Category Archives: Microbiology

Research Australia – Campylobacter, Salmonella at record highs in Australia

Food Safety News

Record levels of Campylobacter and Salmonella have been recorded in Australia, according to the annual surveillance report of notifiable diseases for 2016.

The data comes from a study published in the most recent edition of the Communicable Diseases Intelligence journal that also found E. coli, Listeria and Cryptosporidium infections had risen.

The role of disease surveillance includes identifying national trends, providing guidance for policy development and resource allocation and informing the response to outbreaks, according to the researchers.

In 2016, gastrointestinal diseases made up 15 percent of total reports for communicable diseases. Notified cases increased by 10 percent to 49,885 in 2016 compared to 2015.

Germany – Legionnaires’ disease sickens five, kills 2 in Heilbronn

Outbreak News Today

CDC legionella

In Heilbronn District, in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, it is reported that five men and women have contracted Legionnaires’ disease and two have died.

The patients came from Obersulm, Ellhofen, Weinsberg and Löwenstein, health officials announced. Most of them are middle-aged and older men. The two deceased men had a previous illness and were 49 and 81 years old.

Health authorities are feverishly looking for the source of the contamination.

Experts from the Heilbronn health department are not assuming that contaminated drinking water is the cause of the infections. The sick lived in different places, there are several water suppliers. “The surrounding sewage treatment plants were also sampled,” said a spokeswoman for the dpa office. “We assume that the cause can be found in an evaporative cooling system.” The health department fears that there may be more cases.

Switzerland – Seismo Info 07/2021 – Food Safety Information

Click to access Seismo_Info_Aktuell_EN.pdf

Research – Microbiological Quality of Nuts, Dried and Candied Fruits, Including the Prevalence of Cronobacter spp.

MDPI

Cronobacter genus bacteria are food-borne pathogens. Foods contaminated with Cronobacter spp. may pose a risk to infants or immunocompromised adults. The aim of this study was to determine the microbiological quality of nuts, seeds and dried fruits with special emphasis on the occurrence of Cronobacter spp. Analyses were carried out on 64 samples of commercial nuts (20 samples), dried fruits (24), candied fruits (8), seeds (4), and mixes of seeds, dried fruits and nuts (8). The samples were tested for the total plate count of bacteria (TPC), counts of yeasts and molds, and the occurrence of Cronobacter spp. Cronobacter isolates were identified and differentiated by PCR-RFLP (Polymerase Chain Reaction – Restriction Fragments Length Polymorphism) and RAPD-PCR (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA by PCR) analysis. TPC, and yeasts and molds were not detected in 0.1 g of 23.4%, 89.1%, and 32.8% of the analyzed samples. In the remaining samples, TPC were in the range of 1.2–5.3 log CFU g−1. The presence/absence of Cronobacter species was detected in 12 (18.8%) samples of: nuts (10 samples), and mixes (2 samples). The 12 strains of Cronobacter spp. included: C. sakazakii (3 strains), C. malonaticus (5), and C. turicensis (4). The results of this study contribute to the determination of the presence and species identification of Cronobacter spp. in products of plant origin intended for direct consumption. View Full-Text

Belgium – “Pirinc unu” rice flour from the Ipek brand – Cronobacter.

AFSCA

07/16/2021 (update 07/12/2021) Product
recall from the AFSCA
Product: “Pirinc unu” rice flour from the Ipek brand.
Problem: presence of Cronobacter.

In agreement with the AFSCA, Said supermarkt is withdrawing from sale the “Pirinc unu” rice flour (200g) of the Ipek brand and is recalling this product to consumers following the presence of the Cronobacter bacteria.
Said supermarkt asks its customers not to consume this product and to bring it back to the point of sale where it was purchased, where it will be refunded to them.

Product description Product

category: rice flour Product
name: Pirinc unu
Brand: Ipek
Date of minimum durability (DDM): 30/05/2022
Lot number: 1001
Sales period: from 05/05/2021 to 08 / 07/2021
Packaging: box
Weight: 200 g

The product was sold in Belgium via:

Said Supermarkt (Statiestraat, 8-10, 2600 Antwerpen)
ASSIMA MARKET – RUE KERAMIS 56, 7100 LA LOUVIERE
AY MARKT BVBA – TURNHOUTSEBAAN 10, 2400 MOL
AYEM BVBA – DUMONTLAAN 180 BUS 11, 3600 GENK
BARAN BV – HAZEWINDSTRAAT 28, 9100 SINT NIKLAAS
FR BVBA – WONDELGEMSTRAAT 31A, 9000 GAND
GLE TICARET – ROUTE DE MONS 47, 6030 CHAREROI
OZFIRAT BV – HERENTALSEBAAN 287, 2100 DEURNE
RABOT SUPERMARKET BVAND 9000 GAND GLE TICARET – ROUTE DE MONS 47, 6030 CHAREROI OZFIRAT BV – HERENTALSEBAAN 287, 2100 DEURNE RABOT SUPERMARKET BVAND – SPLEAT HUB 58,
SONDELGEMBA 9000 BVANDUS-588, HUBSTRAAT Bv 46, 3500 HASSELT
TADU – RUE DE LA REINE 215, 1000 BRUSSELS

For any further information , contact:

Said supermarkt via said.bvba11@gmail.com

Italy – INDOPACIFIC SHELLED SHRIMP CODE INDIVIDUALLY FROZEN (Metapenaeus Affinis) – Incorrect Shelf Life

Salute

Brand : IMPORTED BY DI BATTISTA FOOD SRL – VIA COLLE DELLA FONTE 45 66030 FRISA (CH)

Name : INDOPACIFIC SHELLED SHRIMP CODE INDIVIDUALLY FROZEN (Metapenaeus Affinis)

Reason for reporting : Recall due to microbiological risk

Publication date : 16 July 2021

Click to access C_17_PubblicazioneRichiami_1254_azione_itemAzione0_files_itemFiles0_fileAzione.pdf

RASFF Alert – Cronobacter – Rice Flour

RASFF

Cronobacter spp in rice flour from Germany in Belgium

RASFF Alerts – Animal Feed – Microbial Contamination

RASFF

Pet food with high number of bacteria, no labeling and defective closure from Austria in Germany and Romania

RASFF Alerts – Animal Feed – Salmonella – Dog Chews – Poultry Feed – Poultry Meal

RASFF

Salmonella Infantis and Enterobacteriaceae in dog chews from Germany in Austria

RASFF

Salmonella Agona in feed for poultry from Belgium in France

RASFF

Salmonella in poultry meal from the UK in Belgium

Hong Kong – Risk Assessment Studies (Food Microbiology) – Siu-Mei

CFS

Microbiological Quality of Roast Meats when They are Kept at Ambient Temperature for a Prolonged Period of Time