Category Archives: Food Toxin

RASFF Alert – Histamine – Frozen Skipjack Tuna

RASFF-Logo

RASFF – histamine (>800 mg/kg – ppm) in frozen skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus [Euthynnus] pelamis) from the Maldives in Spain

Information – CDC – Staph infections can kill

CDC

MRSA Staphylococcus KSW Food World

Image CDC

Overview

Staphylococcus aureus (staph) is a germ found on people’s skin. Staph can cause serious infections if it gets into the blood and can lead to sepsis or death.

  • Staph is either methicillin-resistant staph (MRSA) or methicillin-susceptible staph (MSSA).
  • Staph can spread in and between hospitals and other healthcare facilities, and in communities.
  • People are at higher risk for staph infection when they have surgery or stay in healthcare facilities, have medical devices in their body, inject drugs, or when they come in close contact with someone who has staph.
  • Additional tactics in healthcare—such as decolonization (reducing germs people may carry and spread) before surgery—along with current CDC recommendations could prevent more staph infections.

 

New Zealand – Shellfish biotoxin alerts – DSP – PSP

MPI

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) today extended the public health warning advising the public not to collect or consume shellfish harvested from the South Island West Coast between Greymouth and Hector.

Routine tests on shellfish samples taken from this region has shown levels of Diarrhetic Shellfish Toxins above the safe limit of 0.16 mg/kg set by MPI.  Anyone eating shellfish from this area is potentially at risk of illness.

Map highlighting in red the areas affected.

MPI

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) today issued a public health warning against collecting shellfish in the Pelorus Sound, excluding the upper Kenepuru Sound. The warning extends outwards to a line from Paparoa Point to Culdaff Point.

Routine tests on shellfish samples taken from this region have shown levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins above the safe limit of 0.8 mg/kg set by MPI. Anyone eating shellfish from this area is potentially at risk of illness.

Map highlighting in red the areas affected.

RASFF Alert – Ochratoxin A – Organic Gluten Free Corn Pasta -Dried Grapes

RASFF-Logo

RASFF – ochratoxin A (7.8 µg/kg – ppb) in organic gluten free corn pasta from Romania in Denmark

RASFF – ochratoxin A (41 µg/kg – ppb) in dried grapes from Turkey in France

RASFF Alerts – Aflatoxin – Hazlenuts – Groundnuts – Chilli Powder – Pistachios – Cushed Chilli – Basmati Rice – Gound Melon Seeds

RASFF-Logo

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 8.1 µg/kg – ppb) in shrivelled hazelnut kernels from Georgia in Bulgaria

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 4.5 / B1 = 4.4 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from Egypt in Croatia

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 1.1; Tot. = 13 µg/kg – ppb) in blanched groundnut kernels from China in the Netherlands

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 9.8 µg/kg – ppb) in chilli powder from India in Belgium

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 26.8; Tot. = 29.2 / B1 = 21.4; Tot. = 25.4 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachio kernels from Turkey in Greece

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 20.8; Tot. = 20.8 µg/kg – ppb) in crushed chilli from India in Bulgaria

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 7.65 / B1 = 8.29 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from Brazil in Italy

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 9.3; Tot. = 12 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from Argentina in the Netherlands

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 4.3 µg/kg – ppb) in basmati rice from Pakistan in Italy

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 5.4 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from the United States in the Netherlands

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 9.97 µg/kg – ppb) in hazelnut kernels from Azerbaijan in Poland

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 7.8; Tot. = 5.7 µg/kg – ppb) in and insufficient labelling (missing or illegible batch information) of ground melon seeds (egusi) from the Netherlands in Germany

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 9.6 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachio bars from Turkey in Germany

 

RASFF Alert – Animal Feed – Aflatoxin – Groundnut Kernels

RASFF-Logo

RASFF -aflatoxins (B1 = 33.8 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels for birdfeed from Senegal in the UK

UK – The Condiment Company recalls Hunter & Gather Avocado Oil Mayonnaise due to a lack of microbiological controls – Clostridium botulinum

FSA

The Condiment Company Ltd is recalling Hunter & Gather Avocado Oil Mayonnaise because of concerns over the company’s procedures in place to control Clostridium botulinum.

