Category Archives: Uncategorized

USA – McDonalds hit twice with Hepatitis A scares

Posted on June 4, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

A few days ago, in Florida, ABC Action News I-Team uncovered an employee who worked inside McDonald’s at 8006 Osceola-Polk Line Road in Davenport had a confirmed case of Hepatitis A last week.

McDonald’s released the following statement:

“We were informed by the Polk County Health Department that one of our employees has become ill. We are fully cooperating with the health department in their review of this matter, an isolated instance at this restaurant, to ensure the health and safety of all our employees and customers. Today and always, we are committed to a safe and clean restaurant environment, and we have taken proactive steps to again completely sanitize our restaurant.”

In Indiana News 10 reported this morning that Sullivan County health officials are investigating a case of Hepatitis A at a local food handler and say the risk of infection is low for patrons who recently visited.

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

France – Air France warning after Listeria detected in sandwich

Posted on June 4, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Air France has issued a warning after Listeria was detected in tuna sandwiches served on certain flights in May. Servair, the supplier of the airline’s on-board catering service, reported the pathogen was found in the sandwiches from self-service on-board buffets.

It was revealed during quality check procedures on foodstuffs distributed aboard Air France flights.

The sandwich was available in the economy and premium economy cabins of nine long-haul flights departing Paris Orly and Paris Charles de Gaulle between May 21 and 24.

Servair withdrew all products, provided by Air Food, from the services on board Air France flights.

Air France and Servair have as yet not been informed of any cases of illness. Servair, a Gategroup subsidiary, is active at 31 airports in 19 countries and has 10,500 employees.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Uncategorized

Canada – Food Recall Warning – MyChopChop brand “Grounded Peper” recalled due to Salmonella

Posted on June 4, 2019 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

Recall details

Ottawa, June 3, 2019 – MyChopChop is recalling MyChopChop brand “Grounded Peper” from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.

The following product has been sold nationally through Internet sales.

Recalled products

Brand Name Common Name Size Code(s) on Product UPC
MyChopChop “Grounded Peper” 100 g None All units sold up to and including June 3, 2019

MyChopChop brand Grounded Peper

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Salmonella, Uncategorized

India – More than 30 students – Thiruvananthapuram College

Posted on June 3, 2019 by | Leave a comment

The News Minute

The reception area of the Jubilee hospital in Thiruvananthapuram witnessed a flurry of activities on Friday evening with a group of college students gathered there, wearing their uniforms and talking to each other. A little away from them, seated in the reception were some of the teachers from their college. This after around 30 students from the girls hostel of the Bethany Navajeevan College of Physiotherapy were taken ill on Friday morning due to food poisoning.

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

USA – Possible Hepatitis A Exposure at Teriyaki Japan in North Augusta, SC

Posted on June 2, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin Virusds

Customers who ate at Teriyaki Japan on Edgefield Road in North Augusta, South Carolina may have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus, according to a news release by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Anyone who ate food or drank beverages between May 14 and May 28, 2019 could have been exposed to the virus.

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

Research – Germany – BVL informs about illness risk from raw milk

Posted on June 2, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

A German agency informed the public about the risks of drinking raw milk ahead of World Milk Day on June 1.

The Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) announcement covered the different forms of supply and associated bacterial contamination.

It advised vulnerable groups of people to refrain from having raw and certified raw milk (Vorzugsmilch) due to the potential microbial load. Since raw milk is not subjected to heat treatment like pasteurized drinking milk, disease-causing germs are not killed and can cause illness.

Consumers can buy milk in the supermarket but milk “filling stations” or dispensers, also referred to as vending machines, are increasingly popular in the country.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Safety, Food Testing, Raw Milk, raw milk cheese, Uncategorized

USA – FDA Warns Velvet Ice Cream Company About Listeria Monocytogenes

Posted on June 2, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

There is zero tolerance for Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in ready-to-eat products, including deli meats and cheeses and ice cream because the consumer does not heat the food before eating, which would kill the pathogen. Once Listeria is introduced into a facility, it can become persistent and be very difficult to eradicate.

In fact, there have been several issues with Listeria contamination in ice cream plants for the past few years. In April 2019, the FDA stated they were taking steps to improve ice cream production after finding the pathogen in 19 of the 89 ice cream establishments they inspected.

In the Velvet Ice Cream inspection, the FDA found the same strain of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria in the early 2019 inspection that was found during the FDA’s inspection in 2018. Based on the FDA’s inspection and environmental samples, they found that the ice cream manufactured in that facility “is adulterated within the meaning of section 402(a)(4) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) (21 U.S.C. § 342(a)(4)) in that it was prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have been rendered injurious to health.”

FDA issued a Form-483, listing deviations from current good manufacturing practices (CGMP) found during the inspection.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Uncategorized

Hong Kong – A kind of chilled raw beef product from US suspected to be contaminated with E. coli (O157:H7)

Posted on June 2, 2019 by | Leave a comment

CFS

Source of Information Centre for Food Safety
Food Product Chilled raw beef product
Product Name and Description Product name: US ANGUS PRIME BEEF RIBEYE

Place of origin: US

Packer: Aurora Packing Company, Inc.

Importer: Yata Limited

Use-by-dates: May 7 to 13, 2019
Reason For Issuing Alert
  • The Centre for Food Safety (CFS), through its Food Incident Surveillance System, noted a notice issued by the US authorities concerned that raw beef products might have been contaminated with E. coli (O157:H7) and are being recalled.
  • Preliminary investigation by the CFS found that the above-mentioned local importer was suspected to have imported the affected product into Hong Kong.
Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety
  • The CFS immediately contacted the importer concerned.
  • Follow-up investigation confirmed that the importer had imported around 150 kilograms of the above affected product. All had been sold out at its outlets.
  • The importer has initiated a recall according to the CFS’ advice.
  • The CFS will continue to monitor the incident and take appropriate follow-up action.
Advice to the Trade
  • Stop selling the affected product.
Advice to Consumers
  • Members of the public should stop consuming the product concerned immediately if they have bought it.
  • People can contract E. coli through consumption of contaminated water or undercooked and contaminated foods, resulting in gastro-intestinal diseases. Intestinal bleeding and serious complications such as hemolytic uraemic syndrome may also develop in some people.
  • Enquiries about the recall can be made to the importer’s hotline at 2694 1111 during office hours.
Further Information The CFS press release

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Toxin, Uncategorized

UK – Müller UK recalls Cadbury Dairy Milk Cheesecake and Cadbury Caramel Cheesecake Desserts because of the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on June 2, 2019 by | Leave a comment

FSA

Müller UK is recalling Cadbury Dairy Milk Cheesecake and Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel Cheesecake dessert products as a precaution due to the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the products.
Product details
Cadbury Dairy Milk Cheesecakes
Pack size
2 x 85g
Use by
5 June, 6 June, 11 June 2019
Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel Cheesecakes
Pack size
2 x 85g
Use by
5 June, 6 June, 11 June 2019
No other Müller UK products are known to be affected.
Risk statement
The possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the products listed above.

Symptoms caused by this organism can be similar to flu and include high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea. However, in rare cases, the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications, such as meningitis.

Some people are more vulnerable to listeria infections, including those over 65 years of age, pregnant women and their unborn babies, babies less than one month old and people with weakened immune systems.
Action taken by the company
Müller are recalling the above products. Müller produces these products under license from Cadbury and has stressed that this does not impact any other products it produces for Cadbury; or Cadbury Cheesecake variants in the UK or other markets. Point-of-Sale notices will be displayed in all stores that are selling these products. These notices explain to customers why the products are being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the products.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Uncategorized

Research – New compound which kills antibiotic-resistant superbugs discovered

Posted on May 31, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Science Daily

A new compound which visualises and kills antibiotic resistant superbugs has been discovered by scientists at the University of Sheffield and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL).

The team, led by Professor Jim Thomas, from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Chemistry, is testing new compounds developed by his PhD student Kirsty Smitten on antibiotic resistant gram-negative bacteria, including pathogenic E. coli.

Gram-negative bacteria strains can cause infections including pneumonia, urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections. They are difficult to treat as the cell wall of the bacteria prevents drugs from getting into the microbe.

Antimicrobial resistance is already responsible for 25,000 deaths in the EU each year, and unless this rapidly emerging threat is addressed, it’s estimated by 2050 more than 10 million people could die every year due to antibiotic resistant infections.

Doctors have not had a new treatment for gram-negative bacteria in the last 50 years, and no potential drugs have entered clinical trials since 2010.

The new drug compound has a range of exciting opportunities. As Professor Jim Thomas explains: “As the compound is luminescent it glows when exposed to light. This means the uptake and effect on bacteria can be followed by the advanced microscope techniques available at RAL.

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, antimicrobial resistance, Antimicrobials, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Uncategorized