In a follow-up on a previous report on the Cryptosporidium outbreak in Sweden, the Public Health Authority, or Folkhalsomyndigheten, report more than 300 cases of cryptosporidiosis in October and November.
The good news is while the number of cases are still unusually high, the number of reported cases has decreased.
Olymel S.E.C/LP is recalling Lafleur Original Wieners from the marketplace in Canada for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product. the product was solid Quebec, Ontario, and the Northwest Territories in Canada.
The recalled product is Lafleur Original Wieners, sold in 450 gram packages. The UPC number is 0 65305 02201 0, and the best before date is 2020 JA 15.
The recall was triggered by the company. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is conducting a food safety investigation, and more products may be recalled. The CFIA is also making sure that industry is removing this product from the marketplace.
The latest data from a national surveillance system that monitors foodborne bacteria for antibiotic resistance shows rising resistance to the drugs commonly used to treat Salmonella infections.
The findings come from the 2016-2017 National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring Systems (NARMS) Integrated Summary, which combines data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The report provides a snapshot of antibiotic resistance patterns found in bacteria isolated from humans, raw retail meats (chicken, ground turkey, ground beef, and pork chops), and healthy animals at slaughter.
In addition to finding rising resistance to first-line antibiotics in human isolates of Salmonella, the NARMS data also show an increase in multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella recovered from chickens and multidrug-resistant Campylobacter coli isolated from beef and dairy cattle.
Listeriosis is rarely reported in the Southern African Hemispheres in spite of the increasing rate of Listeria in several foodborne outbreaks reported in advanced countries. This paper reviews the emerging trends in the spread, distribution, and epidemiology of Listeria species in foods, water, human, animals, and different environments in Southern Africa based on the appraisal of scholarly articles. In this regard, information obtained from literatures from various online databases revealed that Listeria species are commonly recovered from food, water, and human samples. Fewer articles provided information on Listeria recovered from animals (ruminants) and soil samples. Generally, reports of studies were more focused on Listeria monocytogenes among other Listeria species. To this end, reports obtained from literature on the method of identification of Listeria were mostly based on serological, classical biochemical methods and the principle of aesculin hydrolysis, usually characterized by black coloration on selective media for Listeria. These methods may not be reliable, as they could sometimes give a false positive report. Therefore, molecular methods are more reliable, accurate, could show the genetic relationship between isolates, and at the same time capable of enabling tracking the source of this pathogen should be embraced as a better substitute for the identification of Listeria in Southern African sub‐region.
Fresh fruits and vegetables contaminated with microbial pathogens can cause outbreaks of food poisoning and other enteric diseases if consumed raw. The objective of the present study was to determine the bacterial contamination and antibiotic resistance in fresh produce sold in Delhi, India. One hundred fifty samples of fruits and vegetables generally consumed raw were collected from retail and wholesale vendors of Delhi‐NCR, India. Microbial contamination was studied by culturing 25 g of each sample. Antimicrobial resistance testing was performed for isolated pathogens and resistance phenotypes determined. Overall, 97.3% of fruit and vegetables sampled were contaminated with pathogens. In over 75% of samples, coliforms were detected with Escherichia coli in 17.4%. Majority of vegetables were contaminated with coliforms particularly ginger (100%), cabbage (80%), cucumber (75%), and tomato (75%). Extended spectrum beta‐lactamases (ESBL) was detected in eight (5.7%) isolates, carbapenem resistance in four with three metallo‐β‐lactamases producers. E. coli was isolated at a significantly higher rate from retail shops viz‐a‐viz wholesale markets (p value = .04). As high level of contamination with potential human pathogens is present in fruits and vegetables sold in wholesale markets and retail shops in Delhi‐NCR, the study underlines the need for stricter regulations and implementation of standards.
Wheat flour has recently been recognised as an exposure vehicle for the foodborne pathogen Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Wheat flour milled on two sequential production days in October 2016, and implicated in a Canada wide outbreak of STEC O121:H19, was analysed for the presence of STEC in November 2018. Stored in sealed containers at ambient temperature, the water activity of individual flour samples was below 0.5 at 6 months post-milling and remained static or decreased slightly in individual samples during 18 months of additional storage. STEC O121 was isolated, with the same genotype (stx2a, eae, hlyA) and core genome multilocus sequence type as previous flour and clinical isolates associated with the outbreak. The result of this analysis demonstrates the potential for STEC to persist in wheat flour at levels associated with outbreak infections for periods of up to two years. This has implications for the potential for STEC to survive in other foods with low water activity.
UNFI announced today a voluntary national recall of five-pound bags of its Wild Harvest® Organic All-Purpose Flour, Unbleached, with a Code of AA BEST IF USED BY 010820 CC 15:58 and UPC Code 711535509158. The recall is being issued for the potential presence of E. coli. During routine FDA sampling of the five-pound bag product, results were found to be positive for E.coli.
