Category Archives: Food Pathogen

Research – Tech developed to detect food poisoning in real-time

Posted on December 17, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Korea Biomed

The Korea Food Research Institute (KFRI) said Wednesday its researchers have developed a technology to manage food-poisoning bacteria in food materials safely in variable temperature environments of the food supply chain, such as storage and distribution.

KFRI’s “dynamic prediction model” can predict the proliferation of food poisoning and contamination of food supplies in real-time using the Internet of Things by linking the temperature provided by the food supply network.

Most of the food ingredients in group meals are safe. Still, some food products contaminated with food poisoning bacteria may increase due to temperature changes during the distribution-storage process. This explains why real-time safety management technology is needed in the process, KFRI said in a news release.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Research

Hong Kong – CFS announces food safety report for October

Posted on December 17, 2020 by | Leave a comment

CFS

logo

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (November 30) released the findings of its food safety report for last month. The results of about 13,300 food samples tested were satisfactory except for 21 samples that were announced earlier. The overall satisfactory rate was 99.8 per cent.

A CFS spokesman said about 1,000 food samples were collected for microbiological tests, some 3,900 samples were taken for chemical tests and the remaining 8,400 (including about 8,200 taken from food imported from Japan) were collected to test radiation levels.

The microbiological tests covered pathogens and hygiene indicators, while the chemical tests included pesticides, preservatives, metallic contaminants, colouring matters, veterinary drug residues and others.

The samples comprised about 3,300 samples of vegetables and fruit and their products; about 700 samples of cereals, grains and their products; about 900 samples of meat and poultry and their products; about 700 samples of milk, milk products and frozen confections; about 1,500 samples of aquatic and related products; and about 6,200 samples of other food commodities (including beverages, bakery products and snacks).

The 21 unsatisfactory samples comprised 10 frozen confection samples detected with counts of hygiene indicator organisms exceeding the legal limits, two red chilli samples and a prepackaged mantis shrimp sample found to contain excessive cadmium, a freshwater grouper sample and a rabbitfish sample found to contain trace amounts of malachite green, a sample of mala goose gizzard found to contain Salmonella, a sample of ground turmeric detected with a non-permitted colouring matter sudan dyes, a prepackaged candy sample detected with a non-permitted colouring matter Acid Red 52 and in breach of the food labelling regulation, a sample of prepackaged bamboo fungi found to contain excessive preservative and in breach of the food labelling regulation, a prepacked fresh beef sample found to contain sulphur dioxide and in breach of the food labelling regulation, and a sample of bottled chilli paste detected with an allergen, fish, undeclared on the food label.

The CFS has taken follow-up action on the unsatisfactory samples including informing the vendors concerned of the test results, instructing them to stop selling the affected food items and tracing the sources of the food items in question.

The spokesman reminded the food trade to ensure that food for sale is fit for human consumption and meets legal requirements. Consumers should patronise reliable shops when buying food and maintain a balanced diet to minimise food risks.

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, 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 Safety

USA – Tesoros Trading Company Recalls Product Because of Possible Health Risk – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on December 17, 2020 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Tesoros Trading Co. from Las Vegas, NV is recalling certain codes of frozen “Trader Joe’s Lightly Salted Edamame” because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The recalled “Trader Joe’s Lightly Salted Edamame” were sold at Trader Joe’s retail stores only in the Arizona, Southern California, Southern Nevada, and Utah regions. All affected product has been removed from sale and destroyed.

The product comes in a 16 ounce plastic package and is stamped on the back bottom portion of the package with lots:

22LA102 M
or
22LA102 N
or
22LA102 P

The company has removed the affected lots from distribution as the FDA and the company continue to investigate the source of the problem.

Consumers who have purchased 16 ounce packages of “Trader Joe’s Lightly Salted Edamame” with the affected codes are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at (702)706-5263 Monday-Friday 8am – 4:30pm PST.

