Category Archives: Microbiology

UK – Sainsbury’s recalls by Sainsbury’s Cooked and Peeled Frozen Large King Prawns because of possible presence of undercooked prawns

Posted on June 27, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FSA

Sainbury’s is recalling by Sainsbury’s Cooked and Peeled Frozen Large King Prawns because of possible presence of undercooked prawns. The possible presence of undercooked prawns may make this product unsafe to eat.

Product details

by Sainsbury’s Cooked and Peeled Frozen Large King Prawns
Pack size 180g
Best before May 2023, June 2023, July 2023, August 2023, September 2023, and October 2023
by Sainsbury’s Cooked and Peeled Frozen Large King Prawns
Pack size 400g
Best before May 2023, June 2023, July 2023, August 2023, September 2023, and October 2023

Risk statement

The possible presence of undercooked prawns may make this product unsafe to eat.

Action taken by the company

Sainsbury’s is recalling the above products. Point of sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling these products. These notices explain to customers why the products are being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product. Please see the attached notice.

Customer notice: By Sainsbury’s Cooked and Peeled Frozen Large King Prawns (1 MB)

Our advice to consumers

If you have bought any of the above products do not eat them. Instead, return them to the store from where they were bought for a full refund. If you have any questions or concerns, please visit Sainsbury’s website at Sainsburys.co.uk/help or contact their careline on 0800636262.

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

Research – Temporal changes in the proportion of Salmonella outbreaks associated with twelve food commodity groups in the United States

Posted on June 26, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Cambridge Org

kswfoodworld Salmonella

Abstract

Using data from twenty years of Salmonella foodborne outbreaks, this study investigates significant trends in the proportion of outbreaks associated with twelve broad commodity groups. Outbreak counts are demonstrated to have a stronger trend signal than outbreak illness counts.

The number of outbreaks with an identified food vehicle increased significantly between 1998 and 2000. This was followed by a 10-year period when the number of outbreaks decreased. The number of outbreaks increased significantly between 2010 and 2014 and then remained unchanged for the remainder of the study period.

During the period of 1998 through 2017, the proportion of outbreaks for three commodities groups, consisting of eggs, pork, and seeded vegetables, changed significantly. No significant changes were observed in the remaining nine commodity groups. Simple approximations are derived to highlight the effect of dependencies between outbreak proportions and a consumption analysis for meat and poultry is used to enhance the limited interpretability of the changes in these proportions.

Given commodity-specific approaches to verifying food safety and promoting pathogen reduction, regulatory agencies benefit from analyses that elucidate illness trends attributable to the products under their jurisdiction. Results from this trend analysis can be used to inform the development and assessment of new pathogen reduction programs in the United States.

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

Research – Interlaboratory Evaluation of Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 as a Salmonella Surrogate for Validating Thermal Treatment of Multiple Low-Moisture Foods

Posted on June 26, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Journal of Food Protection

This multi-institutional study assessed the efficacy of Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 as a non-pathogenic Salmonella surrogate for thermal processing of nonfat dry milk powder, peanut butter, almond meal, wheat flour, ground black pepper, and date paste. Each product was analyzed by two laboratories (five independent laboratories total), with the lead laboratory inoculating (E. faecium or a five-strain Salmonella enterica cocktail of S. Agona, Reading, Tennessee, Mbandaka, Montevideo) and equilibrating the product to the target water activity before shipping. Both laboratories subjected samples to three isothermal treatments (between 65 and 100°C). A log-linear/Bigelow model was fit to survivor data via one-step regression. Based on D80°C  values estimated from the combined model, E. faecium was more thermally resistant (P < 0.05) than Salmonella in ), nonfat dry milk powder (DEf-80°C: 100.2 ± 5.8 min; DSal-80°C: 28.9 ± 1.0 min), peanut butter (DEf-80°C: 133.5 ± 3.1 min; DSal-80°C: 57.6 ± 1.5 min), almond meal (DEf-80°C: 34.2 ± 0.4 min; DSal-80°C: 26.1 ± 0.2 min), ground black pepper (DEf-80°C: 3.2 ± 0.8 min; DSal-80°C: 1.5 ± 0.1 min), and date paste (DEf-80°C: 1.5 ± 0.0 min; DSal-80°C: 0.5 ± 0.0 min). Although the combined-laboratory D80°C for E. faecium was lower (P < 0.05) than for Salmonella in wheat flour (DEf-80°C: 9.4 ± 0.1 min; DSal-80°C: 10.1 ± 0.2 min), the difference was ~7%. The zT-values for Salmonella in all products and for E. faecium in milk powder, almond meal, and date paste were not different (P > 0.05) between laboratories. Therefore, this study demonstrated the impact of standardized methodologies on repeatability of microbial inactivation results. Overall, E. faecium NRRL B-2354 was  more thermally resistant than Salmonella, which provides support for utilizing E. faecium as a surrogate for validating thermal processing of multiple low-moisture products. However, product composition should always be considered before making that decision.

