Category Archives: Food Toxin

USA – Wegmans Issues Voluntary Recall of Fresh Cauliflower Rice, Veggie/Cauliflower Rice Blend and Stir-Fry Mix with Cauliflower – E.coli O157

Posted on December 20, 2018 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. has issued a voluntary recall of fresh Cauliflower Rice, Veggie Cauliflower Rice Blend and Stir-Fry Mix with Cauliflower, sold in the produce department between 12/7/18 and 12/18/18, because it may be contaminated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria (E. Coli O157:H7). E. coli O157:H7 causes a diarrheal illness often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

The recalled products (with use-by dates of 12/11/18 through 12/22/18) are as follows:

Wegmans Cauliflower Rice, 1 lb. pkg. UPC #25313500000
Wegmans Cauliflower Rice, 8 oz. pkg. UPC #25307200000
Wegmans Stir Fry Blend (with cauliflower), 1 lb. pkg. UPC #25335800000
Wegmans Veggie (cauliflower) Rice Blend (sold by the pound), UPC #253162000000

The recalled products were distributed to 98 Wegmans stores in N.Y., N.J., Pa., Md., Va. and Mass.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recall was initiated by Produce Packaging, Inc. based in Cleveland, OH, which supplies these products to Wegmans and notified Wegmans that the product may have been contaminated.

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

Research – Potatoes and Food Poisoning Outbreaks: Botulism and Listeria Monocytogenes

Posted on December 19, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Potatoes aren’t often thought of when people think about food poisoning. This root vegetable is, after all, always cooked before it’s eaten, which would kill off any pathogenic bacteria. But this vegetable grows in soil and can be contaminated at any point along the supply chain.

But there have been some outbreaks linked to potatoes. Clostridium botulinum outbreaks have been linked to baked potatoes that are wrapped in aluminum foil. The spores that produce this deadly toxin are found in the soil, and they can contaminate the spuds. The spores can sometimes survive the baking process. If the potatoes are baked while tightly wrapped in aluminum foil, that creates an anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment. And that creates the perfect conditions for botulism spores to germinate, grow, and produce the botulism toxin.

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Posted in Clostridium botulinum, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Uncategorized

Research – Spokane Produce Linked to E. coli Recall

Posted on December 19, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

kswfoodworld E.coli O157

Image CDC

 

Spokane Produce Inc. of Spokane, WA initiates a voluntary recall of sandwiches containing green leaf lettuce and foodservice lettuce filets following notice of a produce industry ingredient recall by Adam Bros. Farming Inc. Sandwich products bearing the Northwest Cuisine Creations and Fresh&Local labels. These products are recalled because they may be contaminated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria (E. coli O157:H7).

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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 Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized

UK – Food safety experts warn fruit and vegetables sold in British shops could contain potentially deadly Norovirus

Posted on December 19, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Telegraph

 

Fruit and vegetables being sold in British supermarkets have been found to contain norovirus, food safety experts have announced.

The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) researchers discovered that one lettuce in every 20 contained the vomiting virus.

The bug, spread by human waste, was also detected in one in every 27 bags of frozen raspberries.

“Norovirus is the commonest cause of gastrointestinal disease in the UK causing millions of cases annually,” said the researchers, who added that their findings indicated serious negligence by food suppliers and retailers.

“One should not expect to find a norovirus in one’s lettuce or raspberry,” scientists told The Sunday Times.

“When the virus is detected it is clear that guidance [on food hygiene] is not being adhered to and that in consequence the pathogen is entering the food supply chain.”

The researchers tested 568 lettuces, which had been mostly grown in Britain, and found norovirus in 30 of them.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Toxin, Food Virus, Norovirus, Uncategorized, Virus

USA – Spokane Produce Voluntarily Recalls Northwest Cuisine Creations and Fresh&Local Sandwiches and Green Leaf Lettuce Filets

Posted on December 18, 2018 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Spokane Produce Inc. of Spokane, WA initiates a voluntary recall of sandwiches containing green leaf lettuce and foodservice lettuce filets following notice of a produce industry ingredient recall by Adam Bros. Farming Inc. Sandwich products bearing the Northwest Cuisine Creations and Fresh&Local labels. These prod- ucts are recalled because they may be contaminated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria (E. Coli O157:H7). E. coli O157:H7 causes a diarrheal illness often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

All sandwiches bear the “best buy” dating 12/14/18-12/21/18. The product was distributed to grocery markets in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Oregon. In addition, Green Leaf Filets (no label) in five(5) and ten(10) pound containers are being recalled from foodservice accounts.

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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 Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized

India – 11 dead in suspected religious food poisoning incident in India

Posted on December 18, 2018 by | Leave a comment

CNN

New Delhi (CNN)Food shared among participants in a religious ceremony is believed to have caused at least 11 deaths and put more than 90 worshipers in hospital, police in the southern Indian state of Karnataka said Saturday.

