RASFF – E.coli in Chilled Clams in Italy
RASFF – Salmonella in Mechanically Recovered Frozen Chicken Meat in Italy sourced in Poland.
RASFF – Salmonella in Chorizo in Spansih Chorizo
RASFF – Aflatoxins in Pistachios in Germany sourced in Iran
RASFF – Scombroid Syndrome Yellow Fin Tuna in Italy sourced in Sri Lanka
Alert – Listeria in Fresh Sticks (Salad) in Belgium
Good Foods Chicken Pakora has been recalled by Glasgow City environmental health department. The product was handled and packaged in an unapproved establishment. If you have bought the product, don’t eat it. The Agency has issued a Food Alert For Action.
Following an increase in the number of reported human infections with Salmonella entrica serovar Stanley in some European countries, ECDC issued a rapid risk assessment.
Up to 26 July 2012, 60 Salmonella Stanley cases (32 from Hungary, 20 from Belgium, eight from Germany) were reported from EU/EEA countries.
Although most Salmonella Stanley cases are related to travel to south-east Asia, the increase of infections reported in three EU countries in 2012 is not related to international travel. The occurrence of one single PFGE pattern of strains isolated from different countries suggests in fact a common source, which has not yet been identified; potential vehicles might be food, feed, or contact. Investigations are ongoing and it is likely that more cases will be identified. However, the impact on public health across the EU is considered to be limited.
Member States are encouraged to perform PFGE testing on all recent isolates of Salmonella Stanley to increase the possibility of identifying potential vehicles of infection. ECDC will continue to closely monitor this event and will update the risk assessment as soon as new relevant information becomes available.
RASFF – Italy Ground Chesnut Flour – Distributed to US/UK/Australia/Germany/Netherlands
RASFF – Austria Ground Chilli from Sri Lanka
Posted in Aflatoxin, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Mycotoxin, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall
Tagged chesnut, food, ground chilli, rasff
Abstract:
Human Noroviruses (NoVs) cause an estimated 58% of foodborne illnesses in the United States annually. The majority of these outbreaks are due to contamination by food handlers. The objective of this study was to quantify the transfer rate and degree of contamination that occurs on small fruits (blueberries, grapes, and raspberries) and food contact surfaces (stainless steel) when manipulated with NoV-contaminated hands. Human NoVs (genogroups I and II [GI and GII]) and murine norovirus (MNV-1) were inoculated individually or as a three-virus cocktail onto donor surfaces (gloved fingertips or stainless steel) and either immediately interfaced with one or more recipient surfaces (fruit, gloves, or stainless steel) or allowed to dry before contact. Viruses on recipient surfaces were quantified by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. Transfer rates were 58 to 60% for GII NoV from fingertips to stainless steel, blueberries, and grapes and 4% for raspberries under wet conditions. Dry transfer occurred at a much lower rate (<1%) for all recipient surfaces. Transfer rates ranged from 20 to 70% from fingertips to stainless steel or fruits for the GI, GII, and MNV-1 virus cocktail under wet conditions and from 4 to 12% for all viruses under dry transfer conditions. Fomite transfer (from stainless steel to fingertip and then to fruit) was lower for all viruses, ranging from 1 to 50% for wet transfer and 2 to 11% for dry transfer. Viruses transferred at higher rates under wet conditions than under dry conditions. The inoculum matrix affected the rate of virus transfer, but the majority of experiments resulted in no difference in the transfer rates for the three viruses. While transfer rates were often low, the amount of virus transferred to recipient surfaces often exceeded 4- or 5-log genomic copy numbers, indicating a potential food safety hazard. Quantitative data such as these are needed to model scenarios of produce contamination by food handling and devise appropriate interventions to manage risk.
Food giant Axfood AB has been forced to recall two tonnes of pork, following test samples showing salmonella bacteria present in the meat.
The pork has been sold all over Sweden, but as of yet there have been no reports of anyone falling ill.
According to Axfood’s press manager Ingmar Kroon, the affected meat is pork imported mainly from Denmark, including chops, marinated loin and mince.
The products have been sold by supermarket chains Willys, Hemköp, Prisextra and Tempo.
“We’re recalling it from all over the country, but we don’t know how much has already been sold,” he said to the TT news agency, adding:
“But only some of the meat has been infected.”
Customers who’ve bought these products are encouraged to return them to stores, as they cannot be thrown in the trash. The infected meat must be sent to be destroyed.
It’s still uncertain whether anyone will fall ill from the infected meat.
The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) conducts active population-based surveillance in ten areas (Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, and selected counties in California, Colorado, and New York) for laboratory-confirmed cases of infection caused by Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Listeria, Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC, including STEC O157 and STEC non-O157), Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia.
FoodNet also conducts surveillance for postdiarrheal hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a complication of STEC infection characterized by renal failure and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, through a network of pediatric nephrologists and infection-control practitioners. Hospital discharge data are reviewed to validate HUS diagnoses and verify the presence of diarrhea in the 21 days before HUS onset. This report contains preliminary postdiarrheal HUS data for 2010, rather than for 2011, because additional time is needed to review hospital records.
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine today warned consumers in the Metropolitan New York area not to consume “Quesito Colombiano, Colombian style Cheese” made by Productos Tita Corp., 70-06 88th Street, Glendale, New York 11385 due to possible Staphylococcus aureus contamination.
The recalled Colombian style cheese under the Brand name “Tita” is contained in 8oz. clear plastic pouches or tubs with a plant code of #36-8440 and with a stamped code of “AUG 10 2012” stamped beneath the label bar code. The product was distributed in the Metropolitan New York area.
A routine sample of the cheese, taken by an inspector from the Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services on July 25, 2012, was subsequently tested by the Department’s Food Laboratory and discovered to be contaminated with high levels of Staphylococcus aureus. On July 28, 2012, the manufacturer was notified of the positive test result and voluntarily recalled the product.
North Carolina’s Burch Farms and Hannaford Supermarkets on Saturday initiated a recall of 580 crates of whole Athena cantaloupes sent to New York due to possible contamination of Listeria monocytogenes.
The cantaloupes were shipped July 15. No illnesses have been linked to this outbreak.