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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, Research, Salmonella

Research – New NARMS report shows rising resistance in Salmonella, Campylobacter

Posted on June 26, 2022 by | Leave a comment

CIDRAP

The latest data from a national surveillance system that monitors foodborne bacterial pathogens for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) shows some concerning changes in resistance patterns among serotypes of Salmonella.

The findings come from the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring Systems (NARMS) 2019 Integrated Summary, which combines data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The report provides a snapshot of resistance patterns found in bacteria isolated from humans, animals, raw meats from retail outlets (chicken, ground turkey, ground beef, and pork chops), and meat and poultry product samples collected at slaughtering facilities.

In addition to Salmonella, which causes an estimated 1.35 million illnesses and 26,500 hospitalizations each year, the NARMS report also includes resistance data on Campylobacter (1.5 million illnesses and 19,500 hospitalizations), Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus. NARMS monitors these bacteria to detect emerging resistance patterns to the antibiotics that are most important to human medicine, multidrug resistance, and specific resistance genes.

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, antimicrobial resistance, Antimicrobials, 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, Salmonella

Research – Risk factors of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in livestock raised on diversified small-scale farms in California

Posted on June 25, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Cambridge Org

Abstract

The increasing number of diversified small-scale farms (DSSF) that raise outdoor-based livestock in the US reflects growing consumer demand for sustainably-produced food. Diversified farms are small-scale and raise a combination of multiple livestock species and numerous produce varieties.

This 2015-2016 cross-sectional study aimed to describe the unique characteristics of DSSF in California, estimate the prevalence of STEC in livestock and evaluate the association between risk factors and the presence of STEC in livestock, using generalized linear mixed models. STEC prevalence was 13.62% (76/558). Significant variables in the mixed effect logistic regression model included daily maximum temperature (OR = 0.95; CI95%: 0.91-0.98), livestock sample source (cattle (OR = 4.61; CI95%: 1.64-12.96) and sheep (OR = 5.29; CI95%: 1.80-15.51)), multiple species sharing the same barn (OR = 6.23; CI95%: 1.84-21.15) and livestock having contact with wild areas (OR = 3.63; CI95%: 1.37-9.62).

Identification of STEC serogroups of public health concern (e.g., O157:H7, O26, O103) in this study indicated the need for mitigation strategies to ensure food safety by evaluating risk factors and management practices that contribute to the spread and prevalence of foodborne pathogens in a pre-harvest environment on DSSF.

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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, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research, STEC, STEC E.coli

Research – A restatement of the natural science evidence base regarding the source, spread and control of Campylobacter species causing human disease

Posted on June 25, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Royal Society Publishing

CDC Campy

Abstract

Food poisoning caused by Campylobacter (campylobacteriosis) is the most prevalent bacterial disease associated with the consumption of poultry, beef, lamb and pork meat and unpasteurized dairy products. A variety of livestock industry, food chain and public health interventions have been implemented or proposed to reduce disease prevalence, some of which entail costs for producers and retailers. This paper describes a project that set out to summarize the natural science evidence base relevant to campylobacteriosis control in as policy-neutral terms as possible. A series of evidence statements are listed and categorized according to the nature of the underlying information. The evidence summary forms the appendix to this paper and an annotated bibliography is provided in the electronic supplementary material.

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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, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Research

Research – Occurrence and Multidrug Resistance of Campylobacter in Chicken Meat from Different Production Systems

Posted on June 25, 2022 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Campylobacter kswfoodworld

Campylobacter is the leading bacterial cause of diarrheal disease worldwide and poultry remains the primary vehicle of its transmission to humans. Due to the rapid increase in antibiotic resistance among Campylobacter strains, the World Health Organization (WHO) added Campylobacter fluoroquinolone resistance to the WHO list of antibiotic-resistant “priority pathogens”. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence and antibiotic resistance of Campylobacter spp. in meat samples from chickens reared in different production systems: (a) conventional, (b) free-range and (c) backyard farming. Campylobacter spp. was detected in all samples from conventionally reared and free-range broilers and in 72.7% of backyard chicken samples. Levels of contamination were on average 2.7 × 103 colony forming units (CFU)/g, 4.4 × 102 CFU/g and 4.2 × 104 CFU/g in conventionally reared, free-range and backyard chickens, respectively. Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli were the only species isolated. Distribution of these species does not seem to be affected by the production system. The overall prevalence of Campylobacter isolates exhibiting resistance to at least one antimicrobial was 98.4%. All the C. coli isolates showed resistance to ciprofloxacin and to nalidixic acid, and 79.5 and 97.4% to ampicillin and tetracycline, respectively. In total, 96.2% of C. jejuni isolates displayed a resistant phenotype to ciprofloxacin and to nalidixic acid, and 92.3% to ampicillin and tetracycline. Of the 130 Campylobacter isolates tested, 97.7% were classified as multidrug resistant (MDR).

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Posted in Antibacterial, Antibiotic Resistance, antimicrobial resistance, Antimicrobials, 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, Research

USA -Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls

Posted on June 24, 2022 by | Leave a comment

FDA

This guidance represents the agency’s current thinking on the hazards associated with fish and fishery products and appropriate controls for those hazards. It does not create or confer any rights for or on any person and does not operate to bind FDA or the public. An alternative approach may be used if such approach satisfies the requirements of the applicable statute and regulations.

How to Report Seafood-Related Toxin and Scombrotoxin Fish Poisoning Illnesses

To help FDA effectively investigate, remove unsafe seafood products from the market, and develop new prevention strategies, the FDA relies on illness reporting from public health officials and healthcare providers.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Food and Drug Administration
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
(240) 402-2300
SeafoodHACCP@fda.gov

This guidance is intended to assist processors of fish and fishery products in the development of their Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans. Processors of fish and fishery products will find information in this guidance that will help them identify hazards that are associated with their products, and help them formulate control strategies. The guidance will help consumers and the public generally to understand commercial seafood safety in terms of hazards and their controls. The guidance does not specifically address safe handling practices by consumers or by retail establishments, although many of the concepts contained in this guidance are applicable to both. This guidance is also intended to serve as a tool to be used by federal and state regulatory officials in the evaluation of HACCP plans for fish and fishery products.

Items Available

Introductory Video

Transcript of Video   |   Help with CaptionsExternal Link Disclaimer

Seafood HACCP Video Series

The FDA has developed a Seafood HACCP Video Series, designed to help the seafood industry and federal and state regulators better understand specific concepts described in FDA’s Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance. The series consists of 6 videos covering the following topics: Time-Temperature Indicators, Time and Temperature Controls during Unrefrigerated Processing, Secondary Processor Receiving and Storage Controls, Heat Process Validation, Primary Processor Scombrotoxin Controls – Overview and Testing at Receiving, and Primary Processor Scombrotoxin Controls – Harvest Vessel Records.

Download the Guidance

June 2022

This guidance represents the agency’s current thinking on the hazards associated with fish and fishery products and appropriate controls for those hazards. It does not create or confer any rights for or on any person and does not operate to bind FDA or the public. An alternative approach may be used if such approach satisfies the requirements of the applicable statute and regulations.

Note: This document was corrected on August 3, 2011. The Agency corrected a typographical error appearing in the April 2011 version of this document. The Agency corrected “15%” to “1.5%” so that the sentence in “Chapter 11: Aquaculture Drugs” now reads “Sodium sulfite Used in a 1.5% solution for 5 to 8 minutes to treat eggs in order to improve their hatchability.”

Errata: Corrections and Omissions (PDF – 67KB)

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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, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Research, Uncategorized

Denmark – Denmark hit by a trio of Listeria outbreaks with unknown sources; eight deaths reported

Posted on June 24, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

AdobeStock_195439963

Officials in Denmark are investigating three separate Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks that have affected almost 30 people with eight deaths reported.

The Statens Serum Institut, Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Fødevarestyrelsen) and DTU Food Institute are trying to find the sources of these outbreaks.

One had already been reported but the Statens Serum Institut has updated the number of people sick. This incident has affected nine people, all of them have been hospitalized and four have died. Five cases are men and four are women.

Patients range from 33 to 93 years old and all had an underlying disease or other immune system issue prior to infection that made them particularly vulnerable, such as meningitis or sepsis. Eight are from the Hovedstaden region of the country. Sample dates range from May 13 to June 6, 2022.

Whole genome sequencing found the strains were closely related and of the sequence type (ST) 37.

Speaking earlier in June, Nikolas Hove from Fødevarestyrelsen said it was rare to see so many Listeria infections in such a short period of time and officials were working to find out which foods were the cause of illness, so the outbreak could be stopped.

Fødevarestyrelsen has written to a number of large industry organizations calling for their members to sharpen in-house monitoring of Listeria. If they find the bacterium in the environment or products, they can have it typed for free at Fødevarestyrelsen’s laboratory.

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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 Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak

USA – FDA Investigating Another Infant Death Potentially Related to Abbott Baby Formula

Posted on June 24, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety Tech

On Wednesday, June 22, the FDA announced that it was investigating the death of an infant that occurred in January 2022 and is potentially related to Abbott baby formula. In a statement, the FDA said that it was notified of the death through a consumer complaint received on June 10, 2022. “The agency has initiated an investigation, given that the complaint referenced that the infant had consumed an Abbott product. However, the investigation of this most recent consumer complaint is in its preliminary stages and the agency will provide an update as it learns more,” the statement read.

The FDA has previously reported its review of complaints related to nine infant deaths. Two were found to be associated with the Abbott Nutrition Sturgis plant investigation. However, the FDA notes that, despite extensive investigation, the evidence does not rule in or rule out a definitive link between these infant deaths and the product produced at Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis, Michigan-based plant.

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Posted in Cronobacter sakazakii, cross contamination, 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, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak