Category Archives: Microbiology

India – 15 students fall ill after suspected food poisoning in UP residential school

India Tv News

Food poisoning in school: At least 15 girl students of a residential school in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district were admitted to a community health centre following complaints of vomiting and uneasiness, a senior official said on Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday at the Kasturba Gandhi Residential School in Mehngi village, District Magistrate Akhilesh Singh said. Among the 15, condition of three was stated to be serious, he said, adding prima facie it appears to be a case of food poisoning.

A magisterial probe has been ordered into the matter by Additional District Magistrate, Administration, Chief Medical Officer and district basic education officer. The team of officers will give their report within 48 hours, the DM said.

USA – Hy-Vee Voluntarily Withdraws All Potato Salad Varieties Due to Presumptive Positive Microbial Test Result

Hy Vee

Out of an abundance of caution, Hy-Vee, Inc. is voluntarily withdrawing all varieties and all sizes of its Hy-Vee Potato Salad and Mealtime Potato Salad due to a presumptive positive microbial result on the line that the potatoes were processed on. While final test results are not expected for approximately 7-10 days, due to the holiday weekend Hy-Vee elected to withdraw all product today from its shelves and service cases pending final test results.

The voluntary withdrawal includes all varieties and all sizes of Hy-Vee Potato Salad and Mealtime Potato Salad available from grab-and-go refrigerated cases and/or deli service cases in all Hy-Vee, Hy-Vee Drugstore and Dollar Fresh Market locations – as we well as Hy-Vee Fast and Fresh convenience stores – across the company’s eight-state region of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The expiration dates are between July 31, 2022, and Aug. 4, 2022.

The list below outlines the products that have been withdrawn. No other Hy-Vee or Mealtime branded salads are impacted. To date, there have been no reports of illness or complaints involving the products addressed in this withdrawal.

• HY-VEE OLD FASHIONED POTATO SALAD
• HY-VEE COUNTRY STYLE POTATO SALAD
• HY-VEE DIJON MUSTARD POTATO SALAD
• HY-VEE GREEN ONION & EGG POTATO SALAD
• HY-VEE CHIPOTLE RANCH POTATO SALAD
• HY-VEE DICED RED SKIN POTATO SALAD
• HY-VEE LOADED BAKED POTATO SALAD
• MEALTIME OLD FASHIONED POTATO SALAD
• MEALTIME COUNTRY STYLE POTATO SALAD
• MEALTIME DIJON MUSTARD POTATO SALAD

Customers who have purchased any of these products are urged not to consume the product and dispose of it or return it to their local Hy-Vee for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact Hy-Vee Customer Care at customercare@hy-vee.com.

Austria – S-BUDGET ASTORIA Natural still mineral water in a 1.5 liter non-returnable bottle – Coliforms

AGES

AGES informs about a recall of the company SPAR. On July 4th, 2022, the company recalled the product S-BUDGET ASTORIA still natural mineral water in the 1.5 liter non-returnable bottle:
recall reason
coliform bacteria
Marketed by
SAVE
Manufacturer
SPAR S BUDGET
Expiry Date
06/01/2023

As a precaution, SPAR is recalling S-BUDGET ASTORIA natural mineral water still in the 1.5 liter non-returnable bottle

Salzburg (OTS) – SPAR continuously controls the products of the SPAR brands to ensure the highest quality. During a routine quality control, the product “S-BUDGET ASTORIA natural mineral water still in the 1.5 liter disposable bottle” with best-before dates (MHD) 05/31/2023 and 06/01/2023 was found to contain a small amount of coliform bacteria that is greater than the permissible limit established. For this reason, SPAR is recalling the product with the above best before dates.

Customers are asked not to drink the “S-BUDGET ASTORIA natural mineral water still in the 1.5 liter disposable bottle”. All other S-BUDGET products or mineral water from other SPAR brands are not affected by this recall.

All customers who have already bought one of the products that may be affected can of course return it to the nearest SPAR, EUROSPAR or INTERSPAR store or Maximarkt. Customers are reimbursed the purchase price even without proof of purchase.

Customers who have questions about this are welcome to contact customer service at office@spar.at or call the freephone number 0800 / 22 11 20 .

Research – Is Our Ground Meat Safe to Eat?

Consumer Reports

Americans love meat—especially ground meat.

We shape it into burgers, meatballs, and meatloaf; stir it into chili and pasta sauce; and stuff it into peppers, lasagna, and tacos. Americans like it so much that in 2021 alone, we purchased more than $13 billion worth of ground beef, turkey, pork, and chicken.

But our love of ground meat comes at a price: It’s a leading cause of food poisoning. Since 2018, 11 outbreaks of illness have been traced back to raw meat, sickening a reported 1,264 people—and at least eight of them involved ground meat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To assess the current state of the nation’s ground meat supply, Consumer Reports recently tested 351 packages of ground beef, pork, chicken, and turkey purchased at stores throughout the country. (Read more about how we tested (PDF).) What we found was alarming.

