Category Archives: Pathogen

USA – FDA Recall – Listeria monocytogenes – Apple Slices

FDAEurofins Food Testing UK

Crunch Pak® of Cashmere, Washington is voluntarily recalling 5,471 cases of
Crunch Pak® Apple Slices due to a possible health risk from Listeria
monocytogenes
.

No illnesses have been reported in association with this recall to date. No other Crunch Pak® products are affected by this recall. FDA is aware that the company is undertaking this voluntary action.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that 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.

The company sold the recalled product to retail customers and because, in some cases, the recalled product was shipped to regional distribution centers, Crunch Pak is taking the extra precautionary measure of issuing this recall nationwide to assure that consumers who may have purchased the product are properly alerted.

USA – FDA Food Code 2013

FDAFDA

Food Code 2013

The Food Code is a model for safeguarding public health and ensuring food is unadulterated and honestly presented when offered to the consumer. It represents FDA’s best advice for a uniform system of provisions that address the safety and protection of food offered at retail and in food service.

This model is offered for adoption by local, state, and federal governmental jurisdictions for administration by the various departments, agencies, bureaus, divisions, and other units within each jurisdiction that have been delegated compliance responsibilities for food service, retail food stores, or food vending operations. Alternatives that offer an equivalent level of public health protection to ensure that food at retail and foodservice is safe are recognized in this model.

The FDA Food Code marks it’s 20th anniversary with the release of the 2013 edition. The 2013 Food Code (8th edition) reflects the agency’s continued commitment to maintaining cooperative programs with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments. Enhancements in this edition reflect the input of regulatory officials, industry, academia, and consumers that participated in the 2012 biennial meeting of the Conference for Food Protection (CFP).

 

USA – E.coli Outbreaks Updates

Food Poisoning BulletinEcoli Istock

Salads and sandwich wraps linked to a multistate E. coli outbreak were sold at Walgreens stores in Northern California and Trader Joe’s stores in California, Washington, Oregon and Arizona, according to a retail distribution list compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS).  At least 26 people who ate the salads or sandwich wraps containing the salads, have become ill. Six of them have been hospitalized

Food Poisoning Bulletin

More salads have been recalled in the wake of an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in western states. The FDA and Whole Foods Market are recalling ready-to-eat Artichoke Wheatberry Salad and Southwest SooFoo Salads as a preventive measure after the large Glass Onion Catering recall because they may be contaminated with the pathogenic bacteria.

The salads have expiration dates between November 9 and November 13, 2013. They were sold in California Whole Foods Stores. The PLU numbers for the Artichoke Wheatberry Salad are 28563300000 and 28563400000. The PLU numbers for the Southwest SooFoo Salad are 28563700000 and 28563800000. The salads were sold during an unspecified time period.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Two strains of E. coli that have never been seen before are the source of two separate, ongoing  food poisoning outbreaks in California, health officials told Food Poisoning Bulletin today. One of these new strains is the source of the multistate outbreak linked to ready-to-eat salads produced by Glass Onion Catering of Richmond, CA and sold at Trader Joe’s and other grocery stores in several states. The other new strain has sickened four people in Humboldt County, in Northern California

Canada – CFIA Recall – Listeria monocytogenes – Smoked Meat

CFIA

– Les Salaisons Desco Inc. is recalling Schwartz’s At Home brand Smoked Meat  from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.  Consumers should not consume the recalled product described in the link above.

EFSA – Helps to Investigate Hepatitis A Outbreaks

EFSAefsa

EFSA is working closely with the European Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Consumers, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and Member States to help identify the origin of the recent outbreaks of Hepatitis A virus infection in humans. The outbreaks occurred in Italy, Ireland, and the Netherlands. In particular, EFSA will analyse information on the outbreaks provided by Member States. Hepatitis A is an infectious disease that can be transmitted through consumption of contaminated food or water or direct contact with an infectious person.

