Category Archives: Pathogen

RASFF Alerts – Shiga Toxin E.coli – Beef

RASFF – Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (presence /25g) in bovine meat (Bos taurus) from Argentina in the Netherlands

RASFF -Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli in chilled boneless beef (Bos taurus) from Argentina in the Netherlands

RASFF – Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli in bovine meat from Belgium

USA – Norovirus Update Mulvaney Restaurant

Food Poisoning BulletinNorwalk_Caspid

The outbreak of norovirus at Mulvaney’s restaurant in Sacramento we told you about in March has been confirmed and updated. Laura McCasland, Communication & Media Officer of the Sacramento County Department of Health & Human Services told us that 138 people were sickened in this outbreak.

The ill persons ate at the restaurant between Friday, February 22 and Tuesday, February 26, 2013. During the week of February 17 to February 24, 2013, at least six food service workers reported that they were ill. People started gettting sick between Friday, February 22, 2013 and Thursday, February 28, 2013. The cause of the illness was norovirus. The restaurant was inspected February 13, 2013 and passed.

Public health officials suspect that the foods that are associated with the risk of developing illness include Turkish coffee pudding, pickled beet salad, grilled eggplant, ham, lamb, and Yukon potatoes. The age range for all of the events was 18 to 80 years old. Among all of the ill patrons who ate at Mulvaney’s restaurant, 52.4% were female and 47.6% were male.

Research – Efficacy of Different Antimicrobials on Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes Growth in Laboratory Medium and On Cold-Smoked Salmon

Science Directlisteria-hp

L. monocytogenes is of particular concern in cold-smoked fish products as it can survive curing and cold-smoking, and can subsequently grow from low numbers to potentially hazardous levels during refrigerated storage. The purpose of this study was to (i) quantify the effects of organic acids, nisin, and their combinations on controlling L. monocytogenes growth on cold-smoked salmon at refrigeration temperatures, (ii) identify synergistic interactions of binary combinations of these antimicrobials, and (iii) determine if results from laboratory growth media can predict antimicrobial efficacy on cold-smoked salmon. Strains representing the genetic diversity of L. monocytogenes lineages I and II were grown in brain heart infusion (BHI) broth as well as on the surface of commercially produced wet-cured, cold-smoked salmon slices at 7 °C. BHI broth and cold-smoked salmon were supplemented with sodium diacetate (SDA, 0.14% water phase (w.p.)), potassium lactate (PL, 2% w.p.), nisin (NI, 50 ppm), and binary combinations of inhibitors at the same levels. Cell densities of L. monocytogenes were measured over time and used to calculate growth parameters, including initial cell density (N0), lag phase (λ), maximum growth rate (μmax), and maximum cell density (Nmax) for each antimicrobial treatment. N0 was significantly lowered by addition of NI with a similar average reduction on salmon (2.02 ± 0.99 log(CFU/g)) and in BHI (1.51 ± 0.83 log(CFU/ml)). Among all antimicrobial treatments, the combination of PL and SDA led to the greatest increase in λ both on salmon (7.1 ± 3.6 days) and in BHI (9.7 ± 3.8 days) when compared to the controls. The combination of PL and SDA had synergistic effects on increasing λ and lowering Nmax both in BHI and on salmon. Among all the treatments tested, the combination of NI and PL led to the greatest reductions in Nmax on salmon. We observed positive correlations between the growth parameters obtained from BHI broth and cold-smoked salmon, indicating that growth of L. monocytogenes in broth, to some extent, qualitatively reflected characteristics of growth on cold-smoked salmon under antimicrobial stresses. Results from BHI could quantitatively predict the variability of growth parameters obtained from salmon for lineage II strains, but not for lineage I strains. Although results from laboratory growth medium may not provide exact predictions of antimicrobial efficacy on cold-smoked salmon, they could be used to rapidly identify effective combinations for further examination on cold-smoked salmon.

 

Canada – Hazlenut Salmonella Outbreak Update

CFIAEurofins

Ottawa, May 29, 2013 – The public warning issued on May 23, 2013  has been updated to include additional product and distribution information.

The Canadian Food Inspection  Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume certain in shell hazelnuts described  in the link because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella.

Consumers who are  unsure if they have affected product are advised to check with their retailer.

There have been no reported  illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

These recalls are part of an  on-going food safety investigation associated with a recall of bulk hazelnuts  from USA. The CFIA is working with the recalling firms and distributors to  identify all affected products.

The importer, distributers, and  retailers are voluntarily recalling the affected products from the  marketplace.  The CFIA is monitoring the  effectiveness of the recall.

 

USA – Salmonella News – Thai Peppers – Holiday Inn Update

FDA Recall

FRUIT TREASURE of CHULA VISTA, CA is recalling 43 boxes (25lb) of fresh THAI PEPPERS, because it has 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.

The recalled fresh Thai peppers were distributed on April 7, 2013 to April 10, 2013 to retail markets in California.

The product comes in a 25lb white wax box with a logo that says “JAMMIN PEPPERS”.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

The outbreak of Salmonella associated with the Holiday Inn Bordeaux in Fayetteville, North Carolina has grown to 99 ill persons, up 11 from yesterday. Sixteen cases are lab-confirmed, according to Buck Wilson of the Cumberland County Health Department.

The two restaurants that served food associated with this outbreak are the Cafe Bordeaux and the All American Sports Grill. If you ate at these restaurants and suffered the symptoms of a Salmonella infection, including fever, chills, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and muscle pains, see a health care provider as soon as possible.

 

USA – Raw Milk Issues Again – Campylobacter

Campylobacter BlogEurofins Food Testing

The Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture and Health today advised consumers to discard raw milk produced by The Family Cow in Chambersburg, Franklin County, because of potential bacterial contamination.

Agriculture and Health Department laboratory tests and several recent illnesses indicate the raw milk may contain Campylobacter bacteria.

The Department of Health has confirmed five cases of confirmed Campylobacter infection in people who consumed milk from the farm at 3854 Olde Scotland Road.

Based on the reported illnesses, the Department of Agriculture collected samples of raw milk during an investigation of The Family Cow, on May 17. Positive tests for Campylobacter were confirmed Tuesday.

The packaged raw milk is sold under The Family Cow label in plastic gallon, half-gallon, quart and pint containers. It is labeled as “raw milk.” Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized

Research – Salmonella Protective Switch

HACCP Europa

Salmonella Typhimurium causes food poisoning in people and can be fatal in the elderly or very young. Recent technological advances in the field known as proteomics are allowing researchers to explore how proteins, the workhorses of the cell, allow the bacteria to infect and cause illness. Most technologies that examine a cell’s ensemble of proteins do so by chopping the proteins up. Adkins, lead author Charles Ansong and other colleagues wanted to look at whole proteins, which provides more information such as how proteins are regulated.

For the first time, researchers have found a particular kind of molecular switch in the food poisoning bacteria Salmonella Typhimurium under infection-like conditions. This switch, using a process called S-thiolation, appears to be used by the bacteria to respond to changes in the environment during infection and might protect it from harm.

RASFF Alerts – Campylobacter in Dill – Listeria monocytogenes in Sushi and Mackarel – Histamine in Achovies – E.coli in Clams

RASFF – Campylobacter (presence /25g) in fresh dill from Italy in Norway

RASFF – Listeria monocytogenes (<100 /g) in chilled sushi from Germany in the Netherlands

RASFF– Listeria monocytogenes (presence /25g) in chilled vacuum-packed smoked mackerel from Poland

RASFF -Histamine (290; 4200 mg/kg – ppm) in anchovies in olive oil from Spain in Switzerland

RASFF – Too high count of Escherichia coli (1.300 MPN/100g) in chilled clams from Portugal in Spain

RASFF – Too high count of Escherichia coli (13000 MPN/100g) in chilled clams (Venus gallina) from Italy

RASFF – Too high count of Escherichia coli (330 MPN/100g) in chilled clams (Venus gallina) from Italy

 

RASFF Alerts – Aflatoxin – Ochratoxin – Groundnuts – Pistachios – Rye Flour –

RASFF -Aflatoxins (B1 = 10; Tot. = 12 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from China in the Netherlands

RASFF -Aflatoxins (Tot. = 9.3 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from China in the Netherlands

RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 16.3; Tot. = 35.2 µg/kg – ppb) in pistachios from Turkey in Germany

RASFF – Ochratoxin A (5.10 µg/kg – ppb) in rye flour from Poland

RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 54; Tot. = 62 µg/kg – ppb) in blanched groundnut kernels from China in the Netherlands

RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 10; Tot. = 10 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Argentina in the Netherlands

RASFF – Aflatoxins (B1 = 4.0; Tot. = 6.2 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Brazil in the UK

RASFF Alerts – Salmonella – Paan Leaves – Poultry – Pork – Minced Meat – Fish Meal

RASFF -Salmonella spp. in paan leaves from Thailand in the UK

RASFF – Salmonella spp. in paan leaves from Thailand in the UK

RASFF – Salmonella group C (group O:8 detected in 2 out of 5 samples /25g) in frozen poultry kebab from Poland

RASFF– Salmonella typhimurium in frozen chicken (Gallus gallus) from Brazil in Bulgaria

RASFF – Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in frozen pork stomachs from Slovakia, via the Czech Republic in Poland

RASFF – Salmonella Dublin (presence /25g) in chilled minced meat (pork and beef) from Sweden

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

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

RASFF – Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in frozen poultry meat preparation from Brazil in the Netherlands

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

RASFF – Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in fish meal from Mauritania in Denmark

RASFF – Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in fish meal from Mauritania in Denmark