Category Archives: Microbiology Risk

EU – 15 July update: Monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to chocolate products

Posted on August 4, 2022 by | Leave a comment

ECDC

As of 15 July 2022, 401 confirmed (n=399) and probable (n=2) cases of monophasic S. Typhimurium have been identified in the EU/EEA and the United Kingdom. This is an increase of nine cases since the last update on 3 June 2022. The latest reported case is from the UK with sampling date on 16 June 2022. In addition, cases have been identified in Canada (n=4), Switzerland (n=49), and United States (n=1), bringing the total number of cases to 455 globally.

This outbreak is characterised by high proportion of hospitalised (about 40%) cases, most of these are children below 10 years of age, and some cases with severe clinical symptoms like bloody diarrhoea.

Affected cases have been identified through advanced molecular typing techniques. As this method of testing is not routinely performed in all countries, some cases may be undetected.

Based on epidemiological and microbiological investigations, specific chocolate products from a Belgian chocolate factory were identified as likely vehicles of infection.

The factory was closed on 8 April 2022 (week 14) and product recalls were launched globally. The recalls aimed to prevent the consumption of products potentially contaminated with Salmonella. As a result of control measures, number of cases have declined rapidly.

Further investigations are needed to identify the root cause of the contamination, and to ensure that contaminated products are not put on the market.

Table 1. Number of confirmed and probable cases of monophasic S. Typhimurium in the EU/EEA, the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland and the United States, as of 15 July 2022

Country Confirmed cases Probable cases Total number of cases
Austria 14 0 14
Belgium 64 2 66
Czech Republic 1 0 1
Denmark 4 0 4
France 121 0 121
Germany 34 0 34
Ireland 18 0 18
Italy 1 0 1
Luxembourg 2 0 2
Netherlands 3 0 3
Norway 1 0 1
Spain 3 0 3
Sweden 5 0 5
Total EU/EEA 271 2 273
United Kingdom 128 0 128
Total EU/EEA and UK 399 2 401
Canada 4 0 4
Switzerland 49 0 49
United States 1 0 1
Total 453 2 455

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Salmonella, Salmonella in Chocolate

USA – Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods Program

Posted on August 4, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FDA

About the Program

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) final rule on Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods (LAAF) establishes a laboratory accreditation program for the testing of food in certain circumstances. Under the LAAF program, FDA will recognize accreditation bodies (ABs) that will accredit laboratories to the standards established in the final rule (referred to as LAAF-Accredited Laboratories).

For additional information and guidance, see FSMA Final Rule on Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods (LAAF).

FDA recognizes LAAF accreditation bodies which assess LAAF accredited laboratories.

Tables in the link above identify accreditation bodies that have been recognized and laboratories that have been accredited under the LAAF program. One recognized accreditation body (AB) may LAAF-accredit many laboratories. A recognized accreditation body may issue one or many certificates of accreditation for any LAAF-accredited laboratory (AL) location covering one or multiple laboratory scopes (LS). Separate laboratory locations under common ownership may be LAAF-accredited by different recognized accreditation bodies.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, FSMA, Laboratory, Laboratory Method, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk

USA – FDA Core Table – Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

Posted on August 4, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FDA

What’s New

  • For the Cyclospora outbreak in an unidentified vehicle (ref# 1084), the number of cases has increased from 51 to 60 and sample collection and analysis has been initiated.
  • A new outbreak has been added to the table: Cyclospora in a not yet identified food (ref #1080). Traceback has been initiated.
  • For the Salmonella Paratyphi B var. L(+) tartrate+ outbreak (ref# 1072) in a not identified food, FDA’s investigation status is now closed.
  • For the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak (ref# 1070) in a not identified food, the outbreak status has ended and FDA’s investigation status is now closed.
  • For the Salmonella Braenderup outbreak (ref #1075), the number of cases has increased from 70 to 74.
Date
Posted		 Ref Pathogen or
Cause of Illness
 Product(s)
Linked to
Illnesses
(if any)		 Total
Case Count
Status
8/3/

2022

 1080 Cyclospora Not Yet Identified 6 Active
7/27/

2022

 1084 Cyclospora Not Yet Identified 60 Active
6/29/

2022

 1076 Not Yet Identified Frozen Food See Outbreak
Advisory		 Active
6/22/

2022

 1075 Salmonella
Braenderup		 Not Yet Identified 74 Active
6/22/

2022

 1072 Salmonella
Paratyphi B var. L(+) tartrate+		 Not Identified 14 Closed
6/15/

2022

 1070 Listeria
monocytogenes		 Not Identified 12 Closed
6/8/

2022

 1068 E. coli
O157:H7		 Not Identified 10 Closed
6/1/

2022

 1066 Hepatitis A Virus Strawberries See Outbreak
Advisory		 Active
5/25/

2022

 1067 Salmonella 
Senftenberg		 Peanut Butter See Outbreak Advisory Closed
4/20/

2022

 1064 Not Yet
Identified		 Dry Cereal 558 adverse
event reports		 Active
4/13/

2022

 1057 Listeria
monocytogenes		 Ice Cream See Outbreak Advisory Active
3/30/

2022

 1060 None
Identified		 Meal Replacement
Drink		 6 adverse
event reports		 Closed
3/16/

2022

 1055 Salmonella
Saintpaul		 Not Identified 60 Closed
2/17/

2022

 1056 Cronobacter
sakazakii		 Powdered
Infant
Formula		 See
Advisory		 Active (IMG)
2/9/

2022

 1040 Listeria
monocytogenes		 Not Identified 20 Closed
2/2/

2022

 1054 Enteroinvasive
E. coli
O143:H26		 Not
Identified		 16 Closed
1/10/

2022

 1050 E. coli
O121:H19		 Romaine 4 Closed

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Posted in Cronobacter sakazakii, cross contamination, Cyclospora, E.coli O121, FDA, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Hepatitis A, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, O143:H26, outbreak, Salmonella

USA – Raw pet food company sues to block FDA public health alert

Posted on August 3, 2022 by | Leave a comment

EFOOD ALERT

Arrow Reliance Inc. (d.b.a. Darwin’s Natural Pet Products) has filed suit in US federal court in an attempt to prevent the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from issuing a Public Health Alert about possible Salmonella contamination in a cat food product.

Darwin’s, which is based in Tukwila, Washington, filed the their request for a temporary restraining order on July 29, 2022, in the US District Court, Western District of Washington (Case 2:22-cv-01057).

The lawsuit contends that the FDA “wrongfully” threatened to issue the Public Health Alert if the company refused to issue a recall of its adult cat food.

The FDA’s request for a product recall apparently arose after kittens tested positive for Salmonella.

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Posted in Animal Feed Salmonella, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Pet Food, Pet Food Testing, raw pet food, Salmonella

Finland – Nearly 30 sick in Finnish Salmonella outbreak

Posted on August 3, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Officials in Finland are trying to find the source of a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened almost 30 people.

Between March and July, 27 people in different parts of Finland have fallen ill with Salmonella Mbandaka infections.

Twenty patients are women. Their average age is 30 years old and the age range is from less than 1 to 74 years old.

Interviews with those who were ill revealed that 17 of 20 had eaten outside the home before becoming sick, said the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

The Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto) and local food control authorities are tracing potential sources based on information given in the interviews.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

USA – Cyclospora Illnesses Spike to 384 Sick with 30 Hospitalized

Posted on August 3, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Cyclospora Illnesses Spike to 384 Sick with 30 Hospitalized

Cyclospora illnesses have spiked to 384 sick in 22 states and 30 hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There has been a cyclospora outbreak, in fact, usually several cyclospora outbreaks, in the United States during the spring and summer months every year since 2013. This is an increase of 323 cases since the last update was issued on June 30, 2022. Cases are still being reported.

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Posted in Cyclospora, Cyclosporiasis, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

French E. coli outbreak linked to cucumbers from Belgium

Posted on August 3, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

More than 30 people were sick in France in late 2021 as part of an outbreak traced to contaminated cucumbers.

In September 2021, the Hauts-de-France Regional Health Agency was notified of a suspected foodborne outbreak among students in the Lille area. Two hospitalized children were diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS is a severe complication associated with E. coli infection that causes kidney failure. The agency asked Santé publique France for support in investigating the incident.

In total, 35 cases of gastroenteritis, half of whom had bloody diarrhea and fever, were identified. Ten people were hospitalized.

Identified cases were 29 children in four schools and five elderly adults who received meals through a local delivery program. One case was the parent of a pupil. Five children and one adult had meals delivered to them at home.

The median age of patients was 8 with a range of 4 to 89 years old and almost two thirds were female.

School cafeterias and the meal delivery service were all supplied by the same municipal canteen.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome, HUS, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

450 sick in Ferrero chocolate Salmonella outbreak

Posted on August 3, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

A Salmonella outbreak linked to Kinder chocolate has sickened more than 450 people, based on the latest figures.

Only 10 cases have been reported in the month since the previous European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) update, bringing the total to 455 as of mid-July.

The outbreak has hospitalized a high proportion of people, mostly children younger than 10 years of age, and some had severe clinical symptoms including bloody diarrhea.

The latest monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium case is from the United Kingdom with a sampling date of June 16. Concerns were previously raised by authorities that potentially contaminated chocolate could still be on sale despite a recall in April.

The UK has the most patients with 128 followed by France with 121. Belgium has recorded 66 sick people, 49 are ill in Switzerland, 34 in Germany, 18 in Ireland and 14 in Austria. There are still four cases in Canada and one in the United States.

Sweden, Spain, Norway, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Denmark and Czech Republic all have single-figure case numbers.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Salmonella, Salmonella in Chocolate

USA – USDA Announces Action to Declare Salmonella an Adulterant in Breaded Stuffed Raw Chicken Products

Posted on August 3, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FSIS USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing that it will be declaring Salmonella an adulterant in breaded and stuffed raw chicken products.

“Food safety is at the heart of everything FSIS does,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “That mission will guide us as this important first step launches a broader initiative to reduce Salmonella illnesses associated with poultry in the U.S.”

“Today’s announcement is an important moment in U.S. food safety because we are declaring Salmonella an adulterant in a raw poultry product,” said Sandra Eskin, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety. “This is just the beginning of our efforts to improve public health.”

By declaring Salmonella an adulterant in these products, FSIS will be able to ensure that highly contaminated products that could make people sick are not sold to consumers. Since 1998, breaded and stuffed raw chicken products have been associated with up to 14 outbreaks and approximately 200 illnesses. Products in this category are found in the freezer section and include some chicken cordon bleu or chicken Kiev products. These products appear cooked, but they are heat-treated only to set the batter or breading and the product contains raw poultry. Continual efforts to improve the product labeling have not been effective at reducing consumer illnesses.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research, Salmonella, Salmonella in Chicken

Research – English E. coli outbreak caused by milk pasteurisation problem in 2019

Posted on August 3, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Cambridge Org

In November 2019, an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 was detected in South Yorkshire, England. Initial investigations established consumption of milk from a local dairy as a common exposure. A sample of pasteurised milk tested the next day failed the phosphatase test, indicating contamination of the pasteurised milk by unpasteurised (raw) milk. The dairy owner agreed to immediately cease production and initiate a recall. Inspection of the pasteuriser revealed a damaged seal on the flow divert valve.

Ultimately, there were 21 confirmed cases linked to the outbreak, of which 11 (52%) were female, and 12/21 (57%) were either <15 or >65 years of age. Twelve (57%) patients were treated in hospital, and three cases developed haemolytic uraemic syndrome. Although the outbreak strain was not detected in the milk samples, it was detected in faecal samples from the cattle on the farm. Outbreaks of gastrointestinal disease caused by milk pasteurisation failures are rare in the UK. However, such outbreaks are a major public health concern as, unlike unpasteurised milk, pasteurised milk is marketed as ‘safe to drink’ and sold to a larger, and more dispersed, population. The rapid, co-ordinated multi-agency investigation initiated in response to this outbreak undoubtedly prevented further cases.

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli