Category Archives: Food Microbiology

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

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

USA – Masalas recalled in 10 states over Salmonella contamination

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.

RASFF Alert – Clostridium botulinum – Tinned Chillies

RASFF

Strong suspicion of botulism following consumption of tinned chillies in France

RASFF Alert – Listeria monocytogenes – Chorizo

RASFF

Listeria detected in chorizo from Spain in France

RASFF Alerts – STEC E.coli – Deer Meat – Sheep Cheese

RASFF

Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in sheep cheese from Romania in Germany and the Czech Republic

RASFF

STEC in deer meat from New-Zealand in the Netherlands and Switzerland

RASFF Alerts – Mycotoxin – Aflatoxin – Groundnuts – Chilli Powder – Pistachios – Maize Flour – Egusi Seeds

RASFF

Aflatoxin in Indian groundnuts in Switzerland and the Netherlands

RASFF

Aflatoxin in Egyptian groundnuts in the Netherlands

RASFF

Aflatoxins in chilly powder from India in Malta

RASFF

Aflatoxins in pistachios from the United Arab Emirates, origin USA in Italy

RASFF

Aflatoxins above limit in maize flour from Italy in Spain and Switzerland

RASFF

Aflatoxins in Inshell Groundnuts from Egypt in the Netherlands

RASFF

Aflatoxins in Syrian pistachio kernels from Turkey in Greece

RASFF

Border Rejection of Egusi Seeds Over the Limits for Aflatoxin from Nigeria in Ireland

RASFF Alerts – Salmonella – Polish Chicken Products – Sesame Seeds – Chicken leg Quarters – Smoked Sausage – Sock Samples – Rosette – Whole Egg Powder – Carne Fresca di Tacchino dalla Spagna

RASFF

Salmonella Enteritidis (in 4 out of 5 samples) fresh chicken leg quarters from Lithuania in Latvia

RASFF

Salmonella CO in chicken fillet from Poland in the Czech Republic

RASFF

Different types of Salmonella, including S. Enteritidis in poultry from Poland in Bulgaria

RASFF

Salmonella Enteritidis in socks samples in the chicken coop from Poland in Germany

RASFF

Salmonella in rosette from France in Belgium

RASFF

Salmonella in Indian Sesame seed in the Netherlands

RASFF

Salmonella spp. in whole egg powder from Bulgaria in Poland

RASFF

Salmonella spp. in chilled chicken breast from Poland in Italy

RASFF

Salmonella spp. from group O:9(D1) in frozen kebab made of poultry meat from Poland in Austria

RASFF

Presence of Salmonella spp. in Nigerian hulled sesame seeds in Greece, Turkey and Switzerland

RASFF

Salmonella Saintpaul in carne fresca di tacchino dalla Spagna from Spain in Italy

RASFF

Salmonella spp. in carnati de casa afumati (smoked sausages) from Romania in Hungary

RASFF

Salmonella spp. in sesame seeds from India in Poland

RASFF

Salmonella in marinated chicken sliced fillet from Poland in Estonia

Wales – Second childcare setting identified in STEC E.coli probe

Wales Online

A second childcare setting has been identified in an investigation into an E.coli case in Wales. Public Health Wales confirmed that it was investigating two cases of E.coli in children who attend the nursery at Ysgol Pen Barras in Ruthin on Saturday.

However, PHW has since re-classified one of these cases as “probable”, rather than confirmed. One child who attends the school has got a confirmed diagnosis of E.coli.

While there is currently no evidence to suggest the case has been transmitted or acquired from the school, children in the nursery and reception classes at the school were asked not to attend on Monday and Tuesday and were also asked to provide stool samples.

Korea – Wash hands after touching eggs: Food agency warns of salmonella outbreak

Korean Herald

Food safety authorities on Wednesday warned people to wash hands promptly after handling or cooking raw eggs, citing food poisoning risks from Salmonella, a harmful bacterium found in poultry and mammal intestines.

There have been numerous cases of food poisoning caused by cross-contamination, where individuals handle eggs and then fail to wash their hands before cooking food or touching other cooking utensils, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

USDA-FSIS Surveys Salmonella Rates in NRTE Breaded Stuffed Chicken Products

Food Safety.Com

As part of an effort to reduce cases of salmonellosis attributable to poultry products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) conducted a study with the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) laboratories to gather data on not-ready-to-eat (NRTE) breaded stuffed chicken products purchased at retail stores. The release of the survey results follows FSIS’ April 2023 proposed determination to declare Salmonella an adulterant in breaded stuffed raw chicken products.

The survey was intended to gather information on the positive rate of Salmonella in NRTE breaded stuffed chicken products and any differences in laboratory methods used.

Through FERN, 11 geographically dispersed state labs participated in the study. From July 1, 2022—September 30, 2022, the labs purchased locally available NRTE breaded stuffed chicken products at retail stores (approximately 15 samples per month for each product) and tested them for the presence of Salmonella and indicator organisms.

In total, 58 of the 487 samples tested were positive for the presence of Salmonella. A noticeable difference in positivity rates was seen between laboratories that ran methods the same as FSIS (36 of 135, or 27 percent) using larger test portions and laboratories that ran methods different from FSIS (22 of 352, or 6 percent) using smaller test portions. Small amounts of Salmonella present in the product or uneven distribution of Salmonella contamination could account for the lower positivity rates when smaller sample portions were tested.

Total aerobic counts were similar across products tested. Whole genome sequencing detected S. Enteritidis (18 of 58), S. Infantis (22 of 58), S. Kentucky (15 of 58) and S. Typhimurium (3 of 58).