Botulism is a rare, life-threatening paralytic illness caused by neurotoxins produced by an anaerobic, gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium, Clostridium botulinum. Unlike Clostridium perfringens, which requires the ingestion of large numbers of viable cells to cause symptoms, the symptoms of botulism are caused by the ingestion of highly toxic, soluble exotoxins produced by C. botulinum while growing in foods.
Posted in Bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Hygiene, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Research
Tagged bacterium clostridium botulinum, clostridium perfringens, exotoxins, symptoms of botulism, viable cells
National Beef Packing Company, a Liberal, Kan., firm, is recalling approximately 50,100 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The following products are subject to recall:
All these products bear the establishment number “EST. 208A” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products were produced on July 18, 2013 and were shipped in 40 to 60 pound cases to retailers, wholesalers, and food service distributors nationwide.
The problem was discovered through routine FSIS monitoring which confirmed a positive result for E. coli O157:H7. An investigation determined National Beef Packing Co. was the sole supplier of the source materials used to produce the positive product. FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider.
RASFF -Aflatoxins (B1 = 7.5; Tot. = 8.8 µg/kg – ppb) in hazelnut kernels from Turkey in Germany
RASFF -Aflatoxins (B1 = 92.3; Tot. = 105.1 / B1 = 10.4; Tot. = 11.2 µg/kg – ppb) in hazelnut kernels from Turkey in France
RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 42.9; Tot. = 45.2 µg/kg – ppb) in chilly powder from India in Greece
RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 27.8; Tot. = 31.7 µg/kg – ppb) in nutmeg from India in Greece
RASFF -Aflatoxins (B1 = 96.7; Tot. = 289.6 / B1 = 81; Tot. = 90.1 / B1 = 25.3; Tot. = 27.4 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachios from the United States in Luxembourg
RASFF – Ochratoxin A (65.6 µg/item) in madras curry powder from India in Cyprus
RASFF -Ochratoxin A (36.2 µg/kg – ppb) in hot madras curry powder from the United Kingdom in CYprus
ZIP International Grop is recalling herring fillets in oil because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of this product.
The recalled herring in oil is labeled FOSFOREL, ATLANTIKA in 400 gram plastic packaging. It has best by dates of 5/15/13 and 7/17/13, with UPC number 4607095500208. It was sold to retail grocery stores in New York state from 3/15/13 to 5/24/13. The herring is a product of Russia.
Testing by the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets found the pathogenic bacteria in the product. If you purchased this product, do not eat it. Return it to the place of purchase for a refund. For questions and more information, call the company at 732-225-3600 Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET.
Gold Star Smoked Fish of New York is recalling Rybacka Wies Brand Herring Fillets in oil “Matjes Siedz w oleju” for possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this product.
The product is packaged in 17.64 ounce (500 gram) plastic containers with an expiration date of 10/31/13 stamped on the back. The UPC number is 021 143241228. The product was sold nationwide. It is a product of the U.S.A.
Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, those with compromised immune systems and chronic illnesses, and the elderly. It can also cause stillbirth and miscarriage in pregnant women. If you purchased this product, do not eat it. Return it to the place of purchase for a refund. For questions and more information, contact the company at 718-522-5480.
While adequate, statistically designed sampling plans should be used whenever feasible, inference about the presence of pathogens in food occasionally has to be made based on smaller numbers of samples. To help the interpretation of such results, we reviewed the impact of small sample sizes on pathogen detection and prevalence estimation. In particular, we evaluated four situations commonly encountered in practice. The first two examples evaluate the combined impact of sample size and pathogen prevalence (i.e., fraction of contaminated food items in a given lot) on pathogen detection and prevalence estimation. The latter two examples extend the previous example to consider the impact of pathogen concentration and imperfect test sensitivity. The provided examples highlight the difficulties of making inference based on small numbers of samples, and emphasize the importance of using appropriate statistical sampling designs whenever possible.
Is the source of a multi-state Cyclopora outbreak restaurant lettuce salad? Health officials in at least six states are working in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to divine the food source that has infected hundreds of people with a rare parasite.
The bug is so rare that it is not included in the standard parasite screening which looks for Giardia and Cryptosporidium, said David Warshauer, deputy director of communicable disease at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH). And once it’s confirmed with a special lab test, sub-typing is generally not performed.
With common bacterial food poisoning outbreaks, including those caused by E.coli, Salmonella, Listeria or Campylobacter, subtyping, often done with Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE), is performed to find the bacteria’s “genetic fingerprint.” This allows health officials to see how many people have been sickened by the same source.
If you’re like most people, you wash your produce before eating it. But do you dry it? You should, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Hundreds of people in six states; Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and Wisconsin have been sickened by a single-cell parasite called Cyclospora. To reduce your risk of food poisoning form fresh produce the FDA recommends the following produce-washing tips. Before you begin, wash your hands with hot, soapy water for 20 seconds, or long enough to sing Happy Birthday twice. Wash produce under cool, running water. Do not use soap or commercial washes. Scrub firm produce such as melons, cucumbers and potatoes with a brush. Dry the produce with a clean cloth or paper towel. Following these recommendations will reduce but not completely eliminate the risk of food poisoning from bacteria or parasites.
People become infected with Cyclospora when they eat or drink food or water that is contaminated with microscopic amounts of fecal matter containing the parasite. Cyclospora is most commonly found in tropical climates but imported foods including mesclun lettuce, basil, snow peas, and raspberries have been the source of a number of U.S. outbreaks in recent years.
The Cyclospora outbreak that has been reported by health departments in several midwestern states may have sickened as many as 183 people. The Iowa Department of Public Health released new information today saying their case count is up to 87. In Nebraska, 54 people are sick, and Texas has 37 cases of the parasitic disease so far this year; of those, 29 in north Texas were reported just this week.
As of July 17, 2013, 149 people are now sick in the hepatitis A outbreak linked to Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berry and pomegranate mix. Sixty-five people have been hospitalized in this outbreak with acute hepatitis A. No deaths have been reported.
The Food Standards Agency is asking businesses to provide information and data on the impact of proposed new guidance. The Agency wants to know the costs and benefits of guidance for stricter criteria for Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) food supplied to hospitals, nursing homes and similar healthcare settings. Responses to the questionnaire should be received by Friday 23 August 2013.
Posted in Bacteria, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Hygiene, Laboratory, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research
Tagged 23 august, food standards agency, healthcare settings, nursing homes
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the Clic brand Tahina (Paste made from Sesame Seeds) described in the link above because it may be contaminated with Salmonella.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.
The CFIA is working with the importer to remove the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
Posted in Bacteria, CFIA, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Hygiene, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella
Tagged canadian food inspection, canadian food inspection agency, canadian food inspection agency cfia, food inspection agency, salmonella, sesame seeds
Natura Pet Products is voluntarily recalling specific lots of dry pet food because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.
Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
These products were packaged in a single production facility. During routine FDA testing, a single lot tested positive for the presence of Salmonella. There have been no reports of pet or human illness associated with this product. In an abundance of caution, Natura is voluntarily recalling all products with expiration dates prior to June 10, 2014.
The affected products are sold in bags through veterinary clinics, select pet specialty retailers, and online in the United States and Canada. No canned wet food is affected by this announcement.
FoodWorld 