Category Archives: Uncategorized

USA -Possible Hepatitis A exposure at Salt Lake City restaurant

KUTV

(KUTV) — Customers who consumed food or beverages at the New Yorker Restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City may have been exposed to the Hepatitis A virus, according to the Salt Lake County Health Department.

This possible exposure only affects the single restaurant and customers who ate there between July 25 and Aug. 15.

The heath department has estimated that 650 people may have been affected.

It is too late for these customers to receive a preventive vaccination. So, the health department is warning those individuals to watch for symptoms of Hepatitis A.

The symptoms include:

  • Low fever,
  • Loss of appetite,
  • Nausea,
  • Vomiting
  • Yellow skin and eyes.

Because Hepatitis A can show up between two to seven weeks, customers should watch for symptoms until Oct. 3, the health department advised.

 

USA – CTI Foods LLC Recalls Ready-To-Eat Philly Steak Products Due to Possible Listeria Contamination

FSIS USDA

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2018 – CTI Foods LLC, an Owingsville, Ky., establishment, is recalling approximately 6,720 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) Philly Beef Steak products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The RTE Philly Beef Steak products were produced on Aug. 9, 2018. The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels (PDF only)]

  • 672 cardboard cases labeled Classic Sysco having a NET WT of 10 lbs. The cardboard cases contain four 2.5 lb. bags of product.  Both the box and the bags are labeled “FULLY COOKED PHILLY BEEF STEAK SLICED Caramel Color Added” with a package code of 4887097.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 19085” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to a food service warehouse in Hamilton, Ohio and were further distributed to food service locations.

The problem was discovered on Sept. 7, 2018, when the establishment received results from their laboratory that four finished product samples from their Aug. 9, 2018 production were potentially positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

Research – USA – Microbiological Testing Program for Escherichia coli O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)

FSIS USDA USDA

FSIS considers raw, non-intact beef products or the components of these products found to have six Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) to be adulterated, in addition to E. coli O157:H7. (Refer to the Federal Register notice Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Certain Raw Beef Products | PDF). These six non-O157 STECs are O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145.

On June 4, 2012, FSIS began verification testing for these non-O157 STEC in domestic and imported beef manufacturing trimmings from cattle slaughtered on or after June 4, 2012. Beef manufacturing trimmings collected from cattle slaughtered before June 4, 2012, or that contain other components such as cheek meat are analyzed for E. coli O157:H7 only.

Poland – Audit finds Polish food companies’ tests for Salmonella are ineffective

PoultryMed

A European audit was carried out in Poland from 6 to 15 February 2018 as part of the published Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety audit programme. The objective of the audit was to evaluate the actions taken by the Polish competent authority in order to control Salmonella, in particular the implementation of the Salmonella National Control Programmes in different poultry populations. Subsequent to the latest previous audit (2015) and the Salmonella outbreak of 2016, the Polish competent authorities have made several changes to the Salmonella National Control Programmes, to relevant national legal instruments, and to instructions and official checks related to the Salmonella National Control Programmes. Official controls in place respect (and sometimes exceed) the planned frequencies of on-site inspections, and detected and effectively imposed correction of food business operator non compliances with requirements. Verification of the performance of official controls is in place and has also detected and obtained correction of shortcomings with the official checks. The Salmonella National Control Programmes in Poland are generally in line with EU requirements and well implemented and correct restrictive measures were imposed and/or taken by farmers when needed and mostly well documented. However, for laying hens in particular, the epidemiological investigations have frequently not managed to identify the source of infection and ECDC-EFSA data indicates that this infection is likely to still be ongoing in Poland.

USA – FDA Investigating Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis Linked to Shell Eggs from Gravel Ridge Farms

FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local partners, are investigating a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses that is linked to shell eggs.

Update – September 10, 2018

As of September 10, 2018, there are 14 illnesses. Gravel Ridge Farms of Cullman, Alabama, has recalled cage-free, large eggs dating back to June 25, 2018.

Recommendations

The FDA is advising consumers not to eat recalled shell eggs produced by Gravel Ridge Farms. Consumers who have purchased these products can return them to the store for a refund. If any consumers have Gravel Ridge Farms eggs in their refrigerator, they should be discarded, regardless of the date stamped on the package. Recalled eggs were also sold to several grocery stores in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. For a complete list of stores, visit the recall notice.

USA- Steve’s recalls pet food for second time this year; Listeria, Salmonella found

Food Safety News

Steve’s Real Food is recalling dog food and cat food because of possible contamination with Salmonella and/or Listeria monocytogenes. The company distributed the pet foods nationwide.

The recall follows a report from the Washington Department of Agriculture that one or both pathogens were found in samples of the three products from the Salt Lake City company. The bacteria can cause serious infections in people who handle the food or who pick up the bacteria from cross-contaminated things such as counters, pet bowls and utensils.

Australia – Spike in Salmonella Oranienburg cases linked to alfalfa sprouts

Outbreak News Today alfalfa

Officials with the Government of South Australia (SA Health) are warning the public not to eat a number of alfalfa sprout products produced by Adelaide business Sunshine Sprouts, after several people became ill with Salmonella Oranienburg.

SA Health’s Acting Executive Director Public Health Services, Dr Chris Lease, said there had been spike in cases of Salmonella Oranienburg, with eight confirmed cases in the past month, compared with eight for all of last year.

“As part of the investigation into these cases, 116 alfalfa sprout products were sampled as two cases had reported eating these types of products.  Results received this morning identified that Salmonella Oranienburg was present in three of these samples,” Dr Lease said.

“A number of Sunshine Sprouts alfalfa sprouts products have already been voluntarily recalled and we are advising anyone who has purchased the affected products not to eat them, and to return them to the place of purchase for a refund or throw them away.

USA – Salmonella Prompts Gravel Ridge Farm Eggs Recall

Food Poison Journal Salmonella Eggs Food Poisoning Food Safety

Gravel Ridge Farms is recalling Cage Free Large Eggs due to a potential contamination of Salmonella. The recall was initiated because reported illnesses were confirmed at locations using Gravel Ridge Farm Eggs, and we are voluntarily recalling out of an abundance of caution.

Ireland – Recall of a Batch of The Deli Green Pesto Due to Detection of Listeria monocytogenes

FSAI  

Summary
Category 2: For Information
Alert Notification: 2018.36
Product: The Deli Green Pesto; pack size: 140g
Batch Code: ‘Use-by’ date: 16.09.2018
Country Of Origin: Ireland

Message:

Aldi is recalling the above batch of its The Deli Green Pesto due to the detection of Listeria monocytogenes. Point-of-sale recall notices will be displayed in Aldi Stores.

USA – E. coli Outbreak Linked to WA Dungeness Valley Creamery Raw Milk Sickens Two

Food Poisoning Bulletin Raw Milk Food Safety KSW Foodworld

An E. coli outbreak that sickened a child under the age of 5 and a person in their 70s is linked to raw milk from Dungeness Valley Creamery raw milk in Olympia, Washington. The child lives in Island county and the older adult lives in Clallam County. The press release from the Washington State Department of Health states that they got sick “with an E. coli infection after drinking Dungeness Valley Creamery raw milk.”

Dr. Scott Lindquist, Washington state communicable disease epidemiologist, said in a statement, “Raw milk doesn’t go through the pasteurization process where harmful germs and bacteria are destroyed. This puts infants, young children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with a weakened immune system at a greater risk of illness when they drink it.”