before bringing it into the market.
E.coli O157 -Seven people have been sickened and four were hospitalized in an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 linked to a restaurant in Houghton, Michigan.
Norovirus – 146 people sickened with norovirus in Wheeling, IL, may have been exposed at Bob Chinn’s Crab House, the Cook County Health Department said Friday.
Norovirus – More than 90 people in Hartford City, IN have been sickened, and two were hospitalized, in an outbreak of norovirus traced this week to a Subway restaurant, according to the Blackford County Health Department.
All articles from Food Safety News
The recalled Sliced herring fillet (Forelka) comes in both 330 gram and 600 gram plastic containers with a code date of best before 03/06/2012. They were sold in the New York Metropolitan Area. It is a product of Ukraine.
The recall was initiated after routine sampling by New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets Food Inspectors & subsequent analysis of the product by Food Laboratory personnel found the product to be positive for Listeria monocytogenes.
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.
A report in the above publication has information about scientists in Mexico who claim to have produced data which indicates that short bursts of microwave energy has the power to reduce levels of Salmonella typhimurium on fresh vegetables.
Some findings :
– Condensation from cooling systems draining directly on to the floor.
Makro is recalling certain batches of tapas meat products because some are contaminated with listeria. If you have bought any of the products listed below after 6 October 2011, don’t eat them. The Agency has issued a Product Recall Information Notice
The products being recalled are:
Makro is recalling the affected products. Customer notices have been displayed in stores, explaining why the products have been recalled. If you have bought any of the affected products, don’t eat it. You can return it to the store for a full refund.
No other Makro products are known to be affected.
A report in Food Production Daily has highlighted research by Cornell University which has discovered a compound which stops the development of Listeria pathogenicity. At present developed for use in the gut it may have the future possibility of being used in the food processing environment.
The Aflatoxin M1 recently found in milk in China has now been found in cooking oil from three different companies in China.
This article reports on investigation into another outbreak of food poisoning last year at the North CArolina State FAir in which 25 people became ill through E.coli O157 after visiting livestock enclosures. The article then reports on another 20 incidents from other livestock settings around the world mainly E.coli O157 but also Campylobacter and Cryptosporidium.
The CDC have put together another task for to investigate, it is interesting that farmers do not appear to have this problem, could it be that they have built up greater immunity or have they got better hygiene habits than the general public?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an order that prohibits certain uses of the cephalosporin class of antimicrobial drugs in cattle, swine, chickens and turkeys effective April 5, 2012.
Antimicrobial drugs are important for treating disease in both humans and animals. This new order takes into consideration the substantial public comment FDA received on a similar order that it issued in 2008, but revoked prior to implementation.
FDA is taking this action to preserve the effectiveness of cephalosporin drugs for treating disease in humans. Prohibiting these uses is intended to reduce the risk of cephalosporin resistance in certain bacterial pathogens.
FoodWorld 