FoodWorld

With the country in lockdown and having more spare time than ever before, there has been a concerning rise in food businesses operating out of people’s homes and selling on social media. Many of these businesses have been set up by people who have lost their jobs or are on furlough, including professional chefs hit by the closure of restaurants. Instead of opening the next market stall or restaurant, they are using the power of Instagram and Facebook to try and succeed in the crowded market.

However, the food safety watchdog has issued an alert that Britons could be putting their health at serious risk as many of these ‘home-cookers’ are not registering as official food businesses, meaning that their food hygiene arrangements are not checked. They are operating under the radar and often you won’t find any trace of them outside of Instagram, not even a website. They simply post a picture of something freshly prepared and the rest of the conversations happens on a ‘DM’ to decide on the price and the location from where the order is to be picked up.

BBC

There has been a “concerning” rise in food businesses operating out of people’s homes during lockdown, according to the food safety watchdog.

Many of them are selling food through social media, putting further pressure on a hygiene inspection system that is under strain because of the crisis.

And other experts are also worried.

“Little food businesses are popping up like mushrooms in lockdown,” said Julie Barratt from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).

“There are rank outsiders operating off the radar, who think, ‘Oh, my mum can cook’, and confuse cooking with catering,” she added. They sell to locals on apps such as Whatsapp, Instagram and Nextdoor.

Many are failing to register as food businesses, meaning their hygiene arrangements are not checked by local authorities.

But even those that do register are often not getting an inspection – despite new businesses usually being a priority – because the system is struggling to keep up during the pandemic.

Hygiene inspections ceased completely during the first lockdown and since then a scaled-back operation has focused on high-risk cases.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Poisoning, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Temperature Abuse, Food Testing, Food Toxin, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology

USA – Acute Hepatitis A Case in a Food Service Worker in Orono, Maine

Posted on March 25, 2021 by KSW | 1 comment

Food Poison Journal

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) has identified a case of acute hepatitis A virus infection in an Orono, Maine, food service worker. The individual handled food while infectious on the following dates: March 6-9, March 13-16, and March 20-21, 2021.

Epidemiological assessment of the employee’s illness determined that patrons of the establishment may be at risk for hepatitis A infection. Maine CDC recommends that anyone who ate food prepared at or who worked at the Circle K at 2 Stillwater Avenue in Orono, Maine, from March 13 through 16 and March 20 through 21 receive hepatitis A vaccine within 14 days of their potential exposure. There is a 14-day window during which prophylaxis is effective after exposure.

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Posted in food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Virus

Belgium – “mini Mont d’Or” raw milk cheese (cow) from the Mont de Joux brand – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on March 25, 2021 by KSW | Leave a comment

AFSCA

Communication from the AFSCA
Product: “mini Mont d’Or” raw milk cheese (cow) from the Mont de Joux brand.
Problem: Presence of Listeria Monocytogenes.

Today, the AFSCA is recalling consumers of the Mont de Joux brand “mini Mont d’Or” cheese.

This recall follows a notification via the RASFF system (European Food and Feed Rapid Alert System) concerning the presence of Listeria Monocytogenes.

It was therefore decided to withdraw this product from sale and to recall it to consumers.

Product Description :

Product name: mini Mont D’or
Brand: Mont de Joux
Batch number: 3053 Best before
dates (BBD): 01/04/2021 and 08/04/2021
Weight: 460g

The product was sold via:

La fromagerie Saint -Octave
• Rue Haute 254, 1000 Brussels
• Chaussée d’Alsemberg 54/1, 1060 Saint-Gilles
• Chaussée de Waterloo 1241/1, 1180 Uccle

La Fromagerie “Happiness is in the Meadow”: Rue Saint-Paul, 30, 4000 Liège

VDS Food Barchon: Rue Prés-champs, 4, 4671 Barchon

For any further information, you can contact the AFSCA contact point for consumers: 0800 / 13.550 or pointdecontact@afsca.be .

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Posted in afsca, food contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiology

France – Product recall: Maison Milhau pickle head pâté pack – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on March 25, 2021 by KSW | Leave a comment

Oulah

Product recall: Maison Milhau pickle head pâté pack

ENCOUNTERED PROBLEM

Presence of Listeria monocytogenes

PROPOSED SOLUTION

Those in possession of this product are asked not to consume it and to return it to the point of sale where it was purchased for reimbursement.

People who have consumed this product and who present with fever, isolated or accompanied by headaches, are invited to consult their attending physician, notifying him of this consumption.
Pregnant women should pay special attention to these symptoms, as well as immunocompromised people and the elderly. These symptoms may suggest listeriosis, a disease that can be serious and can take up to eight weeks to incubate.

FURTHER INFORMATION

▸ Barcode
3289010001703

▸ Lot
• 067101
• 067102

▸ DLC
04/13/2021

▸ EEC approval number
FR 81-124-012 CE

▸ Consumer service contact
MAISON MILHAU
Avenue du Montalet BP 42 – 81230 LACAUNE
Tel: 05 63 37 06 03 – Fax: 05 63 37 08 56
Mail: qualite@maison-milhau.com

▸ Source
https://www.auchan.fr/

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Posted in food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Oulah

USA – Caldwell Idaho Subway link in Norovirus Outbreak that has sickened 25

Posted on March 25, 2021 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

Food Borne Illness - Norovirus -CDC Photo

Nearly 25 known individuals have reported experiencing gastro-intestinal illness symptoms to Southwest District Health (SWDH) since Friday, March 19. SWDH is currently investigating each reported illness to help determine the exact source and has confirmed 1 positive case of Norovirus. So far, there is a strong link to the Subway at 319 N 10th Ave in Caldwell, individuals that are reporting symptoms visited the establishment or received food from this location March 16-19.

The Subway involved is working cooperatively with SWDH following suspected presence of Norovirus and instituted mitigation measures to halt the spread of the virus. Following the inspection by SWDH, it was determined that the facility was following all guidance and recommendations.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, food contamination, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Virus, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Norovirus, outbreak, Virus

India – Two-year-old dead, several babies ill due to food poisoning at shelter home in Bengal’s Nadia

Posted on March 24, 2021 by KSW | Leave a comment

New Indian Express

RANAGHAT: A two-year-old baby died and seven others fell ill at a shelter home in West Bengal’s Nadia district on Monday allegedly due to food poisoning, officials said.

The incident happened at the shelter home in Ranaghat’s Rabindra Sarani area, District Magistrate Partha Ghosh said.

The shelter home is run by NGO State Adopted Agency and total 16 babies live there, he said.

However, sources said that the number of babies taken ill is more and the toll may rise as a few babies are critical.

They are undergoing treatment at the Ranaghat Anulia Hospital, Ghosh said.

The babies started falling ill after having food on Sunday night, officials said.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Poisoning, Food Poisoning Death, Food Safety, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Poisoning

FoodWorld

RASFF Alert – STEC E.coli – Chilled Beef Rump Tails

RASFF Alerts – Listeria monocytogenes – Frozen Boar Products – Raw Cows Milk Cheese

RASFF Alerts – Norovirus – Live Oysters

RASFF Alerts – Animal Feed -Salmonella – Dog Chews – Complete Dog Food – Sunflower Meal

UK – Home Cooking and Selling Risks

USA – Acute Hepatitis A Case in a Food Service Worker in Orono, Maine

Belgium – “mini Mont d’Or” raw milk cheese (cow) from the Mont de Joux brand – Listeria monocytogenes