Category Archives: Uncategorized

CDC 

• CDC, public health, veterinary, and agriculture officials in many states and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) are investigating four multistate outbreaks of human Salmonella infections linked to contact with live poultry.
• As of June 29, 2015, 181 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella have been reported from 40 states.
  • 33 ill people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
• Epidemiologic, laboratory, and traceback findings have linked these four outbreaks of human Salmonella infections to contact with chicks, ducklings, and other live poultry from multiple hatcheries.
  • Eighty-two (86%) of the 95 ill people who were interviewed reported contact with live poultry in the week before their illness began.
• CDC’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System(http://www.cdc.gov/narms/) (NARMS) laboratory conducted antibiotic resistance testing on Salmonella isolates collected from seven ill people infected with one of the outbreak strains.
  • All seven isolates were susceptible to all antibiotics tested on the NARMS panel.
  • Antibiotic resistance testing continues on additional isolates collected from ill people infected with the outbreak strains.
• Backyard flock owners should take steps to protect themselves and their families:
  • Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching live poultry or anything in the area where the birds live and roam.
  • Do not let live poultry inside the house.
  • Learn about additional recommendations(http://www.cdc.gov/features/salmonellapoultry/index.html) to prevent Salmonella infections from live poultry. These recommendations are important and apply to all live poultry, regardless of the age of the birds or where they were purchased.
• Mail-order hatcheries, agricultural feed stores, and others that sell or display chicks, ducklings, and other live poultry should provide health-related information(http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/publications/index.html) to owners and potential purchasers of these birds prior to the point of purchase. This should include information about the risk of acquiring a Salmonella infection from contact with live poultry.
  • Read the advice to mail-order hatcheries and feed stores(http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/live-poultry-04-13/advice-consumers.html) and others that sell or display live poultry.

USDA 

 Barber Foods, a Portland, Maine establishment, is recalling approximately 58,320 pounds of frozen, raw stuffed chicken product that may be contaminated withSalmonella Enteritidis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The Chicken Kiev item was produced on January 29, 2015; February 20, 2015; and April 23, 2015. The following product is subject to recall: [View Label (PDF only)]

• 2-lb. 4-oz. cardboard box containing 6 individually pouched pieces of “BARBER FOODS PREMIUM ENTREES BREADED-BONELESS RAW STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH RIB MEAT KIEV” with use by/sell by date of April 28, 2016, May 20, 2016 and July 21, 2016 and Lot Code number 0950292102, 0950512101, or 0951132202.

The product subject to recall bears the establishment number “P-276” inside the USDA mark of inspection. This product was shipped to Sam’s Club retail stores in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The product subject to recall has not been available for retail sales since June 26, 2015; however, FSIS suspects that consumers may have this item in their freezers.

FSIS was notified of a cluster of Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses on June 24, 2015. Working in conjunction with Minnesota State Departments of Health and Agriculture, FSIS determined that there is a link between the Chicken Kiev product from Barber Foods and this illness cluster. Based on epidemiological evidence and traceback investigations, four case-patients have been identified in Minnesota with illness onset dates ranging from April 5, 2015 to June 8, 2015 that link to the specific Barber Foods product. FSIS continues to work with the Minnesota Departments of Health and Agriculture as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on this investigation.

FSA 

Brindisa Spanish Foods is recalling La Chinata Smoked Paprika Mild because salmonella has been detected. Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause food poisoning.

Product: La Chinata Smoked Paprika Mild
Pack size: 70g and 750g tins
Batch code: 320 (no other batches are affected by this issue)

If you have bought the above product, do not eat it. Instead, return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund.

The company has notified all of its customers that were distributed this product, via a point-of-sale notice. This notice tell customers why the product is being recalled and explains what actions to take if they have bought the product. The company will also be displaying this point-of-sale notice on its website.

No other Brindisa Spanish Foods products are known to be affected.

Food Safety News 

A new study out of Ohio State University estimates the costs of foodborne illness on a state-by-state basis.

Economist and associate professor of human sciences, Robert Scharff, found that, by conservative estimates, the average cost of illness per case ranges from $888 in West Virginia to $1,766 in Washington, D.C.

CFIA 

Sofina Foods Inc. is recalling no name and Compliments brands frozen uncooked breaded chicken products from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled products described below.

The following products have been sold nationally.

Food Safety News 

A rare toxin carried by barracuda, grouper and other locally caught sport fish sickens Floridians in greater numbers than previously believed, a new analysis suggests. Consuming the foodborne toxin, called ciguatera, can result in severe nausea and vomiting and sometimes long-term tingling in the limbs or joint pain.

CDC

Ciguatera fish poisoning (or ciguatera) is an illness caused by eating fish that contain toxins produced by a marine microalgae called Gambierdiscus toxicus. People who have ciguatera may experience nausea, vomiting, and neurologic symptoms such as tingling fingers or toes. They also may find that cold things feel hot and hot things feel cold. Ciguatera has no cure. Symptoms usually go away in days or weeks but can last for years. People who have ciguatera can be treated for their symptoms.

CFS 

Food Alert – CFS follows up ice-cream sample detected with coliform count exceeding legal limit

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International Association for Food Protection 

Handwashing is important in preventing microbial crosscontamination. The US FDA Model Food Code requires that handwashing sinks have a sign or poster nearby that is visible to employees washing their hands. This research collects and reviews existing handwashing signs and subjects them to quantitative analysis. An Internet search produced a database of handwashing signs. Lather time, rinse time, overall wash time, water temperature, water use, drying method, technique, and total number of steps were recorded. Eighty-one unique handwashing signs were identified. Each sign had between one and thirteen steps. Thirty-seven signs indicated a specific lather time, with average time ~18 s. No sign suggested > 20 s lather, and none suggested < 10 s lather. Twenty-four signs recommended use of warm water. Two signs recommended 100°F (37.8°C) water and one recommended hot water. Sixty-two signs made a recommendation on drying hands, and fifty-three suggested using a paper towel. Our analysis reveals that handwashing sign instructions can vary quite widely. Lack of consistent hand wash guidance on signage may contribute in part to a lack of handwashing consistency and compliance. Our study serves as a foundation for future research on handwash signage.

FDA 

Rocky Mountain Foods, Inc. is voluntarily recalling certain lots of Island Fruit and Nut Trail Mix packaged under the Free Range Snack Co. Brand and certain lots of bulk Macadamia Nuts due to possible Salmonella contamination. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

Consumers who have recently purchased the items with the BEST BY DATES listed below at stores located in AZ, CO, KS, NM, OK, TX, UT, and WY should not consume this product and should return it to the store of purchase for a full refund or replacement.

No illnesses have been reported to-date.

CFIA 

Ottawa, June 29, 2015 – Old Fashioned Meat & Deli Ltd. is recalling Polish dried sausage from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.

The following product was sold at Old Fashioned Meat & Deli Ltd., 532 Cleveland Crescent S.E., Calgary, Alberta.