Category Archives: Pathogen

RASFF Alerts – Salmonella – Frozen Chicken – Paan Leaves – Beef

Posted on March 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – Salmonella infantis (presence /25g) in frozen beef trimmings from Poland in Sweden

RASFF – Salmonella Heidelberg (presence /25g) and Salmonella Minnesota (presence /25g) in frozen chicken drumettes from Brazil in Spain

RASFF – Salmonella Minnesota (presence /25g) in frozen chicken from Brazil in Spain

RASFF – Salmonella spp. (present /25g) in paan leaves (betel/pan) from Bangladesh

RASFF – Salmonella Heidelberg (presence /25g) and Salmonella Minnesota (presence /25g) in frozen chicken cuts and offals from Brazil in Spain.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Salmonella

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RASFF – Mycotoxin – Ochratoxin – Aflatoxin – Alerts – Turkey – Nuts – Kenya

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RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 9.21 µg/kg – ppb) in roasted pistachios from Turkey in Austria

RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 16.5 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Turkey in Austria

RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 3.9; Tot. = 14.1 µg/kg – ppb) in hazelnut kernels from Turkey in Austria

RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 12.2; Tot. = 12.2 µg/kg – ppb) in coated peanuts from Turkey in Italy

RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 19.2; Tot. = 20.5 / B1 = 13.2; Tot. = 14 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachio kernels from Turkey, with raw material from Syria in Italy

RASFF – Ochratoxin A (39 µg/kg – ppb) in roasted coffee from Kenya in Finland

RASFF – Ochratoxin A (10 µg/kg – ppb) in milling rye in bulk from Latvia, via Lithuania in Finland

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Moulds, Mycotoxin, Ochratoxin, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall

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European and RASFF Alerts – Aflatoxin – Salmonella – Moulds – STEC E.coli – Norovirus – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on March 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – Aflatoxins in Maize Feed in Germany sourced in Romania via Belgium

RASFF – Salmonella in Dried Whole Green Peppers in Germany via India

RASFF – Listeria in Frozen Raw Milk Sheep Cheese in France

RASFF – Aflatoxins in Red Hot Chilli Pepper Powder in Switzerland sourced in Turkey

RASFF– Salmonella in Frozen Beef in Sweden sourced in Ireland

RASFF – Moulds in Unsalted Butter in Greece sourced in France

RASFF – Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli in Smoked Sausage in Austria

RASFF – Norovirus (G I & GII) in Oysters in France

Germany – Listeria monocytogenes in Palatine liver dumplings in Germany

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Moulds, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Salmonella

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Research – Various Studies on Product Microbial Decontamination – Salmonella – E.coli O157 – Clostridium

Posted on March 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online – Essential Oils Inactivation of Salmonella on Cherry Tomato’s

Wiley Online – The Efficacy of Satureja khuzistanica Essential Oil Treatment in Reducing Escherichia coli O157:H7 Load on Alfalfa Seeds Prior to Sprouting

Ingenta Connect – Commercial Thermal Process for Inactivating Salmonella Poona on Surfaces of Whole Fresh Cantaloupes

Ingenta Connect – Dynamic Effects of Free Chlorine Concentration, Organic Load, and Exposure Time on the Inactivation of Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli

Ingenta Connect – Effect of Packaging Systems and Pressure Fluids on Inactivation of Clostridium botulinum Spores by Combined High Pressure and Thermal Processing

 

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Posted in Bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, E.coli, E.coli O157, EHEC, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

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USA – Seattle – E.coli O157 Restaurant Based Outbreak

Posted on March 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

E.coli Blog

King County Public Health agency shut down an Ethiopian restaurant in Seattle’s central district on Wednesday afternoon after connecting the establishment to an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7, health agency spokeswoman Kathryn Ross has confirmed to Food Safety News.

At least two people have fallen ill in the outbreak, and Ross said the likelihood of others being sickened is uncertain.

In its closure notification, the agency cited Ambassel Ehtiopian Cuisine & Bar with five safety violations, including the outbreak.

Other violations included foods not being protected from cross-contamination, improperly sanitized equipment, and poor personal hygiene among employees due to inadequate handwashing facilities.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Pathogen

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Germany – Fungus Found in Raw Milk – Aflatoxin

Posted on March 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

The LocalAspergillus WM

High levels of a cancer-causing fungus has been found in raw milk from a western German farm. The authorities in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) suspect contaminated cow feed from Serbia.

