Category Archives: Salmonella

Salmonella outbreak ongoing with 130 sick; Listeria incident over in UK

Posted on June 30, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Investigations into a Salmonella outbreak are ongoing but a Listeria outbreak has ended, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

More than 130 people are sick with Salmonella Mbandaka after eating chicken products from Ukraine. Four patients were admitted to hospitals and one person died.

In response to repeated non-compliance with partly cooked chicken products from Ukraine, a system of Intensified Official Controls (IOC) was started in April. This included a requirement that the next 10 imported consignments from the implicated establishment would be subject to extra inspections.

Because of continued breaches of food safety requirements, this was escalated to Imposed Checks in May. These physical, documentary and testing inspections will remain in place until a minimum of 30 consecutive favorable results are achieved.

The UK importer has stopped receipt of the steam-cooked chicken product until the issue is resolved and is testing all their uncooked product on arrival into the UK for Salmonella. An investigation by Ukrainian authorities has resulted in risk management measures being taken at the facilities of the manufacturer.

In late 2022, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported that Finland had 89 cases while a few patients also lived in the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Israel.

Leave a comment

Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Salmonella, Salmonella in Chicken

Research – Does Vegan Cheese Pose a Food Safety Risk?

Posted on June 30, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published an analysis of a Salmonella outbreak linked to vegan cheese made from cashews. The 2021 outbreak linked to Jule’s cashew brie marked the second time since 2014 that illnesses in multiple states were linked to cashew cheese.

Does vegan cheese pose a food safety risk? If it’s made from nuts, it might.

Cashews and Kill Steps

The CDC’s 2021 report on the Jule’s brie Salmonella outbreak states that whole genome sequencing tests on the Salmonella strain cultured from patients produced the same genetic “fingerprint,” meaning the patients were exposed to the same source of contaminated food. Investigators found this outbreak strain in samples of Jule’s cheese, in the facility where it was made, and in the specific lot of raw cashews used to make the cheese.

The CDC’s recent analysis of the outbreak states that U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigators identified cashews as the ingredient that was the likely source of contamination and noted that no lethality treatment, or “kill step” such as pasteurization or irradiation was performed before cashew processing.

Similarly, a kill step was also omitted in the manufacture of The Cultured Kitchen cashew cheese linked to the 2014 Salmonella outbreak. Tests performed during that investigation revealed the presence of the outbreak strain in samples of the cheese collected from a patient’s home and in a batch of fermenting, raw, cashews collected from the facility where the product was made.

Leave a comment

Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Salmonella

USA – Masalas recalled in 10 states over Salmonella contamination

Posted on June 30, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Amin Trading Agency LLC, of Edison, NJ, is recalling various masalas over possible Salmonella contamination.

According to the details posted online by the FDA, the recall was initiated on June 1, 2023, and is ongoing.

Distributed to retail stores in Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi, Florida, Virginia, New Jersey and New York.

Recalled products:

  • Everest Garam Masala, 100 grams, Packaged in paper cartons. 120 cartons per case — 300 cartons
  • Everest Sambar Masala, 100 grams, Packaged in paper cartons. 120 cartons per case — 270 cartons
  • Maggi Masala ae Magic, 6 grams, Packaged in plastic sachets. 1920 sachets per case — 24,384

Anyone who purchased the recalled product should immediately dispose of it and not consume it.

Leave a comment

Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, Salmonella

RASFF Alerts – Salmonella – Polish Chicken Products – Sesame Seeds – Chicken leg Quarters – Smoked Sausage – Sock Samples – Rosette – Whole Egg Powder – Carne Fresca di Tacchino dalla Spagna

Posted on June 30, 2023 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

Salmonella Enteritidis (in 4 out of 5 samples) fresh chicken leg quarters from Lithuania in Latvia

RASFF

Salmonella CO in chicken fillet from Poland in the Czech Republic

RASFF

Different types of Salmonella, including S. Enteritidis in poultry from Poland in Bulgaria

RASFF

Salmonella Enteritidis in socks samples in the chicken coop from Poland in Germany

RASFF

Salmonella in rosette from France in Belgium

RASFF

Salmonella in Indian Sesame seed in the Netherlands

RASFF

Salmonella spp. in whole egg powder from Bulgaria in Poland

RASFF

Salmonella spp. in chilled chicken breast from Poland in Italy

RASFF

Salmonella spp. from group O:9(D1) in frozen kebab made of poultry meat from Poland in Austria

RASFF

Presence of Salmonella spp. in Nigerian hulled sesame seeds in Greece, Turkey and Switzerland

RASFF

Salmonella Saintpaul in carne fresca di tacchino dalla Spagna from Spain in Italy

RASFF

Salmonella spp. in carnati de casa afumati (smoked sausages) from Romania in Hungary

RASFF

Salmonella spp. in sesame seeds from India in Poland

RASFF

Salmonella in marinated chicken sliced fillet from Poland in Estonia

Leave a comment

Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, Polish Chicken Salmonella, RASFF, Salmonella, Salmonella in Chicken, Salmonella in Eggs, Salmonella Poland, Salmonella Sesame Seeds

RASFF Alerts – Animal Feed – Salmonella – Soybean Meal – Soyabean Pods

Posted on June 30, 2023 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

Salmonella spp. in soybean meal (feed) from Italy in Germany and Austria

RASFF

Salmonella Mbandaka in soybean pods from the Netherlands in Belgium

Leave a comment

Posted in Animal Feed, Animal Feed Salmonella, Animal Feed Testing, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Pet Food Salmonella, Salmonella

Denmark – Outbreak with Salmonella Muenchen sequence type 82 in Denmark

Posted on June 29, 2023 by | Leave a comment

SSI

Since March 2023, the Statens Serum Institut has registered 30 cases of Salmonella Muenchen. The Statens Serum Institut, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the Norwegian Food Institute DTU are investigating the disease outbreak.

