Category Archives: Uncategorized

Australia- FSANZ report says Australian recalls jumped in 2018

Posted on March 14, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The number of food recalls hit the three figure mark in 2018, according to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).

There were 100 recalls last year, up from 69 in 2017, with 46 percent due to undeclared allergens and 20 percent because of microbial contamination. There were 33 undeclared allergen recalls in 2016, 34 in 2017 and 46 in 2018.

Mark Booth, FSANZ chief executive officer, said results demonstrate food businesses in Australia need to know the mandatory allergen labeling requirements in the Food Standards Code.

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Posted in Allergens, Allergic Reaction, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Testing, Uncategorized

France – E. coli O26/O157 and Salmonella behind French cheese recalls

Posted on March 13, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Image CDC

 

E. coli has prompted two different recalls of cheese and there has been one due to Salmonella in France in the past few weeks.

Recalls have been due to E. coli O26, E. coli O157 and Salmonella Montevideo but no illnesses have been reported.

Fromagère du Moulin de Carel recalled camembert from the supermarket Carrefour due to E. coli O26 H11.

The affected Camembert de Normandie 250-gram product has lot code of L19009C and date of March 10, 2019. It was beginning in late January.

The company, based in Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives, took the action after E. coli was detected during a microbiological control test.

Fromagère de Jort, based in Bernière d’Ailly, also recalled camembert made from raw milk from Carrefour and Auchan due to finding the same pathogen during a microbiological control.

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Posted in E.coli, E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, E.coli O26, 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, Salmonella, Uncategorized

Information – Controlling Legionella on Ships, Ferries & Maritime Vessels

Posted on March 13, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Legionella Control 

This expert guide from our water safety specialists looks at the control of legionella on ships, ferries and other maritime vessels. The guide considers the water safety risks that can arise on-board different vessels, the need to consider dry dock safety, why a detailed risk assessment and Water Safety Plan are essential, and concludes by outlining the potential consequences following an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Legionella, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Uncategorized, water microbiology

Information -Bioterrorism: Using Foods and Beverages As Deadly Weapons

Posted on March 12, 2019 by | Leave a comment

In Homeland Security

“The food industry should start thinking seriously about various terrorism-related scenarios that could potentially involve radioactive materials and make preparations for dealing with these situations should they become reality,” Robert A. Norton, Ph.D., urges in Food Safety Magazine.

“The most immediate element of concern for a food facility — maybe a large production plant or sprawling warehouse — would actually be from the direct blast effects emanating from an improvised explosive device (IED) rather than from any radioactive material that might be present,” Norton added.

He was particularly concerned about possible radioactive elements being inserted into foods and beverages to cause illnesses or death. But the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has provided the food industry very rigid safeguards against poisonous chemicals entering our food. The USDA has a detailed list of Food Safety Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on food handling, cleaning, cooking and personal hygiene.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, there are “an estimated 2.1 million farms, 935,000 restaurants, and more than 200,000 registered food manufacturing, processing, and storage facilities. This sector accounts for roughly one-fifth of the nation’s economic activity.”

 

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Uncategorized

UK – Europe – Brexit – Food safety issues unclear as UK nears Brexit

Posted on March 11, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Fresh Plaza

The United Kingdom will lose access to RASFF after Brexit and Britain’s future relationship with EFSA remains unclear, says the British public health minister. Britain’s future trade with US food companies is also uncertain, with some in the UK saying certain food safety practices in the United States are unacceptable.

Questioned by the British Parliament’s Energy and Environment Committee this week, Minister Steve Brine, MP, confirmed the UK would not be able to vote in the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed or have access to the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) after the UK’s exit from the European Union later this month.

Brine admitted it is not known what the UK’s relationship with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will be, and whether Britain will retain access to food safety risk assessment work.

Lord Robin Teverson, chair of the committee, has said the lack of clarity is deeply concerning in the scenario that an agreement is reached and there is a transition period.

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Posted in EFSA, RASFF, Uncategorized

USA – Listeria monocytogenes – Recall – Organic Bean Sprouts

Posted on March 11, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

Fullei Fresh of Miami, Florida is voluntarily recalling Organic Bean Sprouts because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Organic Bean Sprouts were shipped to Whole Foods Markets in Florida and Freedom Fresh (a Miami distributor) on February 18, 2019.

 

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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 – Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Frozen Chicken in Canada Grows Again

Posted on March 11, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin 

The Salmonella outbreak in Canada that is linked to frozen breaded raw chicken and other raw chicken products has now grown to include 555 sick as of March 1, 2019. So far, twelve products have been recalled in association with this outbreak.

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

USA – Two lots of popular flour recalled over Salmonella concerns, Publix and Winn-Dixie say

Posted on March 11, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Miami Herald

Two lots — or, about 12,185 cases — of Pillsbury Unbleached All Purpose Flour have been recalled because they might be infected with salmonella, Publix and Winn-Dixie announced Friday via their websites.

Though the supermarket chains said Pillsbury parent Hometown Food Co. announced it, the recall didn’t seem to be anywhere on Hometown’s website.

The lot code numbers are 8 292 and 8 293 with respective best-by dates of APR 19 2020 and APR 20 2020. Anyone with flour from these lots should either throw it away or return it to the store for a full refund. Do not use it, even if the bag already has been opened and is in use.

Anyone with questions should call 312-500-7710.

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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

Information – Occurrence of Salmonella, Campylobacter, Clostridium and Enterobacteriaceae in raw meat-based diets for dogs

Posted on March 11, 2019 by | Leave a comment

Veterinary Record

 

The practice of feeding raw meat-based diets (RMBD) to dogs has increased in popularity in recent years. However, RMBD are based on offal that has not undergone any type of treatment to reduce the microbial content, so there is a risk of potential pathogenic microorganisms being present. Frozen samples from 60 RMBD packs produced by 10 different manufacturers were analysed for their content of bacteria belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae, for Clostridium perfringens and for the presence of Salmonella and Campylobacter. Enterobacteriaceae were detected in all 60 samples and in 31 samples exceeded a level of 5000 bacteria/g, which is the threshold for satisfactory microbial hygiene according to EU regulations. In two samples, the amount of C. perfringens exceeded 5000 bacteria/g, which is the maximum level of anaerobic bacteria permitted by Swedish national guidelines. Salmonella species were found in four (7 per cent) and Campylobacter species in three (5 per cent) samples. These results show that it is critical to maintain good hygiene when storing, handling and feeding RMBD, in order to limit the potential health risks to animals and humans, especially young and immunocompromised individuals.

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Posted in Campylobacter, Clostridium perfringens, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Pet Food, Salmonella Dog Food, Uncategorized

Research – Presence of genes associated with adhesion, invasion, and toxin production in Campylobacter jejuni isolates and effect of temperature on their expression

Posted on March 9, 2019 by | Leave a comment

nrc research 

The aims of this study were to evaluate the presence of genes associated with adhesion (cadF), invasion (ciaB), and cytotoxin production (cdtA, cdtB, and cdtC) among Campylobacter jejuniisolates from a poultry slaughterhouse and to investigate the effect of different temperatures on the expression of these virulence-associated genes. A total of 88 C. jejuni isolates from cecum, liver, chicken carcasses, chilled water, and scalding water were submitted to PCR assay for detection of virulence genes. Representative isolates were selected for gene expression evaluation at 37 and 42 °C, according to their virulence gene profile and genotypic typing. All C. jejuni isolates carried the five virulence-associated genes, which play an important role in the infectious process. Differential gene expression by RT–qPCR was observed among C. jejuni isolates at 37 and 42 °C. The expression levels at 37 °C showed upregulation of the ciaB, cdtA, cdtB, and cdtC genes in five isolates, with the exception of ciaB for isolate 4. At 42 °C, upregulation was observed for ciaB and cdtC, cdtA and cdtB, and cadF in four, three, and two isolates, respectively. The C. jejuni isolates expressed the virulence genes evaluated, and the expression is gene- and isolate-dependent and varied according the temperature.

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Posted in Campylobacter, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Uncategorized