Category Archives: Foodborne Illness

US – Oysters Vibrio parahaemolyticus Warning

Posted on May 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin 

Massachusetts health officials are warning that oysters harvested from Cape Cod Bay may be contaminated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a bacteria that causes about 4,500 cases of foodborne illness every year.

That area has tidal flats with shallow water that can become very warm during the day. In just the right conditions of warm temperatures and the water’s salt content, the bacteria grows very quickly  in the shellfish. Then when those oysters are eaten raw or undercooked, the bacteria can make people sick.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus

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FSA – Food Safety Videos Link

Posted on May 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FSA

The Food Standards Agency has published 10 short videos to help caterers produce food safely. Each video is about a minute long and covers specific food hygiene practices.

These training resources are designed to illustrate messages within the ‘Safer food, better business’ packs and they follow the same innovative and practical approach to food safety management as the packs.

The videos provide best practice guidance on a number of potential food safety issues, such as:

  • effective handwashing
  • chilling foods down as quickly as possible
  • checking that foods are cooked thoroughly
  • effective cleaning
  • what to do if a member of staff is ill at work
  • keeping pests out of your business, what to look for and the action to take

The films are being used as part of a training programme, funded by the Agency, to coach catering businesses in Olympic host boroughs in order to help raise standards and compliance levels.

The videos are available via the Agency’s YouTube channel.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Spoilage, Food Standards Agency, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Research

FSA – London 2012 Food Safety

Posted on May 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FSA

The Food Standards Agency has published a toolkit and newsletter for stakeholders to support their participation in the Agency’s Play it Safe campaign. This campaign is helping to ensure that food bought, cooked and eaten during the 2012 Olympics is safe.

The toolkit provides suggestions on how stakeholders, such as food businesses, tourism groups and trade associations, can contribute to the campaign. These include posting details of the campaign on company websites and in newsletters, using social media and issuing press releases. The toolkit also answers frequently asked questions about the campaign and about food hygiene and safety.

The newsletter, the first in the campaign, explains the work being done to protect consumers during the Olympics. It also includes details on how to subscribe to future editions.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Research

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US – Oyster Norovirus Outbreak – Area 23

Posted on May 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Area 23, a shellfish harvesting zone off the Louisiana coast roughly equal in size to the city of New Orleans, was closed this week after health officials linked a norovirus outbreak to its oysters.

An investigation into the outbreak that sickened 14 people who ate oysters at a Louisiana restaurant determined that the oysters were tainted before they arrived at the restaurant. Health officials issued a recall of the oysters and the temporary closure of Area 23.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen

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Hep A Incidence US Steakhouse

Posted on May 11, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

The Vanderburgh County Health Department and the Indiana State Department of Health are investigating a case of Hepatitis A in a food worker at the Lone Star Restaurant located in the Eastland Place Shopping Center at 943 N. Green River Road Evansville IN, 47715-2418.

“We’ve been in contact with Lone Star and we wanted to let people know that they may have been exposed,” Dr. Ray Nicholson, Health Officer for the Health Department said.

Persons who were exposed and unvaccinated can receive a dose of Hepatitis A vaccine to help lessen the effects of the disease or prevent disease if given within 14 days of exposure. Persons who ate or drank at the Lone Star from April 20-April 26, 2012 could have been exposed to Hepatitis A, but should not receive vaccine because it is not effective for exposure past 14 days. Those people should seek medical care if they show symptoms of Hepatitis A.

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hepatitis A, Microbiology, Pathogen

Tempah Salmonella Outbreak Traced to Spores

Posted on May 11, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

North Carolina’s Department of Public Health laboratory confirmed on Thursday that the ongoing Salmonella Paratyphi B outbreak linked to Smiling Hara unpasteurized tempeh was caused by contaminated packages of spore culture used in the product’s fermentation process.
Tempeh is made from cooked and slightly fermented soybeans and formed into a patty, similar to a very firm veggie burger

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

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CDC – Five Multistate Outbreaks of Human Salmonella Infections Linked to Small Turtles

Posted on May 11, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CDC

Contact with reptiles (such as turtles, snakes, and lizards) and amphibians (such as frogs and toads) can be a source of human Salmonella infections. Small turtles, with a shell length of less than 4 inches, are a well-known source of human Salmonella infections, especially among young children. Because of this risk, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the sale and distribution of these turtles since 1975. Amphibians and reptiles can carry Salmonella germs and still appear healthy and clean. Salmonella germs are shed in their droppings and can easily contaminate their bodies and anything in areas where these animals live. Reptiles and amphibians that live in tanks or aquariums can contaminate the water with germs, which can spread to people.

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Posted in Bacteria, CDC, Eurofins Laboratories, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Pet Food, Research, Salmonella

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RASFF Alerts

Posted on May 11, 2012 by | Leave a comment

 

RASFF – Listeria monocytogenes Sweden Cheese Raw material from France

RASFF – Salmonella typhimurium Norway Beef from Uruguay.

RASFF – Salmonella and Bacillus cereus in All Spice in Austria orginating in Germany.

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Posted in Bacillus cereus, Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, RASFF

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New US Raw Milk Campylobacter Outbreak

Posted on May 11, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Campylobacter Blog

Raw milk, raw skim milk (non-fat), raw cream and raw butter produced by Organic Pastures Dairy of Fresno County is the subject of a statewide recall and quarantine order announced by California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Whiteford. The quarantine order came following the confirmed detection of campylobacter bacteria in raw cream.

Consumers are strongly urged to dispose of any Organic Pastures products of these types remaining in their refrigerators, and retailers are to pull those products immediately from their shelves.

From January through April 30, 2012, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reports that at least 10 people with campylobacter infection were identified throughout California and reported consuming Organic Pastures raw milk prior to illness onset. Their median age is 11.5 years, with six under 18. The age range is nine months to 38 years. They are residents of Fresno, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Luis Obispo and Santa Clara counties. None of the patients have been hospitalised, and there have been no deaths.

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

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Irish Hospital Listeria Outbreak – Warning Over Hospital Sandwiches

Posted on May 11, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Belfast Telegraph

Health trusts across Northern Ireland have been advised to stop serving sandwiches from a specific food supplier following an outbreak of listeria which claimed the life of a patient.

Four patients in the Northern Health & Social Care Trust were affected by the outbreak — an elderly woman being treated at Antrim Area Hospital died on the morning of April 8 and the last case was confirmed on April 20.

I think this needs to be extended to other high risk foods served in hospitals and have done for quite a while.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen