Category Archives: Microbiology

Research – The monitoring program for algal toxins in shellfish 2021

Posted on November 13, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Mattilsynet

In general, less poisonous shells were detected during the covid-19 years 2020 and 2021 than in the three previous years. We cannot determine whether this is due to fewer samples or less blooms of toxic algal plankton.

In 2021, a total of 723 shell samples were taken and analyzed for various toxins; 384 samples from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority’s annual monitoring program (including the Mussel Alert) and 339 samples from the producers’ own control samples. 

The number of samples from the industry was somewhat fewer in 2021 because demand for shells was lower due to covid-19 with closed restaurants and hotels.

On the monitoring of algal toxins in shellfish

The Norwegian coast is monitored throughout the year for marine algal toxins in shells in connection with commercial harvesting and trade in addition to the Mussel Alert.

The shell samples are analyzed for both the fat-soluble toxins DSP (OA group), AZA, YTX and PTX and the water-soluble toxins with the neurotoxin PSP (STX group), and for the amnesia toxin ASP (DA group).

What did we investigate? Mostly mussels, but also some scallops, flat oysters, Pacific oysters, cockles, knife clams, O-clams, carpet clams, sand clams, circle clams, king snails and sea urchins
Time range: 2021
What were we looking for? The algae toxins DSP, YTX, PTX and AZA, PSP and ASP.
What did we find? Around 98 per cent of all submitted mussels were below the limit value for DSP (OA group).

For PSP (STX group) around 95 per cent were below the limit value, while around 99 per cent were below the limit value for ASP.

For the toxin groups YTX, PTX and AZA, all samples were below given limit values.

Mussels: Had the most detections of DSP and PSP above the limit value, but ASP was also detected above the limit value

Scallops : PSP and ASP were detected above the limit value

Flat oysters : PSP was detected above the limit value in Western Norway for a period in April

PSP : As in previous years, was mainly detected in the spring and early summer.

DSP : The detections above the limit value were distributed throughout the year from April to October with a peak in September. This is consistent with previous years where DSP mainly performs in late summer and autumn.

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Posted in Algal Blooms, Algal Toxin, ASP, Azaspiracid Toxin, Decontamination Microbial, Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning, DSP, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, paralytic shellfish poisoning, PSP

USA – Stay Food Safe this Thanksgiving Holiday

Posted on November 12, 2022 by | Leave a comment

USDA

Keep your stomach full of turkey and free from foodborne illness this Thanksgiving holiday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds us all that it’s important to remember the steps to food safety during America’s biggest meal.

“While the four steps to food safety — clean, separate, cook and chill — are important every day and at every meal, they are particularly significant on Thanksgiving,” said USDA Deputy Under Secretary Sandra Eskin. “There will likely be many guests and many delicious dishes at your holiday table, but you don’t want to invite any foodborne pathogens. Follow those four steps — in particular remember to use a food thermometer — and your Thanksgiving dinner will be a safe one.”

Keep your Thanksgiving celebration food safe by following the tips below.

Clean and Sanitize

Handwashing is the first step to avoiding foodborne illness. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water before, during, and after handling food. In a recent study, 97 percent of participants in a USDA test kitchen failed to wash their hands properly. Make sure to follow these handwashing steps:

  • Wet your hands with clean, running water.
  • Lather your fingers with soap.
  • Scrub soapy hands and fingers thoroughly for at least 20 seconds. Rinse your hands under clean, running water.
  • Dry hands off with a clean towel or air dry them.

Clean and sanitize any surfaces that have touched raw turkey and its juices and will later touch food such as kitchen counters, sinks, stoves, tabletops, etc.

Avoid Cross-Contamination

Cross-contamination is the spread of bacteria from raw meat and poultry onto ready-to-eat food, surfaces, and utensils. One way to avoid this is by using separate cutting boards — one for raw meat and poultry, and another for fruits and vegetables. Our recent study found that sinks are the most contaminated areas of the kitchen. USDA recommends against washing your raw poultry due to the risk of splashing bacteria throughout your kitchen. Clean and sanitize any areas that will come into contact with the turkey before and after cooking.

Thaw the Turkey Safely

Never thaw your turkey in hot water or leave it on a countertop. There are three ways to safely thaw a turkey: in the refrigerator, in cold water and in the microwave.

