Category Archives: Food Poisoning

Uganda – UN’s Super Cereal Suspected in Food Poisoning in Uganda

Posted on March 19, 2019 by | Leave a comment

All Africa

Uganda has stopped nationwide distribution of a United Nations food supplement called Super Cereal after two people died and more than 90 others came down with food poisoning.

The fortified porridge is suspected of making people in the northeastern Karamoja region ill last week.

“A big number of those were hospitalized with mental confusion and vomiting,” Ugandan Disaster Preparedness Minister Musa Ecweru said Monday.

Victims include 12 children younger than five.

The World Food Program, which sent the cereal along with sugar and oil to the Ugandan region, has not confirmed reports of the deaths. But it said it treats the situation with “extreme urgency.”

It has sent samples of the cereal to laboratories for tests.

The WFP said Super Cereal “aims to improve nutrition among pregnant or breastfeeding women by preventing stunting or treating life-threatening malnutrition.”

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Uncategorized

Uganda – WFP suspends food distribution in Karamoja amid poisoning claims

Posted on March 18, 2019 by | Leave a comment

PML Daily

KAMPALA – The World Food Programme (WFP) has suspended distributing Super Cereal – a fortified blended food – in Uganda after scores of people were taken sick and were admitted to health centres following local food distributions in the Karamoja region.

The Government and WFP are investigating and have submitted samples of Super Cereal for laboratory tests to determine whether there is a link between eating blended food and people falling sick after distributions. From the outset, WFP has treated this as a matter of extreme urgency.

As a precaution in case Super Cereal is linked to outbreaks of sickness, WFP is stopping distributing Super Cereal in all its operations in Uganda including in refugee settlements across the country and in its Maternal Child Health and Nutrition (MCHN) programme in Karamoja.

WFP is supporting local governments in communicating with communities on the situation and is urging them to stop eating Super Cereal as a precaution in case a link is found.

On Saturday, 16 March, people with suspected food poisoning were reported admitted at Lotome Health Centre in Napak district one day after a distribution there to families. Other people including children were admitted to Karita and Lokales health centres in Amudat district.

A WFP team in Lotome reported over 90 cases today including 12 of children under the age of 5 being admitted to the health centre with symptoms including confusion and high fever.

This followed admissions of people to another health centre in Karamoja after distribution of Super Cereal and other foods.

WFP on Friday ordered an immediate halt to food distributions in its MCHN programme in all eight districts in Karamoja and extended this to the rest of the country and refugee settlements as a precautionary measure.

On Tuesday, 12 March, WFP provided Super Cereal, sugar and oil to 120 families at Alakas Health Centre II in Amudat district in Karamoja. On 13 March, Amudat hospital said that nine people had been admitted with symptoms of high fever and mental confusion.

In response, a WFP team went to Alakas to investigate and coordinate. On 14 March, the hospital reported the number of patients had grown to 24, complaining of headaches, dizziness, fever and exhibiting signs of severe mental disorder.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized

Kenya – 18 Nyabururu Girls High School students treated for food poisoning

Posted on March 18, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Daily Nation

At least 18 students from Nyabururu Girls High School have been in and out of the Nyangena Hospital in Kisii town over suspected food poisoning since Thursday.

On Saturday, the school circulated a message to all parents seeking to dispel fake news spread on social media that more than 100 students had been taken sick.

“Dear parent, kindly ignore malicious news circulating on social media that all girls are admitted in hospital. There are only seven girls who were admitted and discharged over various ailment, their parents were informed.”

But students who secretly informed their parents of their ill health after borrowing phones from other patients said they had been cautioned against informing anyone of their state.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, Uncategorized

Canada – Food Recall Warning – Bottled bar clams recalled due to potential presence of dangerous bacteria – Clostridium botulinum

Posted on March 18, 2019 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

cdc clost spore

Image CDC

Recall details

Ottawa, March 15, 2019 – Out of the Blue Fish & Seafood Market is recalling bottled bar clams from the marketplace because they may permit the growth of Clostridium botulinum. Consumers should not consume the recalled products described below.

The following products were sold at Out of the Blue Fish & Seafood Market, 1A The Square, Bayfield, Ontario.

Recalled products

Brand Name Common Name Size Code(s) on Product UPC
Out of the Blue Fish & Seafood Market Bottled bar clams N/A All units sold from October 1, 2018 up to and including February 28, 2019 None
None Bottled bar clams N/A All units sold from October 1, 2018 up to and including February 28, 2019 None

What you should do

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

Check to see if you have recalled products in your home. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased.

