Category Archives: Poisoning

RASFF Alerts – Bacillus Toxin in Food Supplement

RASFF -Bacillus cereus diarrheal enterotoxin (11000 CFU/g) in food supplement from the United States in  Finland

 

Research -Mycotoxin Producing Moulds

NeoGen BlogAspergillus

With the harvest underway, it’s important to keep a watchful eye out for mycotoxin-producing molds. These species include Aspergillus flavus, which causes Aspergillus ear rot and produces the carcinogenic toxin aflatoxin, as well as species of Fusarium molds. These toxins can lead to production losses as grain may be rejected, as well as leading to illness in humans or animals that consume the toxin in significant quantities. Here’s a quick primer on some molds of concern and the toxins they produce. For more information and regulatory thresholds for toxins, please see Neogen’s Mycotoxin Handbook.

Europe – Surveillance of Six Priority Food- and Waterborne Diseases in the EU/EEA 2006 -2009

ECDC

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is an EU agency [1] with a mandate to operate surveillance networks and to identify, assess, and communicate current and emerging threats to human health from communicable diseases. The agency became operational in 2005. Initially, data were collected for 49 diseases (2008), with three more added in 2012. All data are entered in ECDC’s database system, known as the European Surveillance System (TESSy). Epidemiological overviews of all diseases are provided in the ECDC’s Annual Epidemiological Report. The surveillance of salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis and Shiga toxin/verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC/VTEC) infection was carried out until 2007 by an EU-funded dedicated surveillance network, Enter-net, which was hosted by the Health Protection Agency in the United Kingdom. In October 2007, the coordination of Enter-net was transferred to ECDC and Enter-net is now under the auspices of the Programme of Food- and Waterborne Diseases and Zoonoses (FWD). After the transfer, the scope was broadened to also cover listeriosis, yersiniosis and shigellosis. For the six priority diseases, surveillance was developed further in close collaboration with nominated disease experts, epidemiologists and microbiologists. This report is the first dedicated epidemiological report on these six diseases, offering a detailed analysis for the years 2006 to 2009. The intended readership includes public health and food safety professionals, policymakers, scientists, and the general public.

RASFF Alerts – DSP in Mussels – Hepatitis A in Berries – Histamine in Tuna

RASFF -Histamine (414; 345 mg/kg – ppm) in yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacore) from Sri Lanka in Italy

RASFF -hepatitis A virus in frozen red berries mix from Poland, via France in Italy

RASFF -Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) toxins – okadaic acid (221.3 µg/kg – ppb) in live mussels (Mytilus Galloprovincialis) from Spain in Italy

Canadian Recalls – Tahina – Salmonella – Raw Shellfish – PSP

C

Ottawa, August 16, 2013 – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public, food service establishments, and retailers, not to consume, serve, use, or sell the tahina products described in the link above because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.

Some of the affected product was sold in bulk and may have been repacked at retail.  Consumers who cannot determine the original product identity are advised to check with their retailer to determine if they have one of the affected products.

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

The CFIA is working with the Canadian importers to remove all affected products from the market place.  The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

All Tahina products, manufactured by Al Nakhil Co, of Lebanon between September 5, 2012 and April 21, 2013, are affected by this alert.

CFIA

Ottawa, August 16, 2013 – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to serve or consume the raw shellfish products described in the link above because they may contain paralytic shellfish toxins that can cause illness if consumed.

These shellfish products were primarily distributed to wholesalers and institutional clients such as restaurants. However, the affected shellfish products may also have been sold in smaller quantities at some retail seafood counters. Consumers who are unsure whether they have the affected products are advised to check with their retailer or supplier.

These products have been distributed in Alberta and British Columbia.  However, they may have been distributed in other provinces and territories.

There have been no reported cases of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) associated with the consumption of these products.

Paralytic shellfish toxins are a group of natural toxins that sometimes accumulate in bivalve shellfish that include oysters, clams, scallops, mussels and cockles. Non-bivalve shellfish, such as whelks, can also accumulate PSP toxins. These toxins can cause PSP if consumed. Symptoms of PSP include tingling and numbness of the lips, tongue, hands and feet, and difficulty swallowing. In severe situations, this can proceed to difficulty walking, muscle paralysis, respiratory paralysis and death in as quickly as 12 hours.

The shellfish processors are voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

USA – Salmonella Outbreak at a Funeral Home

Food Safety NewsSalmonella

At least 36 people who attended a funeral in western Alabama on July 6 have fallen ill with Salmonella infections, reported the Alabama Department of Public Health Wednesday.

The funeral was held at Eastern Star Baptist Church in York, AL, and was attended by at least 100 people, according to a press release from ADPH.

Of those known to have been sickened, 30 were hospitalized in 9 different states, including Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Oklahoma.

The health department’s investigation into the outbreak began June 8 after a local hospital reported that 25 people had come in late on July 6 and into the following day complaining of fever, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

USDA – STEC E.coli Testing in Raw Meats Data 2013

USDAEurofins Food Testing UK

Microbiological Testing Program for E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli: Individual Positive Results for Raw Ground Beef (RGB) and RGB Components

UK – Curry Leaves cause Salmonella Outbreak 400 People

The Guardian

Uncooked curry leaves in a chutney left more than 400 people who ate at a street food festival with diarrhoea and vomiting or salmonella poisoning, health officials have found.

The leaves were contaminated with several different bacteria, experts found, which led to 29 confirmed cases of salmonella at the Street Spice festival in Newcastle in February and March.

An investigation by Public Health England (PHE) and Newcastle city council found 25 of the 29 cases had developed a strain of salmonella never found in people or food in Britain before.

According to an official report, further laboratory analysis suggested other organisms may also have caused illness including E coli and shigella.

Some of the 413 affected were found to have more than one of these infections at the same time.

No one will face prosecution because there was seen to be a lack of clear advice about the dangers of using raw curry leaves in recipes, and in general hygiene levels at the three-day event were good.

China – 160 Sickened Suspected Food Poisoning

English News ChinaStaphylococcus

GUANGZHOU, June 12 (Xinhua) — A total of 160 staff from a food company in south China’s Guangdong Province were suspected of suffering from food poisoning, a company source said on Wednesday.

They had symptoms of chills, fever, nausea, vomiting, stomach ache and diarrhea after having dinner at the third canteen of the Dongguan Hsu Chi Food Co. Ltd based in Dongguan City on Monday, said Sun Tianzhen, a media relations officer of Hsu Fu Chi International Ltd. told Xinhua.

Dongguan Hsu Chi Food Co. Ltd. is a subsidiary of Hsu Fu Chi International Ltd.

A 57-year-old female plate washer at the canteen was found dead at her dormitory on Tuesday but it is yet to know whether her death is connected with food poisoning or not, said Sun.

Hong Kong – 19 Diners Sick with Cigutera Poisoning

South China Morning Post

Health authorities are launching an investigation into food poisoning case in which 19 people fell ill after eating coral reef fish at a Lamma Island eatery on Saturday.

Fourteen men and five women, aged 23 to 71, had eaten fish at the seafood restaurant, and had fallen ill with symptoms of the potentially lethal ciguatera poisoning three to 19 hours later, the Centre for Health Protection said.

The restaurant in question was the Wai Kee Sea Food Restaurant in Sok Kwu Wan.

Symptoms can include numbness of the mouth and limbs, heart palpitations fatigue, vomiting, diarrhoea and flushes. Excessive consumption can also affect the circulatory and nervous systems.

Six of the diners had sought medical help and at least one person was admitted to hospital. All are in now in stable condition, the CHP said.