Category Archives: Uncategorized

Xinhuanet

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) — The number of students and teachers who suffered from food poisoning in a middle school in Khabarovsk in the Far East of Russia has risen to 113, local authorities said in a statement Tuesday.

The patients have shown symptoms of intestinal infection. The mass food poisoning, which started Friday, was caused by consumption of spoiled salads, Rospotrebnadzor, the local branch of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being, said on its website.

“The number of victims has reached 113, seven of whom are adults, while the rest are children. Severity of the disease is between mild and moderate,” said Rospotrebnadzor.

The results of a basic epidemiological investigation showed that there were numerous violations of the norms of sanitary legislation, added Rospotrebnadzor.

Straits Times

SINGAPORE – The National Environment Agency (NEA) demoted the food hygiene grades of Michelin-starred Summer Palace and the Regent Singapore’s banquet kitchen from “A” grade to “C” from Monday (Jan 29), after 43 patrons were suspected of getting food poisoning from a wedding lunch at the hotel.

In an advisory issued on Monday, NEA said that the people had stomach flu symptoms after eating food at both places on Nov 11 last year.

Replying to queries from The Straits Times, a Regent Singapore spokesman said that all 43 cases were not from guests dining in Summer Palace, but instead from a lunch wedding banquet held at the hotel that day.

The Times

Cheese produced by a company linked to an E. coli outbreak that killed a three-year-old child did not present a significant risk to health, a court was told.

Richard North, a food safety consultant, said evidence relied upon to show that Errington Cheese’s products contained harmful levels of the bacteria was “flawed”.

The company was linked to a food poisoning outbreak in 2016 in which the girl from Dunbartonshire died and several other consumers were made ill.

Ask Bio Expert 

For years we have been told by the scientific community that hand washing is a key factor in preventing disease.  Since childhood, we have been educated by our parents to wash our hands whenever we may be exposed to microorganisms.  We regularly wash our hands before meals, after touching dirty surfaces, after petting animals, and of course after touching sick individuals. Nowadays microbiologists and physicians are regularly appearing in the media to educate the public about the importance of hand washing for the prevention of foodborne and airborne diseases.

While the arguments for hands washing do make sense, especially after considering the enormous scientific knowledge and accumulated data about diseases, it is still not clear that these precautions are definitely helping in actually preventing their spread. 

BBC News  

It is a stomach bug known to afflict some backpackers with bouts of uncomfortable diarrhoea.

Now scientists say they have discovered how the parasites that cause giardiasis – one of the world’s most common gastric diseases – make people ill.

Giardia parasites mimic human cell functions to break apart cells in the gut and feed inside, researchers found.

This also allows bacteria already present in the body to join in and feed from the same nutrients, they said.

Some 500,000 cases of giardiasis are diagnosed each year, with people typically picking up the disease by drinking infected water or contaminated food.

Symptoms include severe diarrhoea, stomach pains, bloating, flatulence and fatigue and can last weeks or months without treatment.

Although it is found throughout the world, it is most prevalent in developing countries and is one of the most common gastric diseases caught by backpackers.

But although scientists have known of giardia’s existence for hundreds of years, until now it remained unclear how it makes people sick.

Its not Canada’s week for recalls!

CFIA

Recall details

Ottawa, January 29, 2018 – The food recall warning issued on January 28, 2018 has been updated to include additional product information. This additional information was identified during the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) food safety investigation.

Thai Indochine Trading Inc. is recalling Coconut Tree brand Shredded Young Coconut from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.

CFIA

Recall details

Ottawa, January 29, 2018 – The food recall warning issued on January 26, 2018 has been updated to include additional product information. This additional information was identified during the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) food safety investigation.

Rajthani Sweets & Restaurants is recalling Bhugga from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.

The recalled product has been sold at the following Rajthani Sweets & Restaurants locations:

• 2260 Bovaird Dr. E #106, Brampton, ON
• 811 Bovaird Dr. W #106, Brampton, ON
• 2658 Islington Ave., Etobicoke, ON

Consumers who are unsure if they have affected product are advised to check with their retailer.

ASM Science 

Noncholera vibrio infections have emerged as an important public health concern in the United States, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, and many other countries. The majority of noncholera vibrio infections are food-borne, and the major food vehicle is raw molluscan shellfish. Most noncholera vibrios are halophilic (or salt-requiring), and their growth is enhanced by specific ranges of salinity, water temperatures, and pH. The number of noncholera vibrio infections has increased over the past few years, after years of remaining relatively stable. Over the past 10 years, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus have been the most commonly isolated noncholera Vibrio species. Among the 553 culture-confirmed v. vulnificus infections reported to CDC between 1988 and 1998 through the Vibrio Surveillance System, 44% were classified as primary septicemia, 43% as wound infections, and 7% as gastroenteritis, while 6% were from other or unknown sites of infection. Noncholera Vibrio strains that cause gastroenteritis are usually susceptible to antimicrobial agents used for enteric infections, although most cases of gastroenteritis are mild and self-limited, and they can effectively be treated with oral rehydration. On the other hand, wound and primary septicemia infections require antimicrobial treatment to improve the course of illness and prevent complications. The author recommends that consumers avoid eating raw or undercooked oysters, especially during the warmer months because illness is associated with consuming oysters harvested from warm water. Due to the recent increase in noncholera vibrio infections, all states should consider making infection with any Vibrio species reportable.

HPS Scotland

Food Authority NSW

Young children are more at risk from food poisoning because their bodies and natural immune defences are not fully developed.

Parents and caregivers can help protect kids by following some simple tips to keep kid’s lunch boxes safe.