Category Archives: Uncategorized

Montreal Gazette 

Image CDC

Food made from a bad batch of frozen raspberries are being recalled by Quebec’s ministry of agriculture, fisheries and food.

Several cases of illness associated with the consumption of these products have been reported to the ministry from Montreal and elsewhere in Quebec.

These products are likely contaminated with Norovirus, an infection spread through food or water that can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea. The bad batch of raspberries that is the likely culprit has been recalled by the Canadian Food Inspection agency.

A number of Quebec companies have recalled products. People who have already purchased these products are told to avoid eating them, and either to discard or return them to the store where they were bought.

FDA

Publix Super Markets is issuing a voluntary recall for Publix Tropical Medley Mix because it may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes. Publix received notification of the potential contamination from our supplier of dried apricot, The 5.7oz clear plastic containers of the mix were sold from Publix retail produce departments in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina with a UPC of 41415088586. All use by dates are being recalled.

FSA

Sainsbury’s is recalling a number of their products because Listeria monocytogenes has been found in some of the products.

Outbreak News Today 

Hong Kong health officials reported  a sporadic case of necrotizing fasciitis due to Vibrio vulnificus infection affecting a 49-year-old male with underlying illnesses.

He presented with bilateral feet and ankles pain and malaise since June 5. He attended the Accident and Emergency Department of a public hospital on June 6 and was admitted on the same day. The clinical diagnosis was necrotizing fasciitis.

Excisional debridement of left foot was performed. Specimens of blood and left foot fluid collected on June 6 grew Vibrio vulnificus. His current condition was stable.

Epidemiological investigation revealed that the patient did not have recent travel history. There was no history of wound or injury. He lived with his wife and mother-in-law who remained asymptomatic. Investigation is ongoing.

Vibrio vulnificus can cause disease in those who eat contaminated seafood or have an open wound that is exposed to warm seawater containing the bacteria. Ingestion of Vibrio vulnificus can cause vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Vibrio vulnificus can also cause an infection of the skin when open wounds are exposed to warm seawater; these infections may lead to skin breakdown and ulcers.

Biharprabha

Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh), June 25 (ANI): More than fifty children got food poisoning in Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh. Villagers said after coming from the work, a number of children complained of uneasiness and started vomiting. They said that they were shocked to see other children in the neighbourhood also complained of the same. They were rushed to the hospital where children are undergoing treatment.

Food Safety News 

Pubic health officials in California are praising the “swift and decisive action” of the Souplantation chain, which temporarily closed a restaurant in Camarillo in the midst of a shigellosis outbreak this week.

At least eight people have been infected with Shigella bacteria, according to Ventura County Public Health officials. The public health department received notification of the outbreak Thursday, the same day Souplantation officials closed the restaurant.

Food Poisoning Journal

Bloomberg News reported today that Target began removing all of Hampton Creek Inc.’s products from its stores.According to Bloomberg, a Target spokeswoman said the company received allegations of food safety concerns as well as accusations of manipulation and adulteration of Hampton Creek’s products. She said one concern involved reports of pathogens found in a manufacturing facility used by Hampton Creek. Target also received allegations that Hampton Creek products had tested positive for Salmonella and Listeria.

PHYSORG

The substance ciguatoxin is only found in fish from tropical and subtropical seas. For some years now, cases of ciguatera have been reported with increasing frequency in Europe, in particular on the Spanish and Portuguese islands in the Atlantic but also in Germany. New information indicates that these toxins are increasingly prevalent in the Mediterranean. The global trade of imported fish is another reason for the increasing occurrence of ciguatoxin poisoning in Europe. “Fish should be a regular part of the diet”, says BfR-President Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel. “Ciguatera is a very rare form of fish poisoning in Germany. The reported cases have been caused by the consumption of contaminated tropical predatory fish such as various snapper species.” These include Lutjanus bohar (two-spot red snapper), Lutjanus argentimaculatus, Lutjanus erythropterus (crimson snapper) or Pinjalo pinjalo.

EFSA

A cooperation project on ciguatoxin food poisoning involving 13 organisations from six Member States and EFSA is taking shape. Representatives of Spain and EFSA signed a Framework Partnership Agreement on 19 April 2016 to carry out a four-year project on risk characterisation of ciguatera food poisoning in Europe.

Ciguatoxin is found in fish that feed on a microorganism that produces the toxic substance. Consumers eating affected fish can suffer from a range of symptoms including gastrointestinal and neurological effects.

Since 2008, Spain and Portugal have reported outbreaks of ciguatoxin food poisoning in the Canary Islands and Madeira. New findings suggest the microorganism is becoming more widespread in the Mediterranean.

CFIA

Ottawa, June 23, 2017 – The food recall warning issued on June 22, 2017 has been updated to include additional product information. This additional information was identified during the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) food safety investigation.

Lost Acre Variety is recalling Lost Acre Variety brand All Purpose Flour from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O121 contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.

The following product has been sold in Ontario at the location indicated below.

FDA

Vitakraft Sun Seed Inc. of Weston, OH, is voluntarily recalling certain Sunseed Parrot Fruit & Vegetable diet and Sunseed SunSations Rabbit Food due to a potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.