Category Archives: food contamination

Ukraine – Four hospitalized with botulism after eating homemade canned mushrooms

Posted on December 7, 2021 by KSW | Leave a comment

In Sumy Oblast in northeastern Ukraine, four people were hospitalized with botulism after eating homemade canned mushrooms at a dinner in the city of Lebedin.

According to the medical director of the Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases and Dermatology, Krasovitsky Irina Trotskaya, two victims were hospitalized at the center for infectious diseases in Sumy, two remained to be treated in the city hospital.

So far in 2021, Ukraine has reported 80 foodborne botulism outbreaks involving 89 patients, including three children.

In most cases, botulism in Ukraine is due to the consumption of dried and salted freshwater and sea fish (40%), meat, fish, vegetables, mushroom canned food and other meat products made at home or bought in unauthorized places.

Leave a comment

Posted in botulism, Clostridium, Clostridium botulinum, Death, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food death, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Poisoning Death, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak

USA – Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella Thompson – Seafood (October 2021) – Outbreak Over.

Posted on December 6, 2021 by KSW | Leave a comment

FDA

The FDA, along with CDC and state and local partners, investigated a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Thompson infections linked to seafood manufactured or processed by Northeast Seafood Products, Inc. of Denver, CO. As of 12/6/2021, the CDC has declared this outbreak over. According to CDC, the majority of sick people were either Colorado residents or reported traveling to Colorado in the week before they got sick.

FDA’s traceback investigation identified Northeast Seafood Products, Inc. as a common distributor among illness sub-clusters. As part of this outbreak investigation, environmental samples were collected from Northeast Seafood Products, Inc. On 10/7/2021, environmental samples collected from Northeast Seafood Products, Inc. were reported positive for Salmonella Thompson and were determined to be a match to the outbreak strain through whole genome sequencing.

On 10/8/2021, Northeast Seafood Products, Inc. recalled Haddock, Monkfish, Bone-in Trout, Grouper, Red Snapper, Red Rock Cod, Ocean Perch, Pacific Cod, Halibut, Coho Salmon, Atlantic Salmon Portions, Lane Snapper, Tilapia, All Natural Salmon Fillet, Pacific Sole, and Farm Raised Striped Bass. These products were sold to restaurant and Albertsons, Safeway, and Sprouts supermarkets in Colorado. The Pacific Cod sold through Sprouts is not being recalled. A full list of recalled products is available on FDA’s website.

Recommendation

Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, sell, or serve any recalled seafood. Recalled seafood was sold fresh and would be past shelf-life unless it was frozen after purchase. FDA recommends that anyone who might have purchased or received recalled product, check their freezers and throw away recalled product.

A full list of recalled products is available on FDA’s website.

Map of U.S. Distribution of Recalled Northeast Seafood Products

Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella Thompson – Seafood - Map of U.S. Distribution of Recalled Products (October 8, 2021)

Case Count Map Provided by CDC

Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella Thompson – Seafood - CDC Case Count Map (December 6, 2021)

Case Counts

Total Illnesses: 115
Hospitalizations: 20
Deaths: 0
Last Illness Onset: September 7, 2021
States with Cases: AZ (1), CA (1), CO (93), CT (1), IA (1), MN (2), MO (1), NE (2), NJ (2), PA (1), TX (2), VA (3), WA (1), WI (2), WY (2)
Product Distribution*: CO
*States with confirmed distribution; product could have been distributed further

Leave a comment

Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food death, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Salmonella

South Africa- Safari recalls some products following Salmonella contamination.

Posted on December 6, 2021 by KSW | Leave a comment

OFM

Safari recalls some products following salmonella contamination | News Article

Pretoria-based Pioneer Foods has announced that it is recalling specific batches of the Peanuts & Raisins and Cashew nuts products, sold under its Safari brand in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia.

This after routine testing at the Safari production site in KwaZulu-Natal identified a batch of products which tested positive for low levels of salmonella.

Pioneer Foods says production was halted following the discovery, with the product placed on hold and ring-fenced.

It’s understood a limited number of cases of Safari 60g Peanuts & Raisins and Safari 100g Raw Cashews products were released from the site last month, despite having been isolated for destruction.

“This limited number of affected products should never have been released into trade, and whilst we have not received any health-related complaints from consumers to date, we have decided to proceed to proactively recall these specific products,” says CEO, Tertius Carstens.

At least 92% of the products have been retrieved.

“All other Safari products remain safe for consumption,” the company adds.

“We have already engaged with the South African National Consumer Commission as well as the South African Department of Health.

“Consumers who have the products listed above, with the specific batch or date coding, are urged to return these products to the retailer from which they were purchased in order to receive a full refund.”

Leave a comment

Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Temperature Abuse, Food Testing, Salmonella

Norway – Imported frozen raspberries probable source of Hepatitis A outbreak

Posted on December 6, 2021 by KSW | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today

The source of infection for the national outbreak of hepatitis A was probably imported, frozen raspberries. This is shown by the investigation that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health have carried out in connection with the outbreak, which is now considered over.

The outbreak of hepatitis A lasted from April to October this year and involved 20 infected people.

Tracing of the source shows that the raspberries are probably no longer on the market. The outbreak is therefore considered over, says senior adviser Heidi Lange at the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH).

Leave a comment

Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Hepatitis A, Illness, outbreak, Virus

USA – Outbreak Investigation of E. Coli O157:H7 – Spinach (November 2021)

Posted on December 6, 2021 by KSW | Leave a comment

FDA

Outbreak Investigation of E. Coli O157:H7 in Spinach (November 2021): Sample Image of Josie's Organics Baby Spinach

The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, are investigating illnesses in a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7. According to the CDC, as of November 15, 2021, 14 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported from nine states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from October 13 to October 27, 2021. 10 people in this outbreak report eating spinach in the week before becoming sick and six people reported Josie’s Organics brand.

On November 15, 2021, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture reported that, as part of this outbreak investigation, a sample of Josie’s Organics Baby Spinach collected from the home of an ill person tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. This sample had a “Best If Used By” date of October 23, 2021. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis determined that the strain of E. coli O157:H7 present in the product sample matches the outbreak strain.

FDA traced the supply chain for this positive product sample back to a small number of farms in two different geographic regions and deployed Investigators along the supply chains of interest. FDA continues tracing back reported spinach exposures to identify if spinach from additional farms could have been implicated.

FDA and state partners are working with the firm to determine if additional products could be affected. This is an ongoing investigation and additional information will be provided as it becomes available.