RASFF – Salmonella enterica ser. Mbandaka (presence /25g) in toasted soymeal used in several types of compound feeds for pigs from Belgium in Belgium
During the COVID-19 pandemic, every frequently touched surface outside our home seems as dangerous as a hot pot right out of the oven. We won’t get burned if we touch it, but we might get infected with a potentially dangerous virus.
A recent study suggests that even organized efforts to clean surfaces can fall short, a reminder for us all that keeping our surroundings clean may require some additional work.
For 5 ½ weeks, researchers tagged surfaces of a small-animal veterinary practice daily with a fluorescent dye visible only under black light. They checked tagged surfaces 24 hours later to see if the marks were showing. Surfaces were considered cleaned if the dye was completely removed.
Results showed that overall, only half of all surfaces were adequately cleaned during the study period. Human-touch surfaces — such as medical instruments, dog run handles, and computer mice and keyboards — were cleaned less frequently than areas touched primarily by animals. The results were similar to studies from other veterinary clinics.
Infrared (IR) irradiation, a novel technology for modeling of decontamination of Bacillus cereus in paprika powder was evaluated and the effect on temperature profiles and total phenolic content was determined. The highest reduction in B. cereus count (2.3 log CFU/g) was achieved after a holding time of 1 min at 200 W IR power and 5 cm distance. The rapid rise in temperature was observed in surface paprika powder and the highest temperature at 200 W IR power and 5 cm distance reaching to 127.8°C. An increase in IR power and a decrease in sample distance of the IR lamp caused a significant decrease in the total phenolic content. The Double Weibull model closely predicted the inactivation of B. cereus in paprika powder by IR irradiation.
STEVEN WILBERT AND GARY BORISY/FORSYTH INSTITUTE
Microbes are everywhere in our guts—and in our mouths. Now, a new study reveals our tongue-dwelling companions aren’t all mixed together randomly; instead, they seem to prefer living close to their own kind, separating out into distinct groups based on their species.
Researchers started by scraping the tongues of 21 healthy human volunteers. Then, they used fluorescent tags to identify specific groups of bacteria, some of which produce nutrients for us, so they could see exactly where each one lived on the tongue’s surface. Without exception, the bacteria formed tight-knit, well-defined clusters of the same species, the researchers report today in Cell Reports.
The clusters (above) resemble a microbial rainbow under the microscope. For instance, Actinomyces bacteria, in red, grow close to the epithelial tissue of the tongue, shown in gray, while Rothia bacteria, in cyan, form long patches between other communities. Streptococcus, in green, form a thin crust on the edge of the tongue and slender veins in the interior. By looking at the images, the researchers could guess at how these colonies establish themselves and grow over time.
Division of Marine Fisheries Director Steve Murphey implemented the new oyster harvest control measures through Proclamation SS-1-2020 and Proclamation SS-2-2020, both issued Monday.
The Division of Marine Fisheries announced that while the state’s public health record concerning shellfish-related illnesses is one of the best in the country, the number of Vibrio cases nationwide had increased in recent years. Vibrio are naturally occurring bacteria in coastal waters that can cause illness in humans if precautions are not taken during the warmer months of the year.
The new regulations also will bring the state into conformity with guidance from the National Shellfish Sanitation Program, which is the federal, state and industry cooperative program recognized by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration and the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference for the sanitary control of shellfish produced and sold for human consumption.
The changes include the following new requirements to:
Previously implemented regulations pertaining to recording the start of harvest on the harvest tag and delivering the oysters to a licensed dealer within a specified time remain in effect.
For more information, contact Shannon Jenkins, chief of the division’s Shellfish Sanitatio
Out of an abundance of caution IcelandicPlus LLC of Ft. Washington, PA, is recalling its Capelin Pet Treats because some of the fish have exceeded the FDA compliance guideline for fish larger than 5 inches. The FDA has determined that salt-cured, dried, or fermented un-eviscerated fish larger than 5 inches have been linked to outbreaks of botulism poisoning in humans between 1981 and 1987 and again in 1991. Since some IcelandicPlus Capelins are larger than 5 inches there is a possible health risk. To date there have been no reported illnesses of dogs, cats, or persons in connection with Capelin. Nor has there been any positive test results for Clostridium botulinum from any IcelandicPlus Capelin, but because of the potential risk, and despite no known illnesses in connection with our products, we have decided in co-operation with the FDA, to announce this product recall.
Clostridium botulinum toxin can cause severe clinical signs including death in both animals consuming the pet treat and people handling the pet treat or coming in contact with contact areas that have been exposed to the product. Common symptoms may include dizziness, blurred or double vision, trouble with speaking or swallowing, difficulty breathing, muscle weakness, abdominal distension, and constipation. Consider that several of the listed symptoms, such as double vision, cannot be easily assessed in animals or conveyed by an animal. Pets or persons experiencing these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.
The Capelin product was shipped to distributors in the United States with the intent to be sold to Retailers who in turn sell to Consumers. This product would be found in Independent Pet Specialty Stores within all States in the United States.
The product comes in a clear plastic package or tube, and marked Icelandic+ Capelin WHOLE FISH, PURE FISH TREATS FOR DOGS, or PURE FISH TREATS FOR CATS UPC CODES, 8 5485400775 9; 8 5485400711 7; and 8 5485400757 5 are packaged in a 2.5 ounce tube or a 1.5 or 2.5 ounce bag (lot numbers 02/2020 to 02/2022)
IcelandicPlus is family owned and run by pet parents who take the safety and wellbeing of its consumers and clients with the utmost importance, as such we are conducting this voluntarily recall to further protect our customers. Additionally, we are changing our Capelin supplier to ensure that the fish in our product are consistently less than 5 inches, or if larger, they will be completely eviscerated.
Distributors, Retailers and Consumers who have purchased IcelandicPlus’s Capelin can return it to the location where it was purchased for a refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1857-246-9559. Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm EST.
Biofilms are composed of bacteria living in a densely packed and organized community. Research paired high-level imaging tools with an algorithm to track a biofilm as it formed. Biofilm growth at multiple scales, they found, mimics aspects of how cities emerge from individual settlers.
The findings show that, as individual bacteria multiply and grow into a dense and sticky biofilm, such as the community that forms dental plaque, their growth patterns and dynamics mirror those seen in the growth of cities.
“We take this ‘satellite-level’ view, following hundreds of bacteria distributed on a surface from their initial colonization to biofilm formation,” says Hyun (Michel) Koo, a professor in Penn’s School of Dental Medicine and senior author on the work. “And what we see is that, remarkably, the spatial and structural features of their growth are analogous to what we see in urbanization.”
This new perspective on how biofilms grow could help inform efforts to either promote the growth of beneficial microbes or break up and kill undesirable biofilms with therapeutics.
Process control validations require knowledge of the resistance of the pathogen(s) of concern to the target treatment, and, in some cases, the relative resistance of surrogate organisms. Selected strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (five strains), Listeria monocytogenes (five strains), and Salmonella enterica (five strains) as well as Salmonella Enteritidis phage type (PT) 30 and nonpathogenic Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 were inoculated separately (as individual strains) onto inshell pistachios. The thermal tolerance of each strain was compared via treatment of inoculated pistachios to hot oil (121°C) or hot water (80°C) for 1 min. Survivor curves in hot oil or hot water (0.5 to 6 min, n = 6 to 15) were determined for one or two of the most resistant strains of each pathogen, as well as E. faecium NRRL B-2354 and Salmonella Enteritidis PT 30, and the Weibull model was fit to the data. A pilot-scale air-impingement oven was used to compare the thermal tolerance of E. faecium NRRL B-2354 and Salmonella Enteritidis PT 30 on pistachios with or without a brining pretreatment and at either dry (no steam) or 30% humidity (v/v) oven conditions. No significant difference in the time to a 4-log reduction in hot oil or hot water was predicted for any of the strains evaluated, on the basis of the 95% confidence interval. In the pilot-scale oven, E. faecium NRRL B-2354 was more thermally resistant than Salmonella in a broad set of differing treatments, treatment times, and temperatures. Salmonella is a suitable target pathogen of concern in pistachios for thermal processes because no other pathogen tested was more thermally resistant under the conditions evaluated. E. faecium NRRL B-2354 was at least as thermally resistant as Salmonella under all conditions evaluated, making it a good potential surrogate for Salmonella on pistachios.
Listeria monocytogenes is a potential hazard for food safety and therefore public health. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of L. monocytogenes in Polish ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products in retail. Among the 184 439 food samples collected within the framework of national official control and monitoring program only 0.3% were positive for L. monocytogenes. A significant group of products that did not meet the criteria were RTE meat products. This group accounted for 40% of all non compliant samples. A total of 70 L. monocytogenes isolates from RTE meat products (meat, sausages and delicatessen products with meat) were examined. The majority of the tested isolates (51%) belonged to serogroup 1/2a-3a, followed by 1/2c-3c (21%), 1/2b-3b-7 (14%) and 4ab-4b-4d-4e (13%). Serogroup 4a-4c was not present among the tested isolates. All L. monocytogenes isolates harbored the virulence-associated genes inlA, inlC, inlJ and lmo2672 . The llsX marker was detected in twelve of 70 (17%) isolates. Ampicillin resistance was the most common resistance phenotype and was identified in 83% of L. monocytogenes isolates. A low incidence of resistance to amoxicillin/clavunate acid (6% isolates) was also detected. All L. monocytogenes isolates were susceptible to chloramphenicol, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, meropenem, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, tetracycline and erythromycin. This work provides useful information regarding contamination of RTE meat products with L. monocytogenes, which may have implications for food safety risk.
