Category Archives: food contamination

USA – Dade City caterer’s uncooked turkey leaves 200-plus ill

Posted on January 14, 2019 by | Leave a comment

The Ledger

LAKELAND — A foodborne illness affecting more than 200 people at a Watson Clinic Christmas party was linked to a turkey that wasn’t fully cooked, according to an investigation.

Some people who ate the turkey suffered nausea, vomiting and diarrhea about six hours after eating.

The catering company that brought the turkey was Steph’s Southern Soul Restaurant of Dade City. The owner of the restaurant declined comment Friday.

The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation found that the restaurant was out of compliance in several areas during an inquiry, said Nicole Riley, a spokeswoman with the Department of Health in Polk County.

The restaurant was closed for 24 hours to fix the issues, Riley said.

Polk’s Department of Health analyzed food and human specimens and conducted an epidemiological investigation by survey and phone of both well and sick employees who attended the luncheon. Riley said the exact foodborne pathogen was still unclear.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Uncategorized

UK – Bride ‘left unable to walk after contracting food poisoning’ on 5-star Egypt honeymoon

Posted on January 14, 2019 by | Leave a comment

The Mirror

Shigella - kswfoodworld

Image CDC

 

Cristina Calafateanu, 24, now needs a walking frame to get about after a gastric bug she caught after staying at the Baron Palace Sahl Hasheesh in Hurghada, booked through Thomas Cook, caused her to develop arthritis.

Cristina Calafateanu says she and husband Liviu suffered diarrhoea and severe stomach cramps just three days into their week-long stay in Egypt.

When she returned to the UK she was diagnosed with bacterial infection Shigella – before medics told her the illness had triggered a form of arthritis.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Testing, Shigatoxin, Shigella, Uncategorized

Cambodia – More than 100 students suffer food poisoning in Banteay Meanchey

Posted on January 14, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Khmer Times

The health department in Banteay Meanchey province is investigating a case of food poisoning that left 140 students hospitalised in Preah Netr Preah district, where a South Korean charity group on Friday donated vegetable rice packets which are now being tested.

Keo Sophaktra, district health department director, said that 140 students at Pouy Samroung Primary School suffered poisoning and were hospitalised on Friday. He noted that all but six of them have since been discharged.

Mr Sophaktra said the department could not establish why the students suffered food poisoning after the hospital said it doubted that the vegetables in the food packets were the cause.

“We have sent samples to Phnom Penh for testing,” he said. “We doubt that they suffered poisoning after eating from the rice packets.”

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Uncategorized

Kenya – 52 admitted with food poisoning in Bomet now discharged

Posted on January 14, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Standard Media

Fifty-two people taken ill after consuming toxic food at a village in Bomet have been discharged from hospital.Bomet Medical Services and Public Health executive Joseph Sitonik said the group was discharged after fully recovering.“I can confirm that they were fully recovered from the poisoning and we took them back to their home,” said Sitonik in a statement on Saturday afternoon.He said they would be following up on them to check on their condition on Monday.“Doctors have given them a clean bill of health but we must do a follow-up.”The group attended a funeral at Tabook village in Mutarakwa, Bomet Central.Sitonik said they were diagnosed with food poisoning.He said the food they ate must have been contaminated either during preparation or service.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Uncategorized

UK and Ireland -Norovirus oyster outbreak

Posted on January 14, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

 

Authorities in the United Kingdom and Ireland are investigating a foodborne outbreak suspected to be caused by norovirus in live oysters.

The oysters are thought to have come from Ireland and been purified in the UK and it is believed they are no longer on the market.

Harvesting records and purification operations at the unnamed implicated business in Ireland have been checked with nothing proving that oysters harvested at the time were contaminated.

A number of people fell ill in England and the investigation has pointed towards a potential norovirus outbreak linked to one restaurant.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) told Food Safety News that it has sought detailed clarification on traceability and delivery channels.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Norovirus, Uncategorized

UK – Former pub owner fined £14,000 after nearly 200 people suffer food poisoning on Mother’s Day

Posted on January 14, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Somerset Live

 

The former owner of a North Somerset pub has been fined £14,000 after nearly 200 people fell ill after eating at his venue on Mother’s Day.

Hundreds of people ate a meal at The Old Farmhouse in Nailsea on March 11, 2018, but 186 fell ill with food poisoning after their visit.

The case, brought to North Somerset Magistrates’ Court on Friday (January 11), revealed that tests on the samples taken from the pub showed that both the beef and lamb contained the bacteria Clostridium perfringens.

In a letter to the court Mr Montgomery said: “I am truly sorry for the harm caused to our patrons.”