Product details

Hunter & Gather Avocado Oil Mayonnaise

Pack size 250g
Batch code 25/09/19
Best before 25 September 2019

No other The Condiment Company products are known to be affected.

Risk statement

Manufacturing controls that could potentially affect the safety of the product listed above could not be demonstrated satisfactorily by the company. The issue relates to controlling factors to prevent the growth and toxin production of Clostridium botulinum.

Botulinum toxin may cause a serious form of food poisoning called botulism and can be fatal.

A recall from customers is being carried out as a precautionary measure.

Action taken by the company

The Condiment Company Ltd 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.

Our advice to consumers

If you have bought any of the above product do not eat it. Instead, return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund.

Hong Kong – Not to consume a batch of bottled salted egg paste suspected to contain excessive Staphylococcus aureus

CFS Staph

Issue Date 21.2.2019
Source of Information Food Safety Centre, Macau
Food Product Bottled salted egg paste
Product Name and Description Product name: Salted Egg Paste

Brand: English name not available

Place of origin: China

Distributor: Un Chi Enterprise Development Company

Net weight: 180 g per bottle

Best-before date: October 25, 2019

Reason For Issuing Alert
  • The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) received a notification from the Food Safety Centre, Macau, that a sample collected from the abovementioned salted egg paste imported from Hong Kong was detected with Staphylococcus aureus at a level of 150 000 organisms per gram, exceeding the standard of Macau. Under Hong Kong’s Microbiological Guidelines for Food, if ready-to-eat food contains Staphylococcus aureus and other coagulase-positive staphylococci at a level of more than 10 000 organisms per gram, it is also considered unsatisfactory.
  • The CFS immediately contacted the local distributor concerned for follow-up. According to the information provided by the distributor, the affected batch of product was available for sale in Hong Kong and had been sold out.
Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety
  • The distributor concerned has initiated a recall according to CFS’ instructions.
  •  The CFS is also tracing the distribution of the product concerned.
  •  The CFS will alert the trade, continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action.
Advice to the Trade
  • Stop using or selling the product concerned immediately should they possess it.
Advice to Consumers
  • Not to consume the affected batch of product if they have bought it.
Further Information The CFS press release

Members of the public may call the distributor’s hotline at 2650 3802 during office hours for enquiries about the recall.

Spain – Investigation opens into Michelin restaurant death and food poisonings

The Guardian

A Spanish judge has launched an investigation into the death of a woman who had eaten at a Michelin-starred restaurant now at the centre of a major food poisoning outbreak.

The 46-year-old woman, who has not been named, died in the early hours of Sunday after having a meal with her husband and son at the Riff restaurant in the eastern city of Valencia.

Regional health authorities say 30 people – including the woman, her husband and son – fell ill with food poisoning after eating at Riff between 13 and 16 February. The woman’s husband and son are recovering.

A judge in Valencia has opened an inquiry into the death and is awaiting the results of a postmortem and an analysis of samples taken from the restaurant.

The regional high court told the Europa Press news agency that no individuals were currently under investigation.

RASFF Alerts – Aflatoxin – Roasted Melon Seeds – Groundnuts – Hazlenut Kernels – Dried Figs – Pistachios

RASFF-Logo

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 10.6; Tot. = 11.5 µg/kg – ppb) in roasted melon seed kernels from Syria in Germany

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 19.4; Tot. = 23 / B1 = 56.5; Tot. = 66.6 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from Paraguay in Belgium

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 13.6; Tot. = 16 µg/kg – ppb) in hazelnut kernels from Azerbaijan in Germany

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 3.6; Tot. = 5 µg/kg – ppb) in shelled groundnuts from Argentina in the UK

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 16.2; Tot. = 17.1 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Spain, packaged in the Netherlands in Germany

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 11; Tot. = 13 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Argentina in the Netherlands

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 10.63; Tot. = 11.20 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachios from Turkey in Italy

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 8.7; Tot. = 21 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from China in the Netherlands

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 40; Tot. = 49 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachios from Turkey in the Netherlands