Category Archives: STEC

USA -Outbreak Investigation of E. coli O157:H7: Raw Cheddar Cheese (February 2024)

Posted on February 29, 2024 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Current Update

February 28, 2024

The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, are continuing to investigate a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7.

As this investigation is ongoing, FDA and CDC continue to recommend that people do not eat, sell, or serve RAW FARM-brand Raw Cheddar cheese made by RAW FARM, LLC, of Fresno, CA. State and local public health officials have interviewed people about the foods they ate in the week before they became sick. Nearly all sick people, seven out of nine (78%), reported eating RAW FARM-brand Raw Cheddar cheese and this continues to show these cheeses are the likely source of this outbreak. E. coli can cause an infection that may lead to serious kidney problems. Anyone who ate the raw cheeses and has symptoms of E. coli infection should contact their healthcare provider.

As of February 28, 2024, a total of 11 confirmed infections have been reported from five states, including CA (4), CO (3), NJ (1), TX (1), and UT (2). Whole genome sequencing analysis of E. coli isolates from ill people shows that they are all closely related genetically to each other. This means that people in this outbreak are likely to share a common source of infection. Five patients have been hospitalized; two developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious condition that can lead to kidney failure. No deaths have been reported.

Health officials in CO, CA, and UT have collected various RAW FARM-brand products for testing, including Raw Milk, Raw Butter, Raw Cheddar cheese, and Raw Kefir. So far, no product samples have detected E. coli. While E. coli has not been found in product samples, epidemiologic evidence shows that RAW FARM-brand Raw Cheddar cheese made by RAW FARM, LLC is the likely source of this outbreak. Additional testing is ongoing.

In response to this investigation, on February 16, 2024, RAW FARM, LLC initiated a recall of certain lots of RAW FARM-brand Raw Cheddar cheese currently within shelf life. On February 26, 2024, RAW FARM, LLC withdrew their voluntary recall.

The investigation is ongoing, and FDA will update this advisory should additional consumer safety information become available.

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

Belgium – La Roue cendrée – goat cheese made from raw milk – from the brand EURL BLANC FJ – STEC E.coli

Posted on February 27, 2024 by | Leave a comment

afsca

kaas

In agreement with the FASFC, LALERO BV is withdrawing the Ash Wheel (180g) from sale and recalling it from consumers due to the possible presence of E.COLI (STEC).

LALERO BV asks its customers not to consume this product and to return it to the point of sale in which it was purchased in order to be refunded and the product will be returned to Lalero BV.

Product Description :

  • Product name: THE ASHED WHEEL
  • Brand: EURL BLANC FJ
  • Minimum durability date (DDM) (“Best before (or end)”): 03/09/2024
  • Lot number: 9
  • Sales period: from 01/22/2024 to 02/14/2024
  • Weight: 180g

The product was distributed by: 

Name of point of sale /

Distribution chain name

 Street + number Post code Municipality (city)
LALERO BV HAACHTSESTEENWEG 47 1820 STEENOKKERZEEL

For any further information , contact VERONIQUE MOEYS 0476 62 69 94; veronique@lalero.be

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Posted in afsca, E.coli, 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, STEC, STEC E.coli

USA – Outbreak Investigation of E. coli O103: Clover Sprouts (February 2020)

Posted on February 26, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning News

FDA, along with CDC and state and local partners, investigated an outbreak of 51 illnesses caused by E. coli O103 in Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, New York, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming linked to clover sprouts.

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Posted in E.coli O103, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, O103, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

USA – Outbreak Investigation of E. coli O157:H7: Raw Cheddar Cheese (February 2024)

Posted on February 19, 2024 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Raw Cheddar 8 oz block

Products:

RAW FARM- brand Raw Cheddar blocks and shredded cheese products:

  • Original Flavor: all sizes of blocks and shredded packages
  • Cheddar with added Jalapeño Flavor: all sizes of blocks and shredded packages

Symptoms of E. coli:

Symptoms begin anywhere from a few days after consuming contaminated food or up to nine days later. Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting.

