Retail pork products in the U.S. have a higher prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) than previously identified. This in theory may well apply to retail pork products in the UK and Europe although there is not data to confirm this. The report also states ” the this organism is estimated to cause around 185,000 cases of food poisoning each year. ” I am not aware of figures for the UK and Europe on MRSA causing foodborne illness.
A total of 58 employees who worked at the Zappos plant in Bullit County, Kentucky were infected by a bacteria called Bacillus cereus in December 2011. At least twenty-nine sought medical attention, but nobody was hospitalised. The specific food item was not identified.
Kradjian Imp Co, Glendale, CA is recalling 231 Cases, 22Lb / Cs of Cedar Tree brand Tresse Cheese, 16 oz and Cedar Tree brand Shinglish cheese, 16 oz because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Tresse Cheese and Shinglish cheese were distributed in Southern California, Northern California, Washington State, Minnesota, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee,Arizona and Michigan to Mediterranean specialty markets.
Organic Pastures Dairy in Fresno, California.
The investigation was initiated because of a cluster of illnesses in five children from four counties throughout California infected with E. coli O157:H7 having an identical, uncommon PFGE pattern. Illness dates for these cases extends from August 25 through October 25, 2011….
The sickened children ranged in age from one to five years. Three of the children developed the potentially fatal complication of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
This report could send a chill into any microbiologists heart………….chemists getting involved with microbiology!
Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have developed a new laboratory test that can rapidly identify the bacterium responsible for staph infections. This new test takes advantage of unique isotopic labeling combined with specific bacteriophage amplification to rapidly identify Staphylococcus aureus.
The test uses mass spectrometry to quantify the number of S. aureus organisms in a large number of samples in just a few hours, compared to a day or two for culturing techniques typically used to detect this bacterium.
January 19, 2012 – LEASA Industries Co., Inc. of Miami, FL is recalling 346 cases of LEASA Living Alfalfa Sprouts with use by date 2/1/12, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonellacan result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
LEASA Living Alfalfa Sprouts with use by date 2/1/12 were distributed through FL, GA, AL, LA, and MS through retail stores and food service companies on 1/4/12, 1/5/12, 1/6/12, 1/7/12 and 1/8/12.
The affected product is in 6 oz. clear plastic containers with a UPC code of 75465-55912 and has an expiration date of 2/1/12. The UPC code is located on the side of the label at the side of the container. The expiration date of the package is located on the side of the container.
No illnesses have been reported to date
Between August 2010 and June 2011, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) counted 109 people in 38 states infected with a commercial strain of Salmonella Typhimurium most commonly found in microbiology laboratories.
The outbreak, which hospitalised 13 individuals and resulted in one death, is notable because of its association with educational and clinical labs instead of food. Sixty percent of the ill reported being in or near microbiological labs in the week before their illness began, compared with two percent of respondents in the CDC investigation’s control group.
The number of ill also included several children living in the same household as someone who worked or studied in a microbiology laboratory, further suggesting that the infections came from neglectful exposure within a lab setting: Individuals likely improperly handled bacteria samples, which they then transferred to themselves or others.
US-based, but interesting to filter food microbiology outbreaks since 1990 with over 6000 outbreaks logged. The data can be filter by products groups, organisms and US state and year. Might be good to check where and if your products have been involved in outbreaks.
Neogen develops simple, fully quantitative tests for Mycotoxins. 
AYR, Scotland, 16 January, 2012 — Neogen Europe Ltd. has developed a range of simple tests to detect precise amounts of Mycotoxins in grain and feed samples.
Neogen’s new Reveal® Q+ testing products combine the speed and simplicity of a lateral flow test with the fully quantitative precision of a more demanding testing method. All a tester has to do is place a Reveal Q+ test strip in a room temperature extracted sample, and then read the strip to receive precise results.
The new products include:
• Reveal Q+ for Aflatoxin can deliver precise results of 2.5 to 100 parts per billion (ppb) of Aflatoxin after only 6 minutes.
• Reveal Q+ for DON delivers precise results ranging from 0.3 to 6 parts per million (ppm) of DON after only 3 minutes, following an extraction procedure that requires only water.
• Reveal Q+ for Zearalenone delivers precise results ranging from 50 to 1200 ppb of Zearalenone in corn, or 25-1200 ppb of the Mycotoxins in wheat after only 6 minutes.
“Our Reveal Q+ products are the easiest Mycotoxins tests available that provide rapid, fully quantitative test results,” said Neogen’s Dr. Steve Chambers, Sales & Marketing Director. “This innovative technology yields more accurate and reproducible results than other Mycotoxins testing methods. The new Reveal Q+ products add to Neogen’s unmatched range of simple and accurate lateral flow, microwell, and immunoaffinity column mycotoxin testing options — all of which are backed by the best technical and R&D support in the industry.”
Reveal Q+ products offer both room temperature incubation of the test strip and storage of the test kit — eliminating the need for an incubator and refrigeration space. The tests require only minimal equipment to achieve precise results, and aflatoxin and Zearalenone tests use a simple, low-cost ethanol extraction process. Ethanol is the preferred extraction solvent of many major grain handlers.
Neogen’s AccuScan® III reader provides an easy method to objectively read, store, and analyze results from Neogen’s line of lateral flow tests. AccuScan provides a permanent result that can be incorporated into a company’s food safety plan, such as HACCP.
For further information Contact:
Int. Tel: +44 (0) 1292 525 610 Int.
e-mail: info_uk@neogeneurope.com
www.neogeneurope.com
Posted in Aflatoxin, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Testing, Microbiology, Mycotoxin
A Tenino dairy says it’s recalling its fluid raw milk products because of the danger of contamination with potentially harmful E. coli bacteria.
There have been no reported illnesses related to the recalled products, the dairy said.
