Category Archives: Uncategorized

Food Poisoning Bulletin

A Salmonella outbreak at Moshava California Camp in Running Springs in the San Bernardino mountains has sickened at least 11 people, according to the Jewish Journal. The camp is closing early so the Department of Environmental Health of San Bernardino County can inspect the site and clean it.

https://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2016/salmonella-outbreak-at-moshava-california-camp-sickens-11/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FoodPoisoningBulletin+%28Food+Poisoning+Bulletin%29

CFIA

Ottawa, July 13, 2016 – Industry is recalling Golden Dipt brand Jalapeño Breader from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O121 contamination. Retailers, restaurants and institutions should not sell or use the recalled product described below.

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2016-07-13/eng/1468436978919/1468436981312

FDA

San Jose, CA. – International Commissary Corporation (ICC) has issued a voluntary recall of certain lots of two retail products: Marie Callender’s 7oz & 14oz Cheese Biscuit Mix. The 7 oz recalled product has Best By dates of 3/22/17 and 5/17/17 and was sold in retail stores in the following states – AL, CA, WA, UT, and TX. The 14 oz recalled product has a Best Buy date of 6/17/17 and was sold only in Stockton, CA.

Most strains of E. coli are harmless, however, others can make you sick. E. coli O121 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. People who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately. The very young, seniors, and those with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to food borne illness. Anyone diagnosed by a physician as having an illness related to E. coli O121 should contact state and local public health authorities.

ICC was notified by a supplier that an ingredient contains flour which was recalled by General Mills because it may be contaminated with E. coli O121. No other Marie Callender Cheese Biscuit Mix Best By dates are affected. Food Safety is our highest priority and we have taken this action out of an abundance of caution, to protect public health. We are unaware of any illnesses to date from the recalled Marie Callender Cheese Biscuit Mix products.

Consumers who have purchased any of the recalled products are urged to throw them away. Retailers who received the recalled products are being contacted. FDA and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warn that consumers should refrain from consuming any raw products made with flour. This recall is being made with the knowledge of FDA.

“The quality of Marie Callender’s products and the safety of our customers are the upmost important issues said Kevin Greene, VP of Sales At ICC, we care deeply about people, our consumers, our employees and our supplier partners. We are working with our retail customers and the FDA to ensure any affected product is removed from the marketplace immediately. We thank you for your patience, and appreciate your continued trust that we will do the right thing for our consumers. Consumers and media with questions can contact Joanna Fraire at 408-792-3123, Monday through Friday, from 9 AM to 4 PM Pacific or at Joanna@commissary.com

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm511104.htm

Food Poisoning Journal

The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) is investigating a confirmed case of Hepatitis A in a food service employee at the ice cream specialty store, Baskin-Robbins, located at the Waikele Center in Waipahu. The department is advising persons who consumed any food or drink products from this store between June 17 and July 3, 2016 (actual dates: June 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25, 27, 30, and July 1 and 3) they may have been exposed to the disease. Unvaccinated individuals should contact their healthcare providers about the possibility of receiving hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin, which may provide some protection against the disease if administered within the first two weeks after exposure.

http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/foodborne-illness-outbreaks/18859/#.V4dGsU05DsY

FDA

Kerry Inc. of Beloit, WI is recalling two lots of Golden Dipt® Jalapeño Breader that were sold to foodservice distributors because one of our suppliers recalled an ingredient used in our mix for the potential presence of E. coli O121. Kerry Inc. was notified by our supplier that two of their products, a red bell pepper nugget and a jalapeno nugget, were made with a small percentage of affected flour which was recalled by General Mills because it may be contaminated with E. coli O121.

Most strains of E. coli are harmless, however, others can make you sick. E. coli O121 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. People who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately. The very young, seniors, and those with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness. Anyone diagnosed by a physician as having an illness related to E. coli 0121 should contact state and local public health authorities.

No illnesses have been reported to date with the Kerry Inc. products. No other Kerry Inc. products are affected by this recall.

These two lot codes of Golden Dipt® Jalapeño Breader were manufactured by Kerry Inc. and sold to foodservice distributors located in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Missouri and regions of Canada. Product may have been further distributed beyond these locations throughout the foodservice industry and to retail stores open to the general public.

The affected Golden Dipt® Jalapeño Breader is in a white 10 pound bag with the UPC number 763089721548 and Item Number: G5620.690. The recall only affects lots 0414647003 and 0513647003. The lot code is printed along the bottom of the label, as illustrated below.

If you have purchased Golden Dipt® Jalapeno Breader with either of the lot codes noted above, please dispose of the product and seek reimbursement with the distribution group/store where it was purchased. Questions can be directed to Kerry 800-325-3383 between the hours of 8 am to 5 pm CST.

This recall is being made with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm510986.htm

FDA

MINNEAPOLIS – Out of an abundance of caution, two flavors of Betty Crocker cake mix sold in the U.S. and one flavor sold in Canada have been added to General Mills’ previously announced flour recall from July 1, 2016. No illnesses reported to date have been connected to cake mix. No other General Mills or Betty Crocker mixes are included in this recall.

Two flavors of cake mix — Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Party Rainbow Chip Cake Mix (called Betty Crocker Super Moist Rainbow Bit Cake Mix in Canada) and Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Carrot Cake Mix — have been added to the recall as they contain flavor chips (or bits) produced using Wondra flour, which was included in General Mills’ previous July 1st recall announcement. General Mills continues to collaborate with health officials to investigate a multistate outbreak of E. coli O121 connected to several brands of flour.

This recall applies only to the specific product and date codes listed below.

The affected Betty Crocker cake mixes sold in the U.S.:

The affected Betty Crocker cake mix sold in Canada:

If you possess any products included in this recall, they should be thrown away. A full list of retail products included in the flour recall can be found at http://www.generalmills.com/flour.

Guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continues to be that consumers should refrain from consuming any raw dough or batter products. E. coli O121 is eliminated by heat through baking, frying, sautéing or boiling products. All surfaces, hands and utensils should be properly cleaned after contact with flour, batter, or dough.

Although most strains of E. coli are harmless, others can make you sick. E. coli O121 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. Seniors, the very young, and persons with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.

Anyone diagnosed by a physician as having an illness related to E. coli O121 is also urged to contact state and local public health authorities.

U.S. consumers with questions or requesting Betty Crocker replacement product should contact General Mills at 800-230-8103. Canadian consumers with questions about the Betty Crocker products including in the recall, or requesting replacement, should contact General Mills Canada at 800-526-4579. Additional recall information can also be found at http://www.generalmills.com/flour.

Previous Release

FDA Investigates Multistate Outbreak of E. coli O121 Infections Linked to Flour

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm510899.htm

FSIS

Simmons Prepared Foods, Inc., a Van Buren, Ark. establishment, is recalling approximately 5,850 pounds of frozen, heat treated, not ready-to-eat (NRTE) chicken products that may be contaminated with E. coli O121, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The frozen, heat treated, not ready-to-eat (NRTE) chicken tenderloin items were produced on Jan. 25, 2016. The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels (PDF Only)]

• 30-lb. net-weight case containing six, 5-lb. bags in clear film of “Simmons UNCOOKED CHICKEN TENDERLOIN FRITTERS,” with a case code 31473, packaging date code of 6025, and a Use-By date of 01/25/17.
• 30-lb. net-weight case containing six, 5-lb. bags in clear film of “Simmons UNCOOKED CHICKEN BREAST TENDERLOIN FRITTERS,” with a case code 62331 and a packaging date of 6025.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “P-5837” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were distributed to Arkansas for institutional use.

The problem was discovered on July 7, 2016, when Simmons Prepared Foods, Inc. received notice from a supplier that flour sold to the establishment was recalled by General Mills. The firm used the recalled flour to bread the chicken fritters affected by this recall action. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions or illnesses due to consumption of these Simmons Prepared Foods, Inc. products.

Information on the General Mills’ recall can be found at: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm509693.htm.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/FSIS-Content/internet/main/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2016/recall-058-2016-release

Wiley Online Library

Abstract

Practical Application

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1750-3841.13382/abstract;jsessionid=D8E9E512C3FDAC359D4DFC9B51ED3D0D.f03t04

African Journal of Microbiology Resource

Healthy ruminants appear to be the main reservoir of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Importantly, this pathogen is shed in faeces of sheep and can cause outbreaks of human illness ranging from diarrhea to hemorrhagic colitis (HC) and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) have been reported worldwide. The manure of ruminants when used as agricultural fertilizer can serve as a vehicle for STEC contamination of fruits, vegetables, water and soil. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the use of probiotic strains of Ruminobacter amylophilus, Ruminobacter succinogenes, Succinovibrio dextrinosolvens, Bacillus cereus sub toyoi, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Enterococcus faecium, supplemented to the daily oral food ration provided to sheep, together with composting of their feces, may be used as a strategy to reduce STEC levels on a farm. The first stage of the present study was performed during a six-week period with a total of 160 sheep distributed among four groups comprised of 40 sheep each. Group A did not receive either STEC or probiotic, Group B received probiotic alone, Group C received STEC plus probiotic and Group D received STEC alone. After the sheep were inoculated, samples of their feces were collected and the number of STEC and E. coli were counted. In the second stage of the study, after the six-week period, all fecal material was composted into four separate heaps. A possible protective effect of the probiotic strains against colonization by STEC was observed. It was also observed that composting was very efficient at eliminating or decreasing the STEC population. Although the number of STEC isolates was effectively decreased in all compost heaps, the Group C derived compost heap was found to have a lower amount of STEC than the Group D derived compost heap. These findings suggest that the use of probiotics, such as lactic bacteria, together with composting manure may be an efficient strategy to decrease the STEC population on a farm.

http://www.academicjournals.org/journal/AJMR/article-abstract/569594D59339

CFIA

Ottawa, July 11, 2016 – General Mills Canada is recalling Betty Crocker Super Moist brand Cake Mix Rainbow Bit from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O121 contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.

http://inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2016-07-11/eng/1468267314003/1468267317094