Between 11–13 December 2018, local public health authorities in the West Midlands, England were alerted to 34 reports of diarrhoea with abdominal cramps. Symptom onset was ~10 h after diners ate Christmas meals at a restaurant between 7–9 December 2018. A retrospective case-control study, environmental and microbiological investigations were undertaken to determine the source and control the outbreak. An analytical study was undertaken with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Forty persons were recruited to the analytical study (28/40 cases). Multivariable analysis found that leeks in cheese sauce was the only item associated with illness (aOR 51.1; 95% CI 4.13–2492.1). Environmental investigations identified significant lapses in food safety, including lapses in temperature control during cooking and hot holding, likely cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods and the reuse of leftover cheese sauce for the next day’s service. No food samples were taken during the exposure period. Two faecal samples were positive for Clostridium perfringens with one confirming the enterotoxigenic gene. Cheese sauce is an unusual vehicle for the organism and the first time this has been reported in England.
Posted in Clostridium perfringens, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Research, Uncategorized
BACOLOD CITY – Two members of a family died while three others were hospitalized due to food poisoning in Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental Tuesday.
Fatalities were brothers aged seven and eight.
Police Major Clifford Batadhay, town police chief, said the children’s father gathered crabs locally known as “kumong-kumong” or “krukudlong” here Monday. The following day, they cooked it and ate it for breakfast.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated the clover sprouts E. coli O103 outbreak that is associated with Jimmy John’s restaurants and Chicago Indoor Garden raw clover sprouts. Since the last update on February 26, 2020, 25 more patients who live in two states have been identified. Twenty-four of the new patients live in Utah, and Florida has been added to the state count.
Posted in E.coli, E.coli O103, food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, 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, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli, Uncategorized
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 30; Tot. = 31.9 µg/kg – ppb) in shelled groundnuts from the United States in the UK
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 7; Tot. = 8.2 µg/kg – ppb) in blanched groundnut kernels from Egypt in the Netherlands
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 299; Tot. = 356.2 µg/kg – ppb) in suya pepper from Ghana in the UK
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 5; Tot. = 5.4 µg/kg – ppb) in melon seeds from Ghana in the UK
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 44; Tot. = 49 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from India in the Netherlands
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 6.6 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from India in the Netherlands
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 5.2; Tot. = 6.0 µg/kg – ppb) in shelled groundnuts from the United States in Bulgaria
RASFF – Vibrio cholerae (presence /25g) in raw soft shell crabs from Thailand in the Netherlands
RASFF – shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli in chilled boneless beef vacuum packed from Argentina in Germany
RASFF – olives from Turkey unfit for human consumption and infested with moulds in Denmark
RASFF – too high count of Escherichia coli (50000 to 440000 CFU /g) in raw cow’s milk cheese from France in France
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 64.8 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from India in the UK
FoodWorld 