According to the EFSA Report 2013, 32.7% of outbreaks of foodborne illness registered in Europe occurs within the home, due to inadequate hygienic behaviour of consumers when preparing foods in the kitchen. The efficacy of proper cleaning of cutting boards, dishes and cutlery in limiting microbial cross-contaminations in the kitchen has been documented many times, whereas few researches have been performed to determine the microbial load of the internal walls of domestic refrigerators, in Italy. The aim of this investigation is to ascertain the role played by internal surfaces of home refrigerators as possible sources of microbial contamination of foods.
We analyzed 293 domestic refrigerators of students or workers at the university campus of Agripolis (Legnaro, Italy). For each refrigerator, 2 internal surfaces were sampled using sponge-bags. The amounts of total viable count (TVC), Gram-negative spoiling bacteria, moulds and yeasts and the main pathogenic bacterial species were determined.
TVCs greater than 1 log CFU cm−2 are in a little over 50% of the samples analyzed and are found mainly on the bottom of the refrigerator (61%) compared to the walls (39%) (P < 0.001). Even for other microbial counts the risk ratio of finding them on the bottom of the refrigerator is significantly higher than on the walls; the possibility of there being a finding on the bottom with respect to the walls varies from 2.5 to 8.5 times respectively for moulds and Aeromonas spp. Salmonella spp. was found in 1.7% of the samples, Bacillus cereus in 5.6%, Coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS) in 4%, the prevalence of which is always higher on the bottom of the refrigerator. Listeria monocytogenes and Yersinia enterocolitica were never found.
It is necessary to better educate consumers to clean their appliances more frequently.
Posted in Bacillus cereus, Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Hygiene, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus
Tagged domestic refrigerators, italy, microbial contamination, refrigerator, refrigerators
Food type
Mixed sprouts salad
Product name
Organic Sprouts Salad (Broccoli, Sunflower, and Radish) Energetic Greens
Package description & size
50g plastic punnet
Lucerne Foods is recalling various sandwich products from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled products described below.
The following products have been sold in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and may have been sold in other provinces
| Brand Name | Common Name | Size | Code(s) on Product | UPC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | Roast Beef Submarine | None | BB MR 11, BB MR 12,BB MR 13,BB MR 14,BB MR 17 | 6 89048 03110 3 |
| None | Meat Lover’s Sandwich | None | BB MR 11, BB MR 12,BB MR 13,BB MR 16,BB MR 17 | 6 89048 03117 9 |
| None | Roast Beef Submarine | None | 4051 | 0 79944 00991 2 |
| None | Roast Beef & Cheddar Sandwich | None | 4051 | 0 79944 00987 5 |
The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbial hazard associated with the consumption of mixed salads produced under standard conditions. The presence of Salmonella, Campylobacter spp., and Escherichia coli O157 in the Dutch production chain of mixed salads was determined. Microbial prevalence and concentration data from a microbiological surveillance study were used as inputs for the quantitative microbial risk assessment. Chain logistics, production figures, and consumption patterns were combined with the survey data for the risk assessment chain approach. The results of the sample analysis were used to track events from contamination through human illness. Wide 95% confidence intervals around the mean were found for estimated annual numbers of illnesses resulting from the consumption of mixed salads contaminated with Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 (0 to 10,300 cases), Campylobacter spp. (0 to 92,000 cases), or E. coli (0 to 800 cases). The main sources of uncertainty are the lack of decontamination data (i.e., produce washing during processing) and an appropriate dose-response relationship.
Recent outbreaks with vegetable or fruits as vehicles have raised interest in the characterization of the public health risk due to microbial contamination of these commodities. Because qualitative and quantitative data regarding prevalence and concentration of various microbes are lacking, we conducted a survey to estimate the prevalence and contamination level of raw produce and the resulting minimally processed packaged salads as sold in The Netherlands. A dedicated sampling plan accounted for the amount of processed produce in relation to the amount of products, laboratory capacity, and seasonal influences. Over 1,800 samples of produce and over 1,900 samples of ready-to-eat mixed salads were investigated for Salmonella enterica serovars, Campylobacter spp., Escherichia coli O157, and Listeria monocytogenes. The overall prevalence in raw produce varied between 0.11% for E. coli O157 and L. monocytogenes and 0.38% for Salmonella. Prevalence point estimates for specific produce/pathogen combinations ranged for Salmonella from 0.53% in iceberg lettuce to 5.1% in cucumber. For Campylobacter, this ranged from 0.83% in endive to 2.7% in oak tree lettuce. These data will be used to determine the public health risk posed by the consumption of ready-to-eat mixed salads in The Netherlands.
Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, E.coli O157, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Testing, Hygiene, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella
Tagged campylobacter, Campylobacter spp, consumption patterns, escherichia coli o157, quantitative microbial risk assessment, salmonella
RASFF – Listeria monocytogenes in mushrooms from Ireland
RASFF -norovirus (GII) in frozen clams (Venus gallina) from Vietnam in Italy
RASFF -Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in frozen salted chicken breast fillet from Thailand in Denmark
RASFF -Salmonella spp. (present /25g) in hulled sesame seeds from India in Italy
Posted in Bacteria, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hygiene, Laboratory, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Salmonella
Tagged Ireland RASFF, Listeria monocytogenes, rasff, salmonella spp, salted chicken breast fillet
RASFF -aflatoxins (B1 = 9.8 µg/kg – ppb) in nutmeg from Indonesia, via China in Germany
RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 27.9; Tot. = 29.3 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Turkey in Germany
RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 110; Tot. = 222 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Spain In Germany
RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 49.4; Tot. = 52.9 µg/kg – ppb) in raw pistachios from Syria, dispatched from Turkey in Italy
RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 9.06; Tot. = 10.14 µg/kg – ppb) in shelled almonds from the United States in Spain
RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 22; Tot. = 25 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachio kernels from the United States, via Turkey in Italy
RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 18.9; Tot. = 20.6 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachios from Iran in Germany
Posted in Aflatoxin, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Moulds, Mycotoxin, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Toxin
Tagged aflatoxins, ppb
RASFF -Salmonella Tennessee (present /25g) in soybean meal from Italy in Austria
RASFF– Salmonella spp. in dry dog food from China in Germany
RASFF-Salmonella spp. in dried pet food from China in Germany
RASFF– Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in dried dog chews from India in Germany
RASFF– Salmonella (presence /25g) in frozen raw rabbit by-products from Spain, via Denmark in Sweden
From 20 September through 5 October 2012, the largest recorded food-borne outbreak in Germany occurred. Norovirus was identified as the causative agent. We conducted four analytical epidemiological studies, two case–control studies and two surveys (in total 150 cases) in secondary schools in three different federal states. Overall, 390 institutions in five federal states reported nearly 11,000 cases of gastroenteritis. They were predominantly schools and childcare facilities and were supplied almost exclusively by one large catering company. The analytical epidemiological studies consistently identified dishes containing strawberries as the most likely vehicle, with estimated odds ratios ranging from 2.6 to 45.4. The dishes had been prepared in different regional kitchens of the catering company and were served in the schools two days before the peaks of the respective outbreaks. All affected institutions had received strawberries of one lot, imported frozen from China. The outbreak vehicle was identified within a week, which led to a timely recall and prevented more than half of the lot from reaching the consumer. This outbreak exemplifies the risk of large outbreaks in the era of global food trade. It underlines the importance of timely surveillance and epidemiological outbreak investigations for food safety.
Research was undertaken to investigate cross-contamination of the domestic kitchen environment during poultry fillet preparation using a streptomycin-resistant strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens as a model organism. The potential role of a cook-in-the-bag technology to control this cross-contamination was also investigated. Poultry fillets were inoculated with P. fluorescens (6.06 log10 CFU/cm2). Six people were challenged to unpack, defrost, cut and cook without contaminating the preparation environment. After preparation, the chopping board, knife blade, dishcloth, refrigerator handle, oven handle, oven buttons, draining board, tap, microwave handle, microwave buttons, plate, tinfoil and press handle were tested for the presence of the P. fluorescens strain, before and after washing. The experiment was then repeated with a precut cook-in-the-bag product. In a separate experiment, the effect of freezing and frozen storage (−20C) on Campylobacter and the sensory attributes of chicken fillets were investigated. The cook-in-the-bag approach considerably reduced the incidence and levels of cross-contamination in the domestic kitchen. Freezing significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the Campylobacter counts on inoculated fillets after 7 days at −20C (1.73 log10 CFU/g). While there was no adverse effect on taste, fillets that had been frozen were significantly more “firm” and “less moist” as compared with fresh product.
Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Spoilage, Food Testing, Hygiene, Illness, Laboratory, Microbiology, Pathogen, Pseudomonas, Research
Tagged cross contamination, domestic kitchen, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Wiley Online Library Research
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