Mr Montogomery was fined £4,000 for failing to ensure the relevant food safety documentation was in place.

He was fined a further £10,000 for placing unsafe food on the market.

He was also ordered to pay the £4,765 costs of the investigation and a £170 victim surcharge.

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Posted in Clostridium perfringens, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized

USA – Royal Caribbean Norovirus Outbreak Sickens 475 Passengers

Posted on January 14, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal Norovirus Food Safety kswfoodworld

Norovirus outbreaks increase during the winter months because more people are together indoors. But some venues, such as nursing homes, schools, and cruise ships, can be struck by this virus at any time. A Norovirus outbreak on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship has sickened 475 passengers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 129,678 passengers were sickened on cruise ships from 2008 to 2014. That seems like a large number, but just 10% of those illnesses were norovirus. And the number of people on those cruses was 74,000,000

 

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Norovirus, Uncategorized, Virus

Information – EU and Salmonella specifications for reptile meat

Posted on January 13, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Law

In 2007, EFSA adopted a scientific opinion on public health risks involved in the human consumption of reptile meat according to which reptiles are well-known reservoirs for Salmonella species. The scientific opinion reviews farming practices and observes a documented high intestinal carrier rate in live crocodilians that is reflected in an equally high contamination rate in their fresh and frozen meat. The scientific opinion concludes that Salmonella is considered to be the most relevant bacterial hazard that may occur in reptile meat and it constitutes a significant public health risk.

Production of reptile meat in the Union is limited, but according to data available in Eurostat’s reference database for detailed statistics on international trade in goods (Comext) , imports from third countries of fresh, chilled or frozen meat and edible offal of reptiles have shown an upward trend over the last ten years with an increase of over 50% in the quantity imported during the period 2007-2017 and an average yearly import in the Union of nearly 100 tons.

Considering the potential significant health risk posed by the possible presence of Salmonella in reptile meat, a food safety criterion should be laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 for reptile meat. This food safety criterion should oblige food business operators to take measures at previous stages of reptile meat production contributing to the reduction of the presence of all serotypes of Salmonella with public health significance.

The international standard EN/ISO 6579-1 is the horizontal method for the detection of Salmonella in food and animal feeding stuffs. Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 provides for that standard to be the analytical reference method for Salmonella food safety criteria. It should, therefore, be laid down as the analytical reference method to verify the compliance of a Salmonella in reptile meat food safety criterion.

Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 should therefore be amended accordingly.

 

 

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Salmonella, Uncategorized

Research – Evaluation of lemongrass and ginger essential oils to inhibit Listeria monocytogenes in biofilms

Posted on January 12, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes, a foodborne pathogen, is hard to eliminate from food processing environments because it can persist in biofilms. Searching for natural agents that can effectively act against L. monocytogenes biofilms is important to prevent food contamination, especially in the case of ready‐to‐eat foods. Here, we determine the key components of the lemongrass and ginger essential oils (EOs) and evaluate the activity of each EO against L. monocytogenes biofilms. Biofilms grown on stainless steel and glass coupons were monitored by culture method and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). These techniques revealed the presence of live and dead cells. Monoterpenes were the main components in the lemongrass EO; monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were the main constituents of the ginger EO. Although the lemongrass EO affected L. monocytogenes biofilms significantly, none of the tested treatments inhibited the pathogen completely. Therefore, controlling the presence of L. monocytogenes in food processing areas demands preventive measures.

Practical application

Microbial biofilms constitute a challenge for effective sanitation in the food industry. Synthetic products are commonly used as sanitizers, but consumers have demanded more natural food produced in eco‐friendly environments. This scenario has motivated the search for natural antimicrobials that can be applied in food facilities to eliminate microorganisms from biofilms. Plant‐derived compounds represent an alternative source of antimicrobials due to their potential acceptance by the consumers and wide availability. This study shows that treatment with lemongrass essential oil significantly affects biofilms formed by the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, but the treatment does not eradicate the biofilms. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to identify natural antimicrobials with potential use as alternative sanitizers in the food industry.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Uncategorized

USA – CDC Reports Romaine Lettuce Outbreak Over – E.coli

Posted on January 11, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety Tech Eurofins Food Testing UK

Although FDA is continuing its investigation into the source of the E.coli outbreak involving romaine lettuce grown in California, the CDC has declared the outbreak over. Contaminated romaine that caused illnesses should no longer be available, FDA stated in an outbreak update. Consumers will not need to avoid romaine lettuce, and retailers and restaurants do not need to avoid selling or serving the product, according to the agency. Suppliers and distributors need not avoid shipping or selling any romaine that is on the market either.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food contamination, food death, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Uncategorized