Category Archives: Food Illness

Mycotoxin Increase with Climate Change?

Posted on February 10, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Sustainablog Article

One of the toxic and carcinogenic threats in the human food supply is a natural chemicals produced by moulds called “mycotoxins”.  The moulds can grow on a wide range of foods and feeds (corn, peanuts, cotton seed, tree nuts, dried spices and chiles…) and produce a range of mycotoxins. Many of  the toxins come from Aspergillus spp or Penicillium spp. The chance that these toxins will contaminate a crop is enhanced by drought and/or insect damage – unfortunately both conditions expected to be more common with the onset of climate change.

 

 

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Microbiology, Mycotoxin

Chinese Food Safety Violations – Stiff Sentances in 2011

Posted on February 10, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Production Daily

Almost 300 people who violated Chinese food safety laws were handed sentences including life imprisonment and the death penalty in 2011, according to a Chinese news agency.

Bloomberg

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang called for harsh punishments against food-safety violations as officials removed eggs that a shopper claimed were fake in southern China’s Guangzhou city.

Li said China faces a grave situation in ensuring food supplies are kept safe and authorities should take a proactive approach to deter violations.

GovCN

Sources with the State Council’s Food Safety Committee said on Thursday that a total of 286 people in more than 5,200 food safety cases last year were handed sentences, including life imprisonment and suspended death penalties.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall

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650 ill After Mexican Rally – Foodborne Agent Not Known

Posted on February 10, 2012 by | 1 comment

Courier Mail

OFFICIALS of a Mexican political party are apologising to 650 indigenous people who suffered food poisoning after attending a campaign rally in southern Mexico.

Authorities in the indigenous town of Chilapa had to open an auditorium on Wednesday to treat people who became sick after eating rice tacos and eggs handed out by former mayor Sergio Dolores, who is running for congress.

Guerrero state civil protection officials said adults and children were fainting, throwing up and suffering from diarrhoea.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, outbreak, Pathogen

Norovirus Rampant in the States

Posted on February 9, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Daily Mail

Another cruise ship has been ordered back to port after the second consecutive outbreak of stomach illness the norovirus hit Princess Cruises, resulting in more than 3,000 passengers having their dream vacations cut short.

The ship was ordered back to Port Everglades on Tuesday for special cleansing, ending its voyage two days early.

BBlog

Norovirus is making the rounds in Madison, Wisconsin, with five food-related outbreaks since last November.

Dane County health officials are still waiting for test results from the most recent outbreak. It took place Jan. 29 when at least 16 people had vomiting and diarrhea after eating sandwiches and other food at the Mandrake Road Church of Christ in Madison.

Also last month, 28 people got sick after eating at Erin’s Snug Irish Pub in Madison. The other outbreaks took place at a drama-filming session at Madison West High School, the Pyle Center at U W Madison, and a Madison art show.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak

E.coli O157 Outbreak Canada – Beef

Posted on February 8, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

One person has been confirmed infected with E. coli O157:H7 linked to ground beef now being recalled in Canada.
 
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and New Middleast Supermarket of Ottawa, ON are warning the public not to consume finely ground beef used for kibbeh that was sold by the stores on Dec. 28 and 29, 2011.
 
Kibbeh is a Middle Eastern dish of minced meat shaped into balls or patties.
 
The ground beef, which may still be in home freezers, was served from the supermarket’s fresh meat counter in plastic bags wrapped with paper. The packages may be unlabeled.

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Posted in CIFA, E.coli, E.coli O157, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

US – Listeria monocytogenes Recall – Chicken Salad Products

Posted on February 8, 2012 by | Leave a comment

USDA

This seems to be another product which has been caught up in the Listeria monocytogenes in hard boiled eggs.

Bost Distributing Company doing business as Harold Food Company, a Bear Creek, N.C. establishment, is recalling approximately 1,200 pounds of chicken salad products. The products contain eggs that are the subject of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recall due to concerns about contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall, USDA

India – 70 People Ill Food Poisoning – Wedding Function

Posted on February 7, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Zee News

Muzaffarnagar: More than 70 people were taken ill after they complained of food poisoning at Shamli town in Prabhudhnanag district.

A group of 70 people, who had come to attend a marriage function, complained of food poisoning last night after the dinner.

The organism responsible has not yet been identified

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety Alert, Microbiology, outbreak, Uncategorized

Clostridium perfringens Implicated in Taco Food Illness in US

Posted on February 7, 2012 by | Leave a comment

BBlog

Laboratory testing by the South Dakota Department of Health has identified Clostridium perfringens as the cause of the outbreak associated with the Pierre-Mitchell high school boys’ basketball game held in Pierre, Jan. 31

The investigation, which included voluntary questionnaires, implicated tacos as the source food of the outbreak; of those completing questionnaires, 75 per cent who ate the tacos reported becoming ill.

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Posted in Clostridium perfringens, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak

Canadian CIFA Recall – E.coli O157 – Ground Beef

Posted on February 7, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CIFA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and New Middleast Supermarket, 1755 Bank Street, Ottawa, ON are warning the public not to consume the finely ground beef described below because the product may be contaminated with E. coliO157:H7.

The affected ground beef is a finely ground raw beef known to be used for Kebbeh. This product was sold on December 28 and 29, 2011from the New Middleast Supermarket, 1755 Bank Street, Ottawa, ON. This product was likely served from the fresh meat counter in plastic bags wrapped with paper. The packages may not bear a label identifying store name and other information. Consumers are advised to contact the retailer if you are unsure as to whether you have the affected beef product stored in your home freezer.

There has been one confirmed illness associated with the consumption of this product.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak, Recall

Turkish Cheese – Listeria monocytogenes Study

Posted on February 7, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Science Direct

In this study, the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were investigated in a total of 200 traditional food samples sold in the province of Balikesir in Turkey. L. monocytogenes was detected in 5% of Mihalic cheese samples and 3% of Hosmerim dessert samples. Salmonella spp. was not detected in any of foods. The high prevalence and contamination levels of S. aureus were found in Mihalic cheese (100% and mean 2.69 log CFU/g) and Hosmerim dessert (64% and mean 2 log CFU/g) samples. E. coli was not found in Hosmerim dessert samples while the prevalence and contamination level of E. coli in Mihalic cheese samples were 43% (mean 1.23 log CFU/g). The isolation of L. monocytogenes and other foodborne pathogens from Mihalic cheese and Hosmerim dessert samples indicates that these foods could create serious risk to the public health.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus