Category Archives: Food Illness

Olives with Clostridium botulinum Toxin

Posted on October 26, 2011 by | Leave a comment

A batch of olives produced in Italy has been withdrawn from sale in the UK after two people in Helsinki, were diagnosed with botulism.

Gaudiano Organic Olives Stuffed with Almonds were implicated in the two cases and the toxin was confirmed to be present in the jars by laboratory testing. The olives in question are in glass jars with a ‘best before’ date of 09/2012.

Only one company in the UK is known to have imported the Olives and that is Greencity Wholefoods of Glasgow which imported 40 jars. They came into the country in September 2010 and sold on, there are  no more of this product on sale and no cases of botulism have been reported in the UK.

Jars with the stated BB date should not be opened or consumed.

FSA Article

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Posted in Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak

US Listeria Outbreak – Packaging Plant is the Likely Source

Posted on October 21, 2011 by | Leave a comment

After an inspection at Jensen Farms where the Listeria monocytogenes in cantaloupes came from the FDA have made the following comments.

 (The full report is through the link below.)

Jensen Farms environmental samples had 13 out of 39 taken, positive for the Listeria isolated from affected patients. Also cantaloupes from the firm’s cold storage showed the same isolates. This prompted further investigation which concluded that there may have been low levels of Listeria monocytogenes in the fields growing the cantaloupe which could have been introduced to the packing facility. The facilities design allowed water to pool on the floor, it was difficult to clean or sanitise. There was no pre-cooling step so warm cantaloupes in the cold storage had condensation formed which may have helped the Listeria to grow and spread.

Packaging Digest Article

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Posted in Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Testing, Listeria, Microbiology

US Cantaloupe Outbreak Worst in 10 Years

Posted on October 19, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Food Navigator USA

The number of Listeria related deaths in the US cantaloupe outbreak has reached 23 according to CDC figures and an additional 116 people across 25 states have been infected. There is a possibility of more cases and this is now the worst foodbourne outbreak in the US since 1998. Full article above.

 

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Posted in Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak

EC Extends Ban on some Egyptian Seeds

Posted on October 19, 2011 by | Leave a comment

An article in Food Production Daily has reported that the European Commission (EC) has extended the ban on some types of Egyptian seeds until next March. This is a continuation of the ban imposed after the E.coli O104 outbreak in Germany and France earlier in the year. The ban was due to expire 31/10/11 but after an unsatisfactory audit the EC the list of banned items can be seen in the article linked above. This bound to cause more concern and lost profit for those companies engaged in the import and use of these products from Egypt. The EC felt that the measures put in place after the audit in August do not lend ‘sufficient guarantees’ to produce the seeds according to the relevant regulations.

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Posted in E.coli, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Microbiology, outbreak

Eurofins Forecast Revenue Milestone

Posted on October 18, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Eurofins Food Testing group are forecasting that they will break through the 1 Billion Euro barrier by 2013. Revenue of 800 Million Euro is expected in 2011 rising to 900 Million Euro in 2012 and top the 1 Billion Euro in 2013 an overall increase of 25%. This is attributable to acquisitions, generic growth and increased business from food safety scares and microbial outbreaks in food.

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Posted in E.coli, Food Chemistry, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak

Global Hand Washing Day – Missed It

Posted on October 18, 2011 by | Leave a comment

I am not sure how many of you aware of the fact that it was Global Hand washing Day on 15/10/2011, I wasn’t so I missed it. However there is a website that some of you in the industry may find useful as there are some posters that you can download and there are also a couple of video clips to watch. Hand washing and getting people to wash their hands in food factories has always been an issue although I suspect that it is just a follow on from practices outside of work and not a food factory issue alone. It is however of great importance in a food production facility. They also have what they call ‘pooh maps’ of the UK which you may want to look at.

Global Hand Washing Day

Pooh Map 1

Pooh Map 2

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Posted in Food Illness, Microbiology

Wash Your Hands and Mobile

Posted on October 18, 2011 by | Leave a comment

An article on the BBC News Website has reported on an investigation undertaken by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary, University of London. It suggests that 1:6 mobile phones are contaminated by bacteria that could have originated from faecal matter. 400 samples were taken from mobile phones and hands in UK cities. They found that 16% of phones and hands tested positive for E.coli which is used as an indicator of faecal matter. The largest proportion of contaminated phones came from Birmingham (41%) whilst Londoners had the highest proportion of E.coli present on their hands (28%). Most of the strains of E.coli found were unlikely to cause major human health issues. This does emphasise the need for hand washing after toilet visits both and home, in public places and at work.

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Posted in E.coli, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Microbiology

Deb Group Learning Zone

Posted on October 17, 2011 by | Leave a comment

The Deb Group have a great learning zone on their website which is dedicated to food safety and hygiene issues. I have provided some links below where you can look at hand washing techniques, posters. Some are direct downloads and others you need to contact Deb. Have a look and see.

Deb Group Support Materials

Deb Group Hand Washing Technique

Deb Group Food Industry Support Materials

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Posted in Food Illness, Food Testing, Microbiology

Phages to Used Kill Bacteria – Applied on Cellulose Packaging

Posted on October 17, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Researches in Canada have been able to apply bacteriophages to Listeria and E.coli to cellulose packaging paper and these would kill surface bacteria on ready to eat and raw meats. The phages are targeted to Listeria monocytogenes and E.coli O157:H7 and work in ‘real’ food systems. It would be hoped that in time the phage cocktail applied would and could cover a wider range of bacteria that it would be effective against. Read the full story at the link below

Food Production Daily Article

The company that produces the product can be found at this link.

Sentinel Bioactive Paper

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Posted in E.coli, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak

Americans Vunerable to Foodborne Illness

Posted on October 11, 2011 by | Leave a comment

An article in Food Navigator USA has reported that as many as one in five Americans are vulnerable to foodborne illness due to age or conditions that weaken the immune system. Although it is well-known that foodborne illness tends to affect the very young, old, pregnant women, diabetics and others with weakened immune response a paper in the journal Foodborne Pathogens and Disease has sort to quantify these risks. It also aims to provide information on how to reduce these risks. The paper has reviewed studies from the USA and UK and other countries and concluded that in the USA and UK 15-20% of the population is vulnerable to foodborne illness..

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Posted in Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak