Budgens, Londis and SuperValu have recalled some of their SuperValu Salted Peanuts, because one batch of the product has been found to contain aflatoxins at levels higher than the regulatory limits. The levels of aflatoxins found are not considered a safety risk. However, if you have bought any of the product do not eat it. The Agency has issued a Product Recall Information Notice.
Posted in Aflatoxin, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Standards Agency, Microbiology, Moulds, Mycotoxin, Recall, Toxin
Tagged aflatoxins, budgens, food, londis, restaurants, salted peanuts
S&M International Inc, Bayonne, NJ is recalling Yang Sheng cooked salted duck eggs, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause serious life-threating illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look smelled or spoiled.
The recall was initiated after it was discovered through NYSDAM Sampling which revealed the product was not processed in a manner to prevent growth of Clostridium botulinum. S&M International Inc reached the decision to recall this product after a thorough investigation. The company has taken a number of corrective steps to address the issue.
Reference Number: 7623 Recalling Firm: CIDRERIE MICHEL JODOIN Date of Recall: 12/3/2012 Recall Classification: 3 Distribution : Quebec Extent of the Product Distribution : Retail
Product List
| Brand Name | Common Name | Size | Codes(s) on Product | UPC | Reason for Recall: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VISTA BELLA MICHEL JODOIN | SPARKLING APPLE MUST NO ALCOHOL | 750 mL | LOT 1112 | 6 09780 01127 7 | Chemical – Toxin – Patulin |
If you require additional information about an individual recall, please contact us.
Patulin is a mycotoxin produced by a variety of molds, in particular, Aspergillus and Penicillium. It is commonly found in rotting apples, and the amount of patulin in apple products is generally viewed as a measure of the quality of the apples used in production. It is not a particularly potent toxin, but a number of studies have shown that it is genotoxic, which has led to some theories that claim that it may be a carcinogen, though animal studies have remained inconclusive.Patulin is also an antibiotic.Several countries have instituted patulin restrictions in apple products. The World Health Organization recommends a maximum concentration of 50 µg/L in apple juice.
In European Union, the limit is set to 50 micrograms per kilogram (µg/kg) in both apple juice and cider, and to half of that concentration, 25 µg/kg in solid apple products and 10 µg/kg in products for infants and young children. These limits came into force on 1 November 2003.
Posted in Aflatoxin, CFIA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Food Testing, Microbiology, Moulds, Pathogen, Patulin, Recall, Toxin
Tagged apple
Produce related outbreaks have been traced back to the preharvest environment. A longitudinal study was conducted on five farms in New York State to characterize prevalence, persistence, and diversity of foodborne pathogens in fresh produce fields and to determine landscape and meteorological factors that predict their presence. Produce fields were sampled four times per year for two years. A total of 588 samples were analyzed for L. monocytogenes, Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). The prevalence measures of L. monocytogenes, Salmonella and STEC were 15.0, 4.6, and 2.7%, respectively. L. monocytogenes and Salmonella were detected more frequently in water samples, while STEC was detected with equal frequency across all sample types (soil, water, feces and drag swabs). L. monocytogenes sigB gene allelic types 57, 58 and 61, and Salmonella Cerro, were repeatedly isolated from water samples. Soil available water storage (AWS), temperature, and proximity to three land cover classes: water, roads and urban development, and pasture/hay grass, influenced the likelihood of detecting L. monocytogenes. Drainage class, AWS, and precipitation were identified as important factors in Salmonella detection. This information was used in a geographic information systems framework to hypothesize locations of environmental reservoirs where the prevalence of foodborne pathogens may be elevated. The map indicated that not all croplands are equally likely to contain environmental reservoirs of L. monocytogenes. These findings advance recommendations to minimize the risk of preharvest contamination by enhancing models of the environmental constraints on the survival and persistence of foodborne pathogens in fields.
Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Hygiene, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, STEC, Toxin
Tagged environment, information systems framework, nature, salmonella detection, science
Prison hooch, or homemade alcohol, is the likely source of a botulism outbreak at an Arizona prison that sent seven inmates to intensive care. The seven inmates, all from Special Management Unit 1 of the Arizona State Prison Complex Eyman in Florence, were hospitalized over the weekend.
Botulism is not spread through person-to-person contact. Although it can develop in contaminated wounds or through IV drug use, it most often develops after eating or drinking food that is tainted with the toxin. Botulism poisoning must be treated with a course of special anti-toxin, the stockpile of which is controlled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC
A TOXIC algal bloom which potentially poisons a range of seafood has been detected in Sydney’s Botany Bay.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries said it had detected a species of algae which produces paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins.
It said it found toxins above safe levels for human consumption in shellfish from Botany Bay during routine monitoring on Friday.
The NSW Food Authority has warned people against eating oysters, mussels, cockles, clams or the gut of rock lobster or abalone taken from the bay or the Georges River.
