Category Archives: Food Toxin

UK – Co-op recalls Sliced Pepperoni because of contamination with E. coli

Posted on April 15, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

Co-op is recalling Co-op Sliced Pepperoni because E. coli O157 has been found in the product.

Product details

Co-op Sliced Pepperoni
Pack size	70g
Use by	19 May 2020

Risk statement

The presence of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in the product listed above.

Symptoms caused by this organism include diarrhoea, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhoea, and haemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can lead to kidney failure and can be fatal.

Action taken by the company

Co-op is recalling the above product. Point-of-sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling this product. These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product. Please see the attached notice.

Customer notice: Co-op Sliced Pepperoni(Opens in a new window)

Our advice to consumers

If you have bought the above product, do not eat it. Instead contact 0800 0686 727 or customer.careline@coop.co.uk to arrange a refund. If customers are making an essential trip to the store from where it was bought, they can return the item in-store for a full refund.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, fsa, STEC E.coli, Uncategorized

RASFF Alert- Aflatoxin – Blanched Groundnuts

Posted on April 11, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 3; Tot. = 5.9 µg/kg – ppb) in blanched groundnuts from China in Spain

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

RASFF Alert – Ochratoxin A – Dried Figs

Posted on April 11, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

RASFF – ochratoxin A (39.7 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Spain in Switzerland

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

RASFF Alert – DON – Mycotoxin – Durum Wheat

Posted on April 11, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

RASFF – deoxynivalenol (DON) (4023.1 µg/kg – ppb) in durum wheat from Italy in Italy

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Posted in deoxynivalenol, DON, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Mould Toxin, Mycotoxin, Toxin, Uncategorized

Hong Kong – Food Alert Not to consume a batch of bottled fruit juice drink contaminated with patulin

Posted on April 9, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

CFS

Issue Date	8.4.2020
Source of Information	Routine Surveillance Programme
Food Product	A bottled fruit juice drink imported from New Zealand
Product Name and Description	Product name: 100% Raw Apple Juice with Manuka Honey, Lemon & Ginger Country of origin: New Zealand Manufacturer: The Homegrown Juice Company Importer: The Dairy Farm Company Limited Volume : 1 litre per bottle Best-before date: June 21, 2020
Reason For Issuing Alert	The test result showed that the sample contained patulin at a level of 150 parts per billion (ppb), exceeding the action level of 50ppb adopted by the CFS. Patulin mostly occurs in rotten apple and its products. Generally speaking, apple juice with a low level of patulin will not cause acute intoxification. However, studies have shown that gastrointestinal hyperaemia, distension, haemorrhage and ulceration could be resulted if animals are exposed to high levels of patulin over a short period of time.
Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety	The CFS has informed the importer concerned of the irregularity, and the importer has stopped sale and removed from shelves the affected batch of the product and initiated a recall according to the CFS’ instructions. Prosecution will be instituted should there be sufficient evidence.
Advice to the Trade	Stop using or selling the affected products immediately if they possess them.
Advice to Consumers	Not to consume the affected products.
Further Information	The CFS press release Members of the public may call the company’s hotline at 2299 1133 for enquiries about the recall during office

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Posted in CFS, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, mold, Mould Toxin, Moulds, Mycotoxin, Patulin, Uncategorized

Research- FAO and WHO report rise in foodborne diseases related to Vibrio species

Posted on April 6, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

New Food Magazine

The FAO/WHO assessment revealed that there have been a series of pandemic outbreaks of V. parahaemolyticus foodborne illnesses due to the consumption of seafood and outbreaks have occurred in regions of the world where it was previously unreported.

Full Report

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Posted in Contaminated water, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Research, Uncategorized, Vibrio, Vibrio cholera, vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificans, Vibrio vulnificus, Water, water microbiology, Water Safety

USA – U.S. lacks sufficient aflatoxin checks on peanuts destined for Europe

Posted on April 6, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The United States has limited controls to manage aflatoxin contamination in peanuts for export to Europe, according to findings from an audit carried out because of regular detection of non-compliances.

Officials from DG Sante, the European Commission’s unit for food safety and health, said there was scope to develop and improve good practices across the industry to help reduce levels of aflatoxin in peanuts.

The audit assessed if the systems to control aflatoxin contamination in peanuts sent to the European Union comply with, or are equivalent to, EU laws to ensure limits for contaminants are respected. It found the legal framework primarily addresses peanuts for the domestic market and imports. There are no specific standards for peanuts intended for the EU.

It is possible for processors to export a lot to Europe which has, in the analysis of another sample from the same lot, had a result exceeding EU limits, according to DG Sante.

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Toxin, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Mould Toxin, Mycotoxin, Research, Toxin, Uncategorized

Research – Testing important to monitor mycotoxin risk to animals

Posted on April 4, 2020 by KSW | Leave a comment

Feed Strategy

Wet corn harvests in 2018 and 2019 mean producers must closely track the levels of mycotoxins in feed

“Everybody needs to test because there’s a broad variation in risk across the country,” he said in a webinar on mycotoxin management on March 31. “If we don’t test, we can’t understand what that risk is, and we have to understand the risk in order to formulate a program.”