Category Archives: Uncategorized

Herald Scotland

THE family that produces the gourmet cheese at the centre of fresh concerns over a fatal E.coli outbreak say they will be made bankrupt after a food watchdog confirmed all its produce is to be destroyed.

Investigators confirmed that their probe has now been widened after two more people were identified as being infected bringing the number who were ill to 22, of which 13 have needed hospital treatment.

They are also examining whether cases of E.coli 0157 infection affecting children in the Angus area may also be linked.

Seattle PI

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Officials with the New Mexico Department of Health are investigating cases of cryptosporidiosis among state residents.

They say there have been six confirmed cases of “crypto” — a diarrheal disease caused by microscopic parasites — since Aug. 31.

Each reported consuming raw milk products.

Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has tightened controls on imports of frozen strawberries from Egypt that may be linked to a US health scare that saw 119 people falling ill from the hepatitis A virus, the government said on Saturday.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment on Saturday said it had instructed food control authorities in each of the seven emirates “to tighten control procedures on frozen strawberries imported from Egypt in order to avoid the entry of any contaminated products that pose a risk to the consumer in the country”.

An official statement issued on Friday by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that 119 people with hepatitis An illness had been reported from eight US states. Several US government agencies plan to work together to investigate the outbreak.

Hepatitis A is an acute infectious disease of the liver which is usually spread by consumption of contaminated food or drinks. It is rarely fatal.

Belfast Telegraph

Rosselkhoznadzor, the state agricultural safety agency, said on Friday that imports of Egyptian plant products will be banned from next Thursday until Egypt’s authorities take steps to ensure their safety.

The move comes after Egypt, the world’s largest wheat importer, changed its import regulations to ban any ergot fungus in imported wheat.

E.coli Blog 

KOMO TV 4 reports that public health officials say they are investigating two cases of E. coli associated with Memo’s Mexican Food in the University District.

One person, a King County resident, ate there on Aug. 18 and Aug. 24. The other, who isn’t from King County, ate there Aug. 24. Health officials first got reports of illness on Aug. 31.

Testing show both persons had the same strain of bacteria. The strain hadn’t been seen in King County before.

CFIA 

Ottawa, September 17, 2016 – Central Epicure is recalling Wild Sockeye Smoked Salmon and Sensations by Compliments brand Smoked Wild Pacific Smoked Salmon from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled products described below.

The following products have been sold in Ontario and may have been distributed in other provinces or territories.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

SM Fish Corporation of New York is voluntarily recalling OSSIE’S brand ready to eat salads because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the consumption of these products, but listeriosis, the illness caused by this bacteria, can take up to 70 days to appear.

FDA

CDC Photo

Censea, Inc. is recalling its A-PAC 8/12 count Headless Shell on Black Tiger Shrimp, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

Product was distributed to wholesale, retail and restaurant locations in NY, NJ, MA, RI, CT, VA, KY, IL and TX.

The recalled product can be identified as follows:

Product Name: 8/12 Headless Shell On Black Tiger Frozen Shrimp
Origin: Vietnam
Case Pack: 6 x 4 pound block frozen (24 pound Master Carton) not labeled for retail sale
Brand: A-PAC
Date Code: 36009V

No other products or date codes are affected.

There have been no illnesses reported as a result of consuming these products to date, and the product is being recalled in an abundance of caution after testing by the Arizona Department of Health Services of this not-ready-to-eat product indicated the presence of Salmonella. Affected shrimp are raw and are must be fully cooked before consumption.

If you are in possession of this product you should discard it, but retain proof of purchase information (such as a purchase receipt or photo of the product packaging) and contact Censea for a full refund.

Contact: We have setup a hotline to deal with this issue. The phone number for the hotline is 888-312-5995 and it is available Monday through Friday 7 AM to 7 PM Central Standard Time. You may also contact Aaron Breen by e-mail at aaron

FDA 

Kellogg Company is voluntarily recalling approximately 10,000 cases of Kellogg’s^® Eggo^® Nutri-Grain^® Whole Wheat Waffles because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. No other Eggo products are impacted by this recall.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The company has received no reports of illness to date but is taking this action as part of its commitment to the health and safety of the people who eat its foods.

Recalled product was distributed to customers and retailers in 25 states (CO, CT, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, VT, WI, WY). The affected product is:

Kellogg’s^® Eggo^® Nutri-Grain^® Whole Wheat Waffles (see photo below)

• Package Size: 10 Box Count (12.3 oz)
• Package UPC Code: 38000 40370
• With Best If Used By Date of: NOV 21 17 or NOV 22 17

The date code can be found on the side of the package.

The recall is a result of routine tests that the company conducts which identified the potential for contamination. As soon as the company learned of a potential concern, it moved quickly to identify any foods that might be impacted and resolve the issue.

Kellogg is asking that people who purchased affected product discard it and contact the company for a full refund. Consumers can call 1-800-962-1413, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET or by visiting https://www.kelloggs.com/en_US/contact-us.html

Food Poisoning Journal 

KHON2 reports that the Department of Education has confirmed that a cafeteria worker at Benjamin Parker Elementary School has been diagnosed with hepatitis A.

The employee worked at the school from Aug. 28 through Aug. 30.

The DOE is issuing letters to parents today and meals will be prepared off-site for the time being.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Food Poisoning Bulletin

The Hawaii state Department of Health says that another restaurant worker has been diagnosed with hepatitis A. That person worked at Ohana Seafood at Sam’s Club at 1000 Kamehameha Highway in Pearl City, Oahu from August 29 through September 11, 2016.

Food Poisoning Journal

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Hepatitis A Outbreak Jumps to 123

Food Poisoning Bulletin

As of 12:00 pm on September 16, 2016, 98 Virginia residents who consumed a smoothie at Tropical Smoothie Cafe before August 8, 2016 have been diagnosed with hepatitis A. That brings the total sickened, including last week’s numbers from the CDC, to 117. Other states with patients are North Carolina, Maryland, New York, Oregon, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Food Poisoning Journal

The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed an additional case of hepatitis A in a food service employee on Oahu.

The infected case worked at Chart House Restaurant, located at 1765 Ala Moana Boulevard in Honolulu on Sept. 1–4 and 8–11, 2016.