Category Archives: Recall

China – Food Safety Website Crashes

Posted on May 5, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Eastday

A POISONOUS food alert website, created by a local postgraduate student, crashed due to severe overload yesterday as visitors thronged the site to learn about food safety amid an unending stream of food scandals in China.

The website has a record of the latest 2,300 food problems in the country, with detailed reports and victim numbers. It maps different areas with different colors to show the degree of food problems.

The website went down at about 10am yesterday when tens of thousand of people visited it at the same time. The website was back online late last night, after it rented a new server to meet the huge demand.

You can try the website link but it is only in Chinese as far as I can see.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall

Norway – Vietnamese Products Recall High E.coli Levels

Posted on May 4, 2012 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

High count of Escherichia coli (100; 430; 420 CFU/g) in chilled cocksomb mint from Vietnam.

RASFF

High count of Escherichia coli (140; 180; 250 CFU/g) in chilled houttuynia from Vietnam

 

 

 

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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USDA – New Traceback Policy for Ground Beef

Posted on May 4, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Dr. Elisabeth Hagen, USDA’s Under Secretary for Food Safety, announced in a press conference on May 2, 2012 that the government is changing its traceback policy for contaminated beef that test positive for shiga-toxin producing E. colibacteria (STEC).

“Our keys goals are to strengthen our ability to protect consumers and to bolster prevention-based public safeguards,” she said. “We are going to use traceback policies as a proactive measure, launching the investigations earlier to identify contaminated products before they reach consumers.”

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Research, USDA

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Australia Spices Recall – Salmonella

Posted on May 4, 2012 by | Leave a comment

The NSW Food Authority advises:

Euro Spices Pty Ltd is recalling their ground coriander and other mixed spices sold in fruit and vegetable shops and independent supermarkets in NSW.

The products are being recalled due to Salmonella. Salmonella bacteria may cause illness including headache, fever, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea if consumed.

The recalled products are:

  • Coriander Ground 50g resealable bag
  • Coriander Ground 70g plastic jar
  • Almond Dukkah 50g resealable bag
  • Almond Dukkah 100g glass jar
  • Dukka Pistachio 100g glass jar
  • Kofta Bahari 60g resealable bag
  • Kabse Mix 60g resealable bag
  • Dolma Bahari 60g resealable bag
  • Shawarma 60g resealable bag
  • Ras El Hanoot 60g resealable bag
  • Harissa 60g resealable bag
  • Lebanese 7 Spices 50g resealable bag
  • Biryani 60g resealable bag

The recall applies only to resealable bags with date marking ‘Best Before’ December 2015 and jars with ‘Best Before’ 12\2015.

Consumers should not consume these products. Consumers can return the products to the place of purchase for a refund.

Anyone concerned with potential health effects of the products should seek medical advice.

For more information telephone Euro Spices Pty Ltd  on 02 9771 3411

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella

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258 Cases in the US Sushi Salmonella Outbreak to Date

Posted on May 3, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CDC

  • Based on an epidemiologic link and results of laboratory testing, CDC has combined this Salmonella Bareilly investigation with an ongoing multistate outbreak investigation of Salmonella serotype Nchanga infections. The two associated PFGE patterns have been grouped together as the “outbreak strains.”
  • A total of 258 persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Bareilly (247 persons) or SalmonellaNchanga (11 persons) have been reported from 24 states and the District of Columbia.
    • 32 ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.
  • Collaborative investigation efforts of state, local, and federal public health agencies indicate that a frozen raw yellowfin tuna product, known as Nakaochi Scrape, from Moon Marine USA Corporation is the likely source of this outbreak.
  • Consumers should not eat the recalled product, and retailers should not serve the recalled raw Nakaochi Scrape tuna product from Moon Marine USA Corporation.
  • This investigation is ongoing. CDC and state and local public health partners are continuing surveillance to identify new cases.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella

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FSA – Pepsico Recall Microbial Contamination

Posted on May 3, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FSA

PepsiCo is recalling some of its Tropicana Kids Orange Juice Drink multi-packs because they contain only water rather than the orange juice blend. The water is affected by microbiological contamination. If you have bought the product, don’t drink it. The Agency has issued a Product Recall Information Notice.

The product being recalled is:

  • Tropicana Kids Orange Juice Drink, multipack 4 x 200ml
  • No batch or date codes, no branding

PepsiCo has recalled the affected product. Customer notices have been displayed in stores, explaining why the product has been recalled.

If you have bought the affected product, don’t drink it. You can return it for a full refund to Tropicana:
Tropicana Consumer Care
Freepost LE4 918
Leicester LE4 5ZY

No other PepsiCo products are known to be affected.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Standards Agency, Microbiology, Recall

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US Unpasteurised Soybean Tempeh – Salmonella Recall

Posted on May 2, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Smiling Hara of Asheville is voluntarily recalling 12-ounce packages of unpasteurized soybean tempeh because of possible contamination with salmonella.
The company is recalling tempeh manufactured this year between Jan. 11 and April 11. The containers are marked with a best-by date of 7/11/12 through 10/25/12. Tempeh is used as a meat substitute in vegetarian cuisine.

The company is directing consumers to return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers wanting more information can contact Smiling Hara at 828-242-1300.

“Anyone with this product in their possession should not eat it,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Smiling Hara launched the recall after samples collected by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services during a routine inspection tested positive for salmonella.”

Additional tests will be conducted by the N.C. Division of Public Health to determine whether the salmonella detected in the tempeh matches the strain found in an outbreak that has sickened 37 people. Cases appear to have been associated with residence or travel to Buncombe County since Feb. 28.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella

Soya Bean Sprouts Recall Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on April 28, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Listeria Blog

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) announced today that Henry’s Farm Inc. of Woodford, VA is recalling all packages of Soybean Sprouts because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections to individuals with weakened immune systems.

No illness has been reported to date.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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CDC – Salmonella Bareilly Outbreak Report – 200 Cases

Posted on April 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CDC

  • Based on an epidemiological link and results of laboratory testing, CDC has combined this Salmonella Bareilly investigation with an ongoing multistate outbreak investigation of Salmonella serotype Nchanga infections. The two associated PFGE patterns have been grouped together as the “outbreak strains.”
  • A total of 200 persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Bareilly or SalmonellaNchanga have been reported from 21 states and the District of Columbia.
    • 190 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bareilly have been reported from 21 states and the District of Columbia. The number of ill persons with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Bareilly identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (2), Arkansas (1), Connecticut (8), District of Columbia (2), Florida (1), Georgia (9), Illinois (15), Louisiana (3), Maryland (20), Massachusetts (24), Mississippi (2), Missouri (4), New Jersey (18), New York (33), North Carolina (3), Pennsylvania (7), Rhode Island (6), South Carolina (3), Texas (4), Virginia (9), Vermont (1), and Wisconsin (15).
    • 10 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Nchanga have been reported from 5 states. The number of ill persons with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Nchanga identified in each state is as follows: Georgia (2), New Jersey (1), New York (5), Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (1).
    • 28 ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.

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Posted in Bacteria, CDC, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall, Research, Salmonella

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US – Alfalfa Sprouts – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on April 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FDA 

Alfa Sprouts Inc. of Honeoye Falls, NY is recalling approx. 100 lbs of Springwater Sprouts brand Organic Alfalfa Sprouts and bulk 3# Clover Sprouts because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections to individuals 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 following 2 products are being recalled by the firm.

  1. Clear clam shell packages containing 4 oz. Organic Alfalfa Sprouts with a sell by date of 4/28/2012. This product was distributed in New York State. Product label and UPC code noted below.
    UPC Code 688267047411
    UPC Code 042891000523
  2. 3# Bulk containers of Clover Sprouts, with a production code of P93. This product was distributed to institutional accounts in Upstate New York.

The contamination was discovered after sampling under the USDA Microbiological Data Program by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets inspectors and subsequent analysis by the New York State Food Laboratory personnel revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the product. No illness has been reported to date.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall