Category Archives: Food Pathogen

RASFF Alerts – Salmonella – Black Pepper -Cumin Seeds – Sesame Seeds – Chilled Chicken Thighs – Raw Milk Cheese

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RASFF – Salmonella (presence /25g) in sesame seeds from Nigeria in Poland

RASFF – Salmonella (present /25g) in raw milk soft cheese from France in Switzerland

RASFF – Salmonella (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in organic sesame seeds from Uganda in the Netherlands

RASFF – Salmonella (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in black pepper from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF – Salmonella enterica ser. Infantis (presence /25g) in deboned chilled chicken thighs from Poland in Slovakia

RASFF – Salmonella (presence /25g) in cumin seeds from Syria in Spain

RASFF Alert- Listeria monocytogenes – Chilled Smoked Trout

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RASFF – Listeria monocytogenes (presence /25g) in chilled smoked salmon from Belgium in Belgium

RASFF Alerts – Norovirus – Live Venus Clams

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RASFF – norovirus (GI and GII /2g) in live venus clams (Chamelea gallina) from Italy in Spain

RASFF – norovirus (GI, GII /2g) in live venus clams (Chamelea gallina) from Italy in Spain

RASFF Alerts – STEC E.coli – Chilled Beef

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RASFF – shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (O104:H4 stx1+, stx2+) in chilled beef from Uruguay in Spain

RASFF – shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (O26 /25g) in chilled beef (tapa de cuadril) from Uruguay in Spain

Philippines – Hundreds hospitalized with suspected food poisoning during Marco’s birthday party

Outbreak News Today

More than 300 people have been hospitalized due to suspected food poisoning during the 90th birthday celebration of Imelda R. Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines, according to Philippines news sources.

According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, 306 are still admitted in the hospital. He went on to say that 149 have been discharged while the rest are still under observation or admitted in the hospital.

The patients “suffered from vomiting and dizziness,” said Richard Gordon, the chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross, which deployed emergency teams to the Ynares Sports Complex east of Manila where the party was held.

Mr. Gordon, who is also a Philippine senator, said hundreds of the estimated 2,000 people at the event apparently became ill after eating chicken adobo, rice and eggs.

UK – Britain: 1,400 tons of poultry were sent back to Brazil due to Salmonella

Poultry Med 

The Brazilian government confirmed that Britain has sent back to Brazil 16 containers of poultry due to the presence of salmonella in the shipments. According to Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias, the shipments totaled 1,400 tons of poultry, which were returned over a 15-month period. The confirmation was made after a local website Reporter Brasil ran a story on the incident. According to the site, some of the shipments belonged to the leading meatpackers in the country, JBS and BRF Foods. In addition, the site reported that, after being refused by Britain, the poultry was sold in the Brazilian market. Brazil has a higher maximum limit for traces of salmonella than the European Union nations. Dias did not deny the information.

USA – Possible Hepatitis A Exposure at Genghis Grill Restaurant in Tempe, AZ

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Possible hepatitis A exposure has occurred at the Genghis Grill restaurant in Tempe Marketplace at 2000 East Rio Salado Parkway in Tempe, Arizona, according to the Maricopa County Health Department. Anyone who ate there on May 30, June 1, June 5, June 6, June 7, June 8, June 13, June 14, June 15, and June 18, 2019 may have been exposed to the virus. If you ate there on any day not listed, you were not exposed.

USA -Possible Hepatitis A Exposure at Huddle House in Camden, South Carolina

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Possible hepatitis A exposure has occurred at the Huddle House at 1029 West Dekalb Street in Camden, South Carolina, according to the  South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Anyone who ate there between June 14 and June 28, 2019 may have been exposed to the virus.

UK – Belgian alert for Hepatitis A linked to supplements; update to UK outbreak

Food Safety News

Belgian officials have issued a warning because of incidents of hepatitis infections being linked to dietary supplements containing curcumin.

The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) cited a notification in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) detailing cases of acute cholestatic hepatitis following consumption of various dietary supplements containing curcumin.

This alert is not public and the agency has not yet responded to a request for more information from Food Safety News.

Food supplement recalled in Italy

FASFC reported the exact source of contamination was not yet clearly established but was probably due to the presence of curcumin. Curcumin is a substance in turmeric.

The curcumin was used in lot 1810224 of the food supplement “Curcuma Liposomal and poivre noir.” The company Plastimea SA decided to withdraw the product branded Nutrimea from sale. It has an expiration date of October 2021 and was sold between Oct. 23, 2018, and May 24 this year on Amazon France.

Italian authorities first raised the alert in May with two reports of hepatitis. The National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità) in the country reported 21 cases as of June 20.

The number of products affected has grown from two to more than 20 involving firms such as Frama SRL, Scharper S.p.A, Vanatari International GmbH, Ekappa Laboratori S.r.l., and Fidia Farmaceutici S.p.A.

Meanwhile, the number of people with hepatitis A connected with a school in Ripon, a city in North Yorkshire County in England, has increased by two to 19. Reports of new infections connected to Outwood Academy have slowed down during the past week.

Public Health England (PHE) is reviewing data on food eaten in the school canteen to find the source of the outbreak.

Canada – Dongé brand Coulommiers raw milk cheese recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes

CFIA

Recall details

Ottawa, July 2, 2019 – Les Dépendances is recalling Dongé brand Coulommiers raw milk cheese from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.

This product may have been sold cut in half or in quarters. Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased the affected product are advised to contact their retailer.

Recalled products

Brand Name Common Name Size Code(s) on Product UPC
Dongé Coulommiers 500 g Best before 2019 JL 12
LOT: MA010419CO
8 31014 41211 0

Dongé - Coulommiers