Category Archives: Uncategorized

South Africa – South Africa declares end to largest ever Listeria outbreak

Posted on September 4, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

The largest ever detected Listeria outbreak in known history is over, according to officials in South Africa.

Between Jan. 1, 2017, and July 17, 2018, South Africa recorded 1,060 laboratory-confirmed cases of listeriosis, including 216 deaths.

The outbreak was linked to a ready-to-eat (RTE) processed meat plant owned by Tiger Brands, the Enterprise Foods production facility in Polokwane. However, investigators for the government and in the private sector have not been able to determine how the outbreak strain was introduced in the affected factory.

A total of 12 million South African rand ($810,000) was spent to deal with the outbreak.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi gave processed meats the all clear at a media briefing on Monday.

“A team of World Health Organization, international and local experts (have) agreed that because no cases of listeriosis due to the outbreak strain have been identified since the first week of June 2018, and that over the last two months the incidence rate of laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases has dropped to pre-outbreak levels, the outbreak of listeriosis is over,” Motsoaledi said

Listeriosis cases have been recorded for 40 years in South Africa. There have been between 60 and 80 cases every year for the past five years.

 

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food death, 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, foodborne disease, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Uncategorized

Canada – Pinty’s Italian Style Chicken Schnitzel Recalled for Listeria

Posted on September 4, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Bulletin

The food recall warning on August 9, 2018 for Pinty’s chicken products in Canada has been updated to include more product information. Now, Pinty’s Delicious Foods is recalling Pinty’s brand Italian Style Chicken Schnitzel for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The original recall was for the company’s Oven Roasted Chicken Breast Strips.

The recalled product is Pinty’s Italian Style Chicken Schnitzel – Gluten Free Fully Cooked Breaded and Seasoned Cutlettes. It is packaged in 4 kg packages, with code 8172 and UPC number 10069094626371. This product was sold nationally to hotels and restaurants.

Consumers should not eat this product, and hotels, restaurants, and cafeterias should not sell it. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this recalled product.

Anyone who has this product should throw it away in a sealed container so other people and animals can’t access it. It’s a good idea to then clean out the refrigerator or freezer or wherever the product was stored with a mild bleach solution to kill any remaining bacteria.

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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

USA – Cooked Ground Beef Patty Crumbles Recalled for Possible Listeria

Posted on September 4, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin 

Listeria kswfoodworld food safety food poisoning

Image CDC

 

J.T.M. Provisions of Ohio is recalling about 960 pounds of cooked ground beef patty products because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. No confirmed reports of illness have been received by the company to date.

The recalled product is 20 pound cases containing four 5-pound sealed pouches of “Cooked Beef Patty Crumbles,” with case code 47860 and a Jaulian date of “18137.” This product has the establishment number “EST. 1917” inside the USDA mark of inspection. They were shipped to distribution centers in California.

The problem was discovered on August 31, 2018 during routine inspections. The establishment tested the product and it was positive for Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

If you purchased these cooked ground beef patty crumbles, do not eat it, even if you are going to heat it. Discard it in a wrapped or sealed package in a secure garbage can, or take it back to the store where you bought it for a refund.

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

UK – Tesco recalls its Organic Almonds due to the presence of Salmonella

Posted on September 4, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Food Standards Agency

Tesco is recalling one batch of its Organic Almonds 200g because salmonella has been found in the product.

Product details

Tesco Organic Almonds
Pack size 200g
Lot number L8004010
Best before February 2019

No other Tesco products are known to be affected.

Risk statement

The presence of salmonella in the product listed above. Symptoms caused by Salmonella usually include fever, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps.

Action taken by the company

Tesco is recalling the above product and has informed its customers. Point of sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling this product. These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product. Please see the attached notice.
Customer notice: Tesco Organic Almonds

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Posted in fsa, Salmonella, Uncategorized

Tanzania – New Tech to Fight Aflatoxins

Posted on September 4, 2018 by | Leave a comment

All Africa

Tanzania will soon join other African countries in rolling out new technology that will contain cancer-causing aflatoxins.

Known as Aflasafe TZ, the technology can reduce the poisonous chemical’s contamination in food by 80 to 90 per cent.

Reduction of food and animal feed contamination by the poisonous aflatoxins will make the human food, in particular, safe for consumption and meet standards for export.

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Posted in Aflatoxin, Food Safety, Mycotoxin, Uncategorized

Research – Food safety in Brazilian popular public restaurants: Food handlers’ knowledge and practices

Posted on September 4, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Wiley Online

Abstract

This study aims to assess food safety knowledge and practices of food handlers in popular public restaurants in Brazil. A questionnaire has been applied with 70 food handlers in different municipalities, with questions related to food safety knowledge and food safety self‐reported practices, and observed practices. To check hygienic‐sanitary conditions of restaurants, a checklist has been applied. Regarding food safety knowledge, an average of 72.64% of correct answers has been observed. Food safety self‐reported practices presented 80.71% of adequacy, while observed practices were 75.40%. A positive correlation has been observed between food safety knowledge and self‐reported practices of handlers. The observed food safety practice of handlers presented no correlation with food safety knowledge and self‐reported practices. The average adequacy of hygienic‐sanitary conditions was 68.08%, classifying the units as “regular.” Despite satisfactory results related to the handlers’ food safety knowledge and practices, the hygienic‐sanitary conditions of the restaurants are of concern.

Practical applications

The Popular Restaurant Program in Brazil aims to provide proper food from a nutritional and hygienic‐sanitary aspect at affordable prices. The assessment of food handlers’ food safety knowledge and practices and the assessment of hygienic‐sanitary conditions of these units are key in supporting actions aimed at improving the quality of the meals served, as food handlers are the essential agents in the production of meals and can become a source for food contamination if necessary care is not taken. Therefore, conducting this assessment can be an important tool for quality management in these units and can provide improvements in the process of food handling, in addition to ensuring compliance with the objectives proposed by the Popular Restaurant Program.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Safety, Uncategorized

Ireland – Withdrawal of Tullyard Farm Meat Products and Meat Preparations Due to Processing in an Unapproved Facility

Posted on September 3, 2018 by | Leave a comment

FSAI

Summary
Category 2: For Information
Alert Notification: 2018.32
Product: Tullyard Farm Smoked Dry Cure Rashers;
Tullyard Farm Dry Cure Streaky Bacon;
Tullyard Farm Meat  & Poultry 7oz Beef Burgers;
Tullyard Farm Meat & Poultry Mince Beef.
Batch Code: All batch codes, all best before dates.
Country Of Origin: Ireland

Message:

The above meat products and meat preparations processed in Tullyard Farm, Unit 8 Oaktree Business Centre, Oaktree Business Park, Trim, Co. Meath are being withdrawn as they were processed in an unapproved facility. The products are incorrectly labelled and carry inappropriate identification marks. No other Tullyard Farm products are known to be affected.

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Posted in food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, FSAI, Recall, Uncategorized

Canada – Legionnaires’ disease cluster investigated in Surrey

Posted on September 3, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Outbreak News Today Legionella A

Officials with Fraser Health report investigating a cluster of cases of Legionnaires’ disease in the Guildford area of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.

Public Health is advising anyone who has developed pneumonia-like symptoms with a high-risk condition (e.g., chronic lung conditions, smokers, elderly, immunocompromised) to seek medical attention. If they have been in the Guildford area of Surrey in the past 10 days (i.e., since August 21st), they should also mention this to their doctor for testing, advice, and treatment.

Legionnaires’ disease is caused by a bacterium called Legionella. Legionella is commonly found in the environment, particularly in freshwater, groundwater, and soil. The bacterium can grow and spread in human-made building water systems like cooling towers, hot tubs that aren’t drained after each use, decorative fountains, and large plumbing systems.

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Posted in Legionella, Uncategorized

Research – Low accuracy of the McFarland method for estimation of bacterial populations

Posted on September 2, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Academic Journals

The McFarland method is designed to estimate bacterial concentrations by means of a turbidity scale (absorbance) which consists of a series of tubes previously calibrated, and with an optical density produced by the precipitation of barium sulphate. This absorbance is compared to bacterial populations. The most used absorbance is the one corresponding to 0.5 on that scale, which assumes a population of 1.5×108 cfu/mL (colony forming units per milliliter). In order to verify the accuracy of this scale, 25 different bacterial species were tested, adjusting to 0.5 of the McFarland scale and then an aliquot in plate with agar was cultured in triplicate to account for the population. The results showed very diverse populations, with variations ranging from 30 to 300% of what was expected (0.5×108 to 3×108 cfu/mL). The most important implications of this are in studies of microbial ecology, in clinical microbiology, in studies on sensitivity to antibiotics and in areas of quality control. It is suggested to take special care when it is required to establish, with more accuracy, the population of a crop.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Research – What Sparked An E. Coli Outbreak In Lettuce? Scientists Trace A Surprising Source

Posted on September 2, 2018 by | Leave a comment

NPR

The illnesses started appearing in late March. Here and there, across the country, people were checking themselves in to hospitals, sick from toxic E. coli bacteria. At least 200 people got sick. Five of them died.

Investigators quickly identified romaine lettuce as the source of the outbreak, but have had trouble pinpointing the cause for months. Now, the Food and Drug Administration has a theory for how E. coli ended up on that lettuce. According to the FDA, it probably came from a large cattle feedlot at one end of a valley near Yuma, Ariz., which is one of the country’s biggest lettuce-growing areas.

The finding has put lettuce growers in Yuma in a tough spot. The feedlot has been their neighbor for many years. Some vegetable farmers are wondering whether they can still co-exist with all those cattle nearby

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Posted in E.coli, food bourne outbreak, food contamination, food death, 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