An epidemiologist with the Columbia-Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services in central Missouri has confirmed with Food Safety News that three cases of E. coli O157:H7 infection in Boone County share raw milk as a common potential source of contamination.
Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall, STEC
Tagged science
People convicted of crimes related to food safety in the capital will be banned from the food industry for life, under a draft amendment to the Beijing Food Safety Regulation.
The new draft, which aims to achieve tougher punishment for food safety crimes and violations, was released for public comment over the weekend.
The public can visit the websites of the city’s food safety office or legal affairs office to register opinions, or send comments by post to either office, by April 25.
Under the current regulations, which took effect in 2007, people whose licenses are revoked are banned from the food business for three years. The amendment would extend the ban to five years.
According to the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health in Indiana, 107 people who ate at Cebolla’s Mexican Grill in Fort Wayne have been sickened by norovirus. The original report in March recorded 20 illnesses.
The restaurant, which is located at 5930 West Jefferson Boulevard in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has been cooperating with the investigation. The restaurant closed back in March for cleaning and disinfecting.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is investigating an increase in cases of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in Central Missouri during late March and early April, 2012. Five cases of E. coli O157:H7 have been identified during this time period. Two of the cases, a two-year old child and a seventeen-month old child, reportedly have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe, life-threatening condition that may result in permanent kidney damage in some of those who survive.
The investigation is ongoing and the source of the infections has not been identified.
Food Poisoning Bulletin – Virginia
Five Virginians are among the 100 victims of a Salmonella outbreak that is spreading through 19 states and the District of Columbia.
The case patients in Virginia are between the ages of 20 and 59 and are from the central and northwest part of the state, Michelle Stoll, a public information officer for the Virginia Department of Health, told Food Poisoning Bulletin today. None of the patients has required hospitalisation.
All 100 patients have been sickened by a rare strain of Salmonella called Salmonella Bareilly. Salmonella poisoning can be serious and sometimes life-threatening, according to the CDC. Health officials urge anyone with symptoms including abdominal cramping, fever, nausea,vomiting, and bloody diarrhoea.
Food Poisoning Bulletin – Baltimore
At least 10 Maryland residents are among the 100 people who have been sickened by a Salmonella outbreak that has swept through 19 states and the District of Columbia.
A definite source of the outbreak has still not been identified, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but sushi, sashimi and other raw fish dishes are among potential sources being investigated
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Intercity Packers (East) Ltd are warning the public, distributors and food service establishments not to consume, sell, serve or use the beef burger meat mix described below because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella.
The affected product, Intercity Packers Ltd brand Beef Burger Meat Mix 80/20, is sold in 5 kg cases (each containing 2 x 2.5 kg units) bearing UPC 90066172180172 and lot code 046. The affected product can be identified by the Establishment number (EST) 503 that appears on the outer cases. The chubs inside the case do not carry any label.
This product has been distributed to public and commercial food establishments in Ontario and Newfoundland and possibly retailers in Newfoundland. Consumers in Newfoundland are advised to check with their store of purchase to determine if they have the affected product.
This book is a great source of Microbiology Information and can be downloaded as a 264 page PDF.
The second edition of the Bad Bug Book3, published by the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides current information about the major known agents that cause foodborne illness. The information provided in this handbook is abbreviated and general in nature, and is intended for practical use. It is not intended to be a comprehensive scientific or clinical reference. Each chapter in this book is about a pathogen – a bacterium, virus, or parasite – or a natural toxin that can contaminate food and cause illness. The book contains scientific and technical information about the major pathogens that cause these kinds of illnesses. A separate “consumer box” in each chapter provides non-technical information, in everyday language. The boxes describe plainly what can make you sick and, more important, how to prevent it.
Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, Cryptosporidium, E.coli, E.coli O104, E.coli O157, E.coli O26, EHEC, Enterobacteriaceae, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Legionella, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, MRSA, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus, STEC
Firstly Happy Easter to everyone and I hope that all of you have a good break with the family.
I came across this Easter safety poster through BITES
Food Safety Infosheet Highlights:
– Hand washing after handling animals, even cute ones, reduces risk of illness. Children can get sick by touching birds and then putting their hands directly in their mouths or touching food.
– Eggs can carry Salmonella and need to be cooked to 145°F for 15 seconds to reduce risk, or until the yolk sets.
– Raw shell eggs should be stored in the refrigerator held at or below 45°F.
– Use pasteurized eggs as a replacement in raw egg dishes to reduce risks.
French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has declared that the rise in Campylobacter and E.coli cases in Europe was “directly related” to an alleged increase in ritual slaughterings, which she called a “sanitary bomb”.
Posted in Bacteria, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen
Tagged water
FoodWorld 