A CrackleMi Café Salmonella outbreak in Seattle, Washington has sickened at least three people, according to the King County Public Health Department. The illnesses occurred in August, but the investigation into the outbreak was announced on September 21, 2023. That restaurant is located at 709 North 35th Street in Seattle.
Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, 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
Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used for the rapid quantification of multiple mycotoxins, specifically aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2), ochratoxin A (OTA), deoxynivalenol (DON), and zearalenone (ZEN), in walnuts, pistachios, peanuts, coffee beans, rice, and chickpeas from various countries. Total counts of fungi, Aspergillus flavus, and Aspergillus parasiticus were also assessed, along with the effectiveness of a decontamination treatment with inorganic selenium to reduce mycotoxin levels. Of the 78 samples tested, 69% were contaminated with mycotoxins. ZEN, the predominant mycotoxin contaminant, was detected in all the contaminated samples in concentrations often exceeding the maximum level, followed by AFG1 (28% of the contaminated samples), DON (22%), AFG2 (11%), and AFB1 (5.5%). The occurrence of aflatoxins was associated with high proportions of A. flavus and A. parasiticus. Complete removal of AFB1 from walnuts and DON from roasted coffee beans was achieved by treatment with aqueous selenium, while the levels of ZEN and AFG1 were respectively lowered by 65% to 89% depending on the commodity and by about 56% in roasted coffee beans. While this novel treatment is a promising approach for mycotoxin decontamination, it is not intended to replace safe practices upstream.
Dry sanitation methods are often limited to physical removal strategies such as brushing or wiping with sanitary cleaning tools. However, the relative efficacy of these approaches to remove microbiota on surfaces, and the risk of transferring cells to other surfaces via the cleaning tool, is unclear. The effect of dry wiping with a single-use towel on the removal of four different bacteria (Salmonella Enteritidis, Enterococcus faecium, Listeria innocua, Escherichia coli) was investigated. We also quantified the number of cells transferred to the towel itself during dry cleaning. Three different surface inoculation methods (spot, glass bead, contaminated milk powder) were assessed and significantly impacted initial surface microbial load. Higher initial counts corresponded to lower transfer coefficients (e.g., proportion of transferred cells). The effect of bacterial identity was significant on reduction after dry wiping for all three inoculation methods. Moreover, both bacterial identity and inoculation method had significant effects on the number of cells transferred to the towel. In most scenarios, dry wiping resulted in a reduction <1.0 log CFU/coupon. Although, on surfaces inoculated via contaminated milk powder, reductions of up to 1.6 ± 0.3 log CFU/coupon were obtained. Overall, E. faecium transferred more readily to the towel. These results may help guide experimental design for future research on dry sanitation.
Posted in Food Microbiology Research, Research, Salmonella
UK Government’s Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF), has been reviewing the risk basis of the FSA’s guidance on the control of non-proteolytic Clostridium botulinum (npcb) in vacuum packed and modified atmosphere packed (VP/MAP) chilled foods. In June 2022 CFA Director Karin Goodburn presented evidence to the group (CFA News #58 & #59). ACMSF has now published its report on Botulinum Neurotoxin-Producing Clostridia. The report is available on on the ACMSF website.
CFA welcomes this Report, which not only updates the risk basis of the guidance but also extends the scope of interest to all Botulinum neurotoxin-producing Clostridia.
The Report reviews botulism incidents globally, noting they have only occurred in very rare occasions in chilled foods and only when not sold or stored chilled, and there is no correlation between the major growth in the chilled prepared food market and botulism.
Read more at the link above
Posted in ACMSF, CFA, Clostridium, Clostridium botulinum, 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 Risk
The Food and Drug Administration has released an update on its work to develop a strategy to help prevent Cronobacter sakazakii illnesses related to powdered infant formula.
The agency is working on the strategy as part of its response to an outbreak of illnesses and the subsequent temporary closure of the Abbott Nutrition production plant in Sturgis, MI. The closure led to a nationwide shortage of infant formula that lasted for months.
In response to the situation, the FDA initiated the development of a prevention strategy, with the draft released in November 2022.
“At the time, the FDA committed to using the strategy to guide its work to enhance the safety of powdered infants, including through engagements with the infant formula industry and other stakeholders,” according to an FDA statement. “These engagements further supported the strategy laid out, and at this time, the strategy will continue forward without further actions being added. As more information becomes available, the FDA may add additional actions over time.”
Infant formula firms are now required to develop, maintain, and implement, as appropriate, risk management plans to identify and evaluate risks to the supply of critical food, such as infant formula, and ways to mitigate such risks. This is a new requirement mandated by Congress in the Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act of 2022.
In 1992 a working group of the UK Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food presented a report on Vacuum Packaging and Associated Processes regarding the microbiological safety of chilled foods. The report supported subsequent guidance provided by the UK Food Standards Agency for the safe manufacture of vacuum packed and modified atmosphere packed chilled foods. In 2021 the ACMSF requested that a new subgroup should update and build on the 1992 report as well as considering, in addition to chilled foods, some foods that are intended to be stored at ambient temperatures. The new subgroup agreed a scope that includes the conditions that support growth and/or neurotoxin formation by C. botulinum, and other clostridia, as well as identification of limiting conditions that provide control. Other foodborne pathogens that need to be considered separately and some foods including raw beef, pork and lamb were explicitly excluded.
The subgroup considered the taxonomy, detection, epidemiology, occurrence, growth, survival and risks associated with C. botulinum and other neurotoxin-forming clostridia. There has been no significant change in the nature of foodborne botulism in recent decades except for the identification of rare cases caused by neurotoxigenic C. butyricum, C. baratii and C. sporogenes. Currently evidence indicates that non-clostridia do not pose a risk in relation to foodborne botulism.
The subgroup has compiled lists of incidents and outbreaks of botulism, reported in the UK and worldwide, and have reviewed published information concerning growth parameters and control factors in relation to proteolytic C. botulinum, non-proteolytic C. botulinum and the other neurotoxigenic clostridia.
The subgroup concluded that the frequency of occurrence of foodborne botulism is very low (very rare but cannot be excluded) with high severity (severe illness: causing life threatening or substantial sequelae or long-term illness). Uncertainty associated with the assessment of the frequency of occurrence, and with the assessment of severity, of foodborne botulism is low (solid and complete data; strong evidence in multiple sources). The vast majority of reported botulism outbreaks, for chilled or ambient stored foods, are identified with proteolytic C. botulinum and temperature abuse is the single most common cause. In the last 30 years, in the UK and worldwide where a cause can be identified, there is evidence that known controls, combined with the correct storage, would have prevented the reported incidents of foodborne botulism.
The subgroup recommends that foods should continue to be formulated to control C. botulinum, and other botulinum neurotoxin-producing clostridia, in accordance with the known factors. With regard to these controls, the subgroup recommends some changes to the FSA guidelines that reflect improved information about using combinations of controls, the z-value used to establish equivalent thermal processes and the variable efficacy associated with some controls such as herbs and spices. Current information does not facilitate revision of the current reference process, heating at 90°C for 10 minutes, but there is strong evidence that this provides a lethality that exceeds the target 6 order of magnitude reduction in population size that is widely attributed to the process and the subgroup includes a recommendation that the FSA considers this issue.
Early detection and connection of cases and rapid, effective coordinated responses to very rare incidents are identified as crucial elements for reducing risks from foodborne botulism. The subgroup recommends that the FSA works closely with other agencies to establish clear and validated preparedness in relation to potential major incidents of foodborne botulism in the UK.
Drains can harbor pathogens and biofilms in facilities and have been cited as the cause of a Salmonella Motevideo outbreak in Quebec, Canada. For “Investigation of a Salmonella Montevideo Outbreak Related to the Environmental Contamination of a Restaurant Kitchen Drainage System, Québec, Canada, 2020–2021,” (Journal of Food Protection, October 2023), researchers André Paradis, Marie-France Beaudet, Marianne Boisvert Moreau and Caroline Huot, documented the investigation into the outbreak that affected at least 67 people between January 1, 2020 and August 13, 2021. An epidemiological investigation that included whole genome sequencing found that 66% of cases were directly linked to a restaurant in the area.
Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Salmonella
Researchers have developed a measurement technique that rapidly measures the number of viable bacteria in food products. They have succeeded in drastically reducing the inspection time from 2 days to about 1 hour. With this technology, it will be possible to confirm food safety before shipment from factories and prevent food poisoning.
It is said that haste makes waste, but researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University have proven that doing things rapidly does not necessarily mean working ineffectively. A research group led by Professor Hiroshi Shiigi at the Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University has developed a technology that can rapidly and accurately determine the number of viable bacteria in food products electrochemically, using tetrazolium salt (MTT), a water-soluble molecule.
One of the most important assessment indicators for ensuring that food is free from contamination is the number of viable bacteria. However, conventional measurement methods take up to 2 days to yield results, and these results are only available after the food has been shipped from the factory — leading to potentially fatal consequences. Therefore, it is imperative to have a testing method that speeds up the process of identifying bacterial contamination before shipment.
Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk
Posted in Campylobacter, campylobacter coli, Campylobacter jejuni, 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, Salmonella
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