Category Archives: FSANZ

Australia – Consumer alert: frozen vegetable product recalls – Listeria monocytogenes

FSANZ 

 

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today warned vulnerable people to check their freezers for recalled frozen vegetable products that are possibly contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Acting FSANZ CEO Peter May said pregnant women, people whose immune systems are compromised (e.g. cancer patients) and elderly people, are at a much greater risk from Listeria infection.
 
“The products affected contain a particularly dangerous strain of Listeria and are being recalled as a precautionary measure to ensure consumers are protected, but particularly vulnerable populations,” Mr May said.
 
“While many people will follow cooking instructions properly (which should kill Listeria bacteria) we are aware that some people eat frozen vegetables straight from the freezer and there is a risk of some people not cooking produce properly.
 
Consumers who have the product in their freezer should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund or dispose of it. Consumers who have eaten the product and feel unwell should see a health professional.
 

Australia/New Zealand – Proposal P1017 – Criteria for Listeria monocytogenes – Microbiological Limits for Foods

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This Proposal seeks to update Standard 1.6.1 with regards to criteria for Listeria monocytogenes limits in ready-to-eat foods; aligning with international (Codex) standards, Food Safety and Primary Production and Processing Standards and associated FSANZ guidance material.

Full information and documents from the link above.

Australia Recalls – Organic Sprout Salad – Salmonella – Blue Cheese – Listeria monocytogenes

FSANZ FSANZ3

Energetic Greens has recalled Organic Sprouts Salad (Broccoli, sunflower and radish) from local greengrocers and IGA stores in northern NSW and the Mullumbimby, Bangalow and Glorious Organic Farmers Markets due to Salmonella contamination. Food products contaminated with Salmonella may cause illness if consumed. Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.

Food type

Mixed sprouts salad

Product name

Organic Sprouts Salad (Broccoli, Sunflower, and Radish) Energetic Greens

Package description & size

50g plastic punnet

Best Before 08/03/14
Australia
Salmonella contamination.
Whitestone Cheese (NZ) has recalled Whitestone Windsor Blue Cheese 110g from Woolworths Supermarkets in QLD, NSW, ACT and VIC due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.  Listeria monocytogenes may cause illness in
pregnant women and their unborn babies, the elderly and people with low immune systems. Consumers should not eat this product. Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice and should return the product to the place of purchase for a full cash refund

Australia – Recall Milk – E.coli

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Scenic Rim 4 Real Milk has recalled their Unhomogenised Full Cream Milk and
Great Tasting Full Cream Milk from IGA stores and small independent supermarkets
in South East QLD only. The recall is due to E.coli contamination. Consumers
should not drink these products and should return them to the place of purchase
for a full refund. Any consumers concerned about their health should seek
medical advice.

Australia – Cheese Recall – Listeria monocytogenes

FSANZFSANZ3

Ashgrove Cheese Pty Ltd has recalled 3 cheese products (Ashgrove Tasmanian Farm Cheese Wine Lovers selection, Ashgrove Tasmanian Farm Cheese Picnic Pack and Aldi Emporium Selection Pepper Cheese) due to Listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria
may cause illness in pregnant women and their unborn babies, the
elderly and people with low immune systems. The Ashgrove Tasmanian Farm Cheese products were sold in independent supermarkets in TAS and VIC and the Emporium Selection Pepper Cheese sold in Aldi stores in QLD, NSW, ACT and VIC. Consumers should not eat these products and should return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.

New Zealand – FSANZ – Call for Review of Limits for Listeria monocytogenes

Date: 8/11/2013FSANZ

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today called for submissions on a Proposal to review limits for Listeria monocytogenes in the Food Standards Code.

FSANZ Chief Executive Officer Steve McCutcheon said Proposal P1017 was seeking to establish criteria that are based on whether growth of L. monocytogenes can occur in ready-to-eat foods.

“This approach is consistent with L. monocytogenes management internationally,” Mr McCutcheon said.

“It recognises that L. monocytogenes is able to grow to high numbers in some foods and should not be present at detectable levels if the food is to be kept safe. In other foods, where we know the pathogen cannot grow, there is a possibility for occasional low level detections that will not affect the safety of the food.

“The review of the limits for L. monocytogenes is the first stage of a broader review of microbiological limits in the Code.”

The closing date for submissions on Proposal P1017 is 10 January 2014.

More information

Proposal P1017 – Criteria for Listeria monocytogenes – Microbiological Limits for Foods

Read more about the proposal

How to make a submission

FSANZ’s latest notification circular

What is Listeria? – See our consumer advice

Media contact: 0401 714 265 (Australia) or +61 401 714 265 (from New Zealand) or email media@foodstandards.gov.au

Australia – Recall Corned Beef – Listeria monocytogenes

FSANZ

Pendle Ham and Bacon has recalled Cooked Corned Beef from their deli store in
Pendle Hill, NSW due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Food
products contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may cause illness in
pregnant women and their babies, the elderly and people with low immune systems.
Consumers should not eat this product. Any consumers concerned about their
health should seek medical advice.

New Zealand – Listeria Deaths – Charges Brought

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Bay Cuisine, a New Zealand food company, will face charges in the Napier District Court for a Listeria outbreak last year that killed one woman and contributed to the death of another, the Dominion Post reports.

Bay Cuisine was the sole supplier of ready-to-eat meats to Hawke’s Bay Hospital, where the two victims were patients. The outbreak strain of Listeria was isolated from the meats and found at Bay Cuisine’s facilities.

The outbreak sickened four. A 60 year-old woman died as a direct result of her infection, while the bacteria contributed to the death of an 81 year-old woman.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new report finding that Listeria monocytogenes killed roughly one in five Americans infected in recent years.

Australia – Recall – Kosher Chicken and Veal – Listeria monocytogenes

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Melbourne Kosher Meats has recalled Chicken and Veal Wurst from Melbourne Kosher Meats in St Kilda and Meal Mart in Balaclava (Victoria) due to  Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Listeria monocytogenes may cause illness in pregnant women and their unborn babies, the elderly and people with low immune systems. Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.

Australia – Yoghurt Recall – E.coli

FSANZFSANZ

Shaw River Buffalo Cheese has recalled Shaw River Buffalo Yoghurt from some small gourmet retailers and health food stores in NSW, QLD and VIC due to microbial (E. coli) contamination. Foods contaminated with E. coli may cause illness if consumed. Customers should return these products to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Date notified to FSANZ

8 March 2013

Food type

Dairy

Product name

Shaw River Buffalo Yoghurt (natural yoghurt)

Package description & size

500g and 1.2kg white plastic tamper-proof tub

Date marking

Best before 14 APR 13

Country of origin

Australia

Reason for recall

Microbial contamination (E. coli)