Category Archives: Food Hygiene

Ireland – Recall of a Batch of Holland and Barrett Lucky Liquorice Roots Due to Ochratoxin A

FSAI

Summary
Category 2: For Information
Alert Notification: 2019.19
Product: Holland & Barrett good stuff lucky liquorice root, pack size: 100g
Batch Code: 130567, ‘best-before’ end: January 2020
Country Of Origin: Azerbaijan

Message:

A high level of ochratoxin A was detected in the above batch of liquorice roots. Ochratoxin A is a toxin which is produced by fungi growing on the plant material. Consumers who have the implicated batch should dispose of it or return it to Holland & Barrett.

Lucky_liquorice

Argentina -Argentina reports two Clostridium botulism cases linked to hummus

Outbreak News Today

cdc clost spore

Image CDC

Two people from Villa Urquiza have contracted botulism and health officials have linked it to consumption of hummus, according to a Perfil report (computer translated).

According to the report, the packaged hummus was from a a firm that marketed -without any type of authorization- vegan products in its Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo.

The two female patients, aged 25 and 32, presented Thursday with symptoms compatible with botulism: blurred vision, difficulty in swallowing, muscle weakness, muscle fatigue, among others. Both are hospitalized in the intensive care unit of Sanatorium Güemes.

The Buenos Aires Ministry of Health began an epidemiological investigation and prevention and control measures were implemented. It was determined that the cases of intoxication were associated with the product: “Hummus, organic chickpea, Tsuki Macro Vegan brand”.

Philippines – Food poisoning sickens 100s at Bukidnon event

Outbreak News Today

Philippines officials are reported an outbreak of suspected food poisoning in Bukidnon province in the  Northern Mindanao region.

It is reported that 233 delegates of the 8th National Youth Convention held by the Seventh Day Adventists at the Center of Ecological Development and Recreation (CEDAR) in Impasog-ong experienced vomited and loose-bowel movements with fever.

Some patients were transported to hospitals in Malaybalay for treatment, while others were locally by the Rural Health Unit.

A Department of Health response team was sent to the area.

Cambodia – Villagers poisoned in two separate cases over weekend

Khmer Times

One person was killed and about 40 others were injured over the weekend after they consumed wild mushrooms and salted crabs in Preah Sihanouk and Battambang provinces.

Seng Nong, director of the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Referral Hospital, yesterday said five people working at the special economic zone were sent to hospital on Friday after they consumed mushrooms, noting that one of the victims died.

“According to them, they used mushrooms in their cooking, and after eating, they began vomiting and having difficulty breathing,” Mr Nong said. “We suspect they had been poisoned by the mushrooms because they ate nothing else but those mushrooms.”

USA – Kwik Trip Del Monte Vegetable Trays Linked to Salmonella Outbreak in WI and MN

Food Poisoning Bulletin

A new Kwik Trip Del Monte vegetable tray outbreak has sickened three people in Wisconsin and one person in Minnesota with Salmonella food poisoning, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health. Last year, a cyclospora outbreak that was linked to Del Monte vegetable trays, also sold at Kwik Trip and Kwik Star locations in the upper Midwest, sickened at least 250 people.

USA – Possible Hepatitis A Exposure at Roy Moore’s Fish Shack in Rockport, MA

Food Poisoning Bulletin

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is warning consumers that if they ate cold food or uncooked food at Roy Moore’s Fish Shack in Rockport, Massachusetts between April 21 and May 12, 2019 may have been exposed to hepatitis A. A food service employee of the restaurant who worked there during those dates has been confirmed as sick with hepatitis A.

Research – UMD Plasma Research Shows 99% E.coli Kill on Fresh Produce in One Minute

Quality Assurance Mag

What if you could kill 99% of the potentially harmful bacteria on the surface of your fresh produce in one minute with just the flip of a switch? Consumers could have devices similar in size and operation to a microwave oven, while restaurants and food processors could have larger devices built into their production and processing lines – no water, no waste, no antimicrobial resistance, minimal chemical residues, and completely sustainable with only a small amount of electricity and air needed. This has become plausible due to research at the University of Maryland (UMD) focused on innovative work in low-temperature plasma science.

UK – Dad almost lost use of his legs after he contracted E.coli on ‘holiday from hell’

Metro

A retired fireman is learning to walk again after falling seriously ill during a nightmare holiday. Charles Jackson, 66, almost lost the use of his legs after he contracted E.coli and campylobacter during a trip to Cyprus at the start of December last year. He started to suffer with diarrhoea and fatigue a few days into his trip with wife Julie, 65. On his return to the UK, the father-of-two saw his GP after the symptoms persisted.

 

 

Canada – Updated Food Recall Warning – Dom Reserve brand Atlantic Salmon Strips (Hot Smoked) Cracked Black Pepper recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes

CFIA

Recall details

Ottawa, May 17, 2019 – The food recall warning issued on May 14, 2019 has been updated to include additional product information. This additional information was identified during the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) food safety investigation.

DOM International Limited is recalling Dom Reserve brand Atlantic Salmon Strips (Hot Smoked) Cracked Black Pepper from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.

Recalled products

Brand Name Common Name Size Code(s) on Product UPC
Dom Reserve Atlantic Salmon Strips
(Hot Smoked) Cracked Black Pepper
150 g 001996, 002176, 002325, 002371, 02533
All Best Before dates
7 72945 11150 8

Research – Neutral pH sodium chlorite decreases recovery of Campylobacter in neutralizing buffered peptone water from simulated broiler carcass rinses

Wiley Online Campylobacter kswfoodworld

ABSTRACT

The goal of this study was to evaluate factors causing low recovery of Campylobacterduring regulatory sampling following acidified sodium chlorite (ASC) treatment of broiler carcasses and subsequent carry‐over into neutralizing buffered peptone water (nBPW) rinses. Solution alkalinity was shown to positively correlate with the presence of un‐reduced chlorite anion in the recovery broth, implying that low recovery of Campylobacterfrom rinses may be due to residual chlorite, an oxidizing agent. To demonstrate the susceptibility of Campylobacter to residual chlorite, three strains were inoculated into pH = 7.5 nBPW with or without addition of sodium chlorite and stored for 24 hr at 4 °C prior to culturing. Microbial counts from the solutions indicated that residual chlorite can decrease recovery by up to 4 log CFU/mL relative to controls. Acceptable recovery of Campylobacter from nBPW rinses containing residual chlorite may require development of a suitable neutralizing agent in the nBPW recovery medium.

Practical applications

Recovery of viable Campylobacter spp. from broiler carcasses following antimicrobial treatment with acidified sodium chlorite may potentially be compromised when using nBPW as the recovery medium. At neutral or slightly alkaline pH, residual sodium chlorite, an oxidizing species, is not reduced by thiosulfate present in nBPW, and demonstrates antimicrobial effects on Campylobacter. Development of a suitable alternative to thiosulfate as a reducing agent in the recovery medium may be required in to provide optimal conditions for recovery of Campylobacter.