Before being pasteurised, milk from the farm had twice as much aflatoxin – produced by the Aspergillus species of mould – than national standards allow.

There was a possibility that the contaminated raw milk had already been sent to dairies for processing, the state Consumer Protection Ministry said. Until the milk has levels below 50 nanogrammes of aflatoxin per kilogramme of milk it may not be sold. Current levels were around 100 nanogrammes.

Milk from cows which have ingested aflatoxin – one of the strongest naturally occurring carcinogens – is “particularly dangerous,” said Udo Paschedag from Lower Saxony’s Agriculture Ministry.

 

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Food Chemistry, Food Hygiene, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Moulds, Mycotoxin, Pathogen, Toxin

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Australia- Gastroenteritis Linked to Swimming Pool Water

Posted on March 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Courier Mail

Victoria’s chief health officer Dr Rosemary Lester said there has been a three-fold increase in gastro cases after hot weather sparked people seeking to cool off at public swimming pools.

She urged those who have had diarrhoea not to go into a swimming pool for at least 14 days after symptoms had stopped for fear of passing on the bug.

Dr Lester said the cryptosporidium gastro parasite could not be killed by normal levels of chlorination.

“Cryptosporidiosis is typically caused by swallowing contaminated water, household contact with a case and contact with farm animals,” she said.

Authorities are working with swimming pool owners to implement extra measures to kill the parasite.

Symptoms included watery diarrhoea, stomach cramps and vomiting, Dr Lester said.

Dr Lester urged sufferers to shower before swimming to avoid infecting others, with children and the elderly particularly at risk.

There were 155 Victorian cases of gastro caused by the cryptosporidium parasite last month, three times the February average of 53.

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Posted in Cryptosporidium, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Protozoan, Water

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Canada – Research -Parasites in Retail Leafy Greens

Posted on March 7, 2013 by | Leave a comment

CTV News220px-Cyclospora_cayetanensis_stained

In the first-ever large-scale study of its kind, Canadian researchers have  tested how clean pre-washed packages of leafy greens really are, and found  parasites in dozens of samples purchased in Ontario.

Looking at 544 samples of store-bought, pre-washed salads, researchers from  Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada found nearly one-tenth of  the samples were contaminated with either cyclospora, cryptosporidium or giardia  — parasites that can cause intestinal illness, such as diarrhea.

“In the present study, a relatively high prevalence of all three parasites  was found in packaged, ready-to-eat leafy greens,” said the study, published  recently in the Journal of Food Protection.

To conduct the study, the research team purchased a total of 544 prewashed  salad samples between April 2009 and March 2010 — all in the Waterloo, Ont.  area. After testing the samples, the team found:

  • Nine (1.7%) of the samples tested positive for cyclospora;
  • 32 (5.7%) of the samples tested positive for cryptosporidium;
  • 10 (1.8%) of the samples tested positive for giardia.

 

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Posted in Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Giardia, Hygiene, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

China (worldwide) – Ikea – Cakes Recalled – Coliforms

Posted on March 6, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Courier Mail

SWEDISH furniture giant Ikea has pulled a batch of almond cakes from its restaurants in 23 countries after Chinese authorities said they contained coliform bacteria, normally present in faecal matter.

The Swedish-made cakes had failed tests “for containing an excessive level of coliform bacteria, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine,” the Shanghai Daily website wrote.

Ikea said 1,800 Taarta Chokladkrokant cakes – described on its website as an almond cake with chocolate, butter cream and butterscotch – were destroyed in December after being intercepted by Chinese customs.

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Posted in Coliforms, Food Inspections, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen

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USA – Alaska – More Ill from Raw Milk – Campylobacter

Posted on March 6, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Campylobacter BlogCampylobacter

News reports that Alaska State health officials report a total of 24 people have fallen ill, two of whom were hospitalized, after drinking tainted raw milk from a Kenai Peninsula dairy. Among the ill is an infant who did not directly imbibe the raw milk, but got sick through a secondary transmission from an adult who had.  State epidemiologists said the illnesses are the result of milk tainted with campylobacter, a bacterium commonly found in cow manure.  After receiving multiple reports of sick people, state health officials traced the source of the outbreak to a cow share program at the Peninsula Dairy. State veterinarians visited the farm to take samples and said the farm owner is being cooperative with their investigation.

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen

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