Category Archives: Salmonella

Pets – Salmonella Bacterial Infection Issues – USA

Posted on March 31, 2012 by | 1 comment

FDA – Tropical Fish Food Flakes – Salmonella

The Hartz Mountain Corporation, located in Secaucus, N.J. is voluntarily recalling product from four specific lots of Wardley® Advanced Nutrition™ Perfect Protein™ Tropical Flake Fish Food 1 oz. size due to concerns that one or more containers within the specified lots may have been potentially contaminated with Salmonella.  Hartz is fully cooperating with the US Food and Drug Administration in this voluntary recall.

CDC – Small Pet Turtles – Salmonella – 66 Ill.

CDC is collaborating with public health officials in multiple states to investigate three overlapping, multistate outbreaks of human Salmonella infections linked to exposure to turtles or their environments (e.g., water from a turtle habitat). The first is an outbreak of human Salmonella Sandiego infections, the second is an outbreak of human Salmonella Pomona infections, and the third is an outbreak of human Salmonella Poona infections. These are rare types of Salmonella.

Portales News Tribune – Chicks For Easter Presents – Salmonella

The New Mexico Department of Health and the New Mexico Livestock Board issued a press release Thursday advising families to avoid potential exposure to salmonella by not giving baby chicks and ducklings to children as Easter gifts:

In the last six years, New Mexico has had 16 Salmonella cases related to baby chicks. Many of the cases were in young children. The Department also discourages families from buying small turtles (less than 4 inches) sold at flea markets and roadside stands because they are also known to carry salmonella that could infect people and their children.

 

 

 

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Posted in Bacteria, CDC, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella

More Salmonella Issues – Canadian Products – Sprouting Seeds

Posted on March 31, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Mumm’s Sprouting Seeds Ltd. are warning the public not to consume the Mumm’s brand Sprouting Seeds described below because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The affected product, Mumm’s brand Sprouting Seeds – Sunflower, are sold in 75 g packages bearing UPC 7 73295 07582 3 and lot # SF2020.

This product is known to have been distributed in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario and may have been distributed nationally.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

 

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

US – Recall – Salmonella – Salsa

Posted on March 28, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin 

Kroger Company is recalling store brand salsa and pico de gallo because they may be contaminated with Salmonella. This recall may be related to the recall of fresh jalapenos by Castellini Produce earlier in the month

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

HPA Report Salmonella poona

Posted on March 28, 2012 by | Leave a comment

HPA

The Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Pathogens (LGP) has reported 49 non-travel associated, fully sensitive cases of Salmonella Poona with specimen dates on or after 24 October 2011 to 19 March 2012. This compares with 21 and 33 cases reported during the whole of 2009 and 2010 respectively. Those affected range from four months to 88 years of age with 65% of all cases aged over 60 years and a median age of 69.5 years; men and women are similarly affected.

Cases have been found across England and Wales, with most cases occurring in the South West (28%), South East (16%) and Wales (14%) regions. So far, no cases have been reported in London and the East Midlands and 14 cases have received treatment in hospital.

The Salmonella Poona isolates from 41 of the cases have been further typed by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and all but one has the same PFGE profile XB.0003. This strain is indistinguishable from a strain seen in an outbreak in Sweden in 2010; however, a source was not been confirmed for that outbreak.

Salmonella enterica serovar Poona causes gastro-enteritis in humans through the consumption of contaminated food. In humans chronic carriage is rare and so cases of Salmonella Poona should be excluded from work, school and other institutional settings for 48 hours after first normal stools and will not require microbiological clearance [1].

Following the increase in cases, an Outbreak Control Team comprising representatives from the South West, Wales and South East regions, and from HPA Colindale’s Gastrointestinal, Emerging and Zoonotic Infections group (GEZI), is investigating.

Reference

1. Preventing person-to-person spread following gastrointestinal infections: guidelines for public health physicians and environmental health officers. Communicable Disease and Public Health 7(4), December 2004, pp362.

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

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Ripeness of Product Could Affect Pathogen Growth

Posted on March 26, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Eurek Alert

The ripeness of fruit could determine how food-poisoning bacteria grow on them, according to scientists presenting their work at the Society for General Microbiology’s Spring Conference in Dublin this week. Their work could lead to new strategies to improve food safety, bringing many health and economic benefits.