  • Refrigerator thawing: Turkey can be safely thawed in a refrigerator to allow for slow and safe thawing. When thawing in a refrigerator, allow roughly 24 hours for every four to five pounds of turkey. After thawing, a turkey is safe in a refrigerator for one to two days.
  • Cold water thawing: The cold water thawing method will thaw your turkey faster but will require more attention. When thawing in a cold-water bath, allow 30 minutes per pound and submerge the turkey in its original wrapping to avoid cross-contamination. Change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. The turkey must be cooked immediately after thawing.
  • Microwave thawing: To thaw a turkey that fits in the microwave, follow manufacturer’s recommendations. Cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during the thawing process, bringing the food to the “Danger Zone.”

It’s safe to cook a completely frozen turkey; however, it will take at least 50 percent longer to fully cook.

Cook Thoroughly

Your turkey is safe to eat once it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. Insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the wing and the innermost part of the thigh to check its internal temperature. USDA recommends using a food thermometer even if the turkey has a pop-up temperature indicator to ensure it has reached 165 F in the three previously stated places.

Stuffing your Turkey

USDA recommends against stuffing your turkey since this often leads to bacteria growth. However, if you plan to stuff your turkey, follow these steps:

  • Prepare the wet and dry ingredients for the stuffing separately from each other and refrigerate until ready to use. Mix wet and dry ingredients just before filling the bird’s cavity.
  • Do not stuff whole poultry and leave in the refrigerator before cooking.
  • Stuff the turkey loosely — about 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound.
  • Immediately place the stuffed, raw turkey in an oven set no lower than 325 F.
  • A stuffed turkey will take longer to cook. Once it has finished cooking, place a food thermometer in the center of the stuffing to ensure it has reached a safe internal temperature of 165 F.
  • Let the cooked turkey stand 20 minutes before removing the stuffing.

For more information on turkey stuffing, visit Turkey Basics: Stuffing.

The Two-Hour Rule

Don’t leave your food sitting out too long! Refrigerate all perishable foods sitting out at room temperature within two hours of being cooked, or one hour if the temperature is 90 F or above. After two hours, perishable food will enter the “Danger Zone” (between 40 F and 140 F), which is where bacteria can multiply quickly and cause the food to become unsafe. Discard all foods that have been left out for more than two hours. Remember the rule — keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

  • Transporting hot foods — Wrap dishes in insulated containers to keep their temperature above 140 F.
  • Transporting cold foods — Place items in a cooler with ice or gel packs to keep them at or below 40 F.

When serving food to groups, keep hot food hot and keep cold food cold by using chafing dishes or crock pots and ice trays. Hot items should remain above 140 F and cold items should remain below 40 F.

Leftovers

Store leftovers in small shallow containers and put them in the refrigerator. Thanksgiving leftovers are safe to eat up to four days in the refrigerator. In the freezer, leftovers are safely frozen indefinitely but will keep best quality from two to six months.

Resources

For Thanksgiving food safety questions, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854), email MPHotline@usda.gov or chat live at ask.usda.gov from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

Do you have any last-minute turkey day questions? The Meat and Poultry Hotline will be open on Thanksgiving Day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. EST.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, food safety training, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research

RASFF Alerts – Animal Feed – Salmonella – Pig Meal

Posted on November 11, 2022 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

Salmonella in pig meal from Belgium in Germany and  the Netherlands

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Posted in Animal Feed, Animal Feed Salmonella, Animal Feed Testing, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, RASFF, Salmonella

USA – Deli Meat and Cheese with Listeria sickens 16 in 6 States since 2021

Posted on November 10, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

Key Facts: 16 sick people in California (1), Illinois (2), Maryland (3), Massachusetts (2), New Jersey (1) and New York (7) range in age from 38 to 92 years, with a median age of 74, and 62% are male. Of 13 people with ethnicity information available, 11 are of Eastern European background or speak Russian. Of 14 people with information available, 13 have been hospitalized. One person got sick during their pregnancy, resulting in pregnancy loss. Additionally, one death has been reported from Maryland. Sick people’s samples were collected from April 17, 2021, to September 29, 2022.

CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are collecting different types of data to investigate a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections.

Epidemiologic and laboratory data show that meat and cheese from deli counters contaminated with Listeria are making people sick. Investigators are still working to identify any specific products or delis that may be contaminated with the outbreak strain.

As of November 9, 2022, 16 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria have been reported from 6 states – California, Illinois, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

USA – Cooper’s Hawk Winery Cyclospora Outbreak in Jacksonville, Florida:  Victims Still Coming Forward to Seek Justice as 4-Year Statute of Limitations Approaches

Posted on November 10, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning News

Cooper’s Hawk Winery Cyclospora Outbreak in Jacksonville, Florida:  Victims Still Coming Forward to Seek Justice as 4-Year Statute of Limitations Approaches

In June of 2019, the Florida Department of Health in Duval County (DOH-Duval) was notified of an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness (food poisoning) among employees of the local Jacksonville Cooper’s Hawk Winery – the restaurant corporate manager called in the notification. By that time, about 20 employees had become ill. On Sunday, June 23 the Regional Environmental Epidemiologist (REE) was notified by Florida Poison Information Control Network that 16 out of 17 persons who dined at Cooper’s Hawk with a group on June 11, 2019 were ill with a gastrointestinal illness.  This information was sent to DOH-Duval who began an outbreak investigation on June 24.

That same day, another individual called to report he was in a different group (24 persons) who all became ill (except one person) after eating at Cooper’s Hawk Winery in Jacksonville on June 13.

Between June 24 and July 3, 2019, a total of six independent parties contacted DOH-Duval Epidemiology to report gastrointestinal illness after they ate food from the Jacksonville Cooper’s Hawk Winery between June 11 and June 15.

On July 8, the local news media reported on the outbreak which resulted in additional patrons calling in and reporting their illnesses.

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Posted in Cyclospora, Cyclosporiasis, Decontamination Microbial, 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, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

USA – Another Seattle area E. coli O157 Outbreak

Posted on November 10, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

Public Health is investigating an outbreak of three people infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 (also known as STEC). Between October 4 – 16, 2022, 3 people from 3 separate households reported becoming ill. Cases have been among people ranging in age from 18 to 36 years old. Symptoms reported include diarrhea and abdominal pain.

The investigation is ongoing, and no source has been identified. Two of the three ill people report eating dishes that were prepared with raw or undercooked beef but we cannot rule out other possible sources at this time.

Confirmed cases have been linked through genetic fingerprinting results (whole genome sequencing) which indicate that they have the same genetic strain, meaning they likely have a common source of infection.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, 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, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

Denmark -Fish meatballs cause disease outbreaks with Listeria

Posted on November 10, 2022 by | Leave a comment

SSI

Since mid-August, the Statens Serum Institut has registered seven patients who have become ill from the same type of Listeria monocytogenes . The Statens Serum Institut, the Danish Food Agency and the DTU Food Institute have jointly investigated the disease outbreak and have identified fish cakes as the cause. The fish meatballs have been recalled from the stores.

Last edited on November 9, 2022
Since mid-August, Statens Serum Institut has registered seven patients with the same type of the food-borne bacterium Listeria monocytogenes . Among the sick are one child and six people over the age of 70, of whom one person has subsequently died. The patients are distributed across the country and are four women and three men.

“By comparing bacteria from patients and samples from Jeka Fish, we have found that the bacteria are exactly the same. Combined with the fact that the patients have stated that they have eaten fish meatballs, this shows that the infection came from here”
Luise Müller, who is an epidemiologist at the Statens Serum Institut

The fish meatballs have been called back

On Tuesday 8 November, Jeka Fish recalled all fish cakes produced between 1 August and 31 October 2022 from the market. The recall was made because the Danish Food and Drug Administration had found listeria in production and in products at the company.

“Jeka Fish has recalled a number of different fish patties, which have now been taken off the shelves, but if you have the product at home, it is important to throw it away”
Annette Perge, section manager at the Danish Food and Drug Administration

The DTU Food Institute, SSI and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration have analyzed and compared the listeria bacteria that were found in the patients and in samples from the company, using DNA typing.

See which types of fishcakes have been recalled

What should you do if you have eaten fish cakes from the recalled batch?

Even if you have eaten the fishmeals that have now been recalled, there is very little risk that you will get sick. You are at risk of becoming seriously ill with listeria if you are older, have a weakened immune system due to another serious illness or are pregnant.

You should contact a doctor if you have symptoms of illness. The symptoms include high fever, chills, muscle soreness and affected general condition; neck/back stiffness or altered level of consciousness.

The work continues

In addition to patients with the listeria bacteria in question, significantly more patients infected with listeria than usual have been registered since October 2022. So the work to find the causes of the other cases of illness continues.

“To avoid listeria infection, it is extremely important to stick to a refrigerator temperature of no more than 5 degrees and to eat foods such as cold cuts, cold-smoked fish and gravad salmon as fresh as possible. If we change habits, for example due to the energy and economic crisis, we risk that the bacteria will have good growth opportunities and that more people will get sick”
Senior researcher and research group leader Marianne Sandberg, DTU Food Institute 

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

Research – Scientists map the neural pathways for vomiting after eating infected food

Posted on November 9, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Science Daily

The urge to vomit after eating contaminated food is the body’s natural defensive response to get rid of bacterial toxins. However, the process of how our brain initiates this biological reaction upon detecting the germs remains elusive. For the first time, researchers mapped out the detailed neural pathway of the defensive responses from the gut to the brain in mice. The study, presented November 1 in the journal Cell, could help scientists develop better anti-nausea medications for cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy.

Many foodborne bacteria produce toxins in the host after being ingested. The brain, after sensing their presence, will initiate a series of biological responses, including vomit and nausea, to get rid of the substances and develop an aversion toward foods that taste or look the same.

“But details on how the signals are transmitted from the gut to the brain were unclear, because scientists couldn’t study the process on mice,” says Peng Cao, the paper’s corresponding author at the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing. Rodents cannot vomit, likely because of their long esophagus and weaker muscle strength compared to their body size. As a result, scientists have been studying vomit in other animals like dogs and cats, but these animals are not comprehensively studied and thus failed to reveal the mechanism of nausea and vomiting.

Cao and his team noticed that while mice don’t vomit, they retch — meaning they also experience the urge to vomit without throwing up. The team found that after receiving Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA), which is a common bacterial toxin produced by Staphylococcus aureus that also leads to foodborne illnesses in humans, mice developed episodes of unusual mouth opening. Mice that received SEA opened their mouths at angles wider than those observed in the control group, where mice received saline water. Moreover, during these episodes, the diaphragm and abdominal muscles of the SEA-treated mice contract simultaneously, a pattern seen in dogs when they are vomiting. During normal breathing, animals’ diaphragm and abdominal muscles contract alternatively.

“The neural mechanism of retching is similar to that of vomiting. In this experiment, we successfully build a paradigm for studying toxin-induced retching in mice, with which we can look into the defensive responses from the brain to toxins at the molecular and cellular levels,” Cao says.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk

Research team work on a rapid test for foodborne pathogens in poultry

Posted on November 9, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Poultry World

A research team at Michigan State University will use a grant from the USDA to develop a rapid biosensor test for foodborne pathogens. The rapid test will be used onsite at poultry farms and processing facilities to inspect large samples for Salmonella and Campylobacter.

The US$769,000 grant was received from the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), and Professor Evangelyn Alocilja, who is in the MSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, is leading the project. She is an expert in her field and in rapid biosensing diagnostics for infectious and antimicrobial-resistant diseases, having developed such tests for tuberculosis, dengue and Covid-19.

Poultry products are one of the most common sources of infection

Alocilja says that studies have shown poultry products are one of the most common sources of infection due to bacterial contamination from farm production practices and processing equipment. In the US, the economic burden of Salmonella and Campylobacter from all sources exceeded US$6 billion in 2018, according to the USDA Economic Research Service.

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Posted in Campylobacter, campylobacter coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Salmonella

Food Safety Aspects of Edible Insects

Posted on November 9, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety.Com

A recent review of available scientific literature suggests that, when cooked or processed in certain ways, edible insects can be a safe food product. Food safety considerations for the commodity were explored in the review, including microbiological contaminants, anti-nutritive factors, pesticide residues, toxic heavy metals, mycotoxins, and allergens.

The article outlined various food safety aspects of edible insects, stating that the commodity’s microbiological and anti-nutritive characteristics are of greatest concern. In general, research has demonstrated high counts of microorganisms to be present in fresh insects; however, with the appropriate thermal treatment, microbial loads can be eliminated. As with other foods, the efficacy of heat treatment on edible insects depends on factors such as the type, intensity, and duration of treatment, as well as the treated food composition. Solar and oven drying were underlined by the review as potential heat treatment methods.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research, Uncategorized