RASFF – ochratoxin A (61.2 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Turkey in Germany
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 11 µg/kg – ppb) and ochratoxin A (340 µg/kg – ppb) in nutmeg from Indonesia in the Netherlands
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Category Archives: food contamination
RASFF Alerts- Ochratoxin A – Dried Figs – Nutmeg
RASFF Alerts – Aflatoxin – Groundnuts – Pistachios – Nutmeg – Hazlenut Spread – Dried Red Chilli – Peanuts
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 25; Tot. = 29 / B1 = 110; Tot. = 130 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from India in the Netherlands
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 14.3; Tot. = 17.3 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachios from Turkey in Sweden
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 11 µg/kg – ppb) and ochratoxin A (340 µg/kg – ppb) in nutmeg from Indonesia in the Netherlands
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 4.1 / B1 = 6.3 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from Argentina in the Netherlands
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 8,2; Tot. = 23 µg/kg – ppb) in hazelnut spread from Turkey in the Netherlands
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 11.3 µg/kg – ppb) in whole dried red chilli from India in the UK
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 38; Tot. = 44 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from India in the Netherlands
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 10.6; Tot. = 27 µg/kg – ppb) in shelled pistachios from the United States in France
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 150; Tot. = 170 µg/kg – ppb) in blanched groundnut kernels from the United States in the Netherlands
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 6; Tot. = 7.4 µg/kg – ppb) in peanuts from Argentina in the Netherlands
Europe – Shiga toxin/verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC/VTEC) infection – Annual Epidemiological Report for 2018
Executive summary
- For 2018, 30 EU/EEA countries reported 8 658 confirmed cases of infection with Shigatoxin/verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC/VTEC).
- The overall notification rate was 2.4 cases per 100 000 population.
- After a stable period from 2014 to 2017, the notification rate increased by 41% in 2018.
- The highest notification rates were reported in Denmark, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Sweden.
- The highest rate of confirmed cases was observed in 0–4-year-old children (11.5 cases per 100 000 population).
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Posted in food contamination, food death, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Poisoning Death, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Research, Shigatoxin, STEC, STEC E.coli, Uncategorized, VTEC
USA – Blue Bell Directors Reach $15 Million Listeria-Outbreak Deal
Blue Bell Creameries Inc. directors agreed to a $15 million settlement resolving claims that their alleged mismanagement led to a 2015 listeria outbreak that forced the ice-cream maker to recall all products.
The deal means a Blue Bell shareholder won’t get a chance at an April 27 trial to determine whether Blue Bell’s board did enough to oversee the cleanliness of the company’s plants. Delaware Chancery Court Judge Joseph Slights III must approve the deal.
Blue Bell officials agreed to settle to cut down the “expense, inconvenience and distraction” the listeria allegations caused, according to a filing Friday in Chancery Court. The $15 million in cash will be returned to the company under the terms of the deal.
Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, food recall, Food Safety, Food Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak, Research, Uncategorized
France – Salmonella – Meat Preparations
Recall from Spar Colruyt Group
Product: several meat preparations with the expiry date (DLC) of 04/30/2020
Problem: presence of Salmonella
During microbiological checks at the supplier, the presence of Salmonella was noted in a raw material used for different meat preparations bearing the expiry date (DLC) of 04/30/2020 .
In consultation with the AFSCA, Spar Colruyt Group has therefore decided to withdraw the products concerned from the sale.
Customers who bought these products are asked not to consume them and to bring them back to the store, where they will be reimbursed. In the meantime, all stores have removed the affected products from the shelves.
Product description:
Check the expiration date and the batch code of the meat you bought from Spar Colruyt Group between 24/4/2020 and 29/4/2020.
General information on the packaging of the meat concerned:
Use by date (DLC): 30/4/2020
Lot number: 02017114
Does the above information correspond to that of the product purchased?
Check the descriptions below. Bring the products back to your store.
- Kids mix skewer
- Bacon-cheese duo sausage
- Bacon sausage
- Pork / beef sausages
- Minced pork-beef ± 250 g
- Ground pork-beef ± 550 g
- Bacon Burgers
- Flemish burger
- Kidsburger
- BBQ sausage
These products have been offered for sale in the following stores:
Spar Colruyt Group
Australia – Juicy Isle Pty Ltd — Pure Tassie Apple and Blackcurrant 1.5L – Patulin
What are the defects?
The recall is due to microbial (mycotoxin patulin) contamination.
What are the hazards?
Food products contaminated with mycotoxins (patulin) may cause illness if consumed.
What should consumers do?
Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice and should return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund.
For further information, please contact Juicy Isle Pty Ltd by phone on 03 6274 5999 or visit www.juicyisle.com.au
Supplier
Traders who sold this product
NSW – Coles, IGA, Original Organic Juice
QLD – Coles, IGA
VIC – Coles, IGA
TAS – Hills Street Grocer, IGA Strahan, Port Cygnet Grocer, Macquarie
Supermarket, IGA Dover, Oyster Cove Fruit and Vegetable Store
SA – Coles, Drake’s, Foodland and On the Run stores
WA – IGA
Where the product was sold
International
New South Wales
Queensland
South Australia
Tasmania
Victoria
Western Australia
Dates available for sale
- 1 January 2020 – 23 April 2020
Recall advertisements and supporting documentation
Coordinating agency
Food Standards Australia New Zealand is the coordinating agency for this recall.
Research – Multiple Cruise Ship Outbreaks of Norovirus Associated with Frozen Fruits and Berries — United States, 2019
From July to September 2019, cruise line X experienced sudden, unexplained outbreaks (>3% of the passenger population) of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) among passengers on 10 cruise ships sailing in Europe. The rapid onset of vomiting and diarrhea followed by recovery within 24 hours were consistent with norovirus infection. Investigations by the cruise line throughout the summer yielded no clear source of the outbreaks even after extensive food testing. On September 18, 2019, CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) was notified of an outbreak of AGE on cruise ship A of cruise line X, sailing into U.S. jurisdiction (defined as passenger vessels carrying ≥13 passengers sailing to the United States from a foreign port) from Germany to New York City (1). By the end of the 19-day voyage on September 23, a total of 117 of 2,046 (5.7%) passengers and eight of 610 (1.3%) crew members met the case definition for AGE (three or more loose stools within a 24-hour period or more than normal for the patient, or vomiting plus one other sign or symptom including fever, diarrhea, bloody stool, myalgia, abdominal cramps, or headache). Four stool specimens were collected and tested for norovirus at CDC’s National Calicivirus Laboratory; three tested positive for norovirus by quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). No outbreak source was determined after a field investigation by a VSP team on September 22.
Belgium – Ochratoxin A – Dried Figs
Following a notification via the RASFF system (European rapid alert system Food and Feed), the AFSCA is withdrawing from sale the following product: “Kuru Incir” dried figs from the Marmara brand due to an overshoot of the ochratoxin standard A.
The AFSCA therefore decided to withdraw this product from sale and to recall it to consumers.
The AFSCA asks consumers not to consume this product and to contact the point of sale through which the product was purchased.
Product description
– Product category: dried figs
– Product name: Kuru Incir
– Brand: Marmara
– Weight: 700 g
– Date of minimum durability (DDM)
(“Consume preferably before (or end)”)
: 09/23/2020 – Lot: 090048474 / 2-11-728
This product is sold through various food stores in Belgium.
Ochratoxin A is a mycotoxin produced by molds which can be present in various products such as cereals, coffee, rice and raisins. Repeated consumption of ochratoxin A is harmful to health.
Research -A review of outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis due to unpasteurized milk
Abstract
Purpose
This review analysed outbreaks of human cryptosporidiosis due to raw milk. The objective of our study was to highlight and identify underestimated and underreported aspects of transmission of the parasite as well as the added value of genotyping Cryptosporidium isolates.
Methods
We conducted a descriptive literature review using the digital archives Pubmed and Embase. All original papers and case reports referring to outbreaks of Cryptosporidium due to unpasteurized milk were reviewed. The cross-references from these publications were also included.
Results
Outbreaks have been described in the USA, Australia, and the UK. Laboratory evidence of Cryptosporidium from milk specimens was lacking in the majority of the investigations. However, in most recent reports molecular tests on stool specimens along with epidemiological data supported that the infection was acquired through the consumption of unpasteurized milk. As the incubation period for Cryptosporidium is relatively long (days to weeks) compared with many other foodborne pathogens (hours to days), these reports often lack microbiological confirmation because, by the time the outbreak was identified, the possibly contaminated milk was not available anymore.
Conclusion
Cryptosporidiosis is generally considered a waterborne intestinal infection, but several reports on foodborne transmission (including through raw milk) have been reported in the literature. Calves are frequently infected with Cryptosporidium spp., which does not multiply in milk. However, Cryptosporidium oocysts can survive if pasteurization fails. Thus, pasteurization is essential to inactivate oocysts. Although cryptosporidiosis cases acquired from raw milk are seldom reported, the risk should not be underestimated and Cryptosporidium should be considered as a potential agent of contamination. Genotyping Cryptosporidium isolates might be a supportive tool to strengthen epidemiologic evidence as well as to estimate the burden of the disease.
Posted in Contaminated water, Cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Raw Milk, Uncategorized, Water, water microbiology
Research – Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Serotype Anatum in Travelers and Seafood from Asia, United States
A multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype Anatum strain reported in Taiwan was isolated in the United States from patients and from seafood imported from Asia. Isolates harbored 11 resistance determinants, including quinolone and inducible cephalosporin resistance genes. Most patients had traveled to Asia. These findings underscore the need for global One Health resistance surveillance.
