Category Archives: Pathogen

USA – FDA Recall – Hepatis A – Organic Antioxident

Posted on June 4, 2013 by KSW | Leave a comment

Townsend Farms, Inc. of Fairview, Oregon, today announced that it is voluntarily recalling certain lots of its frozen Organic Antioxidant Blend, out of an abundance of caution, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Hepatitis A virus, based on an ongoing epidemiological and traceback investigation by the FDA and the CDC of an illness outbreak. No other Townsend Farms products, frozen or fresh, are covered by this voluntary recall or linked to the illness outbreak at this time.

The product was sold at Costco warehouse stores under the product name Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend, 3 lb. bag and UPC 0 78414 404448. The recalled codes are located on the back of the package with the words “BEST BY”; followed by the code T012415 sequentially through T053115, followed by a letter. All of these letter designations are included in this recall for the lot codes listed above. Photos of the package are attached.

The product was also sold at Harris Teeter stores from April 19 until May 7, 2013, under the product name Harris Teeter Organic Antioxidant Berry Blend, 10 oz. bag and UPC 0 72036 70463 4, with “BEST BY” codes of T041615E or T041615C.

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Posted in FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Laboratory, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

Tagged abundance of caution, costco warehouse stores, hepatitis a virus, letter designations, townsend farms inc

USA – FDA Recall – Cheese – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on June 4, 2013 by KSW | Leave a comment

FDA

FINGER LAKES FARMSTEAD CHEESE COMPANY LLC of TRUMANSBURG, NY is recalling 12 wheels of GOUDA cheese manufactured on December 20, 2012. The results of U.S. Food and Drug Administration product sampling revealed the presence of GOUDA Cheese contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes Type 1.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, pregnant women and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons may experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain as a result. For more information on Listeria monocytogenes, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at http://www.cdc.gov¹.

This production batch of GOUDA (may be called “SCHUYLER” OR “BIER MECK” GOUDA) was distributed in New York State, predominantly in the Albany region, and was distributed to retail stores and restaurants. The label on the product will clearly state the product name and the company name. These products were sold to the distributor Adventure in Food Trading on March 26, 2013.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

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

Research – Investigators Link Poultry Contamination on Farm and at Processing Plant

Posted on June 3, 2013 by KSW | Leave a comment

Eurek Alert

Researchers at the University of Georgia, Athens, have identified a strong link between the prevalence and load of certain food-borne pathogens on poultry farms, and later downstream at the processing plant. They report their findings in a manuscript published ahead of print in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

“This study suggests that reducing foodborne pathogen loads on broiler chicken farms would help to reduce pathogen loads at processing, and may ultimately help to reduce the risk of foodborne illness,” says Roy Berghaus, an author on the study. “This is important because most of our efforts towards reducing foodborne pathogens are currently focused on what happens during processing. Processing interventions are effective but they can only do so much.”

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Posted in Campylobacter, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella

Tagged applied and environmental microbiology, university of georgia athens

USA – E.coli Outbreak Investigations Include Ice Tea

Posted on June 3, 2013 by KSW | Leave a comment

Online Athens

Public health officials are investigating iced tea among other menu items at a Stephens County barbecue restaurant as the possible source of a major E. coli outbreak that has sickened as many as 18 people.

Eleven people have been confirmed to have E. coli infection, and seven others are probable cases, though their illness has not been confirmed by lab results, state officials say.

There have been no other infections reported since May 8.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Laboratory, Microbiology, Pathogen, Toxin

Tagged e coli infection, e coli outbreak, public health officials

India – Food Poisoning Outbreaks

Posted on June 3, 2013 by KSW | Leave a comment

The Times of India

KANPUR: At least 75 persons suffered from food poisoning after consuming sweets at a ’tilak’ ceremony in Surauli village of Bidhnoo late on Monday night. An investigation has been ordered into the matter.

The incident took place at the ’tilak’ ceremony of Deepak Yadav, son of Dayaram Yadav and a resident of Surauli village. Guests and family members from both the groom and bride’s sides had gathered for dinner. Soon after consuming sweets, people complained of stomach ache and were rushed to Community Health Centre, said the police.

Greater Khasmir

Kulgam, May 28: More than 100 people have fallen sick after consuming Kashmiri Wazwan at a marriage party at Muhammad-Pora village of this South Kashmir district.
Reports said the villagers complained of vomiting and dysentery soon after they consumed the feast. “They might have taken something at the marriage party that might have caused the food poisoning,” said a doctor attending on the sick.

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

Tagged community health centre, marriage party, south kashmir, stomach ache, times of india, wazwan

Research – Deadly Salmonella Strain

Posted on June 3, 2013 by KSW | Leave a comment

Science Daily

UC Santa Barbara researchers have discovered Salmonella bacteria that are up to 100 times more capable of causing disease. Their findings may help prevent food poisoning outbreaks that continue to plague public health and the food industry.

These “hypervirulent” bugs can override vaccines and pose a risk to food safety — and mitigation efforts are currently under way.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella

USA- Hepatitis A in the News Again Worldwide

Posted on June 1, 2013 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Patrons of the 800 Degrees Three Fires restaurant in Fort Wayne, Indiana may be at risk for hepatitis A infection, warned health officials Friday.

A worker at the restaurant tested positive for the virus, prompting the Allen County Health Department to issue a public health advisory.

The Department is urging customers who ate or drank at the 800 Degrees Three Fires restaurant on Illinois Road between May 18 and May 26, 2013 to get the hepatitis A vaccine if they have not already had it.

Food Safety News

new outbreak of a hepatitis A strain rarely seen in the Western Hemisphere is believed to be associated with frozen mixed berries purchased from Costco is being investigated by multiple agencies, including the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. At least 30 illnesses are involved, including sicknesses in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada.

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berries purchased from Costco appear to be the source of this outbreak.

The outbreak strain has been identified by CDC as hepatitis A virus (HAV) genotype 1B, a strain that circulates in North Africa and the Middle East. It was associated with last year’s outbreak in Europe involving frozen berries and another in British Columbia involving frozen berry blend with pomegranate seeds from Egypt.