The Reportable Food Registry is an electronic portal where food companies report issues with a food where that food is likely to cause illness. This report has a lot of interesting data about the break down of which commodities caused food safety issues.
Posted in Bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, E.coli, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Research, Toxin
Tagged environment, health
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has expanded the health hazard warning for fesikh, a salted and cured fish product that may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. Whole fesikh shad has been added to the warning.
Product details:
There have been three reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products. For questions, call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342.
Listeria monocytogenes (1200 CFU/g) in pork sausage from Spain
Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in frozen suckling pig racks from France
Salmonella Agona (presence /25g) in soya bean meal from Argentina
KBIR reports, three children are in the hospital following an E. coli outbreakat a Cocke County daycare facility. According to the Tennessee Department of Health, three juveniles, all of whom attend the same daycare facility in Newport, were diagnosed with E. coli symptoms. The source of the bacteria is currently unknown, but managers of the facility are working with investigators, and the families of all children who attend the daycare have been contacted. State health department officials have not closed the facility, but are continuing to investigate the situation.
Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen
Tagged science
More than 90 police officers at a jungle base in Peru have been taken to hospital with food poisoning.
The officers developed fever, nausea and stomach ache after eating chicken soup at Mazuco police base in Tambopata province, officials say.
Police said they would investigate the suppliers of the meals.
A study conducted by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)found that almost half of the chickens sold in supermarkets in the United States are contaminated with faeces.
The study looked at chickens produced by Pilgrim’s, Sanderson Farms, Perdue, and 22 other brands. The tests found that “48% of the chicken samples tested positive for faecal contamination, indicated by the presence of coliform bacteria commonly found in chicken dung.”
Chicken samples from every city and every grocery store chain tested positive. In Dallas, 100 percent of the chicken bought at the Kroger’s store tested positive for faecal matter. In Washington, D.C., 83 percent of the chicken bought at a Giant store and 67 percent of the chicken bought at a Safeway tested positive. Samples were also tested in Charleston, S.C., Milwaukee, Phoenix, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Miami, and San Diego.
Albie’s Foods, a Gaylord, Mich. establishment, is recalling approximately 311 pounds of pizza calzone products due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The fully cooked, ready-to-eat, calzone products were produced on April 10, 2012, and then shipped to institutions in Indiana and Michigan.
The problem was discovered during routine FSIS testing. FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the salted and cured fish product (fesikh) described below because it may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. Toxins produced by this bacteria may cause botulism, a life-threatening illness.
The affected product, whole fesikh mullet, was sold in clear vacuum-packaged bags of varying count and weight, bearing no code or date information.
This product was sold from Lotus Catering and Fine Food, 1960 Lawrence Ave. E, Toronto, ON, on or before April 17, 2012.
There have been 3 reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.
A new survey shows Canadians might be willing to eat food with small doses of radiation to prevent foodborne illnesses.
The survey was conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion for the Consumers Association of Canada. It found that while Canadians are concerned about food contamination, most don’t know much about food irradiation.
The online survey of 1,006 Canadians found 57 per cent of respondents had not heard of irradiation, which is a process that exposes foods to minute doses of radiation like X-rays to kill off bacteria.
And yet when the Canadians polled in the survey were given a brief explanation of the process, most said they would support having irradiated food at the grocery store as a choice.
Greene County has recently seen three confirmed cases of salmonella that are likely related to the purchase of chickens from local vendors. The vendors followed all applicable laws and took necessary precautions against the disease on their premises. However, these cases serve as a reminder for consumers to be aware of the potential risk for illness whenever they deal with chickens.
More local residents may be interested in keeping chickens at home. Some are doing it to be more sustainable, or produce their own food.
FoodWorld 