Category Archives: Pathogen

UK – FSA Campylobacter Plan

Posted on September 10, 2013 by | Leave a comment

FSAfood_standards_agency_logo

The FSA has recently outlined a refreshed strategy to reduce the number of people getting ill from campylobacter. The strategy will be discussed by the FSA Board at its meeting in Aberdeen on Wednesday, 11 September.

Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK. It is considered to be responsible for about 460,000 cases of food poisoning, 22,000 hospitalisations and 110 deaths each year and a significant proportion of these cases come from poultry. An FSA survey of chicken on sale in the UK (2007/8) indicated that 65% of chicken on sale in shops was contaminated with campylobacter.

Reducing cases of campylobacter is the FSA’s top food safety priority but monitoring carried out by the FSA shows there is no evidence of change in the proportion of the most highly contaminated chickens since 2008.

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

FSA – Loch Duart Artisan Smokehouse recalls a batch of their own Oak Smoked Salmon due to detection of Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on August 23, 2013 by | Leave a comment

FSA

As a precautionary measure, Loch Duart Artisan Smokehouse is recalling a certain batch code of the above product due to detection of Listeria monocytogenes which may pose a risk to health. Listeria monocytogenes can cause illness in certain groups of people, such as pregnant women, unborn and newborn babies, and anyone with reduced immunity, particularly the over-60s.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Standards Agency, Laboratory, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Pathogen, Recall

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RASFF Alerts – Listeria monocytogenes – Smoked Trout – Bacon

Posted on August 23, 2013 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – Listeria monocytogenes (in 4 out 5 samples) in smoked trout from Turkey from the Netherlands

RASFF – Listeria monocytogenes (<10 CFU/g) in bacon from Italy in France

 

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Laboratory, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall

Food Safety App – ITunes Store

Posted on August 23, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Magazine

A new app out of Ireland is set to make the task of maintaining adequate food hygiene and safety standards easier than ever.

Developed by environmental health graduates and colleagues Emer Murphy and Michael O’Rourke, ‘Safe Food Healthy Business’ features both written information and tutorials that business owners can leverage to guarantee the health and safety of their customers.

“We developed the app due to the increased number of food businesses closing because of poor food hygiene standards in Ireland,” said Murphy.

The idea for the app was conceived in August 2012, and it was launched in February after six months of information and software development.

The app offers:

  • Guidelines for dealing with food poisoning outbreaks
  • Tips for pest control identification and elimination
  • Information about the latest food alerts
  • Advice for setting up a food business
  • Tips for managing food allergies
  • Information business owners can leverage when setting up a new business
  • Guidelines for managing E. coli 0157
  • HACCP templates business owners can refer to in order to ensure they comply with food safety laws
  • Information about who to contact for food safety products and services

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Posted in Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

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USA – Salmonella Outbreak – Guinea Pig Meat!

Posted on August 22, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety NewsTwo_adult_Guinea_Pigs_(Cavia_porcellus)

Salmonella was confirmed in a number of people hospitalized earlier this month after consuming a traditional Ecuadorean dish containing guinea pig at a Minneapolis street fair. However, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Wednesday that some of the 81 people sickened had not eaten the dish.

The report quoted a city spokesman saying that while the food vendor had a city permit, he sold unapproved food which had been improperly handled.

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

RASFF Alerts – Salmonella – Chicken – Paan Leaves – Ochratoxin – Mild Curry – Aflatoxin – Pistachios

Posted on August 20, 2013 by | Leave a comment

RASFF – Salmonella enteritidis (presence /25g) in frozen skinless chicken legs from Brazil in Spain

RASFF – Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in paan leaves from India in the UK

RASFF – Ochratoxin A (54; 44 µg/kg – ppb) in mild curry from India in Switzerland

RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 29.6; Tot. = 33.4 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachio nuts with shell from Turkey in Italy

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Bacteria, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Laboratory, Microbiology, Mycotoxin, Ochratoxin, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Salmonella

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USA – Cyclospora Cases Still Building

Posted on August 20, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin220px-Cyclospora_cayetanensis_stained

In addition to battling an outbreak of Cyclospora infections and a Salmonella outbreak, the state of Iowa is reported increased Cryptosporidiosis cases this summer.  That parasite is usually spread through people with diarrhea swimming in pools, lakes, and rivers. The parasite gets into the water and people contract the illness when they swallow swimming water.

There have been at least 358 cases of Cryptosporidiosis reported to the Iowa Department of Public Health this year; 272 reported since June 1, 2013. An additional 138 cases are under investigation.

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Posted in Cyclospora, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Illness, Laboratory, Microbiology, outbreak, Parasite, Pathogen

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USA – FDA – Recall – Cilantro – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on August 18, 2013 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Willard, OH – Buurma Farms, Inc. is voluntarily recalling 465 boxes of Cilantro Lot #02D312A4. Buurma Farms recalled this product due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination, 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. Buurma Farms, Inc. has not received any case of reported illness related to this product to date.

The Cilantro was sold to distributors in Michigan on August 3, 2013. The product was also shipped to retail stores in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. The Cilantro, which was distributed through Meijer and Ben B Schwartz and Sons in Michigan the week of August 5-9, could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.  The Cilantro has a Buurma Farms twist-tie on it.

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Posted in Bacteria, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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USA – Cheese Recalls – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on August 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning BulletinEurofins Food Testing UK

Stop & Shop Supermarket is removing Charles Arnaud Morbier cheese from its stores after Trois Comtois of France issued a recall for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. There have been no reports of illness to date in connection with this produc

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

New Zealand – Fonterra – Botulism Updates

Posted on August 14, 2013 by | Leave a comment

NZ Farmer

A veterinarian and farm consultant doubts the recent Fonterra botulism scare was caused by a dirty pipe, and says he is sitting on material that will embarrass the dairy giant further.

Matamata veterinarian and farm performance consultant Frank Rowson says Fonterra should be tracing the source of the Clostridium botulinum bacterium back to farms or their own water supply.

He doubts Clostridium botulinum was caused by an old pipe at Fonterra’s Hautapu plant and said it had to get in there in the first place.

NZ Farmer

The Fonterra botulism contamination scare has claimed its first scalp – that of Gary Romano, the dairy industry veteran left to publicly front the crisis in New Zealand.

Romano has resigned as managing director of NZ Milk Products, the dairy company’s manufacturing operations division, effective immediately.

His departure from New Zealand’s biggest company was announced this evening in a four-paragraph statement which said chief executive Theo Spierings had accepted his resignation. Spierings will temporarily assume Romano’s day-to-day duties.

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Posted in Bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Laboratory, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Research

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