Category Archives: Microbiology

US – Non – O157 Testing Preliminary Results

Posted on July 18, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

On June 4, food regulators began screening beef for six more strains of E. coli beyond the already-monitored E. coli O157:H7. Since that time, 110 samples of beef trim have been tested for non-O157 E. coli; 3 were found to be carrying these bacteria. 
 
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service published these initial findings in a results chart this week. The three positive test results represented three different strains of E. coli: O45, O103 and O145, each of which was found once. No samples have yet tested positive for the other three strains: O26, O111 and O121.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O104, E.coli O145, E.coli O157, E.coli O26, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, STEC, USDA

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Listeria Challenge Test Protocol Evaluation

Posted on July 18, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Science Direct

A comparison was made of two approaches to microbiological challenge testing. Sliced cooked ham was challenge tested with Listeria monocytogenes using the protocol detailed in the Technical Guidance Document on shelf life studies for L.monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods produced by Agence Française de Securité Sanitare des Aliments (AFSSA now known as ANSES) which required testing of three batches of product, an inoculum level of no more than 100 cfu/g, cultures pre-adapted to chill conditions and a storage regime of 7 d at 8 °C followed by 14 d at 12 °C. This was compared to a more standard industry type of approach using a single batch of product, an inoculum level of between 100 and 1000 cfu/g, cultures grown overnight at optimal temperature and a storage regime of 21 d at 8 °C. The results of the trial showed that the standard Industry approach gave similar results to that of the more complex AFSSA approach with regards to growth potential, lag time and time for a 2 log increase.

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Microbiology, Research

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CFIA – Salad Recall – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on July 18, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Sobeys Quebec Inc. are warning the public not to consume the Earth Greens brand Organic Italian Blend salad described below because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The affected product, Earth Greens brand Organic Italian Blend salad, product of USA, is sold in a 198 g plastic clamshell package bearing UPC 8 18431 00107 3, Best Before date 2012 JL 13, and lot code 2217915MI.

This product has been distributed in Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and Nunavut.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Foodborne Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Recall

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Poultry Irradiation ?

Posted on July 17, 2012 by | Leave a comment

The Poultry Site

CANADA – A microbiologist with the University of Manitoba suggests the widespread adoption of irradiation of poultry could potentially reduce the number of incidents of foodborne illness in Canada by 25 per cent, writes Bruce Cochrane.

Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation to kill any microorganisms or insects that might be present.

Dr Rick Holley, a food safety and food microbiology professor with the University of Manitoba, observes the association between poultry and campylobacter and salmonella is pretty significant.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Food Testing, Irradiation, Microbiology, Pathogen

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FDA – Meatballs Recalled Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on July 17, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FDA

SCARBOROUGH, Maine – Hannaford Supermarkets today alerted customers to a recall issued by New Jersey-based Buona Vita Inc. of three meatball products, due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

The three products are all sold through the deli department: Homestyle Meatballs with Sauce, sold by the pound; Meatball Panini – cold, UPC # 941260723096; and Meatball Panini – hot, UPC # 94126072102.  Customers who purchased any of these products should not consume them, and may return the items to Hannaford for a full refund. Products subject to the recall have been removed from the shelves at Hannaford.

Buona Vita’s voluntary recall is part of a broader recall involving various frozen, ready-to-eat meat and poultry products produced by Buona Vita and sold to distributors nationwide.  The problem was discovered during microbiological testing by the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.  No illnesses have been reported.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

Oyster Bay Shellfish – Vibrio parahaemolyticus Outbreak

Posted on July 16, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

The New York Department of Environmental conservation is advising food establishments to avoid using or selling shellfish harvested from areas in the town of Oyster Bay, N.Y. According to the Rhode Island Department of Health, harvesting is no longer allowed in that area because of an illness outbreak caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a naturally occurring marine bacteria.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Shellfish, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus

RASFF – PSP, Listeria,Salmonella, Histamine

Posted on July 14, 2012 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – PSP Mussels from France

RASFF – STEC E.coli Roqufort Cheese France

RASFF – Salmonella Pasteurised Eggs in Denmark sourced in Poland

RASFF – Listeria in Chilled Smoked Salmon in Italy sourced in Spain

RASFF – Salmonella Frozen Chicken Thighs in France sourced in the Netherlands

RASFF – Salmonella Frozen Turkey Meat in Italy

Danish Alert – Histamine in Fresh Tuna

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Posted in Allergic Reaction, Bacteria, E.coli, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, PSP, RASFF, Recall, Salmonella, Shellfish

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Newborns Sickened in Hospital- Salmonella

Posted on July 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Over the past three weeks, two newborn girls have contracted Salmonella infections at a Central California hospital.

Authorities are investigating how the infants, treated at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, were exposed to the bacteria. 
 
“We don’t have an answer yet,” said Dr. John Walker of the Stanislaus County’s Public Health Services. “However, there has been intense investigation.”    
 
One of the victim’s moms suspects that the infant formula given to her daughter in neonatal intensive care may have been contaminated. 
 
A hospital administrator at Doctors told CBS Sacramento that this appears to be an isolated event, not part of a larger outbreak.

 

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella

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US – Cheese Recall – Possible Listeria monocyotgenes

Posted on July 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the Allegheny County Health Department and Whole Foods Market are recalling Jean Perrin Edel de Cleron cheese sold at the Whole Foods store in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood after a person became ill with Listeria contamination and samples tested positive for Listeria

 

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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ECDC -Vibrio cholerae Outbreak Cuba

Posted on July 12, 2012 by | Leave a comment

ECDC

On 3 July the Cuban Ministry of Health confirmed an outbreak of cholera in the south-western city of Manzanillo. It is the first time in almost 150 years that an outbreak of cholera is reported in the island. The heavy rains and the high temperatures during the previous weeks have likely influenced the occurrence of the disease. As of 3 July, 53 cases of Vibrio cholerae, including three deaths, have been officially confirmed.  

Since 7 July, several media sources report a higher number of cases and the disease has spread to other cities including the capital, Havana.

At this stage there is no information available about the outbreak strain, nor of the origin of the outbreak.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Vibrio, Vibrio cholera, Water