Category Archives: Food Microbiology Blog

USA – Cronobacter infections in babies are now a reportable disease

Posted on June 30, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The CDC has announced it will begin tracking infections caused by cronobacter, which was behind an outbreak in 2021-22 among babies and caused an infant formula shortage that plagued the nation for months.

The council is the body that recommends what diseases are “reportable.” That list already includes illnesses from other foodborne pathogens, including E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria. About 120 other illnesses are on the list of “nationally notifiable” pathogens. The council and the CDC manage the list.

When the recommendation becomes active, cronobacter infections identified in infants less than 1-year-old will be reported by doctors and laboratories to state health departments. Those departments will then notify the CDC.

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Posted in Cronobacter sakazakii, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Pathogen, pathogenic

New Zealand – Durra brand Tahina and Halawa – Salmonella

Posted on June 30, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MPI

30 June 2023: Multiple importers are recalling specific batches of Durra brand Tahina and Halawa products due to the possible presence of Salmonella.

See-through jar with green lid.

Rectangular container with red lid.

Rectangular container with green lid.

Rectangular container with blue lid.

Product identification
Product type Sesame based products
Name of product (size) Durra brand Tahina (400g, 800g, 18kg)

Durra brand Halawa Plain (350g, 700g)

Durra brand Halawa Pistachio (350g, 700g)

Durra brand Halawa Extra Pistachio (350g, 700g)
Date marking Products with a date mark between EXP: 18/12/2024 up to and including EXP: 12/02/2025
Package size and description The products are sold in various packaging size variations in a plastic container or bucket.
Distribution The products are imported from Jordan.

The products are sold at retail outlets and ethnic grocery stores throughout New Zealand.

The products have not been re-exported.
Notes This recall does not affect any other Durra brand products.

Point of sale notice for retailers

If you are a retailer of the products in this recall, download a copy of the point of sale notice. You need to display it in your store for one month.

Point of sale notice – Hatem Brothers Ltd [PDF, 59 KB]

Point of sale notice – Unibrand Ltd [PDF, 59 KB]

Consumer advice

Customers are asked to check the date mark on the product.

Affected products should not be consumed. There have been no reports of associated illness in New Zealand. If you have consumed any of these products and have any concerns about your health, seek medical advice.

Customers should return the products to their retailer for a full refund.

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Testing, MPI, Salmonella

USA – Sandwiches recalled because product was made with uncooked chicken

Posted on June 30, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Compass USA, of Charlotte, NC, is recalling over 2,000 Fresh To You Chicken Filet Sandwiches because the chicken sandwich was made with uncooked chicken.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), raw chicken is often contaminated with Campylobacter bacteria and sometimes with Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens bacteria, all of which can lead to serious food poisoning.

According to the details posted online by the FDA, the recall was initiated on June 8, 2023, and is ongoing.

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Posted in Campylobacter, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Salmonella

Salmonella outbreak ongoing with 130 sick; Listeria incident over in UK

Posted on June 30, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Investigations into a Salmonella outbreak are ongoing but a Listeria outbreak has ended, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

More than 130 people are sick with Salmonella Mbandaka after eating chicken products from Ukraine. Four patients were admitted to hospitals and one person died.

In response to repeated non-compliance with partly cooked chicken products from Ukraine, a system of Intensified Official Controls (IOC) was started in April. This included a requirement that the next 10 imported consignments from the implicated establishment would be subject to extra inspections.

Because of continued breaches of food safety requirements, this was escalated to Imposed Checks in May. These physical, documentary and testing inspections will remain in place until a minimum of 30 consecutive favorable results are achieved.

The UK importer has stopped receipt of the steam-cooked chicken product until the issue is resolved and is testing all their uncooked product on arrival into the UK for Salmonella. An investigation by Ukrainian authorities has resulted in risk management measures being taken at the facilities of the manufacturer.

In late 2022, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported that Finland had 89 cases while a few patients also lived in the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Israel.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Salmonella, Salmonella in Chicken

Shocking Increase in Norovirus Outbreaks on Cruise Ships – Vacationers Beware!

Posted on June 30, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Alpha Beta Stock

As vacation-starved Americans return to cruise ships in record numbers, the surge in popularity has led to an increase in norovirus incidents on board. With occupancy rates at around 100% capacity, cruise lines like Royal Caribbean Group have reported a significant rebound in the first quarter of 2023. However, this resurgence has come with a downside, as 13 outbreaks of the highly contagious norovirus, also known as the ‘cruise ship virus,’ have been reported this year alone, marking the highest number since 2012 and emphasizing the potential health risks associated with large numbers of passengers on board.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Norovirus

Russia – Mass Food Poisoning at Summer Health Camp as Multiple Children Hospitalized

Posted on June 30, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Newsweek

A large number of children have reported symptoms consistent with food poisoning at a summer health camp in Russia’s southeastern Amur Oblast, according to local authorities.

The regional prosecutor’s office said 70 children fell sick at the White Mountains camp, with symptoms including abdominal pain and vomiting. Eight were hospitalized and the camp was suspended, state-run news agency Tass reported.