Company Contact Information

Consumers:
 (702)706-5263

Product Photos

  • “Picture of Trader Joe’s Frozen Salted Edamame”

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Uncategorized

Luxembourg – COLRUYT ORGANIC PORK MINCE -Salmonella

Posted on December 17, 2020 by | Leave a comment

SAP

Last name Organic minced pork
Mark Colruyt
Unit 400 g
Article number 17968
Best before date (DLC) 12/18/2020
Sale period from 12/9/2020 to 12/15/2020 included

Danger  : Presence of Salmonella

Salmonella can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever and headache within 6 to 72 hours after consumption. These symptoms may be aggravated in young children, immunocompromised individuals and the elderly. People who have consumed these products and who present these symptoms are advised to consult a doctor, notifying him of this consumption.

Sale in Luxembourg by: Colruyt

Information source: Colruyt recall notification

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Posted in food contamination, 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, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Salmonella

USA – Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks – Update

Posted on December 17, 2020 by | Leave a comment

FDA

The list in the link above of outbreak investigations being managed by FDA’s CORE Response Teams. The investigations are in a variety of stages, meaning that some outbreaks have limited information, and others may be near completion.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food death, 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 recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Research, Uncategorized

USA – 159 sick after eating AFC Sushi from Harris Teeter in Concord North Carolina

Posted on December 17, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

Pathogen not yet announced that has caused illnesses.

Cabarrus Health Alliance (CHA) and Harris Teeter officials are investigating multiple reports of illness linked to AFC sushi purchased and eaten from Harris Teeter at 358 George W. Liles Pkwy NW, Concord and Harris Teeter at 1245 Concord Parkway North, Concord. Those ill are experiencing symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, fever, muscle aches and abdominal cramps. CHA is aware of more than 10 (now 159) individuals who are sick, and all have consumed sushi from the third-party AFC Sushi kiosk located within the two Harris Teeter stores between Nov. 13, 2020 and Nov. 19, 2020.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, 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, Poisoning

UK – Lidl GB recalls Red Hen Breaded Chicken Nuggets and Red Hen Southern Fried Chicken Pops because of contamination with Salmonella

Posted on December 17, 2020 by | Leave a comment

FSA

Lidl GB is recalling Red Hen Breaded Chicken Nuggets and Red Hen Southern Fried Chicken Pops because salmonella contamination has been found in some of the products in the batch.

Product details

Red Hen Breaded Chicken Nuggets
Pack size 450g
Best before End: February 2022
Red Hen Southern Fried Chicken Pops
Pack size 210g
Best before 05 February 2022

Risk statement

The presence of salmonella in the products listed above.

Symptoms caused by salmonella usually include fever, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps.

Action taken by the company

Lidl GB is recalling the above products. Point of sale notice has been displayed in the Lidl’s stores. This notice explains to customers why the products are being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product. Please see the attached notice.
Customer notice: Lidl GB Red Hen Chicken Nuggets and Chicken Pops(Opens in a new window)

Our advice to consumers

If you have bought any of the above products do not consume them. Instead, return them to a Lidl GB store for a full refund, with or without a receipt. Alternatively, dispose of the product and email customer.services@lidl.co.uk, including photo of the affected product with Best Before Date and Lot Code. The team will process this refund via letter.

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Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, fsa, Salmonella, Salmonella in Chicken

Research – Assessing Food Safety Practices Among Texas Small Growers

Posted on December 16, 2020 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

This could be applied to many small growers all over the world.

This study aimed to assess current food safety gaps among small growers in Texas to identify key areas of focus for potential education and training materials for these stakeholders. Small growers earn ≤$25,000 in annual sales over a 3-year period and have an average food sale of less than $500,000. To this end, a survey tool was designed to determine the gaps in small farm growers’ food safety knowledge. A total of 29 questions were disseminated to participants at fruit and vegetable conference. The questions included topics such as food safety practices and perceptions, and current and past food safety training experiences. Data from 70 growers was collected and analyzed and the results demonstrated that more than 34% of growers use manure and 51% have domestic animals on the farm premises. Even though more than 51% of participants use bare hands for harvesting, 39% of growers do not provide handwashing facilities for workers, and 46% of the growers do not provide toilet facilities for their workers. Only 25% of the growers surveyed have access to food safety training materials for their employees. The results also showed that 21% of participants have previous food safety training. Furthermore, half of the growers surveyed used soil amendments and approximately 87% did not test irrigation water. About 30% of growers believe that organic produce is safer than conventional produce and 37% believe that organically grown produce has fewer harmful bacteria. Also, > 41% of participants could not recognize the difference between hydroponically grown produce and conventional systems. The results indicated specific areas of opportunity, gaps in resources needed by growers, and lack of food safety training materials. The results of this study will help in the design of targeted and specific food safety training materials for small growers.

