Category Archives: Food Safety

Germany – Rewe organic 6 herbs – STEC E.coli

LMW

Warning type: Food
Date of first publication: 08/10/2021
Product name: Rewe organic 6 herbs
Product pictures:

0184647-O1540 REWE organic 6-herb packshot.jpg

REWE GmbH

Manufacturer (distributor):

Öko Service GmbH, Auf dem Kleie 2, 49176 Hilter a. TW

Reason for warning:

Detection of Vero- / Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC / STEC)

Packaging Unit: 50 g
Durability: Best before 07.2022
Lot identification: L1189F33; EAN 4388844006539
Additional Information:

According to BfR Opinion No. 009/2018 of April 19, 2018, all VTEC / STEC are to be regarded as potential enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC).
Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) are among the most important food-associated enteritis pathogens. In addition to gastrointestinal symptoms that occur after an incubation period of 1 – 8 days, EHEC can also cause post-infectious syndromes such as B. cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

Homepage of the manufacturer:

Contact to the responsible authorities:

Baden-Württemberg:poststelle@mlr.bwl.de

Bavaria:poststelle@lgl.bayern.de
Brandenburg:Konsumenterschutz@Msgiv.Brandenburg.de
Hamburg:poststelle@justiz.hamburg.de
Hesse:Schnellwarnung@rpda.hessen.de
Lower Saxony:poststelle@ml.niedersachsen.de
North Rhine-Westphalia:poststelle@mulnv.nrw.de
Saarland:poststelle-luv@lav.saarland.de
Saxony:poststelle@sms.sachsen.de
Thuringia:LM-Ueberendung@tlv.thueringen.de

Ireland – Five Enforcement Orders Served on Food Businesses in September

FSAI

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today reported that four Closure Orders and one Prohibition Order were served on food businesses during the month of September for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020. The Enforcement Orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE) and officers of the FSAI.

Two Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:

  • La Cave Restaurant (Area closed: dry goods store of La Cave Restaurant), 28 Anne Street, Dublin 2
  • David Kra (Production Unit) (retailer), Unit 25, Midleton Enterprise Park, Dwyers Road, Midleton, Cork

Two Closure Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:

  • Mrs Crogh’s Bar (Closed Area: The food preparation area: preparation, cooking and service of food), 4 Parnell Street, Thurles, Tipperary
  • Domenico Take Away, Newcastle, Tipperary

One Prohibition Order was served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:

  • Brazuca Market, 145 Parnell Street, Dublin 1

During the month September, two prosecutions were taken by the FSAI and the HSE in relation to:

  • Peter J Lyons, Ratoath, Meath
  • High Nelly’s Pub, Knocklonagad, Garryhill, Carlow

Some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in September include; flies noted throughout the premises; mice faeces noted in a room used to store burger buns; build-up of food debris and grease; a poor standard of personal hygiene by a food handler; raw foods stored above cooked foods in a fridge; food stored at unsafe temperatures; no evidence of regular hand washing; no pest control systems in place; completely inadequate food preparation surfaces; no facilities for disinfecting of crockery or utensils; food was wrapped in a freezer with a dead insect on its wrapping; food was being prepared cooked and served in an area where timber was also being chopped with an axe; a food worker had not received any training in food hygiene matters; a failure to provide traceability documentation.

Commenting, Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, said that all food businesses must take their legal responsibility seriously to ensure they protect the health of consumers by complying with food law.

“It is a continuous disappointment that each month food inspectors find serious non-compliances in food businesses that can put consumers’ health at risk. Businesses failed to comply with food safety, hygiene and proper food storage and handling standards that are in place to protect consumers’ health. Food businesses also need to ensure that their premises have the right food safety management procedures in place to ensure pest control and best hygiene practice at all times”.

“Also, it is the responsibility of all food business owners to ensure that their food business is registered and operating in line with the legal requirements under food law. Failure to do so will not be tolerated. This was evident in September where a prosecution was taken in relation to an unregistered food business involved in the transportation of beef. It followed an investigation by the FSAI in conjunction with veterinary inspectors from Offaly County Council, South Dublin County Council, Meath County Council and Longford County Council,” added Dr Byrne.

Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website. Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed in the enforcement reports on the website for a period of three months from the date of when a premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue, with Prohibition Orders being listed for a period of one month.

Enforcement Reports

Research – An Analysis of Tuna Recalls in the United States, 2002 through 2020

Journal of Food Protection

This manuscript reviews 18 years of voluntary recalls for commercially sold tuna in the United States. This recall information is a valuable indicator of the failure to implement procedures for food safety. The voluntary recalls involve fresh, frozen, processed, hermetically sealed and retorted in a shelf stable pack (i.e., canned tuna), and formulated into other tuna products. The FDA regulations that regulate the capture, processing, transportation, and sale of raw and processed seafood are discussed. These regulations include the current Good Manufacturing Practices, the Food Modernization Act, the Emergency Permit Control, Low Acid Canned Foods, the Seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, Food Labeling, and Sanitary Food Transportation. The importance of traceability and Food Safety Culture to successfully prevent or implement recalls is also discussed. The recalls themselves were separated into product treatment groups: uncooked, canned shelf-stable items, and using tuna as an ingredient. The recalls were further categorized and summarized by reason or cause, such as biological and chemical contamination, undeclared ingredients, under-processing, and foreign materials. The primary causes of recalls of the reviewed tuna products were, in order, Listeria monocytogenes , undeclared allergens, elevated histamine levels, and under-processing of retorted tuna items. The recalls for elevated levels of histamine primarily occurred in uncooked (raw) tuna. Recalls for Listeria sp. and undeclared allergens were considered to be primarily Class I recalls, while recalls for elevated levels of histamine and under-processing were almost always assigned to the less serious Class II designation.

