Category Archives: Uncategorized

Australia – Timboon Brie Recall – E.coli

FSANZ

roduct information

Schulz Organic Farms Pty Ltd TA Timboon Dairy/Timboon Cheesery is conducting a recall of Timboon Brie. The product has been available for sale at Timboon Cheesery in Vic.

Use by 05-05-19

Timboon Brie picture

Problem

The recall is due to microbial E.coli contamination.

Food safety hazard

Food products contaminated with E.coli may cause illness if consumed.

Country of origin

Australia

What to do​

Consumers should not eat this product. Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice. Customers should return the product to the place of purchase for a full cash refund.

For further information please contact:

Timboon Cheesery 0491108328 www.timbooncheesery.com.au

Research – Salmonella: It’s More Pervasive Than You May Think

Quality Assurance Mag

kswfoodworld Salmonella

Image CDC

In late 2018, the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC) published a report on foodborne illness source attribution from 1998 through 2016. The report used outbreak data to produce new estimates for foods responsible for foodborne illnesses caused by four pathogens in 2016: Salmonella, E. coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter.

While all these pathogens are of concern because of the frequency and/or severity of the illnesses they cause, the results of the Salmonella illness assessment are of particular interest: Unlike the other pathogens which were most often linked to specific foods, Salmonella illnesses were broadly attributed across multiple food categories. As stated in the report, “The attribution of Salmonella illnesses to multiple food categories suggests that interventions designed to reduce illnesses from these pathogens need to target a variety of food categories.” Such interventions should include a combination of detection, prevention, and control.

Vietnam – 14 Lao tourists hospitalized with food poisoning symptoms in central Vietnam

VNE Express

Da Nang City authorities are investigating the hospitalization of 14 Lao tourists with food poisoning symptoms.

The group of tourists had a buffet breakfast at their hotel in Da Nang before traveling to the nearby Hoi An Town; and had lunch at an out of town restaurant in Cham Islands.

In the afternoon, they began suffering stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea and were sent to the emergency room at a hospital in downtown Da Nang.

Doctors diagnosed digestive disorders and acute gastritis. All the tourists victims are now in stable condition and were discharged from the hospital Tuesday.

The hospital reported the incident to city authorities.

In 2017, 46 tourists from Laos were hospitalized with food poisoning after having lunch at a restaurant in Da Nang. The restaurant was later fined VND25 million ($1,080) for failing to meet food safety standards.

 

USA – Outbreak of E. coli Infections – E.coli O103 STEC

CDC

Latest Outbreak Information
Illustration of a megaphone.
At A Glance

 

Photo of romaine lettuce in a wood bowl.

  • A total of 109 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O103 have been reported from six states.
    • Seventeen people have been hospitalized. No cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure, have been reported. No deaths have been reported.
  • Preliminary epidemiologic information suggests that ground beef is the source of this outbreak.
    • Ill people in this outbreak report eating ground beef at home and in restaurants.
    • Traceback investigations are ongoing to determine the source of ground beef supplied to grocery stores and restaurant locations where ill people ate.
  • At this time, no common supplier, distributor, or brand of ground beef has been identified.
  • CDC is not recommending that consumers avoid eating ground beef at this time. Consumers and restaurants should handle ground beef safely and cook it thoroughly to avoid foodborne illness.
  • At this time, CDC is not recommending that retailers stop serving or selling ground beef.
  • This is a rapidly evolving investigation. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.

USA – Salmonella Sushi from the “Big Easy” will likely make you Queasy – Salmonella

Food Poison Journal

CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationExternal are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Newport infections.

As of April 15, 2019, 13 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport have been reported from 7 states. A list of the states and the number of cases in each is on the Map of Reported Cases page.

USA – Jensen Tuna of Louisiana is Voluntarily Recalling Frozen Ground Tuna Imported from JK Fish, Because it may Potentially be Contaminated with Salmonella

FDA

Jensen Tuna of Louisiana is voluntarily recalling frozen ground tuna imported from JK Fish, because it may potentially be contaminated with Salmonella.

The frozen product, individually packaged in clear plastic one-pound bags, is sold in white wax 20 lb. boxes. The product is only sold as a wholesale case with twenty bags in each case. The lot numbers are z266, z271 and z272.

No other tuna products are impacted or part of this recall.

The product was sold to wholesalers in Connecticut, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, New York, and Washington. These wholesalers further distribute the product to restaurants and retail locations. The product was distributed from November 30, 2018 to March 15, 2019.

Restaurants and retailers should check with their suppliers and not sell or serve recalled frozen ground tuna and should wash and sanitize locations where recalled ground tuna was stored. Consumers with concerns should ask their restaurants and retailers whether the tuna dish they are purchasing contained the recalled ground tuna.

The voluntary recall is in response to the CDC and FDA’s investigation of 13 illnesses caused by Salmonella, confirmed to date. As of today, the ground tuna samples were found negative for Salmonella.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Most people infected with Salmonella develop symptoms within 12 to 72 hours after infections, according to the FDA. The illness, marked by diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, usually lasts 4 to 7 days.

Please contact Jensen Tuna at 985-868-8809 (Monday-Friday, 8am to 3pm, Central time) or email at info@jensentuna.com with questions.

India -Over 100 Hospitalised For Food Poisoning In Maharashtra

Sakshi Post

Akola (Maha): At least 107 people have been hospitalised after consuming food at a social gathering in Maharashtra’s Akola district, police said Monday.

The incident took place in Bhimtekdi in Hingani in the district on Sunday, during an event to mark the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar, an official said.

“People complained of dizziness and several of them vomited, following which they had to be rushed to hospital. At least 107 people were admitted,” he said.

Several of them are stable and many have been discharged, he added.

Dahihanda police have begun a probe and food samples from the gathering have been sent to laboratories for analysis, the official said. (PTI)

USA – Fudge bars sold at Price Chopper recalled due to Listeria risk

Outbreak News Today

Price Chopper announced a voluntary recall of their store brand fudge bars due to the potential for Listeria contamination.

The product, 30 ounce PICs Fudge Bars with a UPC of 41735 09250 and a best-if-used-by date of March 6, 2020, is made by Fieldbrook Farms.

Fieldbrook Farms says a limited supply of 12ct PICS Original Fudge Bars was inadvertently shipped to a single retailer, Price Chopper. Because this product was not intended for sale, Fieldbrook has asked Price Chopper to remove all fudge bars from their stores shelves.

Information – The “switch” that can make current Salmonella outbreaks even worse

Food Safety News

Salmonella

Image CDC

There are three current multistate outbreaks of Salmonella in the United States. Two–infections linked to Butterball Brand Ground Turkey and Precut melons–are outbreaks that began in 2019 and the third involving ground turkey was a 2018 outbreak of raw ground turkey products that remain open.

Taken together, the three have sickened 279 people resulting in 107 hospitalizations and one death. One or the other of these outbreaks has spread the Salmonella infections to nearly every one of the 50 states.

How were these outbreaks possibly made worse?

It can happen, according to Yaohui Sun and Alex Mogilner of New York University. Salmonella bacteria can “flip an electric switch” as they catch a ride inside immune cells, causing migration out of the gut to invade other parts of the body.

Hong Kong – Not to consume a kind of French cheese suspected to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

CFS logo

Issue Date 16.4.2019
Source of Information Notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission
Food Product A kind of French cheese
Product Name and Description Product name: Cheese Brillat Savarin

Brand: Bordier

Place of origin: France

Importer: Classic Fine Foods (Hong Kong) Ltd

Lot No.: 352702, 352203, 352802 and 352803

Best-before dates: April 12 to May 7, 2019

Reason For Issuing Alert
  • The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission that the above-mentioned product might have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and was being recalled. According to the information provided by the RASFF, a local importer, Classic Fine Foods (Hong Kong) Ltd, had imported some of the affected product into Hong Kong.
  • The CFS immediately contacted the importer concerned for follow-up. Preliminary investigation found the importer had imported 11 pieces of the affected product and all of them had been distributed. The importer has initiated a recall according to the CFS’ instructions.
  • Listeria monocytogenes can be easily destroyed by cooking but can survive and multiply at refrigerator temperature. Most healthy individuals do not develop symptoms or only have mild symptoms like fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea when infected. However, severe complications such as septicaemia, meningitis or even death may occur in newborns, the elderly and those with a weaker immune system. Although infected pregnant women may just experience mild symptoms generally, the infection of Listeria monocytogenes may cause miscarriage, infant death, preterm birth, or severe infection in the newborns.
Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety
  • The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, and will continue to follow up and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing.
Advice to the Trade
  • Stop using or selling the affected product immediately if they possess it.
Advice to Consumers
  • Not to consume the affected product if they have bought any.
Further Information The CFS press release 

Enquiries about the recall can be made to the importer’s hotline at 2612 2066 during office hours.