Almost a third of the ground chicken packages we tested contained salmonella. We also found those bacteria in a few samples of ground beef, pork, and turkey. Particularly worrisome: Every single strain of salmonella was resistant to at least one antibiotic (see “Why Superbugs Are in Your Meat,” below).

CR also found a strain of E. coli in a sample of ground beef that is so dangerous that we immediately alerted the Department of Agriculture to our findings, triggering a recall of more than 28,000 pounds of the meat from major grocery chains in seven Western states.

India – Bihar: Over 24 students contract food poisoning after consuming mid-day meal

Times Now News

Bhagalpur: Over two dozen students in Jhallu Das Tola Middle School contracted food poisoning after consuming mid-day meals in Bihar‘s Bhagalpur district, reported IANS.
Following the incident, the district civil surgeon, sub-divisional officer, district education officer, block development officer, and police personnel of Naugachia reached the hospital and took stock of the situation.
According to officials, the school administration had prepared rice, pulses, and vegetables inside the school premises. After consuming the meal and entering the classroom, more than two dozen students between the age group of 10 to 14 complained about vomiting and loose motion, reported IANS.

USA – Investigation of Adverse Event Reports: French Lentil & Leek Crumbles (June 2022)

FDA

The FDA, along with CDC and state and local partners, is investigating consumer complaints of gastrointestinal illness and abnormal liver function that may be attributable to eating Daily Harvest French Lentil & Leek Crumbles frozen product.

On June 17, 2022, in response to consumer complaints submitted to the company, Daily Harvest voluntarily initiated a recall of their French Lentil & Leek Crumbles. In response to Consumer Adverse Event Reports (CAERS) and Consumer Complaints submitted to the FDA, the FDA has initiated an investigation, including an inspection and sample collection in an effort to determine the cause of illnesses. As of June 28, the FDA has received 133 CAERS reports and Consumer Complaints related to this product.

From April 28 to June 17, 2022, approximately 28,000 units of the recalled product were distributed to consumers in the continental United States through online sales and direct delivery, as well as through retail sales at the Daily Harvest store in Chicago, IL, and a “pop-up” store in Los Angeles, CA. Samples were also provided to a small number of consumers.

Daily Harvest emailed consumers who were shipped the affected product, and other consumers for whom the company had contact information and consumers were issued a credit for the recalled product. Consumers who may still have the recalled product in their freezers should immediately dispose of it.

FDA’s investigation is ongoing, and more information will be provided as it becomes available.

Recommendation
Consumers should not eat, sell, or serve recalled products. Consumers who may still have the recalled product in their freezers should throw it away.

Product was sold through online sales and in two retail locations; the Daily Harvest store in Chicago, IL, and a “pop-up” store in Los Angeles, CA. French Lentil + Leek Crumbles is a frozen product packaged in a 12oz white pouch with the words “Daily Harvest” at the top, a large “CRUMBLES” immediately below the top and the words “French Lentil + Leek” in bold, as shown below. All lot codes of the French Lentil + Leek Crumbles are affected. At this time, no other Daily Harvest products are affected or part of this recall.

If you experience symptoms including yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), dark urine, itching with no rash, gastrointestinal illness, nausea, fatigue, body aches, severe abdominal pain and/or fever after consuming this product, please consult with your healthcare provider. Let your healthcare provider know you have recently consumed the recalled Daily Harvest French Lentil & Leek Crumbles. Healthcare providers should report these illnesses to their health department.

Product Images
Daily Harvest French Lentil and Leek Crumbles
Case Counts
Total Adverse Illness Events: 133 *
Hospitalizations: 42 *
Deaths: 0
Last illness onset: June 21, 2022 *
States with Adverse Illness Events: CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, IA, IN, MA, MD, MI, MO, MT, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI
Product Distribution: Nationwide
* estimate based on consumer complaint and CAERs reports

Useful Links
Recall Announcement
Who to Contact
Who to Contact
Consumers who have symptoms should contact their health care provider to report their symptoms and receive care.

To report a complaint or adverse event (illness or serious allergic reaction), you can

Call an FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator if you wish to speak directly to a person about your problem.
Complete an electronic Voluntary MedWatch form online.
Complete a paper Voluntary MedWatch form that can be mailed to FDA.

USA – CDC Investigation Notice: CDC Investigates New Listeria Outbreak

CDC

A CDC Investigation Notice regarding a multistate outbreak of Listeria infections has been posted: Listeria Outbreak | CDC.Listeria Outbreak | CDC

Key points:

  • 23 people infected with the outbreak strain have been reported from 10 states. Nearly all the people live in or traveled to Florida about a month before they got sick, although the significance of this is not yet known.
  • 22 people have been hospitalized and one death has been reported from Illinois.
  • Five people got sick during their pregnancy, and one illness resulted in a fetal loss.
  • A specific food item has not yet been identified as the source of this outbreak.
  • Pregnant people and their newborns, adults aged 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for severe Listeria
  • CDC is advising people at high risk who have symptoms of a Listeria infection, especially those who have recently traveled to Florida, to talk to their healthcare provider. Healthcare providers should report listeriosis illnesses to their health department. This information may help investigators solve this outbreak.

About Listeria:

  • Listeria can cause severe illness (known as invasive listeriosis) when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body.
  • Pregnant people typically experience only fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. However, Listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.
  • People who are not pregnant may experience headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions, in addition to fever and muscle aches.
  • Symptoms of severe illness usually start within two weeks after eating food contaminated with Listeria but may start as early as the same day or as late as 70 days after.

If you have questions about cases in a particular state, please call that state’s health department.

Thank you,

CDC News Media Branch
404-639-3286
media@cdc.gov

Spain – Seven face charges in deadly Listeria outbreak in Spain

Food Safety News

Seven people are set to stand trial as part of Spain’s largest ever Listeria outbreak, which occurred in 2019.

A judge in a court in Seville this week decided to continue proceedings against seven defendants for offences including alleged crimes against public health and injury to a fetus resulting in abortion. At the conclusion of an investigation into the outbreak, Pilar Ordóñez also considered that Seville Council could be held civilly liable, this means it would have to pay compensation if convicted.

The outbreak from “La Mecha” brand chilled roasted pork produced by Magrudis affected almost 250 people. During the health alert between mid-August and mid-October 2019, four people died and there were six abortions.

Those investigated are José Antonio Marín Ponce, administrator of Magrudis; his wife, Encarnación Rodríguez Jiménez, responsible for production and the company’s self-control system; their children Sandro José and Mario Marín Rodríguez as well as a local veterinary inspector and two other people. Action against another four people has been stopped.

Research – Effect of Biltong Dried Beef Processing on the Reduction of Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, and Staphylococcus aureus, and the Contribution of the Major Marinade Components

MDPI

Biltong is a dry beef product that is manufactured without a heat lethality step, raising concerns of whether effective microbial pathogen reduction can occur during biltong processing. Raw beef inoculated with 4-strain cocktails of either E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, or Staphylococcus aureus, and processed with a standard biltong process, were shown to incur a >5-log reduction in 6–8 days after marination by vacuum-tumbling for 30 min in vinegar, salt, spices (coriander, pepper) when dried at 23.9 °C (75 °F) at 55% relative humidity (RH). Pathogenic challenge strains were acid-adapted in media containing 1% glucose to ensure that the process was sufficiently robust to inhibit acid tolerant strains. Internal water activity (Aw) reached < 0.85 at 5-log reduction levels, ensuring that conditions were lower than that which would support bacterial growth, or toxin production by S. aureus should it be internalized during vacuum tumbling. This was further confirmed by ELISA testing for staphylococcal enterotoxins A and B (SEA, SEB) after marination and again after 10 days of drying whereby levels were lower than initial post-marination levels. Comparison of log reduction curves obtained for E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenesS. aureus, and Salmonella (prior study) showed that microbial reduction was not significantly different (p < 0.05) demonstrating that even without a heat lethality step, the biltong process we examined produces a safe beef product according to USDA-FSIS guidelines.

Research – Use of Whole Genome Sequencing by the Federal Interagency Collaboration for Genomics for Food and Feed Safety in the United States

Journal of Food Protection

This multiagency report developed by the Interagency Collaboration for Genomics for Food and Feed Safety provides an overview of the use of and transition to whole genome sequencing (WGS) technology for detection and characterization of pathogens transmitted commonly by food and for identification of their sources. We describe foodborne pathogen analysis, investigation, and harmonization efforts among the following federal agencies: National Institutes of Health; Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Agricultural Research Service, and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. We describe single nucleotide polymorphism, core-genome, and whole genome multilocus sequence typing data analysis methods as used in the PulseNet (CDC) and GenomeTrakr (FDA) networks, underscoring the complementary nature of the results for linking genetically related foodborne pathogens during outbreak investigations while allowing flexibility to meet the specific needs of Interagency Collaboration partners. We highlight how we apply WGS to pathogen characterization (virulence and antimicrobial resistance profiles) and source attribution efforts and increase transparency by making the sequences and other data publicly available through the National Center for Biotechnology Information. We also highlight the impact of current trends in the use of culture-independent diagnostic tests for human diagnostic testing on analytical approaches related to food safety and what is next for the use of WGS in the area of food safety.