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Business Insider

People are putting themselves at serious risk by eating raw chicken sashimi

Most people know that raw chicken carries serious health risks, which is why we all wash our hands and any utensils after touching it. So the internet is aghast at the discovery that chicken sashimi exists.

It’s popular in Japan, where raw chicken – often referred to as chicken tartare or chicken sashimi – is found on many menus.

“In the UK, the NHS suggests campylobacter bacteria are the most common cause of food poisoning. This bacteria along with salmonella and e.coli are usually found on raw or undercooked meat, especially chicken. Another concern is cross-contamination which can happen if you prepare raw chicken on a chopping board and don’t wash the board before preparing food that won’t be cooked such as salad.”

Journal of Food Protection

Effect of Plant Antimicrobial Agents Containing Marinades on Storage Stability and Microbiological Quality of Broiler Chicken Cuts Packed with Modified Atmosphere Packaging

The food industry, including the meat industry, is currently looking for natural preservatives to prevent the growth of harmful microbes in foods. The potential of plant-derived antimicrobial extracts to increase the shelf life and to delay the microbiological spoilage of marinated broiler chicken cuts in modified atmosphere packages during cold storage was investigated in this study. We evaluated the impact of aqueous ethanolic extracts of Finnish sea buckthorn berries and lingonberries and supercritical CO₂-extracted herbal extracts from an antimicrobial blend and oregano leaves on the shelf life of broiler meat. The commercial antimicrobial blend extract and the oregano extract inhibited the growth of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and Brochothrix thermosphacta in the marinated samples. The antimicrobial blend extract also reduced the growth of psychrotrophic aerobic bacteria, whereas the sea buckthorn and lingonberry extracts did not. Only minor antimicrobial activity against Enterobacteriaceae by all the extracts was observed. Plate count analysis, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and quantitative real-time PCR indicated that LAB, which are the major spoilage group in marinated modified atmosphere–packaged poultry products, were not significantly affected by the berry extracts studied. During this shelf-life study, LAB isolates of Lactobacillus and Leuconostoc were identified in the marinated samples. Antimicrobial blends and oregano leaf extracts can act as antimicrobial agents in marinade blends, although tailoring of the dose is needed because of their strong taste. Further studies for exploiting synergistic effects of plant extracts could contribute to the development of potential and more effective antimicrobial blends. Studies are needed in meat matrices and in product applications to demonstrate the efficacy of these compounds.

Journal of Food Protection

Effects of Nitrite and Erythorbate on Clostridium perfringens Growth during Extended Cooling of Cured Ham

To control the growth of Clostridium perfringens in cured meat products, the meat and poultry industries commonly follow stabilization parameters outlined in Appendix B, “Compliance Guidelines for Cooling Heat-Treated Meat and Poultry Products (Stabilization)” (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service [USDA-FSIS], 1999) to achieve cooling (54.4 to 4.4°C) within 15 h after cooking. In this study, extended cooling times and their impact on C. perfringens growth were examined. Phase 1 experiments consisted of cured ham with 200 mg/kg ingoing sodium nitrite and 547 mg/kg sodium erythorbate following five bilinear cooling profiles: a control (following Appendix B guidelines: stage A cooling [54.4 to 26.7°C] for 5 h, stage B cooling [26.7 to 4.4°C] for 10 h), extended stage A cooling for 7.5 or 10 h, and extended stage B cooling for 12.5 or 15 h. A positive growth control with 0 mg/kg nitrite added (uncured) was also included. No growth was observed in any treatment samples except the uncured control (4.31-log increase within 5 h; stage A). Phase 2 and 3 experiments were designed to investigate the effects of various nitrite and erythorbate concentrations and followed a 10-h stage A and 15-h stage B bilinear cooling profile. Phase 2 examined the effects of nitrite concentrations of 0, 50, 75, 100, 150, and 200 mg/kg at a constant concentration of erythorbate (547 mg/kg). Results revealed changes in C. perfringens populations for each treatment of 6.75, 3.59, 2.43, −0.38, −0.48, and −0.50 log CFU/g, respectively. Phase 3 examined the effects of various nitrite and erythorbate concentrations at 100 mg/kg nitrite with 0 mg/kg erythorbate, 100 with 250, 100 with 375, 100 with 547, 150 with 250, and 200 with 250, respectively. The changes in C. perfringens populations for each treatment were 4.99, 2.87, 2.50, 1.47, 0.89, and −0.60 log CFU/g, respectively. Variability in C. perfringens growth for the 100 mg/kg nitrite with 547 mg/kg erythorbate treatment was observed between phases 2 and 3 and may have been due to variations in treatment pH and NaCl concentrations. This study revealed the importance of nitrite and erythorbate for preventing growth of C. perfringens during a much longer (25 h) cooling period than currently specified in the USDA-FSIS Appendix B.

RASFF – too high count of Escherichia coli (up to 3500 MPN/100g) in live mussels from Italy in Italy

The Jakarta post

Sixteen elementary students in Batu city, East Java, were admitted to a community health center (Puskesmas) on Wednesday with suspected food poisoning.

The students of SD Pandanrejo reportedly came down with headaches and stomachaches after drinking 100 milliliters of packaged milk supplied by the school. The students were taken to the emergency unit of Puskesmas Bumiaji, Batu, at 9:15 a.m.

Bravo Produce Inc. Recalls Maradol Papaya from Productores Y Exportadores De Carica Papaya De Tecomán Y Costa Alegre SPR of RL and Packed by Frutas Selectas De Tijuana, S. De R.L. De C.V. Because of Possible Health Risk

FDA

Bravo Produce Inc. of San Ysidro, is withdrawing Maradol Papaya, 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, as a preventive measure, because the product has tested positive for Salmonella by exams done by FDA. It is extremely important to mention that this bacterium can affect children, elderly and people with weak immune systems. Symptoms are fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, Salmonella infection can result in the organism entering the bloodstream and producing serious diseases such as arterial infections (ie, infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

Xinhuanet

Four detained after kindergarten food poisoning in E China

NANCHANG, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) — Four people working for a bakery were detained by police after 121 children became ill with food poisoning in three kindergartens in Nanchang, capital of eastern China’s Jiangxi Province, according to the municipal government.

The municipal food and drug authority found the kindergartens had allowed children to eat contaminated strawberry cake from Jili Bakery.

Police closed the bakery, which did not have legitimate food production permits.

As of Thursday morning, 32 children were hospitalized, with the rest discharged. The sick children showed symptoms of vomiting and abdominal pains Tuesday afternoon.

RASFF – Salmonella (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in frozen poultry meat preparation from Brazil in the UK

RASFF-Salmonella (presence /25g) in frozen chicken half breasts from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF-Salmonella (presence /25g) in frozen salted chicken half breasts from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF-Salmonella (presence /25g) in frozen salted chicken half breasts from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF-Salmonella (1 out of 5 samples /25g) in cheese from Spain in Denmark

RASFF-Salmonella in various coconut water powder products from the United States in the UK

RASFF-Salmonella enterica ser. Enteritidis (in 4 out of 5 samples /25g) in chilled and frozen chicken broilers and their parts, offals from Lithuania in Lithuania

RASFF-Salmonella (presence /25g) in frozen salted chicken fillets with added water from Thailand in the UK

RASFF-Salmonella enterica ser. Enteritidis (presence /25g), Salmonella enterica ser. Ohio (presence /25g) and Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium (presence /25g) in frozen chicken livers from Poland in the Netherlands

RASFF-Salmonella (present /10g) in chilled smoked bacon strips from Germany in Croatia

RASFF-Salmonella (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in betel leaves from India in the UK

RASFF-Salmonella (present /25g) in frozen salted chicken half breasts from Brazil in Germany

RASFF-Salmonella enterica ser. Bochum (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in frozen chicken livers from Brazil in Bulgaria

RASFF-Salmonella (present /25g) in dry sausage from Spain in France

RASFF-Salmonella (presence /25g) and high count of Enterobacteriaceae in dill from Egypt, via Lithuania and via Germany in Ireland

RASFF – ochratoxin A (19.78 µg/kg – ppb) in raisins from Iran, via Slovakia in the Czech Republic

RASFF-ochratoxin A (70 µg/kg – ppb) in nutmeg from Indonesia in the Netherlands

RASFF – Listeria monocytogenes (230; 500; 640; 1000; 1400 CFU/g) in smoked salmon from Lithuania in Latvia