Category Archives: Uncategorized

RASFF-Brucella (in 16 out of 40 samples) in hare carcass for pet food from Argentina in the Netherlands

Food Safety News

Raw milk cheese tied to listeria cases; moms-to-be at high risk

At least two people in Rhode Island have developed infections from Listeria monocytogenes, causing public health officials to warn against eating soft cheese referred to as queso fresco.

An alert posted Wednesday by the Rhode Island Department of Health did not include any details about the two victims, but specifically urged pregnant women to not eat cheese made with unpasteurized milk. Pasteurizing milk kills Listeria and other bacteria that often are present in so-called raw milk.

Puppies sold at Petland linked to multi-state Campylobacter outbreak

Fox News Health

A multi-state outbreak of human Campylobacter infections that has sickened at least 39 has been linked to puppies sold through Petland, a national pet store chain. The outbreak has affected 12 Petland employees across four states, and 27 others who had either purchased a puppy from the store, visited puppies at the store or live in a home with a Petland-purchased puppy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

FSA 

FSA advises against eating raw chicken dishes

Sprudge.com

Certain Food-Borne Pathogens Can’t Survive In Cold Brew, Says Science

Of all the criticisms leveraged against cold brew over years, the most compelling one has always been, “Is it safe to drink?” The thrust of the argument states that since cold brew is made at colder/room temperatures, it is susceptible to the growth of harmful bacteria. E. coli, Ebola, E-Harmony: who knows what could be growing in your cold brew. But a study performed by researchers at Oregon State University’s Department of Food and Science Technology says (and we paraphrase), “specific vegetative, non-spore forming pathogens that were introduced in our study did not grow.”

Food Safety News

Officials: Misuse of cheese, dispenser caused botulism outbreak

As victims of botulism poisoning traced to gas station nacho cheese continue to deal with severe health problems four and a half months after becoming ill, California health officials are trying to decide whether to fine the gas station owner.

The illnesses began in late April. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) began its investigation April 24. The department temporarily closed the Valley Oak Food and Fuel gas station in Walnut Grove, CA, in early May. The business reopened in less than a week. The CDPH has not taken any action against the business owner.

A department spokesman said Tuesday the CDPH is “reviewing the investigational findings to determine if any legal action will be taken.”

Poultry Med

Food poisoning outbreak at Brockley Hall Hotel in Saltburn

A total of eight cases of food poisoning were reported to PHE North-east – six of which were laboratory confirmed cases of campylobacter . The two remaining cases were “probable”.The source of the foodborne illness outbreak has been identified. Public Health England (PHE) has revealed that chicken liver parfait was the cause of illness at Brockley Hall Hotel in Saltburn.

Braco Produce Recalls Papayas for Possible Salmonella

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Braco Produce of San Isidro is recalling Maradol papayas grown by Productores y Exportadores de Carica Papaya de Tecomán y Costa Alegre SPR of RL and packed by Frutas Selectas de Tijuana, S. de RL de CV, because they may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria.  Other papayas imported from Mexico have been linked to a deadly Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 201 people.

NPR Org

So Your Kitchen Sponge Is A Bacteria Hotbed. Here’s What To Do

Back in August, a study came out about bacteria in kitchen sponges that sent home chefs into a frenzy.

But when we looked carefully at the study, we realized much of the news coverage about it was incorrect.

The study, published in Scientific Reports, undertook a thorough investigation into how many critters are living in used kitchen sponges. And the results were jawdropping.

“We found 362 different species of bacteria, and locally, the density of bacteria reached up to 45 billion per square centimeter,” says Markus Egert, a microbiologist at Furtwangen University in Germany, who led the study.

Forty-five billion microbes per square centimeter? Are you kidding? If you scale that up, that’s like stuffing all the people who live in Manhattan into the Rockefeller ice rink.

Xinhuanet 

XI’AN, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) — A suspected food poisoning case has killed one student and affected 31 other students in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, authorities said Saturday.

According to authorities with the education bureau of Zhashui County and the Children’s Hospital in Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi, a student in Caoping Township was hospitalized on Wednesday for fever. The student died of brain stem encephalitis on Friday. From Thursday to Saturday, 31 other students were sent to the Children’s Hospital.

Xu Haoxiang, one of the students, said that he ate the steamed noodles provided by the school before feeling sick. Xu and other students later started developing symptoms such as fever, diarrhea and vomiting.

According to Xu, the potatoes and bean sprouts in the steamed noodles “tasted odd.”

According to the hospital, seven students have been discharged. Of the students, 10 tested positive for Shigella Castellani, which can cause diarrhea.