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Food Poisoning Bulletin

Norovirus outbreaks are all too common on cruises. The latest is the Crown Princess of Princess Cruise Lines. The ship was on a month-long cruise on the Pacific.

According to the CDCs Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), Of the 3,009 people on board, 158 have been experiencing gastrointestinal problems. Fourteen of the 1,160 crew members are also sick. Most of those sickened were ill in the last 15 days of the voyage

Food Poisoning Bulletin

A new study by the Institute of Food Research has shown how the bacteria Campylobacter uses “chicken juice” to persist in the food chain, attaching to surfaces and forming biofilms that make it more impervious to cleaning. Helen Brown, a Ph.D. student at the Institute, led the study.

Scientists collected liquids produced from defrosting chickens, and found that Campylobacter used those liquids to form biofilms just like Salmonella bacteria, which are special structures that help the bacteria protect the colony from environmental threats. Brown said in a statement, “we have discovered that this increase in biofilm formation was due to chicken juice coating the surfaces we used with a protein-rich film. This film then makes it much easier for the Campylobacter bacteria to attach to the surface, and it provides them with an additional rich food source.”

Food Poisoing Bulletin

Lundberg Family Farms announced that is is voluntarily recalling some bags of Brown Rice Flour because they may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. No serious illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of this product.

The recalled products are Eco-Farmed Brown Rice Flour with UPC number 0 73416 00550 1 and Organic Brown Rice Flour with UPC number 073416 00500 6. The flour was distributed in retail store bulk bins, and sold in 25 pound bulk bags, between November 4 and November 12, 2014 in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Arizona, and Nevada, and through mail order. The recalled 25 pound bags have these lot numbers: 141027, 141028, 141029, and 141030 on the bottom seam

Food Poioning Bulletin

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Nha Trang Deli are recalling Nha Trang Beef Balls because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. No illnesses have been reported to date, but listeriosis, the illness caused by this bacteria, can take up to 70 days to manifest after exposure.

The recalled product is Nha Trang Deli Inc. Beef Balls in 454 gram packages. The code on the product is Best Before Dates from 14 11 27 to 14 12 05, inclusively. The UPC number is 6 20937 00001 2. They were sold in British Columbia at the retail level.