RASFF Alerts – Aflatoxin – Dried Figs – Ginger Powder – Groundnuts – Nutmeg – Almonds

RASFF -aflatoxins (B1 = 14.4; Tot. = 31.9 mg/kg – ppm) in dried figs from Turkey in Croatia

RASFF -aflatoxins (B1 = 8.4; Tot. = 15.4 µg/kg – ppb) in ginger powder from India in the UK

RASFF -aflatoxins (B1 = 21; Tot. = 25 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF -aflatoxins (B1 = 11.59 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Turkey in Germany

RASFF -aflatoxins (B1 = 13 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from China in the Netherlands

RASFF -aflatoxins (B1 = 13.41; Tot. = 17.88 µg/kg – ppb) in nutmeg powder from Sri Lanka in Romania

RASFF -aflatoxins (B1 = 7.8; Tot. = 9.0 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from India, via Egypt in Netherlands

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 14; Tot. = 29 mg/kg – ppm) in dried figs from Turkey in Italy

RASFF – aflatoxins (B1 = 17.6; Tot. = 30.7 µg/kg – ppb) in almonds from Australia in Italy

RASFF -aflatoxins (B1 = 12.7; Tot. = 16.7 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Turkey in Spain

RASFF Alerts – E.coli – Histamine – Clams – Canned Anchovy

RASFF -histamine (>2500 mg/kg – ppm) in canned anchovy fillets from Italy in France

RASFF -too high count of Escherichia coli (230; 330; 1300 MPN/100g) in live clams (Venus verrucosa) from Greece in Italy

RASFF Alert – Listeria monocytogenes – Cheese – Duck

RASFF -Listeria monocytogenes (<10 in 1g positive /25g) in grated cheese and cheese strips from Germany

RASFF -Listeria monocytogenes (presence /25g) in frozen grilled duck from Poland

RASFF Alerts – Salmonella – Turkey – Clams – Meat – Curry Powder – Seasame Seeds – Chicken

RASFF -Salmonella in frozen turkey meat preparation from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF -Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in frozen meat preparations from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF -Salmonella Newport (detected /25g) in frozen turkey from Poland in Denmark

RASFF -Salmonella in frozen turkey meat from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF-Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in curry powder from India in Ireland

RASFF -Salmonella Amsterdam (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in hulled sesame seeds from India in Greece

RASFF -Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in frozen salted chicken breast fillet from Thailand, via the Netherlands in Finland

RASFF -Salmonella in frozen clams (Meretrix lyrata) from Vietnam in Spain

RASFF -Salmonella typhimurium in chilled turkey meat from France

RASFF -Salmonella group C (presence /25g) in frozen clams (Meretrix spp) from Vietnam in Portugal

RASFF -Salmonella in frozen turkey meat preparation from Brazil in the Netherlands

 

 

RASFF Alerts – Animal Feed – Salmonella – Soyabean Meal – Sunflower Cake – Rapeseed –

RASFF -Salmonella Tennessee (presence /25g) in soybean meal from Brazil, via the Netherlands in Sweden

RASFF -Salmonella Senftenberg (presence /25g) in organic sunflower cake from the Netherlands, with raw material from Denmark in Sweden

RASFF -Salmonella Mbandaka (presence /25g) in rapeseed expeller from Belarus in Sweden

RASFF -Salmonella Rissen (detected /25g) in soyabean meal from Brazil in Sweden

RASFF -Salmonella Schwarzengrund (presence /25g) in soyabean meal from Brazil in Sweden

RASFF -Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in rape seed cake from Russia in Estonia

RASSF -Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in rape seed cake from Russia in Estonia

RASFF -Salmonella spp. (presence /50g) in soybean meal from Argentina in Italy

RASFF -Salmonella spp. (presence in 3 out of 4 samples /50g) in soybean meal from Argentina in Italy

RASFF – Salmonella Lexington (presence /25g) in rape seed cake from Russia i n Estonia