Category Archives: Food Poisoning

Information – Parents urged to check their homes for raw milk – E.coli O157

Food Safety News 

Health officials in Tennessee have repeated their public warning against drinking unpasteurized milk from French Broad Farm, confirming Thursday that more than 10 children are sick with infections from E. coli. The majority of the children were given raw milk from the farm before becoming sick.

The dairy has stopped distributing milk, according to a statement from the Knox County Health Department (KCHD). The health department did not report when French Broad stopped distribution. The department began receiving reports “last week” about children with infections from E. coli O157:H7.

In their public warning, county health officials urged people to check their homes for French Broad unpasteurized, raw dairy products.

USA – Cyclospora Outbreak in Minnesota, Wisconsin Linked to Kwik Trip Del Monte Veggie Trays

Food Safety News 

A cyclospora outbreak in Minnesota and Wisconsin is linked to Del Monte Vegetable Trays that are sold at Kwik Trip stores in the two states. The Wisconsin Department of Health services has released a bulletin about this outbreak.

Eleven people in Wisconsin and three people in Minnesota are sick. They reported purchasing a vegetable tray from a Kwik Trip location before they got sick. The trays contained broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and dill dip. They may have also been available at other locations.

Consumers should not eat these products: Del Monte Vegetable Tray (containing broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and dill dip) in 6 ounce packages, and Del Monte Vegetable Tray (containing broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and dill dip) in 12 ounce packages. Kwok Trip is cooperating with officials and have removed this product from their stores.

Cyclospora is a parasite that is usually found in developing countries. But in the summer months, there is almost always a cylospora outbreak in the U.S. Past outbreaks have been linked to snow peas, cilantro, raspberries, and mesclun.

Malaysia – Boy, 11, Dies Due To Food Poisoning

Malaysian Digest

IPOH — An 11-year-old boy died due to food poisoning at the Seri Manjung Hospital yesterday.

Perak Health Department director Dr Ding Lay Ming said the boy and six other family members suffered effects of food poisoning from 1am to 5am on Friday before seeking treatment at a private clinic the same day.

Besides the usual symptoms of stomach ache, diarrhoea, vomiting, dehydration, fatigue and fever, she said one of them suffered fits.

“Four of them including the boy were admitted to the Seri Manjung Hospital on Saturday (June 2) but the boy died of complications while receiving treatment yesterday,” she said in a statement today.

Dr Ding said the three others were in stable condition and recovering.

RASFF Alerts – STEC E.coli – Beef Burgers – Boneless Beef – Lamb Ribs – Beef – Lamb

Two week catch up due to Holidays 🙂

kswfoodworld food safety poisoning

RASFF-shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (O157 stx+ eae+, O157 stx- eae+, O26 stx+ eae+, O26 stx- eae+) in frozen beef burgers from France, with raw material from Poland in France

RASFF-shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (stx1+; stx2+; eae-) in frozen boneless beef from Brazil in Italy

RASFF-shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli in frozen lamb ribs from the United Kingdom in Italy

RASFF-shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (stx1/stx2+, eae+ /25g) in chilled beef (Bos taurus) from Argentina in Spain

RASFF-shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (stx1+,stx2+,eae- /25g) in frozen boneless lamb from Uruguay in Germany

 

USA – ‘Close to 10’ children hospitalized for E. coli; ‘raw’ milk, farm animals may be sources

Knox News 

East Tennessee Children’s Hospital said Tuesday it’s treated “close to 10” children, all younger than 4, for a “serious outbreak” of E. coli-caused illness over the past 10 days.

The Knox County Health Department has confirmed two likely sources of the outbreak are unpasteurized milk and farm animals.

Most of the ill children are known to have consumed raw milk from a local cow-share dairy, French Broad Farm in Knox County, the health department said in an alert issued Tuesday evening. The health department recommends consumers dispose of all raw milk or other unpasteurized products they may have from this farm.

“People need to be aware that if they choose to drink raw milk, they’re taking a risk,” said Dr. Martha Buchanan, health department director.

Information – In the wake of E. coli outbreak linked to French Broad Farm, some ask what ‘raw milk’ is

Knox News

“Raw” milk is milk that hasn’t been pasteurized. Health officials from almost every agency and organization warn it often contains dangerous bacteria that can sicken or even kill people: E.coli, salmonella, listeria and campylobacter, to name a few.

More: ‘Close to 10’ children hospitalized for E. coli; ‘raw’ milk, farm animals may be sources

But proponents of drinking it say heating the milk during the pasteurization process kills helpful pathogens, including probiotics and enzymes.

Hong Kong – Follow-up on the Salmonella Contamination of US Eggs Incident

CFS EGGS

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS), through its Food Incident Surveillance System, noted a plant in North Carolina, US was recalling eggs it produced due to Salmonella contamination. The CFS has immediately suspended the import into Hong Kong of the poultry eggs from the plant concerned. Further investigation found certain local importers had imported the affected eggs. The concerned importers conducted a recall according to the CFS’ advice and stopped using/selling the products immediately.

Salmonella infection may cause fever and gastrointestinal upset. The infection in vulnerable groups could be more severe. Consumers, particularly the elderly, infants, pregnant women and immuno-compromised people, should avoid eating raw or inadequately cooked eggs and egg products. Salmonella can be killed by thorough cooking. Eggs should be thoroughly cooked until the yolk and white are firm. Choose eggs or egg products treated by pasteurisation to prepare dishes not requiring further heat treatment.

The CFS has contacted the US authorities concerned over the incident. It will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action.

Canada – 59 sick with Salmonella in Canada linked to raw frozen breaded chicken thingies

Barf Blog 

 

Monique Scotti of Global News is reporting that Health Canada is issuing a widespread recall of frozen No Name brand chicken burgers as part of a broader effort to reduce the number of salmonella-related illnesses across the country.

The specific product affected by the recall is No Name brand Chicken Burgers (1kg), with a best before date of Feb. 6, 2019. Any individual or restaurant with this product in their freezer is being told not to consume or serve the burgers.

The recall comes three months after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued a press release warning of a rise in Salmonella Enteritidis infections over the past several years.

USA – Two years later, $2.5 million awaits kids sickened by Reno’s worst-ever E. coli outbreak

RGJ ecoli

More than two years after they got sick from eating E. coli-tainted chocolate mousse cake at two Reno restaurants, six children are now awaiting a Washoe judge to approve their financial settlements, according to court records.

The six Reno-area children were all plaintiffs in a lawsuit that followed Washoe County’s worst-ever E. coli outbreak that also sickened two other children and 17 adults.

The outbreak started in October 2015 when the tainted dessert was prepared in a mixing bowl that had been used to process raw meat at Reno Provisions. The cake was later served at Heritage, located inside the Whitney Peak Hotel, and South Reno’s Twisted Fork.

Owner Mark Estee later closed Reno Provisions. Estee was a managing partner at Heritage, located inside the Whitney Peak Hotel. The hotel management later closed the restaurant and leased it to its current occupant, Roundabout Grill.

 

Australia – 1 dead, 24 sick check your freezers: Hepatitis A death linked to frozen pomegranate recall in Australia (grown in Egypt)

Barf Blog

SA Health chief medical officer and chief public health officer Professor Paddy Phillips revealed a 64-year-old woman died last Wednesday after “some time” in hospital.

“This is a rare and tragic case and I offer my sincere condolences to the woman’s family,” Professor Phillips said.

“The majority of people infected with hepatitis A recover fully and the woman’s death is the only death linked to this recalled product nationally to date.

“The incubation period for hepatitis A is generally 15-50 days, so we don’t anticipate further cases because the product was recalled two months ago.

“While we expect most people would have disposed of the recalled product, we urge everyone to double-check freezers and remove any affected products.

“Fresh pomegranate and frozen Australian-grown pomegranate products are not affected.”