Spence & Co. of Massachusetts is recalling New York-Style Nova Lox in 4 ounce packages with code/lot number 9720704 because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recall affects a total of 1,563 packs of the product. Two people may have been stricken with listeriosis associated with the consumption of this product.
A Primrose Hill school was closed today after more than 200 pupils and 15 members of staff were struck down with the contagious Norovirus.
Health inspectors ruled the winter vomiting bug was present at North Bridge House Preparatory School. The building in Gloucester Avenue was being cleansed today amid fears the virus could spread to the school’s other buildings.
In a letter sent to parents, headteacher Brodie Bibby said the school was “afflicted by a particularly unpleasant virus.”
Any children showing signs of sickness were told to be kept at home by parents, she wrote – adding that any children still well enough were invited to attend a planned performance of Swan Lake tomorrow night.
She added that “a specialist team will clean the entire school with anti-viral sprays and use air-based products.”
One parent told a local newspaper that his daughter “suddenly turned white and projectile vomited all over her bedroom” after being struck down with the illness this week.
North Bridge House, which also has a nursery school, a junior and a senior school at different sites in Camden, will reopen on Monday.
RASFF 1 / RASFF 2 – Aflatoxin in Dried Figs in Germany sourced in Turkey two alerts
RASFF – Salmonella in Bovine Meat in Italy, Portugal and Malta sourced in Italy
RASFF – Salmonella in Soya Bean Meal in Poland sourced in the USA
RASFF – Salmonella in Whole Forzen Chicken in Finland sourced in the Netherlands
RASSF – Salmonella in Paan Leaves in the UK sourced in Bangladesh
The Health Department of Northwest Michigan, along with Community Health and the Michigan Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development are investigating a series of E. coli infections that may be associated with unpasteurized, unlabeled apple juice in Antrim County. Officials are collecting stool samples and samples of the cider to test for the outbreak strain of the bacteria.
The cider was made by an unlicensed facility and was not labeled as unpasteurized.
Nestlé USA announced the voluntary recall of limited quantities of Nestlé NESQUIK® Chocolate Powder in the 10.9, 21.8 and 40.7 ounce canisters. The voluntary recall is limited to only NESQUIK Chocolate Powder, which was distributed nationally. No other varieties of NESQUIK powder or any sizes or flavors of NESQUIK ready-to-drink are affected by this recall.
Nestlé is removing the canisters from distribution because the company was notified by an ingredient supplier, Omya Inc. that it has issued a recall of certain lots of its ingredient, calcium carbonate due to possible presence of Salmonella. Calcium carbonate is used in NESQUIK as an ingredient. There have been no reports of any illnesses or adverse health effects associated with the affected product.
Charlotte, North Carolina – Fresh Express Incorporated is conducting a voluntary, precautionary recall of a limited quantity of Fresh Express Spinach with a Use-by Date of November 7 and Product Code of S299B25 due to a possible health risk from Salmonella.
No illnesses or consumer complaints have been reported to Fresh Express at this time in association with this recall. No other Fresh Express products are subject to this recall.
The recall notification is being issued out of an abundance of caution due to an isolated instance in which a random sample yielded a positive result for Salmonella under U.S. Department of Agriculture’s random sample testing program. Fresh Express is coordinating closely with regulatory officials.
A cruise ship delayed its departure from Southampton after a suspected outbreak of norovirus on board. Celebrity Cruises’ vessel Constellation arrived in the city’s port at 06:00 GMT at the end of a 12-night cruise. Southampton’s Port Health Authority said about 350 passengers had fallen ill with the vomiting and diarrhoea bug. Its departure was delayed until 20:00 while deep cleaning took place.
The authority’s Rosie Zambra confirmed it was informed of “concerns over an increased levels of what appeared to be norovirus” several days before the ship’s arrival.
Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hand Washing, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, Virus
Tagged celebrity cruises, night cruise, transportation, vomiting and diarrhoea
Omya Inc. is voluntarily recalling certain lots of food grade ground limestone products processed at its Superior, Arizona plant because of the possible presence of Salmonella. There have been no reports of any illnesses or adverse health effects associated with any of Omya’s food grade ground limestone products. Although an investigation is still ongoing, Omya is recalling specific lots of Omya-Cal FG-4 AZ, Omya-Cal FG-10 AZ and Omya-Cal FG-15 AZ in the U.S. as a precaution. Omya’s voluntary recall is being conducted in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The most common symptoms of Salmonella infection are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever, which develop within eight to 72 hours of eating contaminated food. The illness usually lasts for four to seven days and most people recover without treatment. However, salmonellosis can be severe or even life threatening for infants, older people, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems. Individuals experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention.
Omya’s food grade ground limestone products were sold to distributors and/or manufacturers as ingredients for further processing in the U.S. The food grade products were not distributed for retail sale to consumers.
Omya is diligently investigating the possible problem and implemented additional precautionary food safety measures.
The products involved in this voluntary recall are:
| Product | Container Size | Lot numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Omya-Cal FG-10 AZ | 50 lb. bags 2500 lb. bulk bags 2000 lb. bulk bags |
Z227510511 Z227500511 Z227500511 |
| Omya-Cal FG-4 AZ | 50 lb. bags 50 lb. bags |
Z227510409 Z230310409 |
| Omya-Cal FG-15 AZ | 2500 lb. bulk bags 2500 lb. bulk bags |
Z228400712 Z228200712 |
At least 39 people fell ill with Norovirus infections after eating at a restaurant in central Illinois last week, according to the local health department.
All of those sickened were among a group of 80 people who attended an end-of-year banquet for a high school soccer team at Alexander’s Steakhouse in Peoria, IL October 28, reported the Peoria Journal Star.
Though the restaurant served a total of 1,100 meals the weekend the banquet was held, no patrons other than those who attended the banquet contracted the virus.
Victims experienced typical symptoms of Norovirus infection, including vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps.
CDC (full letter)
Bivalve mollusks (shellfish), such as mussels and oysters, are filter feeders; they concentrate microorganisms of human and animal origin (up to 100×) from the surrounding environment. Several recent reports have linked the incidence of human infection with hepatitis E virus (HEV) to consumption of undercooked pork, game products, and shellfish (1,2). Infectious HEV has been found in swine manure and wastewater (3); therefore, application of manure to land and subsequent runoff could contaminate coastal water, leading to contamination of shellfish and, subsequently, possible human infection. Because they are filter feeders, bivalve mollusks are biologically relevant sentinels and can indicate potential pathogens that are contaminating the environment. It is essential to ensure that this sustainable resource of coastal areas, where mussels and oysters are farmed or collected wild, is not subjected to environmental contamination that could lead to public health risks.
Risk management for bivalve mollusks, aimed at control of fecal pollution, relies heavily on the use of Escherichia coli as an indicator of fecal (sewage) contamination and is enacted under European food regulations (Regulation 854/2004, www.cefas.co.uk/media/455777/extract_reg_no_854_2004.pdf 
). However, although these regulations probably reduce the number of infections, especially bacterial infections, they are not viewed as adequately controlling the risk for viral infections. Specific risks are posed by the robustness of viruses in the environment and the different behavior of viruses within bivalve mollusks compared with behavior within bacterial fecal indicators.
An outbreak of norovirus among staff members at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital led to the temporary closure of the hospital’s neurology clinic last week, CBC has learned.
About 45 employees at the hospital came down with gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, cramps and fever, after eating food that may have originated in an in-house catering service that is only used by staff.
The service is run by the hospital’s Atrium Café, a franchise operated by a volunteer auxiliary, which also serves hundreds of staff and visitors to the hospital each day.
The coffee shop is independent of the hospital’s main cafeteria.
“We closed the coffee shop immediately on Thursday afternoon,” said hospital spokesman Glenn Nashen. “Tests were done all day Friday, and although nothing has been conclusive at this point, the suspicion is that [the virus] may have come from this catering service.”
Nashen said as far as the hospital knows, only staff at the hospital caught the virus.
So many staff members in the neurology department fell ill that the neurology clinic had to be closed for half a day on Thursday and all of Friday.
The neurology clinic is expected to be open again on Monday.
Until the infection prevention and control team determines the specific cause of the outbreak, the coffee shop will remain closed, Nashen said
