Category Archives: Food Illness

Legionella Outbreak – Spain

Posted on February 3, 2012 by | Leave a comment

HPA Release

Although not food based all food manufacturing sites have to demonstrate Legionella control. This article just highlights what can happen when the water systems that the organism can colonise is not controlled correctly.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is aware of nine cases of Legionnaires’ disease in English holiday makers associated with the Diamante Beach Hotel in Calpe, Costa Blanca since January 2012, in addition to four Spanish cases so far reported. Subsequently two of the English patients are reported to have died from their illness.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, HPA, Legionella, Microbiology, outbreak

US – Sardines Recallled Due to Possible Botulism Contamination

Posted on February 3, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Botulism Blog Marler Clark

W & C International Import Inc. is recalling “Rely” Sardine Anchovies because the product was found to be un-eviscerated.  The recalled “Rely” Sardine Anchovies were distributed nationwide in 7.0 oz. plastic packages. The “Rely” Sardine Anchovies are a product of China.

Uneviscerated fish have been linked to outbreaks of botulium poisioning.

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Posted in Clostridium botulinum, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology

FDA Recall – Hard Boiled Eggs – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on February 3, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is recalling hard-cooked eggs, as well as prepared foods that contain hard-cooked eggs, sold between January 23 and February 1, 2012 because the eggs have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

There have been no confirmed reports of illness in connection with these products. Wegmans has placed automated phone calls to customers who purchased the products using their Shoppers Club card.

According to Michael Foods, the recall was initiated after lab testing revealed that some of the eggs within the recalled lot dates may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Recall

EFSA – Report Salmonella Enterica – France December 2011

Posted on February 3, 2012 by | Leave a comment

An outbreak of the monophasic variant of Salmonella enterica serotype 4,[5],12:i:- occurred in November and December 2011 in France. Epidemiological investigation and food investigation with the help of supermarket loyalty cards suggested dried pork sausage from one producer as the most likely source of the outbreak. Despite the absence of positive food samples, control measures including withdrawal and recall were implemented.

Full Report

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Posted in EFSA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Salmonella

FSA – Salmonella Newport

Posted on February 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FSA

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been notified by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) of an outbreak of a strain of Salmonella Newport infection that is known to have affected more than 30 people in the UK.

Although it is too soon to say for certain what the likely cause of infection is, a potential link to watermelons has been identified.

One person has died in the outbreak, although they also had serious underlying health complications. The outbreak was first detected in early December 2011 and the most recently reported illness was at the end of that month.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Microbiology, Salmonella

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HPA – Salmonella Newport Ivestigation – Brazillian Water Melons Link?

Posted on February 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

HPA LINK

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is investigating an outbreak of a strain of Salmonella Newport infection among 30 people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland since the beginning of December 2011. Cases of illness caused by the same strain have been confirmed in Scotland, Ireland and Germany.

Dr Bob Adak, head of the gastrointestinal diseases department at the HPA said: “Although it’s too soon to say with certainty what the likely cause of infection is, early indications suggest that a number of people became unwell after eating watermelon. This has also been noted in the cases in Scotland and Germany although further investigation is ongoing.

There does not appear to be anything on the FSA website yet.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Standards Agency, Microbiology, outbreak, Recall, Salmonella

US -Hard Boiled Eggs – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on February 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FDA – Recall

Michael Foods, Inc. is recalling specific lot dates of hard-cooked eggs in brine sold in 10- and 25-pound pails for institutional use that were produced at its Wakefield, Nebraska facility because the product has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.  Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

There have been no confirmed reports of illness in connection with this product.

The recall was initiated after lab testing revealed that some of the eggs within the recalled lot dates may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology

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Dubai Eateries Told to Improve Food Safety

Posted on February 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Khaleej Times

The Dubai Municipality has ordered rapid quality improvement measures for 257 eateries and temporarily closed down 15 others for low standards in food safety.

The action against the violators took place after the inspections during the last quarter of 2011, it was announced on Monday.

The 15 food outlets that were closed down due to critical violations considered to be hazardous to public health were cafeterias and restaurants in different parts of the emirate, said Sultan Ali Al Tahir who heads the Food Inspection Section at the Food Control Department of the municipality. “The major violations we found in many of these outlets were ineffective pest control measures and a lack of hygiene,” he said, adding that the eateries were allowed to reopen after they took corrective measures within a week or so.

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

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US – Norovirus One Page Fact Sheet

Posted on February 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Factsheet Link

This is a very basic fact sheet but could be used in some establishments or as a general reminder.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Testing, Food Virus, Microbiology, Norovirus

MRSA – Retail Pork – Higher Levels Than Expected

Posted on February 1, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) may be more prevalent in retail pork products than previously thought, according to a study published in the Public Library of Science’s PLoS ONE in January.

More than six percent of 395 pork samples, taken from 36 grocery stores in Iowa, Minnesota, and New Jersey, were contaminated with MRSA, which is significantly higher than previous studies. More than 64 percent of samples tested positive for Staphylococcus aureus, or staph bacteria. The results also did not show a significant difference in MRSA contamination between conventional meats and alternative, or antibiotic-free meats.

Study Link

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Testing, MRSA, Staphylococcus aureus

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