The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) today jointly issued a consumer advisory for chicken salad sold at Fareway stores. The chicken salad, which is produced and packaged by a third party for Fareway, is implicated in multiple cases of salmonella illness across Iowa. Preliminary test results from the State Hygienic Laboratory (SHL) at the University of Iowa indicate the presence of salmonella in this product.
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Since early Sep. 2017, Namibia has reported 643 hepatitis E cases, including 50 that are laboratory confirmed. Three women died post-delivery.
Most cases have been reported from informal settlements within the capital, Windhoek, with 332 (52%) cases reported from Havana and 168 (26%) from Goreagab informal settlements.
An estimated 89% of the population of these two areas use communal water points and 62% practice open defecation
The Ministry of Health has fully funded a national outbreak response plan and procurement of materials for outbreak response is ongoing.
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Redbarn Pet Products announced a voluntary recall that “has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.”The impacted product is Redbarn’s 7-inch Bully Stick three pack.
The recalled products were distributed in pet specialty retail stores. Affected product comes in a 2.4 ounce, green plastic bag marked with an expiration date of 112120ABC stamped on the side. The product UPC is #7 85184 25105 8.
Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.
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Deli sliced meat and cheese sold at Stop & Shop in Warwick, Rhode Island, is being recalled for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health. All deli sliced meat and cheese sold between January 18 and February 2, 2018 is recalled.
The deli is temporarily closed while it is being professionally cleaned. No confirmed illnesses have been reported in connection with this issue.
If you purchased these products, do not eat them, even if you plan to cook with them. Throw them away in a sealed container in a secure garbage can, or take them back to the store where you bought them for a full refund.
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The Olympic host town of PyeongChang in South Korea has been the site of a norovirus outbreak just before and during the Winter Olympics. The Korea Herald states that almost 200 people, mostly support staff and security staff, have been sickened. No athletes have been reported sickened to date.
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Maker: Darwin’s Natural Pet Products
Cause: Potential for salmonella
Announcement: Company email; per Dog Food Advisor [PDF]
What was recalled: ZooLogics Chicken and Vegetable Meals for Dogs (manufactured Nov. 2, 2017) and ZooLogics Duck and Vegetable Meals for Dogs (manufactured Nov. 16, 2017)
This is the latest in a string of recalls for Darwin’s since fall 2016, all arising from concerns about potential salmonella or listeria contamination.
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On 9 February 2018, Food Standards Scotland (FSS) published research demonstrating that chicken remains the biggest source of Campylobacter infection in Scotland.
FSS had commissioned the University of Aberdeen to compare clinical strains of Campylobacter from the Grampian area with strains isolated from chickens, cattle, sheep, pigs and wild birds. This was used to determine the proportion of infections in Scotland from these potential sources.
While Campylobacter remains the most common source of foodborne illness there has been a reduction in those contracting Campylobacter from chicken. The proportion of cases attributed to chicken decreased from 55-75% to 52-68% when compared to data collected between 2012-2015.
These findings will assist FSS in developing a new Campylobacter strategy for Scotland aimed at achieving a continued decline of Campylobacter cases from chicken. FSS will also identify opportunities to work with other organisations to reduce the risks from sources other than chicken which may be caused by environmental exposure.
FSS stressed that chicken is safe as long as good food hygiene practices are followed at home. [Source: FSS News Release, 9 February 2018. http://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/news-and-alerts/understanding-the-sources…]
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According to Denmark’s State Serum Institute, an outbreak of hepatitis A linked to dates has sickened 14 people, hospitalizing all but one, since the first confirmed illness in December 2017.
During the initial interviews, several of the patients indicated having eaten dates. Juicy Dates brand dates were recalled Feb. 6.
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On February 5 the Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition has learned through the Coordinated System of Rapid Information Exchange (SCIRI) of the existence of an affected by meningitis in the Community of Madrid, as a result of intoxication food by Listeria monocytogenes presumably associated with the consumption of soft milk sheep cheese made by the company Ohian Txiki Koop located in the Basque Country.
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Study suggests milk with probiotics may be good for pregnant women: Pregnant women who drink milk containing probiotic “friendly” bacteria are less likely to have premature births or pre-eclampsia, a serious complication of pregnancy, suggests a Scandinavian study. Timing was everything, though, researchers found: Women who drank probiotic milk early in their pregnancies, but not those who only drank it before or late in pregnancy, were 21 percent less likely to give birth prematurely compared to others. For pre-eclampsia, a 20 percent risk reduction went along with drinking probiotic milk late in pregnancy, but not earlier in gestation or before getting pregnant. READ MORE
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