Category Archives: Laboratory

UK – FSA Salmonella Outbreak investigation

Posted on September 12, 2013 by | Leave a comment

FSASalmonella

An outbreak of an unusual type of salmonella infection, Salmonella Typhimurium, across England and Wales is being investigated by Public Health England, Public Health Wales, the FSA and local authority environmental health officers.

A total of 21 confirmed cases in Wales and 30 in England have been reported, with 9 cases known to have required hospitalisation. Other potential cases are being investigated in both countries.

The outbreak was first detected in Wales in August and centred mainly in North Wales (Conwy and Gwynedd), with additional clusters being investigated in England in the Thames Valley, Leeds, Cumbria and Stafford areas.

Cases are widely geographically distributed in patients aged 7 months to 87 years.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Laboratory, Microbiology, outbreak, Salmonella

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USA – Cyclospora Outbreak Still Continues

Posted on September 11, 2013 by | 1 comment

Food Safety News

At least 646 people have now fallen ill with Cyclospora infections in connection with an outbreak that hit 24 states between June and August, according to the latest update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At least 44 of those individuals have been hospitalized. Those ill range in age from less than one year to 92 years old, with a median age of 52.

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Posted in CDC, Cyclospora, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Laboratory, outbreak

USA – Chicken Jerky Dog Chews – Salmonella 21 Cases

Posted on September 11, 2013 by | 1 comment

Food Safety News

At least 21 people in New Hampshire have fallen ill with Salmonella in an outbreak connected to Joey’s Jerky brand chicken jerky, a product made for dogs. The product has been voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer, Kritters Kitchen Kreations.

The contaminated jerky was sold at the following six stores in New Hampshire: America’s Pet in Hudson, Blue Seal in Bow, K9 Kaos in Dover, Osborne’s Agway in Concord, Sandy’s Pet Food Center in Concord and The Yellow Dogs Barn in Barrington.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Laboratory, Microbiology, outbreak, Pet Food, Salmonella

FSA – Loch Duart Artisan Smokehouse recalls a batch of their own Oak Smoked Salmon due to detection of Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on August 23, 2013 by | Leave a comment

FSA

As a precautionary measure, Loch Duart Artisan Smokehouse is recalling a certain batch code of the above product due to detection of Listeria monocytogenes which may pose a risk to health. Listeria monocytogenes can cause illness in certain groups of people, such as pregnant women, unborn and newborn babies, and anyone with reduced immunity, particularly the over-60s.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Standards Agency, Laboratory, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Pathogen, Recall

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RASFF Alerts – Listeria monocytogenes – Smoked Trout – Bacon

Posted on August 23, 2013 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – Listeria monocytogenes (in 4 out 5 samples) in smoked trout from Turkey from the Netherlands

RASFF – Listeria monocytogenes (<10 CFU/g) in bacon from Italy in France

 

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Laboratory, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall

RASFF Alerts – Salmonella – Chicken – Paan Leaves – Ochratoxin – Mild Curry – Aflatoxin – Pistachios

Posted on August 20, 2013 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – Salmonella enteritidis (presence /25g) in frozen skinless chicken legs from Brazil in Spain

RASFF – Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in paan leaves from India in the UK

RASFF – Ochratoxin A (54; 44 µg/kg – ppb) in mild curry from India in Switzerland

RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 29.6; Tot. = 33.4 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachio nuts with shell from Turkey in Italy

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Bacteria, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Laboratory, Microbiology, Mycotoxin, Ochratoxin, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Salmonella

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USA – Cyclospora Cases Still Building

Posted on August 20, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin220px-Cyclospora_cayetanensis_stained

In addition to battling an outbreak of Cyclospora infections and a Salmonella outbreak, the state of Iowa is reported increased Cryptosporidiosis cases this summer.  That parasite is usually spread through people with diarrhea swimming in pools, lakes, and rivers. The parasite gets into the water and people contract the illness when they swallow swimming water.

There have been at least 358 cases of Cryptosporidiosis reported to the Iowa Department of Public Health this year; 272 reported since June 1, 2013. An additional 138 cases are under investigation.

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Posted in Cyclospora, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Illness, Laboratory, Microbiology, outbreak, Parasite, Pathogen

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New Zealand – Fonterra – Botulism Updates

Posted on August 14, 2013 by | Leave a comment

NZ Farmer

A veterinarian and farm consultant doubts the recent Fonterra botulism scare was caused by a dirty pipe, and says he is sitting on material that will embarrass the dairy giant further.

Matamata veterinarian and farm performance consultant Frank Rowson says Fonterra should be tracing the source of the Clostridium botulinum bacterium back to farms or their own water supply.

He doubts Clostridium botulinum was caused by an old pipe at Fonterra’s Hautapu plant and said it had to get in there in the first place.

NZ Farmer

The Fonterra botulism contamination scare has claimed its first scalp – that of Gary Romano, the dairy industry veteran left to publicly front the crisis in New Zealand.

Romano has resigned as managing director of NZ Milk Products, the dairy company’s manufacturing operations division, effective immediately.

His departure from New Zealand’s biggest company was announced this evening in a four-paragraph statement which said chief executive Theo Spierings had accepted his resignation. Spierings will temporarily assume Romano’s day-to-day duties.

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Posted in Bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Laboratory, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Research

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USA – Raw Milk Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on August 14, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning BulletinimagesCAZ9J1WP

Raw milk from Green Acres Jersey Farm, 725 Prescott Road, Lebanon, Pennsylvania may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and should be discarded, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture officials warn. The potentially contaminated milk was sold with the Green Acres Jersey Farm label in plastic gallon and half gallon containers labeled “raw milk” directly to consumers and in an on-farm retail store.

The problem was discovered during required routine testing  The farm’s owner, Jonathan Smoker, has been  ordered to stop all raw milk sales until further notice. Followup testing is required. Before sales can resume, two samples, taken at least 24 hours apart, must test negative

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Laboratory, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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RASFF Alert E.coli – Beef – Enterobacteriaceae – Dog Chews

Posted on August 13, 2013 by | Leave a comment

RASFF -Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli in chilled boneless beef meat from Argentina in Germany

RASFF -Too high count of Enterobacteriaceae (12000 CFU/g) in dog chews from Germany in Austria

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, EHEC, Enterobacteriaceae, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Laboratory, Microbiology, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, STEC

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