Category Archives: Pathogen

Cananda – Cured Sausage Recall – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on April 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CIFA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the La Vecchia Fattoria brand Cacciatore Dry Cured Sausages described below because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The affected product, La Vecchia Fattoria brand Cacciatore Dry Cured Sausages, is sold in packages of 2 units each (approximately 300g), bearing UPC 8 81248 33336 1 and a Best Before date of 12 23 JL.

This product has been distributed in Quebec.

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

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

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Norovirus Epidemiology Review

Posted on March 31, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Cambridge Journals Online 

Food Safety Review

Norovirus – a bug that causes gastrointestinal illness – is responsible for 12 percent of all diarrheal disease worldwide and is estimated to cause 218,000 deaths among children under 5 each year. 
 
Now a clearer picture of how this virus spreads and where it originates is being drawn by a review published this week in Epidemiology & Infection.
 
Norovirus is derived from fecal matter, and can infect people via 4 routes: contaminated water, contaminated food, contaminated environmental surfaces or contact with an infected person. 
 
Researchers from Emory University and the University of Michigan looked at 902 Norovirus (NoV) outbreaks documented between 1993 and 2011, finding that most were associated with transmission through food or in a food service setting.
 
 

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

US – Tofu In New York Linked to Botulism Cases

Posted on March 31, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal 

New York City Health Department is currently investigating two cases of foodborne Botulism linked to fresh bulk tofu sold at a store in Flushing.  As reported by WABC, New York City has reported only one other foodborne-linked botulism over the past 15 years.

The two reported cases are Chinese-speaking residents of Queens who recently purchased the unrefrigerated bulk tofu from the same store.  According to reports, the tofu was not made at the store and its source is under investigation.

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

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Pets – Salmonella Bacterial Infection Issues – USA

Posted on March 31, 2012 by | 1 comment

FDA – Tropical Fish Food Flakes – Salmonella

The Hartz Mountain Corporation, located in Secaucus, N.J. is voluntarily recalling product from four specific lots of Wardley® Advanced Nutrition™ Perfect Protein™ Tropical Flake Fish Food 1 oz. size due to concerns that one or more containers within the specified lots may have been potentially contaminated with Salmonella.  Hartz is fully cooperating with the US Food and Drug Administration in this voluntary recall.

CDC – Small Pet Turtles – Salmonella – 66 Ill.

CDC is collaborating with public health officials in multiple states to investigate three overlapping, multistate outbreaks of human Salmonella infections linked to exposure to turtles or their environments (e.g., water from a turtle habitat). The first is an outbreak of human Salmonella Sandiego infections, the second is an outbreak of human Salmonella Pomona infections, and the third is an outbreak of human Salmonella Poona infections. These are rare types of Salmonella.

Portales News Tribune – Chicks For Easter Presents – Salmonella

The New Mexico Department of Health and the New Mexico Livestock Board issued a press release Thursday advising families to avoid potential exposure to salmonella by not giving baby chicks and ducklings to children as Easter gifts:

In the last six years, New Mexico has had 16 Salmonella cases related to baby chicks. Many of the cases were in young children. The Department also discourages families from buying small turtles (less than 4 inches) sold at flea markets and roadside stands because they are also known to carry salmonella that could infect people and their children.

 

 

 

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Posted in Bacteria, CDC, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella

More Salmonella Issues – Canadian Products – Sprouting Seeds

Posted on March 31, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Mumm’s Sprouting Seeds Ltd. are warning the public not to consume the Mumm’s brand Sprouting Seeds described below because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The affected product, Mumm’s brand Sprouting Seeds – Sunflower, are sold in 75 g packages bearing UPC 7 73295 07582 3 and lot # SF2020.

This product is known to have been distributed in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario and may have been distributed nationally.

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

 

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Posted in Bacteria, CIFA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella, Sprouting Seeds

More Jalepeno Pepper Problems -Canada – Salmonella

Posted on March 31, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CIFA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Veg-Pak Produce Ltd. are warning consumers, distributors and retailers not to consume, distribute or sell the jalapeno peppers described below because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.

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

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

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FDA – Jalepeno Pepper Recall Salmonella

Posted on March 30, 2012 by | 1 comment

FDA 

Castellini Company LLC is recalling certain jalapeno peppers distributed from its Wilder, Kentucky facility because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

While there have been no illnesses reported to date in connection with this problem, Castellini Company is collaborating closely with the FDA and adhering to all safety regulations and standards.

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

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Study – Salmonella Survival in Mayonnaise

Posted on March 30, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Ingenta Connect 

Mayonnaise made from contaminated eggs has been linked to outbreaks of Salmonella infections. This study was undertaken to determine the fate of salmonellae in home-style mayonnaise and acid solutions with or without chemical preservatives. Egg yolks were inoculated with different levels of a three-serotype (Typhimurium, Heidelberg, and Enteritidis [untypeable phage type]) mixture of Salmonella or a three-phage-type (4, 8, and 13) mixture of Salmonella Enteritidis. The inoculated yolks were used to make mayonnaise with 2, 3, or 4 teaspoons of a commercial wine vinegar or lemon juice. The mayonnaise was sampled for salmonellae over a 15-day period at 4°C, and negative samples were tested further by a three-tube most-probable-number assay. The same Salmonella mixtures were respectively inoculated into six acid solutions including wine vinegar, lemon juice, and acetic or citric solutions with or without chemical preservatives. The Salmonella populations of the Salmonella Enteritidis mixture were more persistent than those of the other Salmonella mixture in mayonnaise. Both Salmonella mixtures survived longer in mayonnaise made with vinegar than with lemon juice during storage at 4°C. In the acid solutions, however, the populations of the two Salmonella mixtures were not significantly different. The numbers of the two Salmonella mixtures in acetic or citric acid solutions with the preservatives were significantly lower than those in vinegar, lemon juice, and the solutions without the preservatives. Results suggest that Salmonella in contaminated egg yolks could survive the mayonnaise-making process. The inhibition of Salmonella by vinegar and lemon juice is due to the hurdle effect of organic acids and chemical preservatives.

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

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Report on Campylobacter Reservoirs on Farms

Posted on March 30, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Cambridge Journals Online

Campylobacter is the most common known source of human bacterial enteritis in the developed world and poultry is considered the main source. Broilers often become colonised with Campylobacter during rearing, and then contaminate the farm environment. The objective of this study was to identify Campylobacter-positive environmental reservoirs on farms, as these pose a risk to broiler flocks becoming colonised with Campylobacter. We considered the temporal aspects of exposure and colonisation. A longitudinal study monitored six conventional rearing farms over 2 years. The broiler flocks, catchers’ equipment, vehicles, shed surrounds, shed entrance, other equipment, farm entrance, other animals, puddles, dead birds, mains water and drinkers were systematically sampled 2–4 times per flock. A multivariable generalised estimating equation model was used to assess associations between contaminated environmental sites and colonised broiler flocks. The associations were adjusted for confounders and other known risk factors. To further assess temporality of contamination, the sequence of contamination of the different environmental sites and the flocks was established. Contaminated shed entrances and anterooms, contaminated drinkers and shedding of Campylobacter by other animals such as cattle, dogs, wildlife and rodents were significantly associated with positive flocks. The reservoir of ‘other animals’ was also the reservoir most commonly positive before the flock became colonised. The other sites usually became contaminated after the flock was colonised.

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

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US – Stuffed Beef Recall – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on March 30, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Listeria Blog

Mosul Kubba, a Chicago, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 1,100 pounds of stuffed, layered beef products due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The problem was discovered during routine FSIS testing. FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products.

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