Category Archives: Microbiology

USA – Salmonella Sickens 80 – Las Vegas Restaurant

Posted on May 3, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning BulletinSalmonella

The Southern Nevada Health District is investigating a Salmonella outbreak associated with Firefly Tapas Restaurant and Bar at 3900 Paradise Road in Las Vegas. Public health officials believe more than 80 people have been sickened in this outbreak. The health department closed Firefly on April 26, 2013 after reports of illness began coming into the office.

The health department has identified the cause of the outbreak as Salmonella. The symptoms of salmonellosis, the illness associated with a Salmonella infection, include diarrhea, which can be bloody, fever, abdominal cramps, headache, loss of appetite, nausea, and sometimes vomiting. People usually get sick 6 to 72 hours after infection. Investigators do not know what food is the source of the outbreak.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Salmonella

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Canada – Whole Salted Fish – Clostridium botulinum

Posted on May 3, 2013 by | 1 comment

Health Canada

Health Canada is reminding Canadians that the consumption of certain whole salted fish products like fesikh, a traditional dish in the Egyptian community, represents an increased risk of botulism.

The fish used to make these specific salted fish dishes are not gutted before the ripening and salting process. This provides an opportunity for Clostridium botulinum bacteria that may be in the gut of the fish to grow and produce the toxins that cause botulism. These toxins are not eliminated by any smoking or drying of the end product. Refrigeration, freezing, washing, and open air or vacuum packaging will not make the fish safe. This applies to whole fish, fillets or parts.

The most recent botulism outbreak in Canada caused by the consumption of fesikh was in 2012. Internationally, the consumption of ungutted salted fish, including fesikh, has been linked to many cases of botulism.

Food contaminated with Clostridium botulinum toxin may not look or smell spoiled. Symptoms of botulism can include nausea and/or vomiting followed by one or more of: double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, dry mouth, difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing, weakness, respiratory failure and paralysis. In severe cases, death can occur. Symptoms generally begin 12 to 36 hours after eating a contaminated food, but they can occur as early as six hours or as late as 10 days after eating.

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Posted in CFIA, Clostridium botulinum, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Poisoning, Research

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USA – USDA – Recall – Meatballs -Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on May 3, 2013 by | Leave a comment

USDAUSDA

P.E. & F. Inc., a St. Louis establishment, is recalling approximately 123
pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat meatballs due to possible contamination with
Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food
Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The problem was discovered by FSIS routine sampling for Listeria
monocytogenes. The company inadvertently did not hold the product pending
test results. FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses
associated with consumption of these products.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, USDA

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RASFF Alerts – E.coli – Raw Milk – Minced Beef

Posted on May 2, 2013 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – High count of Escherichia coli (1500 000 CFU/g) in raw milk cheese from France

RASFF – Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (0 26 H 11, STEC or VTEC) in minced beef meat from Italy in France

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, EHEC, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Hygiene, Microbiology, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, STEC, VTECH

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RASFF Alerts – Salmonella

Posted on May 2, 2013 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – Salmonella enterica (presence /25g) in frozen chicken meat from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF – Salmonella enterica (presence /25g) in poultry meat preparation from Brazil in the Netherlands

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Salmonella

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RASFF Alerts – Aflatoxin – Ochratoxin – Rice Bran – Groundnuts – Nutmeg – Pistachios

Posted on May 2, 2013 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 230 µg/kg – ppb) in rice bran from Sweden

RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 4.3 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF – Ochratoxin A (23.1 µg/kg – ppb) in ground nutmeg with raw material from India, packaged in Hungary in Ireland

RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 103.6; Tot. = 116.1 µg/kg – ppb) in roasted shelled pistachios from Turkey in Germany

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Allergic Reaction, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Mycotoxin, Ochratoxin, Pathogen, Poisoning, RASFF, Recall, Toxin

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USA – Recall – Salmonella – Tahini Paste

Posted on May 2, 2013 by | Leave a comment

SalmonellaFood Posioning Bulletin

Krinos Foods of New York is recalling Tahini sesame paste because it may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. Healthy people infected with Salmonella can experience fever, diarrhea which may be bloody, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of this product.

The recalled Tahini is in 1 pound and 2 pound glass jars. The UPC code of the 1 pound jar is 0-75013-28500-3 and the UPC code of the 2 pound jar is 0-75013-28510-2. The recalled lots have a expiration date code on the lid between “EXP OCT 16 – 2014″ up to and including “EXP MAR 15 – 2015″. The Michigan Department of Agriculture conducted routine sampling and found the contamination.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella

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Research –

Posted on May 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment

HACCP Europa300px-Crassostrea_gigas_p1040848

According to the Centers for Disease Control, about one in six Americans gets food poisoning each year. Additionally, virus infection risks from consumption of raw oysters in the U.S. are estimated to cost around $200 million a year.

To address the issue of health risk from eating raw oysters, Texas A&M University graduate student Chandni Praveen, along with Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist Dr. Suresh Pillai and a team of researchers from other agencies and institutions, studied how electron-beam pasteurization of raw oysters may reduce the possibility of food poisoning through virus.

Other entities involved in the study included the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and University of Texas School of Public Health-El Paso regional campus.

Pillai said that the study showed if a serving size of 12 raw oysters were contaminated with approximately 100 hepatitis A and human noroviruses, an e-beam dose of 5 kGy (kilograys) would achieve a 91 percent reduction of hepatitis A infection risks and a 26 percent reduction of norovirus infection risks. A kilogray is a unit of absorbed energy from ionizing radiation.

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Microbiology, Norovirus, Research, Virus

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Research – Foodborne Illness Outbreaks from Microbial Contaminants in Spices, 1973-2010

Posted on May 1, 2013 by | 2 comments

Science Direct

This review identified fourteen reported illness outbreaks attributed to consumption of pathogen-contaminated spice during the period 1973-2010. Countries reporting outbreaks included Canada, Denmark, England and Wales, France, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Serbia, and the United States. Together, these outbreaks resulted in 1946 reported human illnesses, 128 hospitalizations and two deaths. Infants/children were the primary population segments impacted by 36% (5/14) of spice-attributed outbreaks. Four outbreaks were associated with multiple organisms. Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica was identified as the causative agent in 71% (10/14) of outbreaks, accounting for 87% of reported illnesses. Bacillus spp. was identified as the causative agent in 29% (4/10) of outbreaks, accounting for 13% of illnesses. 71% (10/14) of outbreaks were associated with spices classified as fruits or seeds of the source plant. Consumption of ready-to-eat foods prepared with spices applied after the final food manufacturing pathogen reduction step accounted for 70% of illnesses. Pathogen growth in spiced food is suspected to have played a role in some outbreaks, but it was not likely a contributing factor in three of the larger Salmonella outbreaks, which involved low-moisture foods. Root causes of spice contamination included contributions from both early and late stages of the farm-to-table continuum.

 

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Posted in Bacillus, Bacillus cereus, Bacteria, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella

USA – FDA Recall – Herring Fillet in Oils and Spice – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on May 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment

FDAlisteria-hp

Prime Food USA, 50st & 1st Ave Building # 57, Brooklyn NY 11232, is recalling Latis Brand Herring Fillet “Antalja” in Oil and Latis Brand Herring Fillet in Oil with Spices due to contamination with listeria monocytogenes. Listeria can cause serious complications for pregnant women, such as stillbirth. Other problems can manifest in people with compromised immune systems. Listeria can also cause serious flu-like symptoms in healthy individuals.

The recalled Latis Brand Herring Fillet “Antalja” in Oil is packaged in 7 oz (200 grams) plastic containers with a code: Best before (L): 11.02.2014. The UPC code is: 4 751004 071607. Latis Brand Herring Fillet in Oil with Spices is packaged in 7 oz (200 grams) plastic containers with a code: Best before (L): 11.02.2014. The UPC code is: 4 751004 079429. The products were sold in New York State.They are products of Latvia

The recall initiated after routine sampling by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors and subsequent analysis of the product by Food Laboratory personnel found the product to be positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. Consumers who have purchased Latis Brand Herring Fillet “Antalja” Herring in Oil and Latis Brand Herring Fillet in Oil with Spices should not consume it, but should return it to the place of purchase.Consumers with questions may contact the company at 718-439-0376

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Posted in Bacteria, FDA, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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