Campylobacter Outbreak Associated with Cafe Juanita in Washington State
A Campylobacter outbreak that has sickened two people is associated with Cafe Juanita in Kirkland, Washington state. A single meal was consumed by a party there on June 24, 2017.
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Salmonella Agbeni Outbreak Linked to Pet Turtles
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released information about a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Agbeni infections that are linked to pet turtles. As of August 29, 2017, there are 37 people sick in 13 states. Sixteen people have been hospitalized, which is a very high percentage for this type of outbreak.
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Nearly 200 guests taken sick with food poisoning at wedding in central Vietnam
Food poisoning killed at least 16 people across the country during the first half of 2017.
What should have been one couple’s special day turned out to be a nightmare for 183 of their wedding guests in the central province of Ninh Thuan on Saturday when they were rushed to hospital with symptoms of food poisoning.
They were among more than 300 people who attended the party at a local house where they were served hot pot and other meat dishes the family had prepared themselves, local media reported.
The province’s general hospital is still treating 75 of the worst cases, including 18 children.
Health officials have taken food samples for testing.
Mass food poisonings are not uncommon in Vietnam and occur mostly in factory and school canteens, but the list of victims also includes guests at big parties in rural areas.
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Image USDA
WASHINGTON, August 29, 2017 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced new updates to its popular FoodKeeper application that will provide users with new information on food safety recalls. The app has been updated so users can choose to receive automatic notifications when food safety recalls are announced by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In the update posted to the Google Play and iTunes stores, users can select to receive information on food safety recalls immediately when they’re announced or select to receive them daily or weekly. The update also adds instructional videos on proper handling and storage of food, and expands the list of food and beverage products from about 400 to more than 500 items.
“This is a great way for the public to stay informed when food is recalled,” said Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Carmen Rottenberg. “The FoodKeeper app is a very handy and easy to use tool; and it reflects USDA’s commitment to provide the public with information and knowledge to help them make informed decisions.”
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Food Alert – A batch of bottled fruit juice drink contaminated with patulin
| Issue Date | 2017-08-25 | |
| Source of Information | The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) | |
| Food Product | Bottled fruit juice drink | |
| Name of Importer | ||
| Product name and Description | Product name: Cold Pressed Apple & Strawberry Brand: PRESHAFRUIT Country of origin: Australia Distributor: The Dairy Farm Company Limited Volume : 1 Litre Use by date: September 6, 2017
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| Reason For Issuing Alert | – Following up on a case referred by a relevant organisation, the CFS collected the above-mentioned sample at a supermarket in North Point for testing. The test result showed that the sample contained patulin at a level of 93 parts per billion (ppb), exceeding the action level of 50ppb adopted by the CFS. The level is the same as the standard of the Codex Alimentarius Commission on patulin in apple or apple juice.
– Patulin mostly occurs in the apple and its products. Generally speaking, apple juice with a low level of patulin will not cause acute intoxification. However, studies have shown that gastrointestinal hyperaemia, distension, haemorrhage and ulceration could be resulted if animals are exposed to high levels of patulin over a short period of time. |
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| Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety | – The CFS has informed the distributor concerned of the irregularity, and the distributor has stopped sale and removed from shelves the affected batch of the product and initiated a recall according to the CFS’ instructions.
-The CFS has alerted the trade, continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health. Investigation is ongoing. Prosecution will be instituted should there be sufficient evidence. |
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| Advice to the Trade | – Stop using or selling affected batch of the product immediately should they possess them. | |
| Advice to Consumers |
– Not to consume affected batch of the product. | |
| Further Information | The CFS press release
Members of the public may call the company’s hotline at 2299 1133 for enquiries during office hours about the recall. |
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Authorities yet to pinpoint cause of athletes’ food poisoning
KUALA LUMPUR: The cause of the food poisoning problem which affected Malaysian athletes at the Kuala Lumpur Sea Games (KL2017) has yet to be established.
Malaysian Sea Games Organsing Committee (MASOC) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong, however, assured that various steps have been taken to ensure that it does not occur again, including by involving the Health Ministry and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
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Spanish hotel chain calls in police after claiming nearly £4MILLION worth of food poisoning claims by 800 tourists are totally false
A group of top hotels in Mallorca has called in the police to investigate an alleged fraud of nearly £4million for false food poisoning claims.
The company wants an investigation launched against nearly 800 tourists who alleged they were struck down by sickness and diarrhoea whilst on holiday in one of their establishments in the popular beach resort of Alcudia.
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No toxic bacteria found from factory samples in potato salad poisoning probe
MAEBASHI
The government of the Gunma Prefecture city of Takasaki said Saturday it did not find any toxic bacteria in food samples taken from a local factory after potato salad produced there caused E. coli food poisoning earlier in the month.
Twelve people who ate the salad sold in Gunma and the neighboring Saitama prefectures in early August were found to have been infected with the O157 strain of the bacteria, and one of them became gravely ill.
Those who became infected ate the salad made on Aug 5-7 at the food factory in Takasaki. Tests on potato salad samples made between Aug 1 and 18 and preserved at the factory found no toxic bacteria, according to the eastern Japan city.
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Sudanese Hajj Pilgrims Suffer Food Poisoning in Jeddah
Jeddah — Forty Sudanese Hajj pilgrims became sick after eating contaminated meals in a hotel in the Saudi city of Jeddah last week.
The Information Mission for Sudanese pilgrims in Jeddah reported last week that 40 Sudanese Muslim worshippers, who travelled to Mecca by sea, were hit by food poisoning in a hotel in the town last week.
Some of the victims were transferred to hospitals in Jeddah, the director of the Saudi medical office for pilgrims, Dr Mohamed Ali, said in a press statement.
After being treated, the pilgrims could continue their journey to perform the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the most holy city in Islam, which all adult Muslims are expected to undertake at least once in their lifetime.
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Hens and chicks slaughtered to control Salmonella in Czech Republic
Czech Radio reports the Czech Food Safety Information Center of the Ministry of Agriculture, Prague, have started destroying thousands of laying hens at a farm in Pohořelice, southern Moravia, following a Salmonella outbreak.
As many as 35,000 of around 60,000 hens have so far been destroyed and
the market chain Lidl has taken all egg deliveries from the farm off
its shelves. People have been asked to return eggs already purchased
at the market chain. This concerns eggs with an expiry date up to [11
Sep 2017].
The Salmonella was detected due to health problems at a children’s
camp.
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