Category Archives: Food Technology

Ireland Rise in Campylobacter Cases?

Posted on March 28, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Independant IE

Experts are puzzled at the rise in cases of Campylobacter — the most common cause of food poisoning.

There were 2,440 official cases notified in the Republic last year, which is a rise of 46.9pc over 2010.

Its largest group of victims are children under four years of age, according to the disease watchdog, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre of Ireland.

It pointed out that the increase in cases has been examined in a range of countries in the past but beyond theories about consumption of poorly cooked poultry no firm explanation for any rise was found.

I was discussing this at a meeting yesterday and we wondered if it was linked to the current economic climate and chicken being a cheaper meat than beef or lamb?

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen

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Ripeness of Product Could Affect Pathogen Growth

Posted on March 26, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Eurek Alert

The ripeness of fruit could determine how food-poisoning bacteria grow on them, according to scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology’s Spring Conference in Dublin this week. Their work could lead to new strategies to improve food safety, bringing many health and economic benefits.

A wide range of fresh produce has been linked to outbreaks of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica including melons, jalapeño and serrano peppers, basil, lettuce, horseradish sprouts and tomatoes. Researchers at Imperial College London are looking at how these bacterial pathogens latch onto fruits and vegetables and establish themselves in the first place.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O104, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella

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Luciferase Pathogen Detection

Posted on March 21, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Biology researchers in the United Kingdom have developed a device that can detect foodborne pathogens using a variant of a simple, seemingly unlikely chemical: Firefly luciferase, the enzyme that makes fireflies’ abdomens light up.
 
The device, called “Bioluminescent Assay in Real-Time” (BART), pinpoints harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and Listeria on food by activating the luciferase in their presence, converting the bacteria’s DNA sequences into distinguishable patterns of light.
 
 

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Technology, Food Testing, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella

How Salmonella Avoids the Body’s Immune Response

Posted on March 15, 2012 by | 1 comment

Science Daily – Full Article

Pathogens like salmonella flourish and cause disease in humans through a process by which they acquire metal ions, such as zinc, from the body. One of the body’s key immune responses is to flood the infected area with antimicrobial proteins that include calprotectin, which removes zinc. Without enough of this vital element, most pathogens eventually die.

The study team found, however, that salmonellae overcome this immune response by expressing specialised transporter proteins that enable the bacteria to acquire zinc in spite of calprotectin reducing the amount available in the digestive tract. This distinctive mechanism lets salmonellae continue proliferating.

 At the same time, calprotectin inadvertently promotes salmonella growth by killing the microbes that normally reside within the intestines and help the immune system battle pathogenic bacteria.

 

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Salmonella

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Views Sought on Using Lactic Acid on Beef Carcasses – FSA

Posted on March 14, 2012 by | 1 comment

FSA

The Food Standards Agency is asking businesses to provide their views on the use of lactic acid to reduce microbiological surface contamination on beef carcasses, proposed in a draft EU regulation.

The FSA has already consulted widely to inform the UK voting position on the EU draft regulation, and would like to consult further in order to assess the likely impact on UK businesses. If authorised, the use of lactic acid on beef carcasses would be permissive rather than mandatory. A vote on the Commission regulation is expected in spring 2012.

Businesses in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland are asked to submit their views, for instance whether they would use lactic acid if approved, what the cost might be, and whether staff would require additional training in the process.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Standards Agency, Food Technology, Food Testing, Microbiology

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Electrochemical Treatment of Wash Water – E.coli

Posted on March 14, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Quality

Electrochemical treatment of wash water in fresh produce processing shows real potential to combat E.coli contamination and cut in-plant water consumption, according to recent research.

 

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O104, E.coli O157, E.coli O26, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen

FSA – Review of the Food Safety (Sampling & Qualifications) Regulations 1990

Posted on March 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FSA

To review and update national legislation on the Food Safety (Sampling & Qualification) Regulations 1990. The primary aim will be to ensure that qualifications listed for food/public analysts and food examiners are up to date and to remove/amend obsolete provisions found within the Regulations.

All comments and reviews to be sent to:

Bhavna Parmar

SMLP Branch, ARD
Food Standards Agency
1st floor Aviation House
125 Kingsway
London
WC2B 6NH

Tel: 0207 276 8307
Fax: 0207 276 8289
E-mail: bhavna.parmar@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

Responses are requested by: Monday 4 June 2012

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Standards Agency, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen

China – Stricter Food Safety Rules

Posted on March 13, 2012 by | 1 comment

CRI English

A Chinese billionaire beverage tycoon said Monday that besides severe punishment, strict management and unified standards are necessary in ensuring food safety in China.

Zong Qinghou, chairman of beverage giant the Wahaha Group and China’s richest person according to the Hurun Global Rich List 2012, said severe punishment is “necessary”, but measures should be taken to prevent food contamination at “the very beginning” by curbing agricultural pollution.

“With polluted water and soil, pesticide and herbicide-tainted farm produces, antibiotics abuse and illegal uses of feed additives, there will be no food safety,” said Zong, a deputy to the National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislature.

Zong said the lack of unified food-safety standards has undermined China’s food safety efforts, and too many governments or departments are setting different, or even conflicting standards in food production and circulation.

Chinese courts convicted 320 people in 278 cases related to producing and distributing toxic and harmful food and additives, said another report from the Supreme People’s Court.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen

US Investigation – Food Illness Linked to Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

Posted on March 9, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Meating Place Article

The Center for Science in the Public Interest reported there were 38 pathogen outbreaks resistant to at least one antibiotic between 1973 and 2011. Of those, 45 percent occurred between 2000 and 2011, but the group could not determine whether increased use of antibiotics played a role in the increase.

While the data did not make the link between antibiotics use in food animals and increased incidents of antibiotic-resistant strains of pathogens, CSPI did.

CSPI Report Link

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen

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ECDC and EFSA – Food-borne Outbreaks in EU Report 2010

Posted on March 8, 2012 by | Leave a comment

ECDC

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) launched their annual report on zoonoses and food-borne outbreaks.

The report,  providing data on 15 zoonotic diseases in the European Union for 2010, supports the European Commission and EU Member States in their consideration of possible measures to protect citizens from risks related to zoonoses.

The report highlights a positive progress in the reduction of reported human cases of salmonellosis by almost 9% in 2010, as well as decreases in other zoonoses such as infections caused by Yersinia enterocolitica, Trichinella and Listeria monocytogenes. “Decreases in human cases of salmonellosis and other zoonotic diseases show that EU level control measures, resulting from surveillance of disease in humans with information from food and animals, are effective”, states Johan Giesecke, Chief Scientist at ECDC.

On the other hand, the number of cases of  campylobacteriosis has been increasing over the last five years, and human cases of Shiga toxin/verotoxin -producing Escherichia coli (STEC/VTEC) are also increasing. These trends “highlight the need of further joint efforts”, continues Prof. Gieseke. “For this, ECDC will continue to strengthen its links with all important partners and foster collaboration in order to decrease the occurrence of these diseases in the EU”.

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Posted in Bacillus, Campylobacter, E.coli, E.coli O157, EFSA, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella, STEC

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