Category Archives: STEC

RASFF Alert – STEC E.coli – Raw Fermented Milk – Dry Aged Mincemeat

RASFF

E.Coli STEC in fermented raw milk in Belgium and France

RASFF

Shiga-toxin producing E. coli, serotype O104, detected in frozen dry-aged minced beef from Poland in Lithuania

Research – German testing finds Listeria and E. coli in raw milk

Food Safety News

Listeria and E. coli have been found during testing of unpasteurized, raw milk from farms in Germany.

From 2020 to 2022, the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office (CVUA) in Stuttgart tested 54 raw milk samples from vending machines for a range of agents.

Parameters examined included somatic cell count, total germ count, spoilage organisms, hygiene indicator germs such as Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli, and pathogens like Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).

The sale of raw milk is mostly prohibited but it can be sold directly on the farm via self-service vending machines. The producers should put up notices telling the consumers to boil raw milk before consumption.

Some findings were positive as 30 samples were compliant but 24 had issues. Results highlight the importance of regular cleaning of milking machines, pipes, and tanks at dairy farms, said scientists. Insufficient cooling can also lead to contamination of raw milk.

USA – lēf Farms Recalls “Spice” Packaged Salad Greens Because of Possible Health Risk – E.coli O157

FDA

Company Announcement

lēf Farms of Loudon, N.H. is voluntarily recalling a single lot of the lēf Farms “Spice” Packaged Salad Greens (“best by” date 5/5/23, lot number SP10723- 1RGH1, UPC 8 50439 00709 1) produced in its Loudon, New Hampshire greenhouse because they have the potential to be contaminated with Escherichia coli 0157:H7 (E. coli) bacteria. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), E. coli causes a diarrheal illness often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

The product comes in a 4- oz, clear, plastic clamshell container. Information about the “best by” date, lot number and UPC can be found at the bottom of the package. Pictures to assist customers in identifying the recalled products are found at the end of this announcement.

No illnesses have been reported to date. The recall was initiated when the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture received a positive test result for E. coli 0157:H7 in a single package of lēf Farms “Spice” Packaged Salad Greens (4 oz) as part of routine testing.

lēf Farms “Spice” is the only product impacted to date and affected retailers include Hannaford and Market Basket in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

In addition to today’s voluntary recall, the company is proactively testing all products produced in its New Hampshire facility for E. coli 0157:H7 prior to distribution.

Retailers have been instructed to remove all recalled products from store shelves. Consumers who have purchased the affected lēf Farms “Spice” products should discard them or present a photo of the product or receipt to their place of purchase for a full refund and then discard.

Consumers with questions are encouraged to call 1-866-857-8745 between 8:00am-7:00pm EDT or email info@lef-farms.com with the subject line: Recall.


Company Contact Information

Consumers:
lēf Farms
 1-866-857-8745
 info@lef-farms.com

Product Photos

RASFF Alerts – STEC E.coli – Frozen Veal Meat – Beef Meat

RASFF

Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in frozen veal meat from the Netherlands in Germany

RASFF

E.Coli producing shigatoxin : O91 ( stx2) in beef meat from Argentina in Italy

USA – Researchers say raw milk infected people in Tennessee; one baby developed kidney failure

Food Safety News

A new report describes how raw, unpasteurized milk in Tennessee likely caused infections in people, including infants, one of whom developed kidney failure.

The report from the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) discusses two babies who developed E. Coli infections after being fed raw milk from a cow-sharing arrangement in Tennessee.

Often called “herd-shares,” such arrangements get around bans on raw milk sales by legally allowing people to buy part of a herd or of a single animal so that they can consume unpasteurized milk. Participants in herd-share operations pay a farmer to care for and milk the animals.

The babies discussed in the new CIDRAP report developed diarrhea between July 25 and Aug. 1, 2022. Testing revealed Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Both households received raw milk from participants in the same cow share. The baby who developed kidney failure (hemolytic uremic syndrome) was hospitalized for 27 days.

USA- CDC – BEAM Dashboard – (Bacteria, Enterics, Amoeba, and Mycotics)

CDC

The BEAM (Bacteria, Enterics, Amoeba, and Mycotics) Dashboard is an interactive tool to access and visualize data from the System for Enteric Disease Response, Investigation, and Coordination (SEDRIC). The BEAM Dashboard provides timely data on pathogen trends and serotype details to inform work to prevent illnesses from food and animal contact. Currently, the dashboard focuses on data for Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), Shigella and Campylobacter bacteria and multistate outbreaks, but it will eventually include additional pathogens, antimicrobial resistance data, and epidemiologic data from outbreak investigations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

For additional questions, please contact simso@cdc.gov. Please take BEAM Dashboard Evaluation Survey if you would like to provide any feedback or have any comments.

RASFF Alert – STEC E.coli – Bovine Meat

RASFF

STEC (stx+;eae+) in bovine meat (raw material) from the Netherlands in Belgium

Research – Presence of Foodborne Bacteria in Wild Boar and Wild Boar Meat—A Literature Survey for the Period 2012–2022

MDPI

Abstract

The wild boar is an abundant game species with high reproduction rates. The management of the wild boar population by hunting contributes to the meat supply and can help to avoid a spillover of transmissible animal diseases to domestic pigs, thus compromising food security. By the same token, wild boar can carry foodborne zoonotic pathogens, impacting food safety. We reviewed literature from 2012–2022 on biological hazards, which are considered in European Union legislation and in international standards on animal health. We identified 15 viral, 10 bacterial, and 5 parasitic agents and selected those nine bacteria that are zoonotic and can be transmitted to humans via food. The prevalence of CampylobacterListeria monocytogenesSalmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, and Yersinia enterocolitica on muscle surfaces or in muscle tissues of wild boar varied from 0 to ca. 70%. One experimental study reported the transmission and survival of Mycobacterium on wild boar meat. BrucellaCoxiella burnetiiListeria monocytogenes, and Mycobacteria have been isolated from the liver and spleen. For Brucella, studies stressed the occupational exposure risk, but no indication of meat-borne transmission was evident. Furthermore, the transmission of C. burnetii is most likely via vectors (i.e., ticks). In the absence of more detailed data for the European Union, it is advisable to focus on the efficacy of current game meat inspection and food safety management systems.

Netherlands – Slagerij Woorts Fresh Amsterdamse Ossensausage 200 gram Dirk – STEC E.coli

NVWA

afety warning Slagerij Woorts Fresh Amsterdamse Ossensausage 200 gram Dirk

Dirk warns against Butcher Woorts Fresh Amsterdamse Ossenworst. The sausage may contain the E. coli bacteria (STEC). Do not eat the product.

See Dirk’s website

Which product is it?

  • Butcher shop Woorts Fresh Amsterdam beef sausage 200 grams
  • Barcode 8714951001420
  • Best before date 22-04-2023

Yours sincerely

The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority

Research – Nestlé strikes settlement deal over France E. coli scandal

Just Food

Nestlé has agreed to a settlement with victims of a fatal E. coli outbreak last year.

Dozens of children fell sick after eating contaminated food – and two died. In April last year, the Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into alleged involuntary manslaughter. Health officials ordered production at the Caudry factory to cease five days later.

The company told Just Food today (18 April) it had settled with “the vast majority of claimants”, who are represented by lawyer Pierre Debuisson