Category Archives: Microbiology

Research – Efficacy of Repeated Applications of Bacteriophages on Salmonella enterica-Infected Alfalfa Sprouts during Germination

Posted on October 8, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Nontyphoidal Salmonella enterica is one of the leading pathogens for foodborne outbreaks in a multitude of food commodities, including alfalfa sprouts, which are commonly consumed raw. The food industry has commonly used chlorinated washes, but such methods may not be perceived as natural; this can be a detriment as a large portion of sprouts are designated for the organic market. A natural and affordable antimicrobial method that has been acquiring popularity is the use of bacteriophages. This study compared the efficacy of repeated daily applications and a single application of two separate bacteriophage cocktails (SE14, SE20, SF6 and SE14, SF5, SF6) against four Salmonella enterica (S. enterica) strains on germinating alfalfa sprout seeds from days 0 to 7. The results show S. Enteritidis to be the most susceptible to both cocktails with ~2.5 log CFU/mL decrease on day 0 with cocktail SE14, SF5, and SF6. S. enterica populations on all strains continued to grow even with repeated daily bacteriophage applications but in a significantly decreased rate (p < 0.05) compared with a single bacteriophage application. The extent of the reduction was dependent on the S. enterica strain, but the results do show benefits to using repeated bacteriophage applications during sprout germination to reduce S. enterica populations compared with a single bacteriophage application.

Leave a comment

Posted in Bacteriophage, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Pathogen, pathogenic, Research, Salmonella

USA – FSMA Final Rule on Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods (LAAF)

Posted on October 7, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FDA

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).

The final rule specifies eligibility requirements that ABs and laboratories wishing to participate in the program will need to satisfy, as well as procedures for how the FDA will manage and oversee the program. In certain circumstances, owners and consignees will be required to use a LAAF-accredited laboratory for food testing. FDA will maintain an online public registry listing recognized accredited bodies and LAAF-accredited laboratories.

The establishment of the LAAF program is intended to improve the accuracy and reliability of certain food testing through the uniformity of standards and enhanced FDA oversight of participating laboratories.

Structures of the Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods (LAAF) Program

Enlarge in PDF (241KB)

Leave a comment

Posted in FDA, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, FSMA, Laboraotry, Laboratory, Laboratory Method, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk

Research – Salmonella rising in British raw meat pet food

Posted on October 7, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Pet Food Industry

The occurrence of Salmonella in raw pet food seems to be rising in Great Britain. Raw meat pet food had the highest number of Salmonella contaminated samples of all the feeds tested by the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency scientists. The agency report “Salmonella in Animals and Feed in Great Britain 2021” documented an upward trend.

In 2021, the agency’s laboratories isolated 295 instances of Salmonella from raw pet food available on the British market. That’s up 8.1% from 2020’s 273 isolations, and 20.4% higher than 2019 with 245 isolations.

Some of these Salmonella bacteria were from strains with resistance to drugs used to fight infection. These potentially dangerous pathogens were found in 71 of the samples taken in 2021. These made up 57.3% of the total regulated varieties of Salmonella found by the Animal and Plant Health Agency in 2021 among all feeds and locations tested. The proportion of drug-resistant Salmonella in British raw meat pet food didn’t increase much over 2020, but did show an upward tendency compared to 2019.

“Contaminated raw meat pet food, which does not undergo any heat treatment to deactivate pathogens, may therefore represent a potential source of infection to both the dogs consuming it and people who handle it, especially if insufficient hygiene measures are adopted,” the report authors wrote.

Leave a comment

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

Research – History of Food Poisoning Outbreaks Linked to Cantaloupe

Posted on October 7, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

In the latest update to the FDA‘s CORE Outbreak Investigation Table, that agency stated that a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak that has ended is linked to cantaloupe. This is not the first time that this fruit has caused illnesses. What is the history of food poisoning outbreaks linked to cantaloupe?

While the outbreak is over, the FDA says that more information is forthcoming. We do not know the case count by state, but there are at least 87 people who are sick. We also do not know the patient age ranges, or illness onset dates.

History of Food Poisoning Outbreaks Linked to Cantaloupe

There have been six other multistate food poisoning outbreaks since 2011 that were linked to cantaloupe. Many of these outbreaks were deadly.

Read more in the link above.

Leave a comment

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

Quebec -Notice not to consume any type of spices, nuts or dried fruits sold in bulk by Marché Mon Village

Posted on October 7, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Quebec

QUEBEC CITY , Oct. 6, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ), in collaboration with the Food Inspection Division of the City of Montreal and the company Marché Mon Village, located at 1689, rue Poirier, in Montreal, advises the public not to consume the products indicated in the table below, because they have not been preserved in such a way as to ensure their safety.

Product name

Format

Affected lot

Various spices

in bulk

Sold until October 6, 2022

various nuts

Various dried fruits

The products that are the subject of this warning were offered for sale until October 6, 2022, and this, only at the establishment designated above. Products were sold in bulk and stored at room temperature.

The operator is voluntarily recalling the products in question. It has agreed with MAPAQ and the Food Inspection Division of the City of Montreal to distribute this warning as a precautionary measure. Also, people who have any of these products in their possession are advised not to consume it. They must return it to the establishment where they bought it or throw it away. Even if the affected products show no signs of tampering or suspicious odors, their consumption may represent a health risk.

It should be noted that no case of illness associated with the consumption of these foods has been reported to MAPAQ to date.

Leave a comment

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

India – 3 Tamil Nadu Children Die, 11 Hospitalised Allegedly Due To Food Poisoning

Posted on October 7, 2022 by | Leave a comment

NDTV

Chennai: 

Three children died allegedly due to food poisoning at a children’s home in Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu.

Eleven other children who had consumed the same food are being treated at a hospital.

The children, all residents of Vivekananda Sevalaya, investigators say had fallen sick after they consumed idli and Pongal on Wednesday morning. Officials of the Sevalaya had given them medicines. Their condition did not improve and the children could not eat rice and rasam served for both lunch and dinner.

Two of the 15 students in the Sevalaya were found dead this morning in the hostel and another died on the way to the hospital. Those who died are between 10-14 age cohort.

Officials say no arrests have been made yet and food samples have been sent for investigation.

Leave a comment

Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, Food Poisoning Death, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Poisoning

RASFF Alert – Animal Feed – Moulds/Mold – Bran

Posted on October 7, 2022 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

Wheat bran infested with moulds from Ukraine in Poland

Leave a comment

Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, mold, Mould/Mold, RASFF

RASFF Alerts – Animal Feed – Salmonella – Dog Chews

Posted on October 7, 2022 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

Salmonella in dog chews from South Africa in the Netherlands and Belgium

Leave a comment

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

Research – Quantitative Determination Of Campylobacter On Broilers Along 22 UK Processing Lines, To Identify Potential Process Control Points and Cross-contamination From Colonized To Uncolonized Flocks

Posted on October 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

As part of a program to reduce numbers of the human pathogen Campylobacter on retail chickens twenty-two broiler processing lines, representing over 90% of United Kingdom (UK) production, were characterized by enumerating Campylobacter on pooled neck skins after the exsanguination, scalding, defeathering, evisceration, crop removal, inside-outside washing, and air-chilling stages of processing.  Sixteen of the processing lines investigated showed significant (p<0.05) reductions in Campylobacter numbers because of carcass scalding.  However, in all these lines, the following defeathering stage caused a significant increase in Campylobacter contamination that effectively negated the reductions caused by scalding.  On four processing lines, primary chilling also caused a significant reduction in numbers of Campylobacter.  On three lines, there was a significant microbiological benefit from inside-outside (I/O) washing.  The stages where Campylobacter numbers were reduced require further investigations to determine the specific mechanisms responsible so that the observed pathogen reductions can be optimized, and more widely implemented. The transfer of up to 4 log cfu Campylobacter per gram of neck skin from a colonized flock to a following uncolonized flock was observed.  The cross contamination was substantial and still detectable after 5,000 carcasses from an uncolonized flock had been processed.  The numbers of Campylobacter recovered from the uncolonized flocks were highest on the first of the uncolonized birds to pass along the line and, in general, numbers fell as more uncolonized birds were processed.  Air sampling recovered low numbers at the processing stages monitored, indicating that airborne transmission was unlikely to be the primary transfer mechanism operating for cross-contamination between flocks.

Leave a comment

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, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Retailer Campylobacter Survey

USA – FDA Core Outbreak Investigation Table

Posted on October 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FDA

What’s New

  • For the Salmonella Litchfield outbreak in a not yet identified product (reference #1105), the case count has increased from 28 cases to 29 cases.
  • For the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak (reference #1081) in a not yet identified product, CDC announced the outbreak is over on 10/4/2022. FDA’s investigation is ongoing.
  • For the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak in Brie and Camembert cheese (reference #1106), an Outbreak Advisory was issued on 9/30/2022.
  • For the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak (reference #1095), one additional case was added, and the product linked to illnesses has been changed to cantaloupe. The vehicle of the outbreak was confirmed after the outbreak ended. Given the product(s) were no longer on the market, there was no ongoing risk to public health and no need to avoid eating cantaloupe. Additional information on this outbreak will be forthcoming.
  • For the outbreak of Cyclospora cayetanensis in a not yet identified product (reference #1080) the case count has increased from 81 to 84 and the outbreak has ended.
  • For the outbreak of Cyclospora cayetanensis in a not yet identified product (reference #1084) the outbreak has ended.
  • For Listeria monocytogenes adverse event in a not identified product (reference #1040), the outbreak has ended.

Leave a comment

Posted in Decontamination Microbial, FDA, 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