Abstract: Inhibition of Clostridium perfringens spore germination and outgrowth in reduced sodium roast beef by a blend of buffered lemon juice concentrate and vinegar (MoStatin LV1) during abusive exponential cooling was evaluated. Roast beef containing salt (NaCl; 1%, 1.5%, or 2%, w/w), blend of sodium pyro- and poly-phosphates (0.3%), and MoStatin LV1 (0%, 2%, or 2.5%) was inoculated with a 3-strain C. perfringens spore cocktail to achieve final spore population of 2.5 to 3.0 log CFU/g. The inoculated products were heat treated and cooled exponentially from 54.4 to 4.4 °C within 6.5, 9, 12, 15, 18, or 21 h. Cooling of roast beef (2.0% NaCl) within 6.5 and 9 h resulted in <1.0 log CFU/g increase in C. perfringens spore germination and outgrowth, whereas reducing the salt concentration to 1.5% and 1.0% resulted in >1.0 log CFU/g increase for cooling times longer than 9 h (1.1 and 2.2 log CFU/g, respectively). Incorporation of MoStatin LV1 into the roast beef formulation minimized the C. perfringens spore germination and outgrowth to <1.0 log CFU/g, regardless of the salt concentration and the cooling time.
Practical Application: Cooked, ready-to-eat meat products should be cooled rapidly to reduce the risk of Clostridium perfringens spore germination and outgrowth. Meat processors are reducing the sodium chloride content of the processed meats as a consequence of the dietary recommendations. Sodium chloride reduces the risk of C. perfringens spore germination and outgrowth in meat products. Antimicrobials that contribute minimally to the sodium content of the product should be incorporated into processed meats to assure food safety. Buffered lemon juice and vinegar can be incorporated into meat product formulations to reduce the risk of C. perfringens spore germination and outgrowth during abusive cooling.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus in 122 samples, including 60 raw milk, 32 white cheese, 10 kashar cheese, 10 butter, and 10 ice cream samples obtained from Samsun province, Turkey. In this study, S. aureus was detected in 64 samples, including raw milk (45/60; 75%), white cheese (12/32; 37.5%), kashar cheese (3/10; 30%), butter (3/10; 30%), and ice cream (1/10; 10%) samples. A total of 81 isolates were identified as S. aureus by PCR with the presence of 16S rRNA and nuc genes. The presence of genes encoding the staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) SEA, SEB, SEC, and SED was detected by multiplex PCR. According to the analysis, seven isolates from the raw milk samples (7/51; 13.7%) were enterotoxigenic; five of them produced SEA (5/7; 71.4%), one produced SEB (1/7; 14.2%), and one produced SEA+SEB (1/7; 14.2%). Four isolates from the white cheese samples (4/21; 19%) produced the SEA (1/4; 25%), SEC (1/4; 25%), SED (1/4; 25%), and SEA+SED (1/4; 25%) toxins. Two isolates from the kashar cheese samples (2/4; 50%) were found to be enterotoxigenic; one produced SEA (1/2; 50%) and the other produced SED (1/2; 50%). One isolate from the butter samples (1/4; 25%) showed enterotoxigenic character (SEB, 1/1; 100%). The products were found to be potentially hazardous to public health because of the fact that levels of contamination were higher than 105–106 cfu/g ml in 39% (25/64, 17 raw milk, 7 white cheese, and 1 butter) of the analyzed samples.
Posted in Bacteria, Clostridium perfringens, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, Staphylococcus aureus, Toxin
Tagged clostridium perfringens, food, lemon juice concentrate, restaurants, staphylococcus aureus
RASFF – E.coli in Mussles in Italy sourced in Spain.
RASFF – Salmonella in Frozen Snails in France sourced in Greece
RASFF – Aflatoxin in Maize in Italy sourced in Spain
RASFF – Mould in Hazlenuts in UK from Turkey
RASFF – Histamine in Tuna in Ireland sourced in Thailand
FSANZ – Full information at this link
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today urged consumers to check their fridges for recalled mussels that may be contaminated with a naturally occurring marine biotoxin (paralytic shellfish toxin).
The presence of a paralytic shellfish toxin arising from a naturally-occurring algal bloom in Tasmania has forced the closure of Spring Bay Seafood’s shellfish farm and the business has initiated a recall of its mussels from the market.
The products recalled are branded Spring Bay live blue mussels (with use by dates of between 22 October 2012 – 10 November 2012) and Coles Cooked Tasmanian mussels (use by date 12 November 2012) have been supplied by Spring Bay Seafoods Tasmania and have been distributed to TAS, VIC, NSW, ACT, SA, QLD and some Asian countries.
The affected mussels were supplied in shell and supplied in the quantities of 500g and 1kg vacuumed packed bags (Spring bay seafood), 500g (Coles branded – cream white wine sauce) and 1kg and 2kg net bags (Spring Bay seafood). They may also be supplied loose in shell/ per kg.
RASFF – Salmonella in Rump Beef Meat in Italy sourced in Poland
RASFF – Yessotoxin in Mussels in Italy (Other Link BBB) Planktonic Algae (Dinoflagellates)
Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, RASFF, Shellfish, Toxin, Yessotoxin
Tagged food, planktonic algae, science
FoodWorld 