Research – Detection of Escherichia albertii in retail oysters

Journal of Food Protection

Escherichia albertii  is an emerging foodborne pathogen. Owing to its distribution in river water,  it is important to determine the presence of  E. albertii  in aquaculture-related foods. In this study, we investigated the distribution of  E. albertii  in retail oyster samples.  A total of  427 raw oyster samples (385 Pacific oysters, and 42 Japanese rock oysters) were enriched in  modified Escherichia coli  broth (mEC) or mEC supplemented with novobiocin (NmEC) at 42 °C. The cultures were used for  E. albertii -specific nested PCR assay, as well as for  E. albertii  isolation using  deoxycholate hydrogen sulfide lactose agar  (DHL), DHL supplemented with rhamnose and xylose (RX-DHL), and MacConkey agar supplemented with rhamnose and xylose (RX-MAC). The population of  E. albertii  in nested PCR-positive samples was  determined using the  most probable number  (MPN) method.  E. albertii  isolates were subjected to biochemical and genetic characterization.  E. albertii   was detected in 5 of 315 (1.6%) Pacific oyster samples  (one piece each), 2 of 70 (2.9 %)  Pacific oyster samples  (25 g each), and 2 of 42 (4.8 %) Japanese rock oyster samples  procured from four geographically distant regions. A total of 64  E. albertii  strains were isolated from eight of the nine nested PCR assay-positive oyster samples, and  the MPN value was under the detection limit (< 3 MPN/10 g).  A specific season or month for detecting  E. albertii  was not observed in this study, suggesting that the pathogen is present in seawater.   All the  E. albertii  isolates, except one, were positive for the virulence factor  eae,  indicating that these isolates have  the potential to infect humans.

Denmark – Gas evolution in potato salad – Microbial Contamination

DVFA

BY Lantz is recalling organic potato salad with carrots due to gas evolution in the packages, indicating unwanted growth of microorganisms. Updated 08.10.2021 with new best before date.

Recalled Foods , Published: September 27, 2021

Modified October 8, 2021

What food:
Organic Potato salad with carrots
Net content: 350g
Best before-dates: 09.29.2021, 10.06.2021 and 20.10.2021
EAN bar code number: 5710871004605

Sold in:
Irma Shops Zealand

Company withdraws:
BY Lantz, Hovedvagtsgade 8.5 , 1103 København K

Cause:
The company has found gas development in some of the packages, which indicates unwanted growth of microorganisms.

Risk: The
evolution of gas and the possible growth of microorganisms make the product unfit for human consumption. Consumer

Advice:
Consumers are advised to return the product to the store where it was purchased or to discard it.

Denmark – Gas evolution in hummus- Microbial Contamination

DVFA

Mozami A / S is recalling organic hummus spicy due to gas development in the packages, which indicates unwanted growth of microorganisms.
Updated 08.10.2021 with new best before dates.

Recalled Foods , Published: September 22, 2021

Modified October 8, 2021

What food:
Organic hummus spicy
Net weight: 200g
Best before-dates: 09.26.2021, 10.10.2021, 24.10.2021 and 31.10.2021

Sold in:
Meny, Spar, My Grocery, Løvbjerg and Easy-Buy in the country.

Company recalling:
Mozami A / S, Ved Milepælen 4, 8361 Hasselager

Cause:
The company has found gas development in some of the packages, which indicates unwanted growth of microorganisms.

Risk: The
evolution of gas and the possible growth of microorganisms make the product unfit for human consumption. Consumer

advice:
Consumers are advised to return the product to the store where it was purchased or to discard it.

Australia – Barossa Fine Foods Pates – Listeria monocytogenes

FSANZ

Product information

Knoll Consultants & Investments Pty. Ltd. is conducting a recall of Duck and walnut pate 110g, Truffle pate 110g, Duck Terrine 110g and Farmhouse pate 110g. The products have been available for sale at Foodland (SA only) and independent grocers in VIC and SA.

Date markings

Use By 20 NOV 21

Problem

The recall is due to possible microbial contamination (Listeria monocytogenes).

Food safety hazard

Listeria may cause illness in pregnant women and their unborn babies, the elderly and people with low immune systems.

Country of origin

Australia

What to do​

Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice and should return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund.

For further information please contact:

​​Barossa Fine Foods Customer Service

(08) 8255 3900
qa@barossafinefoods.com.au

​

Related links:

RASFF Alert – Larvae of insects and mould on fresh rosehips from Ukraine

RASFF

Larvae of insects and mould on fresh rosehips from Ukraine

RASFF Alert – Aflatoxin – Ground Nutmeg

RASFF

Aflatoxins in ground nutmeg in Belgium, Czech Republic, DRC, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia.

RASFF

Aflatoxin B1 in blanched hazelnut kernels from Georgia in Poland and Germany

RASFF Alerts – Mycotoxin – Okadaic Acid -Mussels

RASFF

Okadaic acid in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from Spain