A wide range of fresh produce has been linked to outbreaks of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica including melons, jalapeño and serrano peppers, basil, lettuce, horseradish sprouts and tomatoes. Researchers at Imperial College London are looking at how these bacterial pathogens latch onto fruits and vegetables and establish themselves in the first place.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O104, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella

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US – Jalepeno Chillies – Recall – Salmonella

Posted on March 26, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Newport, Kentucky-based Castellini Produce has issued an unclassified recall for fresh jalapenos in packs of two, 10 and 40. 
 
The recalled jalapenos reached five divisions of Rosemont,IL-based US Foods (formerly U.S. Foodservice) between March 9 and 24, according to the food distribution company.
 
While no illnesses have yet been associated with the recall, routine test results showed possible presence of Salmonella.
 
The recalled product may be identified by packaging bearing the name Professional Produce of Florida/South Florida Produce and may include the following lot numbers:
 
1977434, 1977911, 1978565, 1976393, 1976549, 1976551, 1977220, 1977514, 1977845, 1978122, 1978125, 1978930, 1976774, 1976786, 1977289, 1977310, 1977906, 1977913, 1978563, 1978574, 1979025, 1979034, 1976509, 1977743, 1978618, 280104C07
 
Formed in 1896, Castellini is one of the largest distributors of fresh produce in the United States with more than 2,500 fruits, vegetables and floral items in its product line.

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

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US – Salmonella Outbreak Live Chicks

Posted on March 23, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Are you thinking of getting some chicks so you can produce your own eggs? Have the recalls of eggs from Daizen Farms, Michael Foods Inc., and the huge outbreak of foodborne illness from Wright County Eggs in 2010have you forgoing eggs at the grocery store?

Your own hatchery may not be the answer. The CDC just released a study of an outbreak of Salmonella Altona and Salmonella Johannesburg infections linked to chicks and ducklings from a mail order hatchery last year.

Two clusters of human Salmonella infections from baby chicks were identified in 2011 through pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). From February 25, 2011 to October 10, 2011, 68 cases of Salmonella Altona and 17 cases of Salmonella Johannesburg had contact with live poultry the week before their illness developed

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Posted in Bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella

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US – Hens Fed on Salmonella Contaminated Feed – Rat Droppings

Posted on March 22, 2012 by | 1 comment

Washington State 

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) recommends against eating any eggs produced by Daizen Farms of Burlington, WA. The eggs were produced by hens that ate feed contaminated with rodent droppings. Laboratory testing confirms that the feed contained Salmonella.

The eggs were also packaged under insanitary conditions on the farm. WSDA inspectors observed rodent droppings inside an egg-washing machine during use.

To date, public health officials have linked no human illnesses to the eggs. Consumers are reminded to thoroughly cook all eggs, regardless of source, to reduce the risk of food borne illness.

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

Food Poisoning Could Have Lifelong Consequences

Posted on March 22, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Two stories from the Mail Online, one about the long term consequences of foodborne illness and the other about Selfridges ‘Raw Milk’ sales.

Mail Online 

Stomach bugs may not only make you feel miserable at the time. Salmonella, E coli and other types of food poisoning may have lifelong consequences.

Studies have shown that people caught up in food poisoning outbreaks are more likely to develop a host of lengthy illnesses, including diabetes, arthritis, kidney failure, high blood pressure and even heart attacks and strokes.

Some, such as kidney damage thought to be caused by powerful poisons released by the bugs and arthritis triggered by a faulty immune response, occur within weeks. Others, such as high blood pressure, take years to appear.

Mail Online – Raw Milk

Upmarket store Selfridges has been accused of potentially putting customers at risk and breaking the law by selling ‘raw’ milk.

It is selling the milk, produced on an organic farm in Sussex, from a vending machine and insists it is hugely popular and regularly sells out.

Many traditionalists enjoy raw milk, believing it tastes nicer and may even be better for them.

However the Government’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) and its experts insist that raw milk, which is not heat-treated or pasteurised to kill off harmful bugs, is a public health threat.

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, E.coli, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella

Luciferase Pathogen Detection

Posted on March 21, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Biology researchers in the United Kingdom have developed a device that can detect foodborne pathogens using a variant of a simple, seemingly unlikely chemical: Firefly luciferase, the enzyme that makes fireflies’ abdomens light up.
 
The device, called “Bioluminescent Assay in Real-Time” (BART), pinpoints harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and Listeria on food by activating the luciferase in their presence, converting the bacteria’s DNA sequences into distinguishable patterns of light.
 
 

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Technology, Food Testing, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella