Category Archives: Uncategorized

USA – FDA – Food Safety Reporting Portal

Posted on September 7, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

The Safety Reporting Portal

The Safety Reporting Portal (SRP) streamlines the process of reporting product safety issues to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Whatever your role, (manufacturer, health care professional, researcher, public health official, or concerned citizen), when you submit a safety report through this Portal, you make a vital contribution to the safety of America’s food supply, medicines, and other products that touch us all.

Parts of this website have been translated from English to Spanish. Pages that have been translated have an “En Espanol” link in the upper right part of the page. Click this link to see the page in Spanish (Espanol). Click “In English” to see the page in English. In the case of any discrepancy in meaning, the English version is considered official. Currently, report questions are only in English and reports should only be submitted in English. Thank you for using the FDA Safety Reporting Portal.

Leave a comment

Posted in FDA, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Uncategorized

USA – Philadelphia E. coli Outbreak Sickens At Least 14

Posted on September 6, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

A Philadelphia E. coli outbreak has sickened at least 14 people, according to a Health Alert issued by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. Public health officials “have identified a few shared restaurant exposures,” in their ongoing case investigation, but no one restaurant or food has been named so far.

Leave a comment

Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Uncategorized

UK – Major retailers publish Campylobacter results for April-June 2019

Posted on September 6, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

FSA

The top nine retailers across the UK have today published their latest testing results on campylobacter contamination in UK-produced fresh whole chickens (covering samples tested from April to June 2019).

The latest figures show that on average, across the major retailers, 3.6% of chickens tested positive for the highest level of contamination. These are the chickens carrying more than 1,000 colony forming units per gram (cfu/g) of campylobacter.

Results

Contamination levels	July-September 2018	October-December 2018	January-March 2019	April-June 2019
cfu/g less than 10	58.8%	63.1%	55.4%	59%
cfu/g 10-99	26.7%	22.3%	25.3%	25.3%
cfu/g 100-1000	11%	11.4%	15.8%	12.1%
cfu/g over 1000	3.5%	3.1%	3.5%	3.6%

Results by retailer for April – June 2019

The sampling and analyses are carried out in accordance with protocols laid down by the FSA and agreed by Industry.

Background information

We have been testing chickens for campylobacter since February 2014 and publishing the results as part of a campaign to bring together the whole food chain to tackle the problem. Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK.

In September 2017 we announced changes to the survey, with major retailers carrying out their own sampling and publishing their results under robust protocols laid down by the FSA. We are continuing to sample fresh whole chickens sold at retail, however, the focus is now on the smaller retailers and the independent market.

Consumer advice

Chicken is safe if consumers follow good kitchen practice:

Cover and chill raw chicken – cover raw chicken and store at the bottom of the fridge so juices cannot drip onto other foods and contaminate them with food poisoning bacteria such as campylobacter
Don’t wash raw chicken – thorough cooking will kill any bacteria present, including campylobacter, while washing chicken can spread germs by splashing
Wash used utensils – thoroughly wash and clean all utensils, chopping boards and surfaces used to prepare raw chicken
Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, after handling raw chicken – this helps stop the spread of campylobacter by avoiding cross-contamination
Cook chicken thoroughly – make sure chicken is steaming hot all the way through before serving. Cut into the thickest part of the meat and check that it is steaming hot with no pink meat and that the juices run clear.

Leave a comment

Posted in Campylobacter, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Testing, fsa, FSAI, Uncategorized

Majorca – Previous cases at restaurant at the centre of foodborne outbreak

Posted on September 6, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

Majorca Daily Bulletin

The Dragon Sushi restaurant in Palma, which was at the centre of the recent foodborne disease outbreak, had received a warning from the health ministry in June.

On that occasion, there was evidence of three people having become ill after eating at the restaurant; all three were found to have salmonella poisoning.

Food safety inspectors went to the restaurant in June and found a number of deficiencies.

These didn’t lead to the restaurant’s closure. The owners were given a warning and instructed to remedy the deficiencies.

Ten days later, the inspectors returned and were satisfied that the issues had been addressed. Sanctioning procedures were initiated against the restaurant. These have yet to be brought to a conclusion. The maximum fine is 5,000 euros.

There are now 94 people who have been affected by the recent outbreak. The number confirmed with having had salmonella poisoning has risen to 26.

The source of the outbreak is still being investigated. When the three cases arose in June, it was apparently not possible to find the source of the poisoning.

The restaurant, which remains closed, faces a second fine of up to 20,000 euros.

Leave a comment

Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Salmonella, Uncategorized

USA – Hepatitis A outbreak in Las Vegas: Should vaccinations be required for food workers?

Posted on September 6, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

Reno Gazette Virusds

When the number of hepatitis A cases hit peak levels in Southern Nevada in the late 1990s, health officials required all food workers to get immunization shots to prevent the virus that could cause liver damage and lead to death.

But after the number of cases dropped to historic lows in the 2000s, the immunization rule was eliminated.

Today, hepatitis A cases are now on the rise around the U.S. and in Southern Nevada, where health officials reported last week that an infected Las Vegas 7-Eleven clerk handled hot dogs and hot deli items and exposed an unknown number of customers to the virus.

When should immunization shots be mandated to fight disease?

Leave a comment

Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Uncategorized, Virus

The Baltic – One more Person dies in the Baltic sea, Killer-bacteria – Vibrio

Posted on September 6, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

KXAN36

Computer Translation

died again a Person after a bath in the Baltic sea. Cause of death is supposed to be like before infection with Vibrios bacteria such as the “image” reported. It is Vibrio-bacteria – so-called rod bacteria, one of which is Cholera.

the course of The disease after an infection with the bacteria is on the route of infection. The bacteria are taken in through the food, it comes to symptoms, as in the case of a gastro-intestinal disease. If the bacteria are transmitted through a wound, this can lead to a serious infection and later to Sepsis.

Killer bacteria still in the water

according to Reports, the Killer bacteria are recorded for several weeks in the waters of the Baltic sea. Currently, these thrive particularly well because the water is over 20 degrees warm. At cooler temperatures the dangerous viruses live mainly on the ground of the sea. And virtually never in contact with people.

Leave a comment

Posted in Contaminated water, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Uncategorized, Vibrio, Vibrio cholera, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificans, Water, water microbiology

Information – PETTING ZOO GERM SAFETY: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Posted on September 6, 2019 by KSW | Leave a comment

Parentology

Petting zoos may seem like the perfect opportunity to introduce kids to farm animals, but these creatures may possibly putting them in harm’s way of… germs. To what degree should parents be concerned? This past summer, a two-year-old child died after coming into contact with animals at the San Diego County Fair. Three other children under 13 reported contracting illnesses from the same location.

The source of the illness? E.Coli linked to contact with the fair’s animals.

Petting zoos are fairly popular. In summer and fall months, they’re a highlight at local fairs. Later in the year, they’re featured in festivals, pumpkin patches, schools, aquariums, even farmers’ markets. This family-friendly activity can turn dangerous when children come into contact with bacteria that causes serious illness.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Every year, many people get sick after visiting an animal exhibit. From 2010-2015, about 100 outbreaks of illness in people linked to animals in public settings like zoos, fairs, and educational farms were reported to public health officials.”