Category Archives: Uncategorized

Food Poisoning Bulletin 

Candy trays distributed to 242 grocery stores across eight states have been recalled because they may have been poisoned with Salmonella bacteria. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),  Hy-Vee, Inc., headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, issued the recall after Palmer Candy Company initiated a limited recall of some chocolate products after it was alerted  by its supplier, Valley Milk Products LLC, that a milk powder ingredient in the chocolate might have been contaminated with Salmonella.

Salmonella bacteria is a very dangerous bacteria that causes food poisoning. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that it causes 1.2 million cases of food poisoning in the United States each year. Approximately 450 of these cases are fatal.

FDA

Eatonton, GA – Blue Ridge Beef is voluntarily recalling one (1) of its frozen products due to their potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria can affect animals eating the product. There is a risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surface exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Listeria monocytogenes should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting,diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.

The affected products are sold in 2 lb chubs and can be identified with the following manufacturing codes:

Lot #103 mfd12716
Turkey with bone
UPC code 854298001887

African Journal of Microbiology 

Species within the Staphylococcus genus are important mastitis pathogens. Studies to describe virulence and antibiotic resistance as well as rapid techniques that permit analyses strains are needed. The aims were to identify and characterize Staphylococcus spp. isolated from mastitic milk, and to optimize multiplex polymerase chain reactions (PCR). Staphylococci previously isolated from milk of dairy cows with subclinical mastitis were analyzed. PCR was completed to amplify nuc, sodA, spa, agr locus, virulence factors, and antibiotic resistance genes. DNA sequencing of sodA and spa genes was performed and antibiograms were carried out on all isolates. In a group of 49 staphylococci, S. aureus was the most prevalent, followed by S. hyicus, S. xylosus, S. chromogenes. Following optimization of multiplex PCR, virulence factor genes were identified in the majority of isolates. The enterotoxin genes, seh and selx were highlighted. All hemolysin genes were detected in 28.6% of isolates. Antibiotic resistance was evaluated and the majority of isolates (69.4%) were resistant to penicillin. Among the genes encoding antibiotic resistance, mecA was identified, while two methicillin-resistant S. aureus were typed as spa type 605, agr type II, and one identified as SCCmec type IVa. The types t605 and agr II were detected in the majority of S. aureus assessed. The findings emphasized the importance of preventing Staphylococcus infection in dairy cows. Effective dairy herd management and information on milk quality are essential to prevent mastitis pathogens.

Dairy Reporter

Errington Cheese has been halted in plans to go back to market after a link to an E. coli outbreak last year.

Focus Taiwan

Taipei, Jan. 16 (CNA) Bacterial contamination of boxed lunches was the cause of a diarrhea outbreak that occurred earlier this month among nearly 500 students at four schools in Taipei, a health official said Monday.

Wang Ming-li (王明理), head of the Food and Drug Division under Taipei City Government’s Department of Health, said the boxed lunches served on Jan. 5 at the four schools was found to contain high levels of bacillus cereus, a type of bacteria that produces toxins and can cause illness in conditions where it multiplies rapidly in food.

The Cambodia Daily

Health centers in Pursat province dealt with more than 200 cases of suspected food poisoning on Friday, after the patients are thought to have fallen ill from eating lunches distributed at a CPP gathering to choose a commune candidate, police said on Sunday.

The morning meeting concluded around noon, and the roughly 600 attendees ate a lunch of rice, pork and soy sauce, said Vorng Savet, Phnom Kravanh district’s police chief.

About 200 leftover meals were also taken to the nearby Bat Romdoul primary school and eaten by children as young as 4, he said.

Through the afternoon, patients were admitted to the commune health center and hospitals in the province with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, Mr. Savet said.

A total of 213 were admitted, most of them children, he said.

Samples of the food were sent to the Commerce Ministry’s Camcontrol, the country’s consumer goods regulator.

Authorities believe the rice was the cause of the mass illness, and should receive confirmation by the end of the week, Mr. Savet said.

FSA

Food Safety News 

Chocolate covered pretzels and other snacks with long shelf lives are being recalled from hundreds of stores by at least six grocery chains across a dozen states because of possible Salmonella contamination,

The snacks — some in party trays themed for the football playoff season — were produced by Palmer Candy Co. using an ingredient that included powdered milk from Valley Milk Products LLC. Dozens of food companies have recalled products made with the powdered milk, which was recalled after federal officials found Salmonella problems at the milk plant in Strasburg, VA.

Grocery chains recalling the chocolate covered shacks, some packaged under the Palmer brand and some packaged in unbranded containers, include HyVee, Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions, Tom Thumb and Lucky.

Food Safety News

A dozen cases of E. coli O121 have been confirmed in three Canadian provinces, according to matching genetic fingerprint data, but the source of the outbreak has not yet been identified.

The Public Health Agency of Canada reports four of the rare O121 cases were confirmed in British Columbia, four in Saskatchewan and four in Newfoundland and Labrador. The illness onset dates were in November and December of 2016.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

The FDA is distributing a draft guidance, for comment purposes only, on the control of Listeria monocytogenes in ready to eat (RTE) foods. The guidance is for industry.