Category Archives: Food Microbiology Research

USA – FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Products Containing FDA-Regulated Onions that have been Recalled due to Possible Salmonella Newport Contamination

USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products containing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulated onions that have been recalled by Thomson International Inc., due to concerns that the products may be contaminated with Salmonella Newport. FSIS is issuing this public health alert out of the utmost of caution to ensure that consumers are aware that these products, which bear the USDA mark of inspection, should not be consumed. As more information becomes available, FSIS will update this public health alert.

The following products are subject to the public health alert:

RTE meat and poultry items produced by Taylor Farms on July 30 and 31, 2020: [View Label (PDF only)]

  • 7.25-oz. plastic sealed container labeled as “Sausage Breakfast Scramble Bowl” with lot code TFD212AU8 and TFD213AU8.
  • 6.2-oz. plastic sealed container labeled as “Taylor Farms Cheddar Cheese & Chicken Salad Snack Tray” with use by date 08/06/20 or 08/07/20 and lot code TFD212AU7 and TFD213AU7.
  • 41.35-oz. plastic bags containing “Chicken Salad” with use by date 08/04/20 or 08/05/20 and lot codes TFD212AU8 and TFD213AU8.
  • 10-oz. plastic sealed container labeled as “Chicken Salad Deli Snack” with lot codes TFD212AU3 and TFD213AU3 with best by dates 08/06/2020 or 08/07/2020.
  • 7.75-oz. plastic sealed container labeled as “H.E.B. Shake Rattle Bowl SOUTHWEST SALAD with CHICKEN” and a best if used by date of “Aug 10/2020 and lot code TFD213AU20.
  • 17.25-oz. plastic sealed container labeled as “Marketside SOUTHWEST STYLE SALAD WITH CHICKEN” with a best if used by date of 08/11/20 or 08/12/2020 and lot codes TFD212AU26 or TFD213AU26.

The products bear the establishment number “P-34733″ or “34733” inside the USDA mark of inspection or printed on the container. These products were shipped to retail locations in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas

 RTE meat items produced by Amana Meat Shop and Smokehouse on May 14, 2020, June 2, 18, and 29, 2020 and July 2, 9, 21, 2020:

  • 1.25-lb quart jar containing “AMANA MEAT SHOP AND SMOKEHOUSE HAM WATER ADDED IN VINEGAR PICKLE” and lot codes E2620, F0320, F3720, F5420, G0620, G1720 and G3920.

The products bear the establishment number “EST. 2357” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These products were shipped to retail locations in California, Illinois, Iowa, and South Carolina, and were also available for mail orders.

CDC, FDA and public health and regulatory officials in several states are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to onions produced by Thomson International, Inc. There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of the FSIS-regulated products produced containing these onions. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a health care provider.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

Consumers with questions can contact Kim Earnshaw or Elizabeth Llanes with Thomson International, Inc., at (661) 845-1111.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Consumers can also browse food safety messages at Ask USDA or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.

 

Information – Gloves – CFS Hong Kong Infographic

How_to_use_gloves_for_food_handlers

 

Hong Kong – CFS announces results of targeted surveillance on Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens in ready-to-eat food

CFS

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (July 17) announced the results of a recently completed targeted food surveillance project on Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens in ready-to-eat food. None of the samples taken were found to be unsatisfactory, according to the Microbiological Guidelines for Food.

“A total of 300 samples of ready-to-eat food were collected from different retail outlets including online retailers and food factories for testing of Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens this year. The samples included dim sum, rice, noodles, pastries, soya products, stewed meat and meat sauce,” a spokesman for the CFS said.

Bacillus cereus is commonly found in the environment. It can form spores which are able to resist heat and survive cooking temperatures. Bacillus cereus can produce different toxins causing two types of food poisoning, with emetic intoxication (causing vomiting) being caused by heat-stable toxins in food, and diarrhoeal being caused by ingestion of a large amount of Bacillus cereus that can produce toxins in the intestine. As the production of preserved bean curd requires fermentation, Bacillus cereus will multiply when production is not hygienic or storage is not proper.

Cooking heat can activate the germination of Clostridium perfringens spores, which survive in anaerobic conditions like inside internal cavities, rolls of meat, stuffed poultry, or gravies. The organism can then multiply in the area where the oxygen level is low. Cooling of food at ambient temperature for a long period also allows rapid multiplication of the bacterium. Hence, foods prepared in bulk, especially cooked meat, poultry dishes and juices, which are stored at ambient temperatures with a long cooling period after cooking are at high risk. In food poisoning caused by Clostridium perfringens, common symptoms include sudden abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhoea.

The spokesman reminded the trade and the public not to take the risk lightly. They should always maintain good personal and food hygiene to ensure food safety. When handling food that is not to be consumed immediately, keep it at a safe temperature (above 60 degrees Celsius or at 4 degrees C or below). Consume perishable prepackaged food and beverages promptly after opening or reheating and avoid prolonged storage at ambient temperatures. Reheat food thoroughly with the core temperature at 75 degrees C or above. If cooked foods are to be cooled, the trade should adopt measures to shorten the required cooling time to restrict the growth of Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens in heat treated food. For example, install specific rapid chilling equipment, divide food into smaller portions and place it in shallow containers and in an ice bath. They should also closely monitor the refrigerator temperature and maintain a temperature log. Cross-contamination of food during cooling and storage should be prevented. The trade should also observe the Good Hygienic Practices in each stage of production to ensure safe and proper processing of the food and to comply with the limits stipulated in the Microbiological Guidelines for Food.

Ends/Friday, July 17, 2020

 

Vietnam – Vietnam reports more food poisoning deaths in 7 months

Xinhuanet

HANOI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — In the first seven months of this year, 1,209 people in Vietnam suffered from food poisoning, of whom 19 died, according to the country’s Preventive Health Department on Tuesday.

In the same period last year, 1,372 people were affected by food poisoning, of whom nine died.

The country has detected some 37,800 dengue fever cases in the seven-month period, including three fatalities, 295 cases of virus encephalitis infection including seven fatalities, and 9,243 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease.

Meanwhile, diphtheria has recently spread in central highlands provinces, with 100 cases of infection and three fatalities nationwide as of July 16, said the department, noting that Dak Nong province alone reported 30 cases and two deaths, the highest number among localities.

Vietnam currently has 210,547 HIV carriers, of whom 97,027 have become AIDS patients. To date, 98,948 people in the country have died of AIDS-related diseases, the department said. Enditem

Research – Framework for action on food safety in the WHO South-East Asia Region

WHO

Framework for action on food safety in the WHO South-East Asia Region

Food safety is a major public health concern and is closely related to Sustainable Development Goals such as good health and well-being, elimination of poverty, gender equality, water and sanitation, sustainable production and consumption, and climate change. Food safety is a shared responsibility and demands multisectoral and multidimensional collaboration of all stakeholders – governments, food business operators, consumers and academics across the food chain – to make it a longterm investment to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. Various global initiatives have brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from ministries of agriculture, health and trade, food industries, consumer societies and international partners, to achieve high-level political commitment to scale up the food safety agenda for sustainable development. This Framework for Action for Food Safety identifies key activities prioritized for delivery in 2020–2025. It is based on a situation analysis of the food control system in Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region, of progress made through implementation of the Regional Food Safety Strategy, including through the WHO Thirteenth General Programme of Work, Codex Strategic Plan and recommendations of WHO/FAO/AU Global Food Safety Conference. This Framework provides guidance to food safety authorities across the food chain, as well as those involved in food safety emergencies, preparedness and response

Information – Handbook of Microbiological Criteria for Foods

IFST

Paperback, ISBN 978-1-9163438-0-1

We are delighted to announce that an updated and extended version is published and available to purchase as a hard copy or e‐book (soon!). This revised and updated version aims to provide guidance to all those involved in producing, using and interpreting microbiological criteria in the food and catering industries. It has been written by professional food microbiologists with experience in food manufacturing and retailing, public health, food examination and government, in consultation with colleagues who are also expert in these fields.

Pricing:
  • Paperback (non-members): £100
  • Paperback (IFST members): £50*

*Postage and packaging costs are included in the prices above for all UK orders. For international orders, postage and packaging will be calculated and added to the prices above.

To purchase this book please call Sarah Drumm (Membership Officer) at +44 (0) 20 7348 1902 or to book a time to order please email Sarah via s.drumm@ifst.org

 

Research – Survival of Salmonella Enterica in Low Moisture Military Ration Products

DTIC

Non-typhoidal Salmonella is a foodborne pathogen that has one of the highest incidences of hospitalizations and deaths. The foodborne illness symptoms can include fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. The high incidence of foodborne illness coupled with a large number of outbreaks in commercial low moisture foods LMF such as peanut butter prompted Army researchers to investigate S. enterica survivability in LMF rations. The majority of LMF are not cooked prior to consumption so contamination at the time of manufacture could lead to illness when consumed by the soldier. In addition, military rations are prepositioned and can be stored for up to 3 years at various climate conditions therefore, this study evaluated various storage temperatures to simulate conditions in the field. LMF products in this study were chosen based on categories outlined by Institute of Food Safety and Health peanut butter, mocha desert bar, dehydrated egg, chocolate protein drink and cran-raspberry first strike bar. Previous studies identified potential synergistic effect on S. enterica survival in high fat, low water activity foods such as peanut butter. This experiment expanded on these predictions and evaluated foods with varying compositions which undergo unique storage requirements prior to consumption.

Research -Inactivation of Salmonella on black peppercorns using an integrated ultraviolet-C and cold plasma intervention

Science Direct

A nonthermal process that applies ultraviolet (UV)–C and helium cold plasma (CP) simultaneously (UV-CP) has been investigated as an intervention technology to inactivate Salmonella on black peppercorns. The optimum CP treatment voltage and UV-CP treatment time for inactivating Salmonella on black peppercorns were predicted using a model equation as 9.7 kV and 22.1 min, respectively, which non-thermally inactivated Salmonella by 3.7 log CFU/g. UV-CP treatment yielded a stronger bactericidal activity than UV treatment alone, without inducing photoreactivation. In addition, UV-CP-induced reactive species similar to those found in individual UV and CP treatments. Furthermore, UV-CP treatment caused a profound deformation of Salmonella morphology and a greater extent of DNA damage than UV or CP treatment did alone. UV-CP treatment did not alter the color or 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activity; however, it lowered the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and piperine concentration in the peppercorns. The findings of this study demonstrate the potential application of UV-CP treatment for decontamination of black peppercorns.

Research – Survival and inactivation of human norovirus GII.4 Sydney on commonly touched airplane cabin surfaces

Click to access publichealth-07-03-046.pdf

Human norovirus (HuNoV) is one of the leading causes of acute gastroenteritis globally.
HuNoV outbreaks have been recently reported during air travels. Contaminated surfaces are known as a critical transmission route at various settings. The aim of this study was to provide key information about the survival and the decontamination of HuNoV on three commonly touched airplane cabin surfaces.
In this study, we monitored the survival of HuNoV on seat leather, plastic tray table, and
seatbelt for 30 days, with and without additional organic load (simulated gastric fluid). The efficacy of two EPA registered anti-norovirus disinfectants were also evaluated. Results showed that HuNoV was detected at high titers (>4 log10 genomic copy number) for up to 30 days when additional organic load was present. Both tested disinfectants were found highly ineffective against HuNoV when the surface was soiled.
The study showed that when the organic load was present, HuNoV was highly stable and
resistant against disinfectants. Findings from this study indicated that appropriate procedures should be developed by airline companies with the help of public health authorities to decrease passengers’ exposure risk to HuNoV.

 

Norway – Norway records slight decline in foodborne outbreaks

Food Safety News

The number of foodborne outbreaks in Norway declined slightly this past year from 2018, according to the country’s public health agency.

In 2019, 223 outbreaks from all sources were reported with 5,401 cases of disease. This was the same level of outbreaks as in 2018, but there was an increase in cases because of a large waterborne outbreak in Askøy municipality in 2019.

Campylobacter jejuni was detected in patients and drinking water in June 2019. In total, 2,000 patients were estimated. Contamination was suspected to have been caused after heavy rainfall.

The number of notified foodborne outbreaks decreased from 52 in 2018. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (Folkehelseinstituttet) reported that 46 outbreaks were because of suspected food or waterborne infections in 2019. They affected more than 2,700 people with a range of two to 2,000. More than 150 outbreaks were registered in health institutions and 20 were classed as “other.”