Last edited on June 28, 2023

About the disease outbreak

From March to June 2023, 30 people infected with the same type of Salmonella were registered at the Statens Serum Institut (figure 1). Among the sick are 12 men and 18 women. The patients are between 10-95 years old (median age is 72 years). The patients live throughout the country (table 1).

Figure 1. Number of cases of Salmonella Munich per week, 2023, (n=30)

Table 1. Patients with the same type of Salmonella in Denmark, mid-March to and including May 2023, per region (n=30)

Region   Number of patients 
 The capital   16
 Central Jutland   6
 Northern Jutland   2
 Zealand   5
 Southern Denmark   1
  Total  30

The investigation of the outbreak

The outbreak is handled by the Central Outbreak Group, which consists of SSI, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the DTU Food Institute. SSI stands for whole-genome sequencing of isolates from the patients and interviews with patients or relatives with a view to identifying a possible source of infection.

The outbreak strain

The bacteria is of the type Salmonella Muenchen. When whole-genome sequencing of the bacteria that were isolated from the patients, it was seen that they were very closely related and all belonged to sequence type 82.

Leave a comment

Posted in food bourne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, outbreak, Salmonella

Korea – Wash hands after touching eggs: Food agency warns of salmonella outbreak

Posted on June 29, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Korean Herald

Food safety authorities on Wednesday warned people to wash hands promptly after handling or cooking raw eggs, citing food poisoning risks from Salmonella, a harmful bacterium found in poultry and mammal intestines.

There have been numerous cases of food poisoning caused by cross-contamination, where individuals handle eggs and then fail to wash their hands before cooking food or touching other cooking utensils, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

Leave a comment

Posted in Decontamination Microbial, food handler, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Hand Washing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Salmonella, Salmonella in Eggs

USDA-FSIS Surveys Salmonella Rates in NRTE Breaded Stuffed Chicken Products

Posted on June 29, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety.Com

As part of an effort to reduce cases of salmonellosis attributable to poultry products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) conducted a study with the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) laboratories to gather data on not-ready-to-eat (NRTE) breaded stuffed chicken products purchased at retail stores. The release of the survey results follows FSIS’ April 2023 proposed determination to declare Salmonella an adulterant in breaded stuffed raw chicken products.

The survey was intended to gather information on the positive rate of Salmonella in NRTE breaded stuffed chicken products and any differences in laboratory methods used.

Through FERN, 11 geographically dispersed state labs participated in the study. From July 1, 2022—September 30, 2022, the labs purchased locally available NRTE breaded stuffed chicken products at retail stores (approximately 15 samples per month for each product) and tested them for the presence of Salmonella and indicator organisms.

In total, 58 of the 487 samples tested were positive for the presence of Salmonella. A noticeable difference in positivity rates was seen between laboratories that ran methods the same as FSIS (36 of 135, or 27 percent) using larger test portions and laboratories that ran methods different from FSIS (22 of 352, or 6 percent) using smaller test portions. Small amounts of Salmonella present in the product or uneven distribution of Salmonella contamination could account for the lower positivity rates when smaller sample portions were tested.

Total aerobic counts were similar across products tested. Whole genome sequencing detected S. Enteritidis (18 of 58), S. Infantis (22 of 58), S. Kentucky (15 of 58) and S. Typhimurium (3 of 58).

Leave a comment

Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Salmonella, Salmonella in Chicken

USA- FDA – Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

Posted on June 29, 2023 by | Leave a comment

FDA

What’s New

  • For the outbreak of Salmonella Paratyphi B var. L(+) tartrate+ (ref #1157), FDA initiated an on-site inspection and sample collection and analysis. The case count has increased from 33 to 34 cases.
  • For the outbreak of Cyclospora cayetanensis (ref #1159), the case count has increased from 34 to 36 cases.
Date
Posted		 Ref Pathogen
or
Cause of
Illness		 Product(s)
Linked to
Illnesses
(if any)		 Total
Case
Count
Status
6/14/2023 1157 Salmonella
Paratyphi B
var. L(+)
tartrate+		 Not Yet
Identified		 34 Active
6/14/2023 1159 Cyclospora
cayetanensis		 Not Yet
Identified		 36 Active
5/24/2023 1156 Salmonella
Enteritidis		 Raw
Cookie
Dough		 See
Advisory		 Active
4/26/2023 1152 Not Yet
Identified		 Morel
Mushroom		 See
Advisory		 Active
3/1/2023 1143 Hepatitis
A Virus		 Frozen
Organic
Strawberries		 See
Advisory		 Active

Leave a comment

Posted in Cyclospora, Cyclosporiasis, FDA, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Hepatitis A, Illness, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, outbreak, Salmonella

France – Paris-Brest x 2 Pastry – Salmonella

Posted on June 29, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Gov france

Identification information of the recalled product

  • Product category Feed
  • Product subcategory Sweet products
  • Product brand name Paris-Brest sold in a traditional pastry tray
  • Model names or references Paris brest x 2
  • Identification of products
    Batch Date
    pdv7353 Use-by date between 06/23/2023 and 06/29/2023
  • Packaging Plastic tray – Set of 2 cakes
  • Storage temperature Product to be stored in the refrigerator
  • Geographic area of ​​sale Only Intermarché St André de la Marche
  • Distributors Only Intermarché St André de la Marche

Leave a comment

Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Testing, Salmonella