The severity or presence of certain symptoms may depend on the type of pathogenic E. coli 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

  • Sold at retailers nationwide.

Ill people have reported purchasing RAW FARM-brand Raw Cheddar cheese at Sprouts Farmers Market and Bristol Farms. There may be other retailers who are selling the RAW FARM- brand Raw Cheddar cheese and we will update the advisory as more information becomes available.

Status

  • Ongoing; updates will be provided as they become available.

Recommendations:

  • Do not eat, sell, or serve RAW FARM-brand Raw Cheddar cheese products.
  • Check your refrigerators and freezers for the RAW FARM-brand Raw Cheddar cheese (blocks or shredded) and throw them away. If you froze a product without the original packaging and can’t identify the brand, throw it away.
  • Consumers, restaurants, and retailers who purchased or received RAW FARM-brand Raw Cheddar cheese, including wholesale products, should carefully clean and sanitize any surfaces or containers that it touched. Follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
  • Retailers that purchased this product and repackaged it for individual sale should remove the product from the market.
  • Due to the range in severity of illness, people should consult their health care provider if they suspect that they have developed symptoms that resemble an E. coli infection.

Case Counts

Total Illnesses: 10
Hospitalizations: 4
Deaths: 0
Last Sample Collection Dates: January 29, 2024
States with Cases: CA, CO, TX, UT
Product Distribution: Nationwide

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, FDA, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, food recall, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, product recall, Raw Milk, raw milk cheese, Recall, STEC, STEC E.coli

USA- Raw Cheddar Cheese – Voluntary Product Recall – STEC E.coli O157

Posted on February 19, 2024 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Company Announcement

Affected Product: ONLY Cheese block older than batch 20231113-1 and Shred older than 20240116

Voluntary Recall – E. Coli 0157:H7 STEC – RAW FARM 2024-2-16

Item Barcode Product Description Package Size (oz) Brand Batch or Older
1075 835204000156 Raw Cheddar Cheese – Pound Block 16 RAW FARM 20231113-1
1050 835204001177 Raw Cheddar Cheese – Half Pound Block 8 RAW FARM 20231113-1
1080 835204001184 Raw Cheddar Cheese – Half Pound Shred 8 RAW FARM 20240116

On February 15, 2024 Raw Farm was contacted by the FDA and CDC regarding the epidemiological possibility that Raw Farm raw cheddar cheese might have caused some illnesses within a date range of October 18th 2023 and January 31 st 2024. During this period, there were ten fecal samples collected from patients in 4 states that appeared to match one another in the National PULSENET database. Some of these patients did not report consumption of any Raw Farm cheddar cheese or other raw dairy products. In full cooperation and collaboration with the CDC and FDA, Raw Farm is voluntarily recalling the above date codes of Raw Cheddar Cheese. If you have any of these Raw Cheddar Cheese date codes, please do not consume and return for credit.

No product samples consumed by consumers or products available for sale have tested positive for E.Coli 0157:H7. This recall is in abundance of caution strictly based on fecal samples submitted to PULSENET.

Product en-route for delivery, being delivered now, and in the future is not affected by this Voluntary Recall. Only product on the retail shelf, which should have a date code of 20231113-1 or older should be ;:recalled. Shredded cheese with date 20240116 or older should be recalled.

This recall is VOLUNTARY and does not affect any products other than raw cheddar cheese with these specific date codes. For more information, please contact Customer Service at 559-846-9732 or email josh.l@rawfarmusa.com or aaron.m@rawfarmusa.com.

CDC Outbreak Advisory
FDA Outbreak Investigation

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, FDA, 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, STEC, STEC E.coli

Research – Finland – Risk assessment of STEC in medium-cooked ground beef patties

Posted on February 16, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Ruokavirasto

Abstract
Medium-rare or medium-done ground beef patties are associated with the risk of
microbiological contamination, especially from Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli
(STEC) bacteria, which can cause gastrointestinal infections. The objective of this risk
assessment was to evaluate the food poisoning risk associated with medium-done
ground beef patties made from Finnish beef and served in foodservice establishments.
Simultaneously, the Finnish Food Authority’s recommendation for preparing medium
ground beef patties was assessed. The recommendation includes, among other things, the
removal of surfaces from the meat before grinding it into ground beef in the kitchen of food
service establishments.
The risk assessment used an application based on a Bayesian statistical model. The data
included information collected from the Finnish Food Authority’s registers and a survey
conducted as part of the project for foodservice establishments. To evaluate the Finnish
Food Authority’s recommendation, a study was conducted to determine how STEC bacteria
are transferred from the surface of experimentally contaminated roast beef to the inner
parts of the meat when the surfaces are removed.
The risk of the population getting sick was greatly influenced by the proportion of ground
beef patties served medium and how hot the patties were heated. In a situation where
approximately a tenth of the patties were cooked medium (internal temperature 55°C),
there would be 100 illnesses per 100,000 residents in Finland per year. Surface removal as a
risk management measure only worked in those experiments with roasts when the level of
contamination was low. Even then, some of the tested roasts still had STEC bacteria.

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Posted in Food Microbiology Research, Research, Shigatoxin, STEC, STEC E.coli

Italy – CASTELMAGNO DOP – STEC E.coli

Posted on February 16, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Salute

Brand : TERRE D’ITALIA

Name : CASTELMAGNO DOP

Reason for reporting : Recall due to microbiological risk

Publication date : 15 February 2024

Documentation

Documentation

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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, STEC, STEC E.coli

Research- Effect of gas ultrafine bubbles on the potency of antimicrobials against Escherichia coli O157:H7 biofilms on various food processing surfaces

Posted on February 16, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of incorporating gas [air, carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrogen (N2)] UFB on the potency of chlorine (Cl2; 50, 100, and 200 ppm) and peracetic acid (PAA; 20, 40, and 80 ppm) antimicrobial (AM) solutions against fresh (3 days) and aged (30 days) E. coli O157:H7 biofilms on polypropylene, silicone, and stainless-steel surfaces. The biofilms were statically grown on polypropylene, silicone, and stainless-steel coupons (7.62 × 2.54 cm) at 25°C for 3 or 30 days by immersing in a 3-strain cocktail of E. coli. The incorporation of air, CO2, and N2 UFB in AM solutions resulted in significantly increased log reductions (2.1–3.7 logs) in fresh and aged E. coli biofilms on all surfaces compared to solutions without UFB, except for N2 UFB on aged stainless-steel biofilms and air UFB on aged polypropylene biofilms, which resulted in similar log reductions as solutions without UFB (1.5–2.1 logs).

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Posted in Biofilm, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, Food Microbiology Research, Food Technology, Research, STEC, STEC E.coli, Technology

RASFF Alerts – STEC E.coli – Wood Ear Mushrooms – Psyllium Fibre

Posted on February 16, 2024 by | Leave a comment

RASFF

STEC (stx2+; eae+) in wood ear mushrooms from Thailand in Switzerland

RASFF

Presence of E. Coli VTEC O103:H2 in 99% psyllium fibre from India in Italy

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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

11 sick in French cheese STEC O26 E. coli outbreak

Posted on February 15, 2024 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The number of children sick in a severe E. coli outbreak in France linked to raw milk cheese has risen to 11.

The 11 hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) cases were reported in late 2023. HUS is a severe complication associated with E. coli infections that causes kidney failure. Santé publique France surveillance on HUS only covers children younger than 15 years old in the country, so there could be other sick people in the outbreak.

Five young children attending the Minimes crèche in Toulouse had to be hospitalized in November. Stool cultures revealed Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infection. Cheese has tested positive for E. coli O26.

The other six children with HUS infected with the outbreak strain are unrelated to the crèche and live in different regions.

Speaking to different French media outlets, the parents of two girls, Élise, aged 7, and Clara, 18 months old, revealed how their children had been affected and their ongoing health issues

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Posted in E.coli O26, E.coli O26 :H11, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli