Food handlers who work while infected with certain bacteria or viruses can spread infection to other people through food they work with. This guidance helps managers and staff to prevent the spread of infection by advising which illnesses and symptoms staff should report and what managers should do in response.
Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research
Tagged food handlers, health, technology
This is my 1ooo th Blog and I suppose that at the moment with the number of recalls happening in the USA and Canada that it was bound to be about Peanut Butter and Salmonella. However I do think that the extent of the recalls based on one raw material from one supplier only highlights how interlinked the food industry is both nationally and internationally. This only emphasises the importance of controls on the manufacturing of safe food. I think that many of the companies that have withdrawn their products, even though there have been no illnesses associated with their products, should be praised for their actions.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume PureFit brand Peanut Butter Crunch bars listed below because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.
These products may have been distributed nationally.
There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.
Torn and Glasser, Inc of Los Angeles, CA 90021 is voluntarily recalling Salted in-shell product (packaged after November 9, 2011), and one lot of Organic Peanut Butter (packaged January 13, 2012) because it has the potential to be contaminated withSalmonella.
This decision to recall was made due to the expanded recall of peanut products by Sunland (to include Salted in-shell, and Organic peanuts) due to the potential of contamination with Salmonella. The Torn and Glasser recalled products contain peanuts supplied by the Sunland Peanut Processing Plant located in Portales, New Mexico.
To date, Torn and Glasser, Inc. has not received any complaints concerning illness on any of these lot numbers. Consumers who have purchased any of the recalled products are urged not to eat them and to return products to the place of purchase for a full refund.
E. coli outbreak in Belfast is ‘a major crisis’ says PHA
The PHA said there are now 20 confirmed cases and 118 suspected cases of food poisoning following an investigation at Flicks restaurant at Cityside Mall.
Six people have been hospitalised since the start of the outbreak, but most have since been discharged.
Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen
Tagged e coli outbreak, public health agency, public health crisis, science
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has seen seven cases of Salmonella Enteritidis PT1 following consumption of a pasteurised liquid egg product which was sold through Myprotein® and Nutri Centre websites and Nutri Centre stores. Testing of a sample of the product also showed a positive result for the same type of salmonella. No other products are known to be affected.
The product, a Myprotein own brand ‘Free Range Liquid Egg Whites’, was recalled on October 10 by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the company are no longer selling it. The FSA are working to identify the source of the eggs used in the product.
Salmonella bacteria live in the gut of many animals and can affect meat, eggs, poultry, and milk. Infection with this type of salmonella causes a similar illness to other forms of salmonella infection and symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain and fever.
There has been no national increase in this type of salmonella. In the seven weeks from the end of August to 9 October (weeks 34-40) there were a total of 42 non-travel cases of Salmonella Enteritidis PT 1 reported to the HPA (including the seven cases above). This is compared to 48 and 47 cases in the same weeks in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
The 42 cases seen this year have been reported from most regions and range in age from infants to 78 years of age. There are more females than males (24 vs. 18) with half of the females being under ten years of age. The male cases are spread across most age groups.
Translation English Recall – French
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ), in collaboration with the Division of Food Inspection Agency of the City of Montreal and the company engaged under the name Butchery Amsellem., established in 5450, Westminster Avenue, Montreal (Côte-Saint-Luc) is warning the public not to consume the products described in the above link and manufactured by this company because it may contain Listeria monocytogenes.
The recall of beef products for E. coli 0157:H7 produced at the XL Foods plant in Canada has grown for the 17th and 18th times. This recall is linked to an E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak that has sickened at least 15 people in Canada.
Janet’s Jerky is recalling 2 pound bags of Old Fashioned Beef Jerky with no UPC numbers and purchase dates from September 17 to October 10, 2012. The products were distributed in New Brunswick. They are also recalling 2 pound bags of Old Fashioned Beef Jerky – Hot & Spicy Cajun with the same purchase dates and distribution. Also recalled is corned beef sold at l’Entrepôt de Viandes from September 11 to October 10, 2012 in Quebec.
On October 12, 2012, the CFIA announced more recalls. Nortown medium ground beef, La Préférence filet mignon and Côte de boeuf are recalled. Longos beef burgers, portobello burgers, and lean ground sirloin are recalled. You can see UPC numbers, code dates, and distribution at the CFIA web site. For questions, call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342.
Nature’s Recipe brand is voluntarily recalling a limited supply of Nature’s Recipe® Oven Baked Biscuits with Real Chicken, manufactured in one of its U.S. production facilities. This is being done as a precautionary measure, as the product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products.
Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some, or all, of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected, but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
No pet or consumer illnesses from this product have been reported to date. However, because of its commitment to safety and quality, the Company is conducting a voluntary recall of this product.
Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Microbiology, Pathogen, Pet Food, Recall, Salmonella
Tagged consumer illnesses, diarrhea fever, health, salmonella infections
Sunland, Inc. today announced that it is extending its ongoing voluntary recall to include raw and roasted shelled and in-shell peanuts processed in its Peanut Processing Plant because the products have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Specifically, the recall is being extended to include raw and roasted peanuts, both in-shell and shelled, which were processed in its Peanut Processing Plant located in Portales, New Mexico, and which are within their current shelf life or have no stated expiration date.
The original recall initiated by the Company on September 24, 2012, included peanut butter and other nut butter products produced in a separate building from where raw and roasted peanuts are processed. The reason for the initial voluntary recall was the potential for the recalled products to be contaminated with Salmonella. At that time, twenty-nine (29) people had reported Salmonella Bredeney PFGE matching illnesses in approximately eighteen (18) states, and of those who had been interviewed at that time, twelve of fourteen reported having eaten the same single product made by the Company. Since the recall was announced, additional confirmed illnesses have been reported. As of October 5, 2012, the total number of confirmed illnesses reported was thirty-five (35). The most current information available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), regarding confirmed illnesses is available at their website: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/bredeney-09-12/index.html1
The extension being announced today is the result of the continued joint investigation by the Company and FDA. The Company has ceased the production and distribution of all products from both its Peanut Butter Plant and its Peanut Processing Plant while FDA and the Company continue their investigation.
The raw and roasted peanuts available to retail customers were distributed primarily under the Company’s own label and were distributed primarily to produce houses and nationally to numerous large supermarket, grocery and retail chains. The products also were available for purchase on the internet. The roasted and roasted/salted peanuts being recalled were distributed during the six month period prior to the recall date (April 12, 2012 – October 12, 2012), and will have best by/expiration dates on the packaging from October 12, 2012 through April 12, 2013. The raw peanuts being recalled (shelled and in-shell), were distributed during the twelve months prior to the recall date (October 12, 2011 – October 12, 2012), and will have either best by dates from October 12, 2012 through October 12, 2013 on the packaging, or a “Crop Year” marking on the package of 2011 or 2012, up to and including October 12, 2012.
Consumers who have purchased any of the recalled products are urged not to eat them and to return products to the place of purchase for a full refund or dispose of them immediately.
PureFit Inc., Irvine, CA is voluntarily recalling PureFit Peanut Butter Crunch nutrition bars manufactured on March 1 and July 12 and sold between March 9th and August 31. PureFit Inc. is working with the FDA to recall any product made with peanut butter from Sunland Inc. of Portales, NM. Peanut Butter manufactured by Sunland has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella,
