Category Archives: Pathogen

USA – Norovirus Outbreak Deli

Posted on February 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Concord PatchNorwalk_Caspid

A Concord deli has been closed by Contra Costa County environmental health officials due to norovirus contamination.

Marilyn Underwood, environmental health department director, said the North Park Deli on Nelson Avenue was shut down late Tuesday afternoon. It’s uncertain when the eatery will re-open.

Underwood said two employees at the deli have tested positive for the virus.

She said her department was first notified of the illness when 15 people who were at an event catered by North Park Deli on Friday evening became sick over the weekend.

It usually takes 36 to 48 hours after exposure for norovirus symptoms to appear.

Underwood said anyone who visited the deli late last week or early this week and becomes sick should avoid contact with other people. In addition, surfaces and other contaminated items should be cleaned with bleach.

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen

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USA – “No Illness” Declaration Viewpoint

Posted on February 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Food companies that are voluntarily recalling a product usually use the language suggested by regulatory agencies that is then distributed electronically via the federal government websites. Recalls not connected to outbreaks almost always contain a line saying there are no reported illnesses associated with the recalled product.

William E. Keene, Oregon’s senior state epidemiologist, thinks it’s time for reporters and editors to “not let themselves be duped into amplifying press release boilerplate.”

Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have templates for companies to use when writing a recall announcement. They are:

FDA: ”No illnesses have been reported to date.”

FSIS: “There have been no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products.”

“Until they have the isolate(s) serotyped, have PFGE’d (conducted a pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis), and compared to PulseNet or analogous data,” says Keene, “they are just blowing smoke.” He says that without subtyping data, the media should not fall for it. The only accurate report is that there is no way of knowing (at this time) if there are any associated illnesses.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

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Research – Raw Flour can cause Foodborne Illness

Posted on January 31, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Most savvy cooks know that raw eggs, meat, poultry, and shellfish should be handled with care because they most likely contain pathogenic bacteria. So they wash their hands after handling these products, take care to avoid cross-contamination, and sanitize surfaces after cooking. Cooking those foods will kill the pathogenic bacteria.

But did you know that uncooked flour can also be contaminated with pathogens? A study published in Foodborne Pathogens and Disease found that a cluster of Salmonella cases occurred in New Zealand in October 2008 linked to wheat-based poultry feed raw material. And raw flour caused an E. coli outbreak in the U.S. in 2009 that sickened 77 people in 30 states. In that case, the flour was in raw refrigerated,prepackaged cookie dough.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

USA – Updated Smoked Salmon Recall – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on January 31, 2013 by | Comments Off on USA – Updated Smoked Salmon Recall – Listeria monocytogenes

Food Poisoning Bulletinlisteria-hp

Whole Foods Market is expanding its smoked salmon recall for potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes to include an additional lot code. The black and gold, flat, rectangular, vacuum-sealed 4 oz packages of Whole Catch Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon with UPC code 0 99482 40880 0  were sold in 18 states: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island Texas, and Utah. The lot codes now included in the recall are 7425A2297A. and 7425A2298B.

No illnesses have been reported related to these lot codes. But a sample of the product has tested positive for Listeria.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

Australia – New Cheese Recall – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on January 31, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Binnorie

Duetto Cheese Recall possible Listeria monocytogenes recall.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

USDA – Recall Veal Trimmings – E.coli O157:H7

Posted on January 31, 2013 by | Leave a comment

USDAUSDA

San Jose Valley Veal, a Santa Clara, Calif. establishment, is recalling
approximately 1,260 pounds of veal trimmings that may be contaminated with
E. Coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Hygiene, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, USDA

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Research – Campylobacter Movement to Search for Food

Posted on January 30, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Science DailyCampylobacter

Researchers at the Institute of Food Research on the Norwich Research Park have uncovered how the food-borne bacterial pathogen Campylobacter jejuni can change its swimming behaviour to find a location with more food.

Using a newly developed assay, the researchers found that Campylobacter balances the directions given by two different systems to either seek out more nutritious locations, or to find places where respiration is most efficient. Genetic tools were used to show that the system controlling swimming towards food overrides the other system, suggesting that the “need to feed” is the foremost concern for Campylobacter.

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

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RASFF – Alerts – Salmonella – Ochratoxin A

Posted on January 29, 2013 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – Salmonella in Dog Chews in Germany sourced in Argentina

RASFF – Ochratoxin A in Coffee in Belgium

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Ochratoxin, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Salmonella

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Canada – CFIA – Recall Spouted Seeds – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on January 29, 2013 by | Leave a comment

CFIAEurofins

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Canada Safeway Limited are   warning the public not to consume the LifeForce Foods brand Sprouts described below because they may be  contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

All codes of the following LifeForce Foods brand sprouts, product of USA,   packaged in plastic clamshell containers of 85 grams, are affected by this alert:

               Product UPC
               Brocco Sprouts                8 51042 00400 2
               Spicy sprouts                8 51042 00401 9
               Alfalfa sprouts                8 51042 00402 6

These products have been distributed through Canada Safeway stores in British Columbia only.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

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Posted in Bacteria, CFIA, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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USA – FDA Recall Alfalfa Sprouts – Listeria monocyotgenes

Posted on January 29, 2013 by | 4 comments

FDAEurofins

Sprouters Northwest of Kent, Washington is recalling 1953 pounds of alfalfa, clover, brocco sandwich sprouts, and spicy sprouts due to the potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Products were distributed from 1/10/13 to 1/18/13 in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and British Columbia, Canada through retail stores and food service distribution chain.

The affected products are sold under the Sprouters Northwest brand and are packaged in plastic clamshell containers and plastic 1 lb bags.

The problem was identified through a surveillance sampling and two samples collected at retail locations were tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).

The firm is working with WSDA and the Food & Drug Administration on this recall.

Consumers should not consume the recalled sprouts products and are advised to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-253-872-0577 from 7AM to 2PM PST.

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Posted in Bacteria, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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