RASFF
Aflatoxins in dried figs from Turkey in Germany
RASFF
Aflatoxins in shelled groundnuts from the United States in the Netherlands
RASFF
Aflatoxins (B1 = 330; Tot. = 540 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Turkey in France
RASFF
Aflatoxins (B1 = 16.1; Tot. = 17.9 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Turkey in France
RASFF
Aflatoxins (Tot. = 8.9 µg/kg – ppb) in peanuts in shell from China in Italy
RASFF
Aflatoxins (B1 = 21; Tot. = 23 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachios in shell from Iran in France
RASFF
Aflatoxins (B1 = 39; Tot. = 41 µg/kg – ppb) in shelled pistachios from Turkey in Germany and Italy
RASFF
Aflatoxin B1 in Bolivian organic groundnuts in the Netherlands and Spain
RASFF
Aflatoxins (B1 = 20.8; Tot. = 29.5 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Turkey, via Bosnia and Herzegovina in Croatia
Posted in Aflatoxin, Aflatoxin B1, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Mold Toxin, Mould Toxin, Mycotoxin, RASFF, Toxin
NCBI
Microbiology is important to food safety, production, processing, preservation, and storage. Microbes such as bacteria, molds, and yeasts are employed for the foods production and food ingredients such as production of wine, beer, bakery, and dairy products. On the other hand, the growth and contamination of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms is considered as one of the main causes to loss of foodstuff nowadays. Although technology, hygienic strategies, and traceability are important factors to prevent and delay microbial growth and contamination, food remains susceptible to spoilage and activity of pathogen microorganisms. Food loss by either spoilage or contaminated food affects food industry and consumers leading to economic losses and increased hospitalization costs. This chapter focuses on general aspects, characteristics, and importance of main microorganisms (bacteria, yeasts, molds, virus, and parasites) involved in food spoilage or contamination: known and recently discovered species; defects and alterations in foodstuff; most common food associated with each foodborne disease; resistance to thermal processing; occurrence in different countries; outbreaks; and associated symptoms.
Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Safety, food safety training, Food Virus, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Mould/Mold, Parasite, Protozoan, Virus, Yeasts
Journal of Food Protection
In this study, we evaluated the microbial contamination status of cold dishes consumed by residents of Jilin Province and investigated to determine the incidence of four pathogenic bacteria in cold dishes. A total of 300 samples of cold dishes including meat, vegetable and mixed products, were collected from three different purchasing places: supermarkets, farmers’ markets and mobile vendors. Live bacteria were isolated using conventional culture methods. After separation, a quick and easy polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect Listeria monocytogenes , Staphylococcus aureus , Enterotoxic Escherichia coli and Salmonella . The results showed that the total number of microbial colonies in the vegetable samples exceeded the standard rate of 8%, and the total number of microbial colonies in the meat and mixed samples did not exceed the standard. The total microbial colony count exceeded the standard in all three different procurement sites, with the highest exceedance of 7.4% in the mobile vendor sites. The detection rates of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus , L. monocytogenes and Salmonella among the four pathogenic bacteria detected in all samples were 4.3%, 3.3%; 3.0%; and 1.0%, respectively. This study can be used to qualitatively assess the microbiological quality associated with cold dishes. It provides data to support the detection of possible food safety problems.
Posted in Decontamination Microbial, E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, STEC, STEC E.coli
PubMed
The family Enterobacteriaceae has undergone significant morphogenetic changes in its more than 85-year history, particularly during the past 2 decades (2000 to 2020). The development and introduction of new and novel molecular methods coupled with innovative laboratory techniques have led to many advances. We now know that the global range of enterobacteria is much more expansive than previously recognized, as they play important roles in the environment in vegetative processes and through widespread environmental distribution through insect vectors. In humans, many new species have been described, some associated with specific disease processes. Some established species are now observed in new infectious disease settings and syndromes. The results of molecular taxonomic and phylogenetics studies suggest that the current family Enterobacteriaceae should possibly be divided into seven or more separate families. The logarithmic explosion in the number of enterobacterial species described brings into question the relevancy, need, and mechanisms to potentially identify these taxa. This review covers the progression, transformation, and morphogenesis of the family from the seminal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publication (J. J. Farmer III, B. R. Davis, F. W. Hickman-Brenner, A. McWhorter, et al., J Clin Microbiol 21:46-76, 1985, https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.21.1.46-76.1985) to the present.
Posted in Enterobacteriaceae, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research
NCBI
Objective
To estimate the number of deaths from foodborne disease in the UK from 11 key pathogens.
Design
Four different models were developed using data from a range of sources. These included enhanced surveillance, outbreaks, death certificates and hospital episode statistics data. For each model, median estimates were produced with 95% credible intervals (CrI). The results from the different models were compared.
Results
The estimates for foodborne deaths for each pathogen from the different models were consistent, with CrIs largely overlapping. Based on the preferred model for each pathogen, foodborne norovirus is estimated to cause 56 deaths per year (95% CrI 32 to 92), foodborne Salmonella 33 deaths (95% CrI 7 to 159), foodborne Listeria monocytogenes 26 deaths (95% CrI 24 to 28), foodborne Clostridium perfringens 25 deaths (95% CrI 1 to 163) and foodborne Campylobacter 21 deaths (95% CrI 8 to 47). The considerable overlap in the CrIs means it is not possible to make any firm conclusions on ranking. Most of these deaths occur in those aged over 75 years. Foodborne deaths from Shigella, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, adenovirus, astrovirus and rotavirus are all rare.
Conclusions
We estimate that there are 180 deaths per year in the UK (95% CrI 113 to 359) caused by foodborne disease based on these 11 pathogens. While this is a small fraction of the estimated 2.4 million cases of foodborne illness per year it still illustrates the potential severity of these illnesses demonstrating the importance in continuing efforts to reduce these infections.
Keywords: infectious disease, Campylobacter, Salmonella
What is already known about this subject?
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Foodborne disease is a common illness in the UK.
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Previous research has estimated that there are 566 000 cases, 74 000 general practitioner presentations and 7600 hospital admissions related to foodborne disease from 13 known pathogens in UK; no estimate was made for deaths.
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Campylobacter and norovirus are the most common foodborne pathogens in the UK.
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Other common foodborne pathogens include Clostridium perfringens and Salmonella.
What are the new findings?
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This study provides updated estimates of deaths for each of the 11 key foodborne pathogens considered; in total, these 11 pathogens cause 180 deaths per year in the UK (95% credible interval (CrI) 113 to 359).
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Among them, Campylobacter, C. perfringens, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and norovirus pathogens are responsible for over 98% of these deaths.
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Ranking between these five is difficult due to overlapping CrIs.
How might it impact on clinical practice in the foreseeable future?
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This highlights the potential severity of Salmonella, L. monocytogenes, C. perfringens, Campylobacter and norovirus, particularly in comparison with other infectious intestinal diseases that have a food source.
Posted in Adenovirus, Astrovirus, Campylobacter, Clostridium, Clostridium perfringens, Cryptosporidium, Death, food contamination, food death, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Poisoning Death, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Food Virus, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Giardia, Illness, Listeria monocytogenes, Norovirus, Pathogen, pathogenic, Research, Rotavirus, Salmonella, Shigella
Journal of Food Protection
The aim of the present study was to investigate the ability of natural plant-derivate (flavonoid compounds) products to reduce and/or inhibit the biofilm-forming ability of Listeria monocytogenes. A collection of 500 synthetic and natural flavonoids were tested on strains of L. monocytogenes for their antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity. L. monocytogenes biofilm inhibition by flavonoid compounds was tested on i) stainless steel coupons using crystal violet staining and ii) glass slides using confocal laser scanning microscopic (CLSM) imaging. The flavonoids were tested against a L. monocytogenes cocktail of 5 strains at a concentration of 100 µM to determine their effect on planktonic growth. A total of 17 flavonoids were chosen for further study due to their ability to significantly reduce the growth of L. monocytogenes in BHI broth, while 2 flavonoids were chosen because they actually increased growth. A lower concentration of flavonoid compounds (50 µM) was selected to investigate their effects on L. monocytogenes biofilm formation using i) stainless steel coupons to quantify biomass and ii) glass coupons to observe the biofilm architecture. The 19 flavonoids showed various levels of L. monocytogenes growth inhibition, ranging from 2% to 100%, as compared to the respective positive and negative controls on stainless steel, after 48 h of incubation at 22 o C. In addition, in comparison to the control, most of the 19 flavonoids significantly (p ≤ 0.05) inhibited biofilm formation, with at least one of the L. monocytogenes strains or at one of the tested temperatures. In fact, when grown in BHI broth with 50 µM of the 19 selected flavonoid compounds for 48 h at 22 o C, there were visible reductions in L. monocytogenes biofilm formation on the glass coupons. Overall, we found multiple flavonoid compounds to be promising anti-biofilm and antimicrobial agents against L. monocytogenes .
Posted in Biofilm, Decontamination Microbial, Flavanoid, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Technology, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research, Technology
CFS
Prolonged power cut is uncommon in Hong Kong nowadays. However, sudden interruption of electricity supply may still occur due to unforeseeable factors such as adverse weather and equipment failure. Power disruptions can last for minutes to hours, during which food will spoil rapidly without refrigeration. Power cut can be troublesome, especially when you have a lot of perishable food items in your refrigerator and freezer compartment. Nonetheless, there is no need to panic. The following tips can help you keep food safe while waiting for resumption of power supply.
Posted in Center for Food Safety, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Safety, food safety training, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations
Consumer Reports
Kroger-brand ground beef purchased at a Fred Meyer supermarket in Seattle and tested by Consumer Reports was found to have a deadly strain of E. coli called O157:H7. The tested package of 93 percent lean ground beef is marked with an “Establishment” (EST) number of 965, representing the plant where the meat was processed, and a “use or freeze by date” of 1/11/2022. (See the product label below.)
At this time, there is no recall of this ground beef, and no illnesses have been linked to the product. But CR’s food-safety experts warn consumers who might have purchased Kroger-branded 93 percent lean ground beef from any Kroger-owned grocery store to check their packages and to throw away the product if it contains that establishment number and “use or freeze by” date. Those stores include Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, Ralphs, Dillons, and several other supermarkets. (See a complete list of Kroger-owned grocery stores.) Consumers also should not buy ground beef with those markings from any of those stores.
Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, STEC, STEC E.coli
CFS
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) holds a series of exhibitions in major shopping centres of public and private housing estates across the territory every year. Panels covering different topics such as food safety and nutrition, and educational videos are shown to enhance public knowledge on how to make safe and suitable food choices.
TWO roving exhibitions will be held in the following venues in January 2022. Details are as follows:
| Date |
Time |
Venue |
Theme |
| 5/1 |
10am – 4pm |
Yeung Uk Road Market |
Enhance Food Traceability, Strengthen Food Safety; Pesticide Residues; Trans Fats |
| 27/1 |
10am – 4pm |
Yee On Street Market |
Nutrition Labelling; Enhance Food Traceability, Strengthen Food Safety; Ciguatoxins |
New arrangements of the exhibitions will be announced regularly and members of the public are welcome to visit the CFS website. For any enquiries, please contact our Communication Resource Unit at 2381 6096.
Posted in Center for Food Safety, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, food safety training, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research
