Manda Packing Company, a Baker, La., establishment, is expanding its recall to include approximately 468,000 pounds of roast beef, ham, turkey breast, tasso pork, ham shanks, hog head cheese, corned beef, and pastrami due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall
Tagged food, food safety and inspection service, hog head cheese, listeria monocytogenes, packing company
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the smoked fish products described in the link above because they may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. Toxins produced by these bacteria may cause botulism, a life-threatening illness.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.
At least 96 people have been hospitalized and 4 have died in an E. coli outbreak in Guatemala linked to fresh produce.
The outbreak, which has affected residents of the town of Santo Domingo Xenacoj in South Central Guatemala, is thought to have originated with contaminated fruits and vegetables, reported the Associated Press Thursday.
A male resident of the town reported that two of his children, ages 9 and 12, had died in the outbreak, according to AP.
Specimen taken from the four victims who died linked their deaths to E. coli, said health officials.
Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, EHEC, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Methods, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, STEC, VTECH
Tagged aviation, cars, e coli outbreak, science
Manda Packing Company, a Baker, La., establishment, is recalling approximately 20,166 pounds of cooked roast beef deli meat due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
Various weights of the following products are subject to recall:
Each package has a “Sell by” date of May 13, 2013, and bears the establishment number “EST. 8746A” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These products may have been sliced at retail delis, and if so will not bear this packaging information. The products were packed on February 27, 2013, and shipped for further distribution and to retail deli stores in Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Tennessee.
FSIS was alerted to the problem by the Tennessee Department of Health, who took an intact sample of cooked roast beef at a retail establishment on April 5, 2013, which later confirmed positive for Listeria monocytogenes. FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products.
Posted in Bacteria, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, FSIS, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall
Tagged food safety and inspection service, listeria monocytogenes, tennessee department of health, usda mark
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Osmat Imports are warning the public not to consume the Osmat Imports brand Stuffed Eggplants product described below because it may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. Toxins produced by these bacteria may cause botulism, a life-threatening illness. The affected product, Osmat Imports brand Stuffed Eggplants, was sold in 2 kg jars (4.4 lbs) bearing UPC 8 37770 00009 7 and Best Before: Lot 6 EXP JA 14. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product. The importer, Osmat Imports, North Vancouver, BC is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
The public warning issued on April 4, 2013 has been updated to include an additional product because this product may be contaminated with Salmonella. Previously identified products included in this recall can be found on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) website. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Trophy Foods Inc. are warning the public not to consume Trophy brand Nut Mix In Shell because they may be contaminated with Salmonella. This product has been distributed in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and may have been distributed to other provinces. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product. The manufacturer, Trophy Foods Inc., Calgary, Alberta is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
Whey protein isolate edible films with oregano or clove essential oils (EOs) incorporated as natural antimicrobials have been developed aimed to enhance the microbial quality of poultry. The effectiveness of the films was determined both against the whole and selected microbiota developed during different periods of cold storage on the surface of skinless chicken breast. Tests were conducted by using both turbidimetric and agar disk diffusion methods.
The antimicrobial edible films developed showed high effectiveness against the main spoilers developed on the surface of skinless chicken breasts cold-stored along 8 days. The films based on oregano EO showed higher effectiveness than those based on clove EO. Still, clove EO could be part of an effective antimicrobial edible film. Enterobacteriaceae was the most susceptible to the effect of the films when the lower concentrations of EO were incorporated. The largest inhibition surfaces obtained were provoked by films with the highest concentration of oregano EO incorporated against Lactic Acid Bacteria.
The antimicrobial edible films developed in this study inhibited the growth of the microbial populations that developed through the chicken breast storage and caused its spoilage. The results of this research have direct application in the food industry to enhance the control of the development of spoilers such as Pseudomona spp. or lactic acid bacteria.
The European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control analysed the information submitted by 27 European Union Member States on the occurrence of zoonoses and food-borne outbreaks in 2011. Campylobacteriosis was the most commonly reported zoonosis with 220,209 confirmed human cases. The occurrence of Campylobacter continued to be high in broiler meat at EU level.
The decreasing trend in confirmed salmonellosis cases in humans continued with a total of 95,548 cases in 2011. Most Member States met their Salmonella reduction targets for poultry, and Salmonella is declining in these populations. In foodstuffs, Salmonella was most often detected in meat and products thereof.
The number of confirmed human listeriosis cases decreased to 1,476. Listeria was seldom detected above the legal safety limit from ready-to-eat foods.
A total of 9,485 confirmed verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) infections were reported. This represents an increase of 159.4 % compared with 2010 as a result of the large STEC/VTEC outbreak that occurred in 2011 in the EU, primarily in Germany. VTEC was also reported from food and animals.
The number of human yersiniosis cases increased to 7,017 cases. Yersinia enterocolitica was isolated also from pig meat and pigs; 132 cases of Mycobacterium bovis and 330 cases of brucellosis in humans were also reported. The prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle increased, and the prevalence of brucellosis decreased in cattle and sheep and goat populations.
Trichinellosis and echinococcosis caused 268 and 781 human cases, respectively and these parasites were mainly detected in wildlife. The numbers of alveolar and of cystic echinococcosis respectively increased and decreased in the last five years. One imported human case of rabies was reported. The number of rabies cases in animals continued to decrease.
Most of the 5,648 reported food-borne outbreaks were caused by Salmonella, bacterial toxins, Campylobacter and viruses, and the main food sources were eggs, mixed foods and fish and fishery products.
© European Food Safety Authority, 2013
Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, E.coli, E.coli O104, E.coli O157, ECDC, EFSA, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Poisoning, Research
Tagged european food safety authority, food safety authority, mycobacterium bovis, science
RASFF – Aflatoxins (Tot. = 49.4 µg/kg – ppb) in roasted pistachios from Turkey in the UK
RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 4.9 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from South Africa in the Netherlands
Posted in Aflatoxin, Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Moulds, Mycotoxin, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Toxin
Tagged food, groundnuts, pistachios, ppb, rasff
SIXTY people have fallen ill after eating contaminated oysters.
All oysters produced by Barilla Bay Seafoods have been recalled from the market after health authorities pinpointed the outbreak yesterday. People who ate the oysters were infected by norovirus, a common cause of gastroenteritis.
None was hospitalised over the Easter weekend but some saw doctors and went to the Royal Hobart emergency department. It is the second incidence of contaminated oysters in southern Tasmania in a week, but health authorities say the two cases are a coincidence. They say the contamination is not related to shellfish from Pitt Water, which was closed last week because of a sewage spill.
Oysters Tasmania spokesman Tom Lewis said the two recalls were a coincidence. “To our knowledge there is no connection,” Dr Lewis said. Barilla Bay Oysters general manager Justin Goc said the company was working closely with the Public Health Director Dr Roscoe Taylor.
“We apologise to the public for inconvenience caused and the public will be informed on developments,” Mr Goc said. The public is asked to dispose of any Barilla Bay Oysters bought from its retail outlet on or before last Sunday or Mures Lower Deck between last Thursday and Saturday. No products from the award-winning oyster company have been sold by Mures Lower Deck since Saturday. Dr Taylor said the Barilla Bay oysters were harvested at lease 113 in Dunalley on the Hobart side of the Denison Canal. He said a survey of the area would be done today in an attempt to find the source of the contamination.
“If people still have Barilla Bay produce in their fridge they should discard it,” he said. People should also not collect and eat wild shellfish.
Why shellfish can become deadly
An adult oyster filters and cleans up to 190 litres of water a day.
They swallow algae, and remove dirt and nitrogen pollution.
Sometimes during the filtering process, bacteria can trigger norovirus which remains in the oyster.
Eating shellfish infected with a norovirus can lead to food poisoning with vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.
Noroviruses are the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in humans.
The disease is usually self-limiting and severe illness is rare but it can lead to blood infections of people with compromised immune systems – especially those with chronic liver disease – and can cause severe and life-threatening reactions.
Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen, Virus, Water
Tagged barilla bay oysters, bay seafoods, climate, environment, public health director, science
