The above publication is running an article which fully encompasses modern-day trends. The article reports on an US study extolling the virtues of Twitter and Facebook as a surveillance tool for food illness outbreaks.
There is also a webinar at the following link on February 3rd.
Food Product Tracing Technology Capabilities and Interoperability
The USDA announced that 18th Street Deli Inc., a Hamtramck, Mich., establishment, is recalling approximately 118 pounds of julienne salad products with turkey, ham and hard-boiled eggs. The salads contain eggs that are the subject of an FDA recall due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
This link was supplied to me by Mike Scott at Matrix, it is a list of the outbreaks associated with sprouting seeds and is of interest after the recent release for the EFSA on controlling sprouting seeds and food borne illness.
A total of 58 employees who worked at the Zappos plant in Bullit County, Kentucky were infected by a bacteria called Bacillus cereus in December 2011. At least twenty-nine sought medical attention, but nobody was hospitalised. The specific food item was not identified.
This article reports on investigation into another outbreak of food poisoning last year at the North CArolina State FAir in which 25 people became ill through E.coli O157 after visiting livestock enclosures. The article then reports on another 20 incidents from other livestock settings around the world mainly E.coli O157 but also Campylobacter and Cryptosporidium.
The CDC have put together another task for to investigate, it is interesting that farmers do not appear to have this problem, could it be that they have built up greater immunity or have they got better hygiene habits than the general public?
Based on test results to date, there is no need for a recall of infant formula and parents may continue to use powdered infant formula, following the manufacturer’s directions on the printed label.
The ongoing investigation includes laboratory testing of various types and brands of powdered infant formula, nursery water and, when available, clinical samples from the infants. The investigation also includes the inspection of manufacturing facilities for infant formula and nursery water.
The following results have been confirmed from completed laboratory tests, although additional lab results are pending release:
The FDA has inspected the facilities that manufactured the infant formula and the nursery water that tested positive for Cronobacter bacteria. Those manufacturers have programs that test their products before they are distributed. The lots in question were tested and found negative for Cronobacter. There is currently no evidence to conclude that the infant formula or nursery water was contaminated during manufacturing or shipping.
The FDA, CDC and state agencies continue to investigate the cause of the infections using epidemiological and laboratory methods. Currently CDC and FDA laboratories are testing infant formula, water and other environmental samples related to the ill infants from Illinois and Oklahoma; the results are pending. Additional steps include: completion of inspections of manufacturers, additional laboratory testing of samples, and additional DNA fingerprinting investigation.
A report on the results of a survey on the contamination of raw poultry packaging was published by the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) on 9 December. The report discovered that about 10% of samples were found to be contaminated with Campylobacter on the external packaging. It is for this reason that consumers are advised to make sure they keep raw poultry separate from ready-to-eat food at purchase, in storage and during preparation. Consumers should carry raw poultry home in separate bags and should store raw poultry at the bottom of their refrigerator away from ready-to-eat foods. During preparation they should wash hands thoroughly after handling raw poultry or other raw foods, and take all steps to avoid cross contamination through utensils or surfaces including cleaning and disinfecting food contact surfaces which are used to prepare raw poultry. Consumers should always cook food thoroughly to kill any bacteria that may be present.
FoodWorld 