Seattle-King County Public Health (Public Health) investigated an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 (STEC) in the spring of 2024. This outbreak was associated with PCC Community Markets.
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Category Archives: STEC
UKHSA defends response to fatal E. coli case
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has explained its role in investigating the case of a woman who died following an E. coli infection after being criticized in a coroner’s report.
An inquest concluded that Laura Farmer died from a stroke caused by an E. coli infection.
Following a diarrheal illness about 10 days earlier, the 46-year-old was admitted to University College Hospital in April 2024. She was diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). When thought to be in the recovery phase, she suffered an unexpected stroke and died.
France -Half-Reblochon from Savoie AOP – STEC E.coli
Product Category
Food
Product subcategory
Milk and dairy products
Product brand name
Flavors of our Regions
Model names or references
Half-Reblochon from Savoie AOP
Product identification
GTIN Batch Date
14334035219837 C42840469 Minimum durability date 11/11/2024
Packaging
Plastic film
Start/End of marketing date
From 10/11/2024 to 11/11/2024
Storage temperature
Product to be kept in the refrigerator
Health mark
FR 74 289 050 CE
Geographic area of sale
see list of stores in PJ
Distributors
some Lidl supermarkets see list of stores attached
Posted in E.coli, food recall, product recall, Recall, STEC, STEC E.coli
USA – Outbreak Investigation of E. coli O121:H9: Organic Carrots (November 2024)
Product
Grimmway Farms initiated a voluntary recall of multiple sizes and brands of bagged organic whole and baby carrots.
- Organic whole carrots were available for purchase at retail from August 14 through October 23, 2024 (365, Bunny Luv, Cal-Organic, Compliments, Full Circle, Good & Gather, GreenWise, Marketside, Nature’s Promise, O Organic, President’s Choice, Simple Truth, Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Wholesome Pantry).
- Organic baby carrots include specific best-if-used-by dates printed on the bags ranging from September 11 to November 12, 2024 (365, Bunny Luv, Cal-Organic, Compliments, Full Circle, Good & Gather, GreenWise, Grimmway Farms, Kroger, LIDL, Marketside, Nature’s Promise, O Organic, President’s Choice, Raley’s, Simple Truth, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Wholesome Pantry).
A full list of recalled products is below. These products are likely no longer available for sale in stores but could be in people’s homes.
Symptoms of E. coli
Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting. Symptoms begin anywhere from a few days after consuming contaminated food or up to nine days later.
The severity or presence of certain symptoms may depend on the type of pathogenic E. coli that is causing the infection. Some infections can cause severe bloody diarrhea and lead to life-threatening conditions, such as a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), or the development of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic problems.
Stores Affected
These products were sold nationwide but are likely no longer available for sale in stores.
Status
Ongoing
Recommendation
- Consumers should check their refrigerators and freezers and should not eat recalled bagged whole or baby carrots. If you have these products in your home, do not eat or use them, throw them away, and clean and sanitize surfaces they touched. If you purchased organic whole or baby carrots and stored them without the original packaging and don’t know what brand they are, you should not eat them and should throw them away.
- Retailers and distributors that purchased recalled bagged whole or baby carrots should not sell this product and should notify their customers. These products are likely past shelf-life and no longer available for sale in stores, but distributors and retailers should check their refrigerators and freezers and should not serve or sell recalled bagged whole or baby carrots.
- Retailers that are unsure if they received these products may need to contact their supplier. If you are unable to determine whether or not recalled product was received, you should discard the contents of the bins and use extra care to clean and sanitize the bins before refilling.
- Retailers, distributors, and consumers should follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice and use extra care in cleaning and sanitizing any surfaces and containers that may have come in contact with these products to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
- Contact your healthcare provider if you think you may have symptoms of an E. coli infection after eating organic carrots.
Current Update
November 17, 2024
The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, are investigating illnesses in a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O121:H9 infections linked to organic whole and baby carrots supplied by Grimmway Farms of Bakersfield, California.
State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 27 people interviewed, 26 (96%) reported eating carrots.
FDA’s traceback investigation identified Grimmway Farms as the common supplier of organic whole and baby carrots in this outbreak. On November 16, 2024, Grimmway Farms initiated a voluntary recall of multiple quantities and brands of bagged organic whole and baby carrots and contacted their distributing customers. The retail-packaged organic whole carrots were in stores for purchase from August 14 through October 23, 2024. The organic baby carrots have different best-if-used-by-dates ranging from September 11 through November 12, 2024. A full list of recalled products is below.
Although product is likely no longer on the market, carrots can last a long time when refrigerated or frozen. Consumers should check their refrigerators and freezers and discard these recalled products. Distributors and retailers that may have received recalled bagged organic whole and baby carrots should follow the recommendations above and contact their customers.
FDA is working with the firm to determine the source of contamination and whether additional products are affected. This advisory will be updated as information becomes available.
USA – Grimmway Farms Recalls Organic Whole and Select Organic Baby Carrots That May Be in Consumers’ Homes Due to Potential STEC E. coli Contamination – O121:H19
Company Announcement
Grimmway Farms has issued a recall of select organic whole carrots and organic baby carrots that should no longer be in grocery stores but may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers.
These products may have been contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) O121:H19. E. coli O121:H19 is a bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and those with a weakened immune system. Some infections can cause severe bloody diarrhea conditions, such as a hemolytic uremic syndrome, or the development of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, and neurologic problems. Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting. The incubation period for E. coli O121:H19 in humans can range from 24 hours to as much as ten days. The average incubation period is 3 to 4 days.
Posted in E.coli O121, 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, product recall, Recall, STEC, STEC E.coli, STEC E.coli O121
USA- FDA- Update – Outbreak Investigation of E. coli O157:H7: Onions (October 2024)
November 13, 2024
FDA, CDC, and state partners continue investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 linked to slivered onions served on Quarter Pounder burgers at McDonald’s restaurants in certain states. As of November 13, 2024, 104 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported from 14 states. Of 98 people with information available, 34 have been hospitalized, and 4 people developed HUS, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure. One death has been reported from an older adult in Colorado. This person is not one of those who developed HUS. Of the 81 people interviewed, 80 (99%) report eating at McDonald’s. Seventy-five people were able to remember specific menu items they ate at McDonald’s. 63 of 75 people (84%) reported a menu item containing fresh slivered onions.
FDA, Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) have collected onion and environmental samples from McDonald’s stores, distribution centers, and firms of interest for laboratory analysis. At this time, one FDA sample of recalled onions has tested positive for E. coli, but it is a non-O157:H7 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and does not match the outbreak strain or any other clinical illnesses. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis determined that the sample is positive for E. coli O168:H8 and contains the Shiga toxin gene stx2a. Additional sample results are pending. More information will be provided in this update as it becomes available.
FDA has completed onsite inspections at a Taylor Farms processing center in Colorado and an onion grower of interest in Washington state.
McDonald’s stopped using slivered onions on Quarter Pounder burgers in affected states, and Taylor Farms recalled yellow onions on October 22, 2024. Food service customers were notified by Taylor Farms that they should not sell or serve recalled yellow onions. FDA continues working with Taylor Farms and their direct customers to determine if additional downstream customer recalls are necessary. Food service customers should not be further distributing recalled onions. According to available information, recalled onions should not be available for purchase in grocery stores. McDonald’s has reintroduced slivered onions from a different onion supplier into their full menu. At this time, there does not appear to be a continued food safety concern related to this outbreak at McDonald’s restaurants.
France – REBLOCHON 450G – STEC E.coli
Product Category
Food
Product subcategory
Milk and dairy products
Product brand name
GOURMET COUNTRY®
Model names or references
REBLOCHON 450G
Product identification
GTIN Batch Date
26065144 KU4225B Minimum durability date 05/12/2024
Start/End of marketing date
From 09/30/2024 to 11/13/2024
Storage temperature
Product to be kept in the refrigerator
Health mark
FR 74.303.050 CE
Geographic area of sale
Regions: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, , , , , Grand-Est
Distributors
ALDI
Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hazrd, 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 safety training, Food Testing, STEC, STEC E.coli
Italy – Starchi’ Nustra’ Monte Bronzone (raw milk cheese) – STEC E.coli
Brand : Colosio
Name : Starchi’ Nustra’ Monte Bronzone (raw milk cheese)
Reason for reporting : Recall due to microbiological risk
Publication date : 11 November 2024
Documentation
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, Raw Milk, raw milk cheese, STEC, STEC E.coli
Research – Identification of Bacterial Pathogens in Organic Food of Animal Origin in Poland
Abstract
The consumption of organic food has increased in recent years. In organic rearing animals are exposed to outdoor conditions, which may increase their risk of infection from various pathogens. In the present study the occurrence of the most significant foodborne pathogenic bacteria in organic meat and ready-to-eat organic meat products was assessed. Out of 100 raw organic meat samples tested, 72 were contaminated with bacterial pathogens. The highest percentage of contaminated samples was observed in poultry meat (92.5%) followed by pork meat (66.7%). Furthermore, 50.0% of beef origin samples were positive for the bacteria tested. L. monocytogenes was found in 39.0% of samples, S. aureus was identified in 37.0%, Campylobacter in 20.0%, Salmonella in 8.0% and Shigatoxin-producing E. coli in 4.0% of raw meat samples. In 31.0% of samples a co-occurrence of two (83.9%) or three (16.1%) pathogens was observed. Among 100 samples of organic meat products tested, only L. monocytogenes was found in 5.0% of samples. The result of the present study indicated that organic food may be a source of harmful microorganisms that may pose foodborne infections to consumers.
RASFF Alert – STEC E.coli – Minced Mutton and Beef
Shigatoxigenic Esherichia coli in minced meat (mutton and beef) from Iceland in Germany
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, RASFF, STEC, STEC E.coli
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