Food contaminated with Clostridium botulinum toxin may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick.

Symptoms in adults can include facial paralysis or loss of facial expression, unreactive or fixed pupils, difficulty swallowing, drooping eyelids, blurred or double vision, difficulty speaking or including slurred speech, and a change in sound of voice, including hoarseness.

Symptoms of foodborne botulism in children can include difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, generalized weakness and paralysis. In all cases, botulism does not cause a fever. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

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Posted in CFIA, Clostridium botulinum, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Uncategorized

China – Students Protest Food Poisoning, Poor Administration at Chinese Private Schools

Posted on March 15, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Radio Free Asia

Authorities in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan have ordered a probe into food hygiene in secondary schools following a street protest over mass food poisoning at a high school in the provincial capital, Chengdu.

Parents of students at the private Chengdu Qizhong Experimental School on Tuesday protested poor food hygiene in the canteen after a string of food poisoning cases among students, a local journalist told RFA.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Uncategorized

Philippines- 55 Tarlac IPs now safe after food poisoning

Posted on March 15, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Manila Times

CAMP MACABULOS, Tarlac City: Doctors have declared 55 indigenous peoples (IPs) from Sitio Bethel in Barangay Maruglo, Capas, Tarlac safe from food poisoning, while three others remain in hospital for further observation. Those out of danger were discharged three days after they were confined due to food poisoning from a feeding program by a nongovernment organization (NGO) from Bulacan. Initial investigation showed that 73 IPs ate pork barbeque and lumpiang togue (spring roll with mung bean sprouts), and pork menudo packed in a styrofoam box. At about 4 p.m., they experienced stomach pain, nausea and vomiting, and felt dizzy; barangay (village) officials rushed them to two hospitals.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Uncategorized

RASFF Alerts – Aflatoxin – Organic Hazlenut – Groundnuts – Nutmeg – Hazlenuts – Dried Figs – Shelled Almonds

Posted on March 15, 2019 by | Leave a comment

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RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 35.05; Tot. = 39.06 µg/kg – ppb) in organic hazelnut kernels from Azerbaijan in Germany

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 4.73 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Argentina in the Netherlands

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 31.3; Tot. = 48.9 µg/kg – ppb) in nutmeg from Indonesia in Germany

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 44.9; Tot. = 52.3 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts in shell from Egypt in Germany

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 52.9; Tot. = 59.4 µg/kg – ppb) in groudnuts in shell from Egypt in Germany

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 7.2 µg/kg – ppb) in hazelnuts from Georgia in Spain

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 39; Tot. = 78 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Turkey in Spain

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 13.05; Tot. = 42,9 µg/kg – ppb) in shelled almonds from the United States in Spain

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Posted in Aflatoxin, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Mycotoxin, RASFF, Toxin, Uncategorized

RASFF Alerts – Ochratoxin A – Raisins – Rye Flour – Pistachios

Posted on March 15, 2019 by | Leave a comment

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RASFF – ochratoxin A (37.5 µg/kg – ppb) in raisins from Turkey in the UK

RASFF – ochratoxin A (7.25 µg/kg – ppb) in rye flour from Poland in Poland

RASFF – ochratoxin A (67 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachios from Germany in the Netherlands

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Mycotoxin, Ochratoxin, RASFF, Toxin, Uncategorized

RASFF Alerts – STEC E.coli – Raw Milk Cheese – Camembert Cheese

Posted on March 15, 2019 by | Leave a comment

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RASFF – shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (stx2+ /25g) in raw milk cheese from France in Germany

RASFF – enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (O26:H11 stx- eae+ /25g) in camembert cheese from France in France

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O26, eae, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, RASFF, STX 1, STX 2, Uncategorized

France – 6,000 Camembert cheeses recalled in France in E.Coli 026 scare

Posted on March 15, 2019 by | Leave a comment

The Local

Nearly 6,000 packets of Camembert cheese have been recalled in France because they may present a risk of E. coli infection.

The Moulin de Carel cheese company asked consumers who had bought any of the 5,800 250-gramme Camemberts under the lot number L19009C to bring them back to their points of sale.

“A test has shown the presence of E.Coli 026 H11 in these products”, which have been on sale since January 31 this year, the firm said in a statement. “We therefore ask people who have these products not to consume them,” it said.

Many strains of E coli usually cause humans no harm, but there have been cases of people falling extremely ill and even dying from an E coli-related illness.

 

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O26, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, outbreak, Uncategorized