Reports that children had fallen ill at the health camp began circulating on social media on Thursday, sparking an investigation into how the facility had complied with sanitary and hygienic requirements.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

Research – Does Vegan Cheese Pose a Food Safety Risk?

Posted on June 30, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published an analysis of a Salmonella outbreak linked to vegan cheese made from cashews. The 2021 outbreak linked to Jule’s cashew brie marked the second time since 2014 that illnesses in multiple states were linked to cashew cheese.

Does vegan cheese pose a food safety risk? If it’s made from nuts, it might.

Cashews and Kill Steps

The CDC’s 2021 report on the Jule’s brie Salmonella outbreak states that whole genome sequencing tests on the Salmonella strain cultured from patients produced the same genetic “fingerprint,” meaning the patients were exposed to the same source of contaminated food. Investigators found this outbreak strain in samples of Jule’s cheese, in the facility where it was made, and in the specific lot of raw cashews used to make the cheese.

The CDC’s recent analysis of the outbreak states that U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigators identified cashews as the ingredient that was the likely source of contamination and noted that no lethality treatment, or “kill step” such as pasteurization or irradiation was performed before cashew processing.

Similarly, a kill step was also omitted in the manufacture of The Cultured Kitchen cashew cheese linked to the 2014 Salmonella outbreak. Tests performed during that investigation revealed the presence of the outbreak strain in samples of the cheese collected from a patient’s home and in a batch of fermenting, raw, cashews collected from the facility where the product was made.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Salmonella

USA – Salmonella Outbreak at Solano County Jails Sickens 117

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Food Poisoning Bulletin

A Salmonella outbreak at Solano County jails in California has allegedly sickened more than a hundred inmates, according to the Vallejo Sun. All three jails in that county have ill inmates, and the outbreak has lasted more than a week, a spokesperson for the Solano County Sheriff’s Office told that outlet.

There are three jails in that county, including the Stanton Correctional Facility, the Claybank Detention Facility, and the Solano County Justice Center Detention Facility. Trinity Services Group provides the food for all three jails, and the Solano County Department of Health has been working with that establishment to clean their facility and to test food for contamination.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

Belgium – Hummus (150g) from the Bokertov brand – Balagan Hummus Aperitif Box (820g) from Bokertov- Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on June 30, 2023 by | Leave a comment

AFSCA

Délidis recall
Product:

  • Hummus (150g) from the Bokertov brand.
  • Balagan Hummus Aperitif Box (820g) from Bokertov

Problem: Possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes.

In agreement with the FASFC, Délidis is withdrawing the hummus (150g) and the “Balagan Apéro Box” (820g) of the Bokertov brand from sale and is recalling it from consumers because of the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes.

Délidis asks its customers not to consume this product and to bring it back to the point of sale where it was purchased (this will be reimbursed by the store).

Product Description :

  • Product Name: Hummus
  • Brand: Bokertov
  • Use-by date (DLC) (“Use by”):
    • Lot 163 – 01/07/2023
    • Item 171 – 06/07/2023
    • Item 181 – 10/07/2023
  • Sale period: from 06/13/2023 to 06/28/2023
  • Type of packaging: cardboard pot and plastic lid
  • Weight: 150g

  • Product name: Balagan Aperitif Box
  • Affected product: Hummus with lot numbers: 171 and 181
  • Brand: Bokertov
  • Lots & Use-by dates (DLC) (“Use by”):
    • Box Lot 179 – 30/06/20203, with Hummus Lot 171 (06/07/2023)
    • Box Lot 183 – 03/07/2023, with Hummus Lot 181 (10/07/2023)
  • Sale period: from 06/16/2023 to 06/28/2023
  • Nature of packaging: box with the presence of Hummus
  • Weight: 820g

The product was distributed through various points of sale, including:

  • Spar Colruyt Group
  • hello
  • The general food stores below:
    • Comarkt Humbeek Kerkstraat 132 1851 Humbeek
    • FOODIE’S Place De La Ferme School 7 1410 Waterloo
    • Tellendis Rue De Rochefort 29 6927 Tellin

For further information , contact:
Jhonny Laureyssen
Tel.: 014/45 21 45
Jhonny.Laureyssen@peetersgovers.be

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes

USA – Masalas recalled in 10 states over Salmonella contamination

Posted on June 30, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Amin Trading Agency LLC, of Edison, NJ, is recalling various masalas over possible Salmonella contamination.

According to the details posted online by the FDA, the recall was initiated on June 1, 2023, and is ongoing.

Distributed to retail stores in Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi, Florida, Virginia, New Jersey and New York.

Recalled products:

  • Everest Garam Masala, 100 grams, Packaged in paper cartons. 120 cartons per case — 300 cartons
  • Everest Sambar Masala, 100 grams, Packaged in paper cartons. 120 cartons per case — 270 cartons
  • Maggi Masala ae Magic, 6 grams, Packaged in plastic sachets. 1920 sachets per case — 24,384

Anyone who purchased the recalled product should immediately dispose of it and not consume it.

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, Salmonella