E. coli can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections in infants, older people, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. The most common symptoms of E. coli are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting, which develop within three or four days of eating contaminated food. The illness usually lasts about a week and most people recover without treatment. Guidance from FDA and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continues to warn that consumers should refrain from consuming any raw products made with flour and that all surfaces, hands and utensils should be properly cleaned after contact with flour or dough.
To date, UNFI has not received any direct consumer reports of confirmed illnesses related to this product. This recall is being issued out of an abundance of care.
This recall only affects the following code date of Wild Harvest® Organic All-Purpose Flour, Unbleached five-pound bags currently in stores or consumers’ pantries. No other types of Wild Harvest® Flour are affected by this recall.
Wild Harvest® Organic All-Purpose Flour, Unbleached (sample label below) Package UPC: 711535509158 Best if Used by Date: 010820 CC 15:58 (can be found on top of the product, see sample below)
Consumers are asked to check their pantries and dispose of the product affected by this recall. Consumers with questions may contact UNFI at 855-423-2630 (customer support is available seven days-a-week between 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM CST). Any consumers concerned about an illness should contact a physician.
Hodgson Mill of Effingham, IL, announced today a voluntary national recall of specific lots of its Unbleached All-Purpose White Wheat Flour (5 lb.)
We are taking this voluntary precautionary step because of the potential presence of pathogenic E. coli which was discovered through sampling raw uncooked flour. Hodgson Mill has not received any confirmed reports of illnesses related to this product.
The only product affected by this voluntary recall is:
Use By and Lot Code information can be found on the bottom back panel of the 5 lb. Bag. Used By date and Lot Code, along with their location on the bag, must all match in order to represent flour affected by this recall.
Consumer safety is our top priority. Hodgson Mill package states “do not eat raw flour, dough or batter”. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warns consumers to not consume raw flour or uncooked raw dough.
E. coli is killed by heat through baking, frying, sautéing, or boiling products made with flour. For more information, refer to the following: https://www.cdc.gov/features/no-raw-dough/index.html. Symptoms of pathogenic E. coli illness include acute, often bloody diarrheal illness and abdominal cramps. Most people recover within a week. However, children, the elderly, and immunosuppressed individuals may develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe illness which may cause the kidneys to fail.
Consumers are reminded to wash their hands, work surfaces, and utensils thoroughly after contact with raw dough products or flour, and to never eat raw dough or batter.
This lot of flour was milled at an ADM Milling Facility in St Louis, MO and repacked at Hodgson Mill, Inc. facility in Effingham, IL and was distributed by Hodgson Mill through retailers and distribution nationwide and sold through our website www.hodgsonmill.comExternal Link Disclaimer.
Consumers who have purchased 5 lb packages of Unbleached All-Purpose White Wheat Flour with specific lot codes are urged to stop using the product immediately and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company customer service M-F 9am to 3pm at 1-888-417-9343 x 1.
Any consumers concerned about an illness should contact a physician.
Bakers have trusted Hodgson Mill flour products in their kitchens for many years and because of that trust we have issued this voluntary recall. We remain committed to providing our consumers safe and superior products.
RASFF – Salmonella (presence /25g) in sesame seeds from Sudan in Greece
RASFF – Salmonella enterica ser. Enteritidis (presence /25g) in chilled poultry meat from Poland in Poland
RASFF – Salmonella (present /25g) in cumin (Cuminum cyminum) from Syria in Spain
RASFF – Salmonella enterica ser. Enteritidis (presence /25g) in chilled broiler meat from the Netherlands in the Netherlands
RASFF – Salmonella (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in frozen minced veal and turkey doner from Belgium in Belgium
RASFF – Salmonella enterica ser. Saintpaul (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in sesame seeds from Sudan in Greece
RASFF – Salmonella (presence /25g) in chilled poultry meat from Poland in Poland
RASFF – Salmonella enterica ser. Paratyphi B (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in frozen pre-cooked mussels from Chile in Italy
RASFF – Salmonella enterica ser. Infantis (presence /25g) and Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium (presence /25g) in frozen chicken cutlets from Poland in France
RASFF – Salmonella enterica ser. Enteritidis (presence /25g) in chilled chicken breast fillet from Poland in Poland
RASFF – Salmonella (presence /25g) in sesame seeds from Sudan in Greece
RASFF – Salmonella (present /125g) in almonds from the United States, packaged in Germany in Austria
RASFF – Salmonella (presence /25g) in frozen salted chicken breasts from Brazil in the Netherlands
RASFF – Salmonella (presence /25g) in chilled chicken breast fillets from Poland in Poland
RASFF – deoxynivalenol (DON) (1516 µg/kg – ppb) in wheat bran from Slovakia in Hungary
