Category Archives: Uncategorized

USA – Dog Food -FDA warns Berks company about Salmonella in its dog food.

The Morning Call

Federal authorities have notified a Berks County raw pet food producer that its dog food has been found to contain salmonella.

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration “Warning Letter” sent last month to Lystn LLC DBA Answers Pet Food at 356 Maidencreek Road in Richmond Township says the company’s Detailed Answers Chicken Formula dog food showed traces of salmonella.

The FDA letter says investigators found salmonella in its Detailed Answers Chicken 8-ounce raw chicken patties and the 2-pound carton Detailed Answers Chicken Formula.

In a news release issued Wednesday and in a subsequent telephone interview, Lystn officials denied that the company is introducing salmonella in its pet food or allowing product in the market “that could result in illness to animals or humans.”

Australia -Raw bean sprouts linked to salmonella outbreak in South Australia

ABC News Salm2

South Australians are being warned not to eat raw bean sprouts after a significant increase in the number of Salmonella Saintpaul cases, SA Health says. SA Health said there had been 108 Salmonella Saintpaul cases reported over the past 11 days. Since the start of December, SA Health said it had been notified of 233 cases of Salmonella Saintpaul.

Of the 233 cases, 43 people have been hospitalised. SA Health said there were normally 15 to 20 cases of this particular strain of salmonella in South Australia each year.

Chief public health officer Professor Paddy Phillips said initial investigations held in conjunction with local councils and food suppliers indicated bean sprouts eaten raw may be responsible for the increased number of cases.

“We are advising South Australians to cook all bean sprouts and avoid eating raw bean sprouts,” Professor Phillips said.

“We also want to alert food retailers such as restaurants and cafes not to serve raw bean sprouts until further notice.”

Salmonella infection may produce symptoms of fever, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, headache, stomach cramps and nausea and vomiting.

USA -Meating Place Recalls Beef Product Due to Possible E. Coli O157:H7 Contamination

FSIS

WASHINGTON, April 21, 2016 – Meating Place, a Buffalo, N.Y., establishment, is recalling approximately 325 pounds of ground beef product that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The ground beef patties were produced on April 15, 2016. The following product is subject to recall: [View Label (PDF Only)]

  • 5-lb. boxes of “LORINGO BRAND BEEF PATTIES KEEP FROZEN THE MEATING PLACE INC.” with a package code of 120106.

The product subject to recall bears establishment number “Est. 8631” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The item was shipped to retail and intuitional locations in the Buffalo, NY area.

The problem was discovered by FSIS during routine in-plant review of testing results. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of this product.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps 2–8 days (3–4 days, on average) after exposure to the organism. While most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This condition can occur among persons of any age, but is most common in children under 5-years old and older adults. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.

FSIS and the company are concerned that some product may be frozen and in consumers’ freezers.

Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

UK -UK Campylobacter Survey Suspended Until New Methods Decided

The Poultry Site imagesCAYZ5I84

UK – The Food Standards Agency has suspended its survey of Campylobacter contamination on chickens after measures taken by retailers to combat the pathogen made survey methods obsolete.

The results of the second quarter of the survey, which were published on 25 February, showed 11 per cent of chickens tested positive for the highest level of contamination, down from 19 per cent in October to December 2014.

However, the FSA said that Campylobacter levels were still too high and the bug remains a top priority, and said it is setting itself a new target to reduce the number of human cases of Campylobacter poisoning by 100,000 a year.

Canada -Caraway-pepper salami manufactured by Webbersfood Ltd. recalled due to potential presence of Clostridium botulinum

CFIA

Recall details

Ottawa, April 21, 2016 – Webbersfood Ltd. is recalling caraway-pepper salami from the marketplace because it may permit the growth of Clostridium botulinum. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.

The following product was sold unlabelled by Webbersfood Ltd. at the Historic Farmers’ Market, located at Brewery Square in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on April 9, 2016.

Recalled products

Brand Name Common Name Size Code(s) on Product UPC
None Caraway-pepper salami Various None None

What you should do

Check to see if you have recalled products in your home. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased.

Food contaminated with Clostridium botulinum toxin may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, blurred or double vision, dry mouth, respiratory failure and paralysis. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

If you suspect you have become ill from eating a recalled product, the CFIA recommends contacting your doctor.

Background

This recall was triggered bytest results. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. If other high-risk products are recalled, the CFIA will notify the public through updated Food Recall Warnings.

The CFIA is verifying that industry is removing recalled product from the marketplace.

Illnesses

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

USA -Cheese Seized from CA Home in Salmonella Outbreak Investigation

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Bakersfield Now is reporting that more than 30 packages of Mexican cheese were seized from a woman’s home this week, as part of the ongoing investigation into the Salmonella outbreak. Family members of the woman bring cheese from Sinaloa, Mexico.  The cheese is being tested for pathogens, according to the report. Seven people in Kern County, which includes Bakersfield, have been sickened with Salmonella infections from eating illegal Mexican cheese.

 

USA -Mary’s Home Canning Recalls Mary’s Home Made Vegetable Soup Because of Possible Health Risk – Clostridium botulinum

FDA

Mary’s Home Canning of Lancaster, PA is recalling 516 jars of Mary’s Homemade Vegetable Soup (Net Wt. 16 OZ) and 1,128 jars of Mary’s Homemade Vegetable Soup (Net Wt. 32 OZ), because it has the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause life-threatening illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled.

Botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning, can cause the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

Mary’s Homemade Vegetable Soup (Net Wt. 16 OZ) and (Net Wt. 32 OZ) was distributed in PA, MD and DE in retail stores and farmer’s markets.

These products were packaged in clear glass jars with white screw top lids in pint-size and quart-size varieties. The label of the jar reads in part: “Mary’s Home Made Vegetable Soup…Heat and Serve…829-A Strasburg Road, Paradise, PA 17562.” No codes or expiration dates are present on these products.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The potential for contamination was noted after FDA testing found that the pH of the product was high and it did not receive an adequate process time or temperature.

Anyone with a product fitting the above description should return the product to where it was purchased, if possible, or call Mary’s Home Canning at 717-442-8349 for return instructions. Phone calls should be made during Eastern Standard Time.

UK -Asda recalls its Chicken & Sweetcorn Pasta Salad due to the presence of Salmonella

FSA

Asda has recalled its Chicken & Sweetcorn Pasta Salad, with a ‘use by’ date of 23 April 2016 because the product contains salmonella. Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause food poisoning.

Risk

The presence of salmonella in the product listed below. Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause food poisoning.

Product details

Chicken & Sweetcorn Pasta Salad 400g
Pack size: 400g
Barcode: 505478110346
‘Use by’ date: 23 April 2016

Action taken by the company

Asda has recalled the affected product from consumers.  Product recall notices have been displayed in stores that sell the product, explaining to customers the reason for recall and the actions they can take if they have bought the affected product.  A copy of the company’s product recall notice can be found at link below.

No other Asda products are known to be affected.

 

Hong Kong -Food Alert – CFS urges public not to consume two batches of cold cuts suspected to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

CFS

<!–

–>

Issue Date 2016-04-19
Source of Information The Centre for Food Safety (CFS)
Food Product Cold cuts
Name of Importer
Product name and Description (1) Product name: Cold Cut – Chili
Product brand: the house of Charcuterie
Packer: Hart Limited
Best before date: May 3, 2016

(2) Product name: Beef Pastrami
Product brand: the house of Charcuterie
Packer: Hart Limited
Best before date: May 2, 2016

Reason For Issuing Alert

– The CFS collected the above-mentioned cold cuts samples at APITA, a supermarket in Quarry Bay for testing under its regular Food Surveillance Programme. The test results showed that both samples contained Listeria monocytogenes.

– Listeria monocytogenes can be easily destroyed by cooking but can survive and multiply at refrigerator temperatures. Most healthy individuals do not develop symptoms or only have mild symptoms like fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea when infected. However, severe complications such as septicemia, meningitis or even death may occur in newborns, the elderly and those with a weaker immune system. Although infected pregnant women may just experience mild symptoms generally, the infection of Listeria monocytogenes may cause miscarriage, infant death, preterm birth, or severe infection in the newborns.

Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety

– The CFS has informed the supermarket and packer of the products concerned of the test results and instructed them to stop sale and remove from shelves the affected batches of the products and initiate a recall.

– The CFS is tracing the sources and distribution of the affected products.

– The CFS will also alert the trade to the incident and urge them to stop using or selling the affected batches of the products immediately should they still possess them.

– The CFS will continue to closely monitor the situation and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health. Investigation is ongoing.

Advice to the Trade

The trade should stop using or selling the products concerned immediately.
Advice to Consumers
Stop consuming the affected products if any purchased. Consumers should seek medical advice if they feel sick upon consumption.
Further Information The CFS press release

For enquiries about the recall, members of the public may call APITA (2885 0331) and Hart Limited (2557 0988) during office hours.

 

UK – FSA – Information – Update on FSA campylobacter retail survey

FSA Campylobacter

We have been running a year-long survey to measure the amount of campylobacter on chickens bought from shops and supermarkets. The results of the second quarter of the survey, which we published on 25 February, showed 11% of chickens tested positive for the highest level of contamination, down from 19% in October to December 2014. This progress is good news but campylobacter prevalence remains too high, which is why we have set a challenging target to reduce the number of human cases of campylobacter poisoning by 100,000 a year. Steve Wearne, Director of Policy at the FSA said: ‘Tackling campylobacter remains our number one priority. The ultimate test to show whether our campaign is working is to see whether fewer people get ill. That’s why we want to see 100,000 fewer cases of campylobacter each year from the end of March 2017. So there’s no let up for industry: we want to see continuing efforts to reduce this bug on our chickens.’ –