RASFF -Salmonella (presence /25g) in cotton seeds from Ghana in Italy
RASFF– Salmonella spp. (2 out of 5 samples /25g) in paan leaves (betel/pan) from India in the UK
RASFF-Salmonella anatum (present /25g) in frozen salted chicken pieces from Argentina, via the Netherlands in Denmark
RASFF-Salmonella group D (presence /25g) in smoked mackerel from Poland
RASFF-Salmonella (presence /25g) in cotton seeds from Ghana in Italy
RASFF -Salmonella typhimurium (presence /25g) in lamb stomach – single feed from the Netherlands in Germany
The health hazard alert issued on August 7, 2013 has been updated to include additional distribution information.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the clams described in the link below because they may be contaminated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased affected clams should contact their retailer.
The Canadian importers are voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recalls.
The Connecticut Department of Agriculture announced a recall of oysters and clams from certain harvest areas, reporting that they were implicated in a number of illnesses in the US. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these oysters and clams in Canada.
The public warning issued on August 2, 2013 has been updated to include additional Best Before date codes of the affected product.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Jan K Overweel Ltd. are warning the public not to consume the Ballarini brand Gorgonzola cheese products described in the above because the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
The following Ballarini brand Gorgonzola cheese, product of Italy, is affected by this alert.
Also affected by this alert are the above products which may have been sold in smaller packages, cut and wrapped by some retailers. Consumers are advised to contact the retailer to determine if they have the affected products.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.
The importer, Jan K Overweel Ltd., Woodbridge, ON, is voluntarily recalling the affected products 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, Laboratory, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus
Tagged canadian food inspection, canadian food inspection agency, canadian food inspection agency cfia, connecticut department of agriculture, food inspection agency, oysters and clams
For the third time in 20 months, a raw milk Campylobacter outbreak has been associated with The Family Cow farm in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Two people who consumed raw milk form the farm have confirmed cases of Campylobacter infection, called campylobacteriosis, according to Pennsylvania health officials. The farm has stopped selling raw milk while the investigation is pending.
The objective of this study was to identify ingredients that inhibit Listeria monocytogenes in natural, organic, or clean-label ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. Fourteen ingredients were screened in uncured (no-nitrate-or-nitrite-added), traditional-cured (156 ppm of purified sodium nitrite), cultured (alternative cured, natural nitrate source, and Staphylococcus carnosus), or preconverted (alternative cured, natural nitrite source) turkey slurries. Slurries were cooked, cooled, inoculated to yield 3 log CFU/ml L. monocytogenes, stored at 4°C, and tested weekly for 4 weeks. Three antimicrobial ingredients, 1.5 % vinegar-lemon-cherry powder blend, 2.5 % buffered vinegar, and 3.0 % cultured sugar-vinegar blend, were incorporated into alternative-cured ham and uncured roast beef and deli-style turkey breast. Controls included all three meat products without antimicrobial ingredients and a traditional-cured ham with 2.8 % sodium lactate-diacetate. Cooked, sliced products were inoculated with 3 log CFU/g L. monocytogenes, vacuum packed, and stored at 4 or 7°C, for up to 12 weeks. For control products without antimicrobial agents stored at 4°C, a 2-log L. monocytogenes increase was observed at 2 weeks for ham and turkey and at 4 weeks for roast beef. Growth (>1-log increase) in the sodium lactate-diacetate was delayed until week 6. Compared with the control, the addition of either vinegar-lemon-cherry powder blend or buffered vinegar delayed L. monocytogenes growth for an additional 2 weeks, while the addition of cultured sugar-vinegar blend delayed growth for an additional 4 weeks for both ham and turkey. The greatest L. monocytogenes delay was observed in roast beef containing any of the three antimicrobial ingredients, with no growth detected through 12 weeks at 4°C for all the treatments. As expected, L. monocytogenes grew substantially faster in products stored at 7°C than at 4°C. These data suggest that antimicrobial ingredients from a natural source can enhance the safety of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, but their efficacy is improved in products containing nitrite and with lower moisture and pH.
The aim of this study was to obtain data from refrigerated ready-to-eat seafood products at retail in Spain (young eels, crabstick and smoked salmon), regarding prevalence and levels of Listeria monocytogenes, storage temperatures and the impact of transport conditions (type of bag) on the temperature of the product. The one-year surveillance period was carried out according to the EC Regulation No. 2073/2005, taking 5 units/batch and analyzing 250 samples following ISO 11290-1/A1 and ISO 11290-2/A methodologies. Low prevalence of L. monocytogenes was observed in surimi products, while 4.8% of smoked salmon samples were positive for Listeria with low levels (<10 cfu/g) and uneven pathogen distribution. A single company was responsible for 80% of the positive lots. All purchased products showed values higher than 4 °C at retail and an average increase of 2.5 °C or up to 6.2 °C was recorded when isothermal or plastic shopping bags were used for transport, respectively. To avoid noncompliance of the Food Safety Objective for L. monocytogenes in seafood RTE products more efforts from all stakeholders are needed, with special attention so as to improve control and maintenance of refrigerators at retail and to enhance consumer education regarding food safety practices.
Dear Interested Party 30 July 2013
Norovirus in shellfish – an update on status of EU negotiations
Following my letter dated 08 May 2013 I would like to provide you with an update on the EU discussion on norovirus controls in shellfish.
The EU Commission gathered views from Member States at a Working Group meeting on 27th June 2013. Following detailed and constructive discussions, during which many different views were expressed, it was agreed that no limits should be set at this stage due to the limitations of the current methodology and the gaps in current knowledge about norovirus. However, it was agreed that there is a need to address food safety risks associated with norovirus in raw shellfish and the Commission, together with Member States, will continue to explore risk management options, identifying areas where harmonised practices could be introduced. There was also support for a harmonised EU baseline study, as recommended by EFSA, to help fill gaps in the data that have been identified.
The FSA is continuing to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of alternative approaches which could be applied, such as buffer zones and alert systems to facilitate active management of harvesting. I would welcome any evidence based information and/or suggestions in the coming months to inform these considerations.
Whole Foods Market announces that it is recalling Trois Comtois Morbier cheese in the Mid Atlantic, Southwest, Northern California, Southern Pacific and Midwest regions. This cheese is being recalled because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
The recalled Trois Comtois Morbier comes in wheels approximately 11 lbs. each, which are then cut and wrapped in varying weights and are labeled with a Whole Foods Market scale label. Below is a list of how the cheese was labeled, including PLU code, according to the state in which it was sold. This recall includes all “best by” dates sold in Whole Foods Market stores in the states listed in the link above.
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
RASFF – Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) and high count of Enterobacteriaceae (450 CFU/g) in feed for food-producing animals from Mauritania in Denmark
RASFF -Salmonella Give (presene /25g) in soy bean meal from Brazil, via Slovenia in Austria
RASFF -Salmonella Idikan (presence /25g) in soya meal from Brazil, via the Netherlands in Belgium
RASFF – Salmonella spp. in frozen diced tomatoes from Spain in France
RASFF – Salmonella Brunei (presence /25g) in frozen dried fish from Vietnam in Germany
RASFF – Salmonella enteritidis (presence /25g) in chilled chicken wings from Hungary in Slovakia
RASFF – Salmonella enteritidis (presence) in eggs from Spain in France
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.
FoodWorld 