The religious food offering, or “prasad,” involved was vegetable rice. “We believe the ‘prasad’ was poisoned,” Dharmender Kumar Meena, Police Superintendent of Chamarajanagar district, told CNN.
“There was a foundation-laying ceremony of a new Hindu temple and following the event the ‘prasad’ was distributed. People started vomiting shortly after,” Meena said.
Samples of the food have been sent to a laboratory for examination, Meena said.

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Posted in food contamination, food death, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized

Canada – Food Recall Warning – Certain cauliflower, red leaf lettuce and green leaf lettuce produced by Adam Bros Farming Inc. recalled due to E. coli O157:H7

Posted on December 16, 2018 by | Leave a comment

CFIA CIFA

Recall details

Ottawa, December 15, 2018 – Industry is recalling certain cauliflower, red leaf lettuce and green leaf lettuce produced by Adam Bros. Farming Inc. of Santa Maria, California, United States (US) from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. The affected products described below have been imported from Adam Bros Farming Inc. by: Courchesne Larose Ltd., Anjou, QC, Dominion Citrus, Toronto, ON; Fresh Taste Produce Limited, Milton, ON; and Fruits et Legumes Gaetan Bono Inc., Montreal, QC. Consumers, retailers, restaurants and institutions should not sell, use or consume the recalled products described below.

The following products, grown in the US, are known to have been sold in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador and may have been sold in other provinces.

Recalled products

Brand Name Common Name Size Code(s) on Product Additional Info
Adam Brothers Family Farms Cauliflower Variable Carton tag numbers:
203-27263 331-18;
203-27263 332-18;
203-27263 333-18;
203-27263 334-18;
203-27268 334-18;
204-27268 332-18.		 This cauliflower is wrapped and has the Adam Brothers Family Farms logo but no coding information.
If you are unsure as to whether products are included in this recall, contact the location where they were purchased.
None Green Leaf Lettuce Sold in bulk Carton Tag Numbers:
204-27247 331-18;
253-27268 331-18;
204-27268 331-18;
204-27268 332-18.		 This product was sold in bulk without a brand name.
If you are unsure as to whether products are included in this recall, contact the location where they were purchased.
None Red Leaf Lettuce Sold in bulk Carton Tag Numbers:
253-27267 331-18;
204-27267 331-18;
203-27267 331-18.		 This product was sold in bulk without a brand name.
If you are unsure as to whether products are included in this recall, contact the location where they were purchased.

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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 Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized

Research – What’s happening inside your body when you have food poisoning? A new study into Bacillus cereus has some clues

Posted on December 15, 2018 by | Leave a comment

ABC Net

bacillus

You know the symptoms well enough. The clammy chill that washes over your body, the clenching in your stomach and then, finally, the dash to the bathroom, possibly accompanied by a split-second decision about which part of your body to aim at the toilet first.

But what’s happening inside your body when you have food poisoning?

Research published today has given us a slightly clearer idea, at least for one type of bacteria.

A team from the Australian National University looked at the way the body responds to the bacteria Bacillus cereus, which can cause food poisoning and sometimes lead to serious infections elsewhere in the body, including sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis.

They found a toxin secreted by the bacteria binds directly to cells in the human body and punches holes in the cells to kill them, triggering an immune response.

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, Bacteria, bacterial contamination, Food Illness, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized

USA – Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. and FDA Deputy Commissioner Frank Yiannas on new findings and updated consumer recommendations related to the romaine lettuce E. coli O157:H7 outbreak investigation

Posted on December 14, 2018 by | Leave a comment

FDA Eurofins Food Testing UK

On Nov. 20, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned the American public of a multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 linked to romaine lettuce and advised against eating any romaine lettuce on the market at that time. The FDA then worked quickly with romaine producers and distributors who voluntarily withdrew the product from the market to help contain this new outbreak. This was an especially important step in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday. At the same time, we immediately launched a broad traceback investigation to determine the source of this outbreak.

We have new results to report from this investigation tracing the source of the contamination to at least one specific farm. Based on these and other new findings, we’re updating our recommendations for the romaine lettuce industry and consumers.

Shortly after our initial public warning, our traceback investigation was able to narrow down the scope of implicated product. Based on these initial findings, we immediately issued an updated public warning to consumers to avoid consuming romaine lettuce specifically from Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Ventura counties in California. This information about the implicated regions helped consumers avoid potentially affected product. The information was provided in conjunction with a voluntary agreement that we reached with industry to provide more specific labeling information on the origin and harvest date of romaine lettuce as it was shipped to the market.

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

RASFF Alerts – Ochratoxin A – Sultanas

Posted on December 14, 2018 by | Leave a comment

RASFF-Logo

RASFF-ochratoxin A (24 µg/kg – ppb) in sultanas from Turkey in Portugal

RASFF-ochratoxin A (18.4 µg/kg – ppb) in sultanas from Turkey in the UK

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