 

 

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, 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 recall, Food Safety, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology

Belgium – Organic minced pork (400g) from the Colruyt brand – Salmonella

Posted on December 16, 2020 by | Leave a comment

AFSCA

Colruyt Group recalled
Product: Organic minced pork (400g) from the Colruyt brand.
Problem: Possible presence of Salmonella.During microbiological checks at the supplier, the presence of Salmonella was observed in the organic minced pork product 400 g bearing the expiration date (DLC) 18/12/2020.

In consultation with the AFSCA, Colruyt therefore decided to withdraw the product concerned from sale.

Customers who have purchased this product are advised not to consume it and to bring it back to the store, where they will be reimbursed. In the meantime, all stores have removed the affected products from the shelves.

Product description: • Organic minced pork 400 g •

Use-by date (Best before date): 18/12/2020 •

Item number: 17968 • Sales period: from 9/12/2020 to 15/12/2020 included

This product has been offered for sale in Colruyt stores in Belgium.

For more information , customers can contact Colruyt Group Customer Service on 0800 99 124 .

Possible symptoms of Salmonella poisoning
Possible symptoms of Salmonella poisoning are fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. These symptoms usually appear within 12 to 48 hours of ingestion.

Symptoms usually last 4-7 days, and most people recover without specific treatment. Young children, pregnant women, the immunocompromised and the elderly are among the groups at risk. In these people, the symptoms can be severe enough to require hospitalization.

People who have consumed this product and who present this type of symptoms are advised to consult their attending physician and notify them of this consumption.

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Posted in afsca, Bacteria, bacterial contamination, food contamination, 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, Salmonella

Canada – Updated Food Recall Warning – Certain Compliments brand and Levitts brand deli meat products recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on December 16, 2020 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

Recall details

Ottawa, December 15, 2020 – The food recall warning issued on December 7, 2020 has been updated to include additional product information. This additional information was identified during the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) food safety investigation.

Levitts Foods (Canada) Inc. is recalling certain Compliments brand and Levitts brand deli meat products from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled products described below.

Recalled product

Brand Product Size UPC Codes
Compliments Montreal-Style Smoked Meat 175 g 0 68820 13357 5 BEST BEFORE 2021JA20
EST 48
Levitts Corned Beef 150 g 8 82756 72084 1 BEST BEFORE 2021JA20
EST 48
Levitts New York Style Pastrami 150 g 8 82756 73084 0 BEST BEFORE 2021JA20
EST 48

What you should do

If you think you became sick from consuming a recalled product, call your doctor.

Background

This recall was triggered by CFIA test results. The CFIA is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. If other high-risk products are recalled, the CFIA will notify the public through updated Food Recall Warnings.

The CFIA is verifying that industry is removing the recalled products from the marketplace.

Illnesses

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products. However, there has been one reported illness that may be associated with the consumption of the products included in the Food Recall Warning of December 7, 2020.

Related recalls

2020-12-07 – Certain Compliments brand, Levitts brand, and The Deli-Shop brand deli meat products recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes

2020-11-22 – Compliments brand Smoked Beef Pastrami recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes

Product photos

Printer ready version of photos

  • Compliments – Montreal Style Smoked Meat – 175 grams
  • Levitts – Corned Beef – 150 grams
  • Levitts – New York Style Pastrami – 150 grams

Public enquiries and media

Company information
Levitts Foods (Canada) Inc.: Simon Larochelle, 514-367-1654
Public enquiries
Toll-free: 1-800-442-2342 (Canada and U.S.)
Telephone: 1-613-773-2342 (local or international)
Email: cfia.enquiries-demandederenseignements.acia@canada.ca
Media relations
Telephone: 613-773-6600
Email: cfia.media.acia@canada.ca

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Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, CFIA, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiology