USA – Salmonella Strikes Seattle Restaurant

Posted on September 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

Public health officials are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella infections associated with CrackleMi Café in Seattle, WA.

The restaurant closed on Sept. 20 because of the outbreak and the results of an inspection.

There are currently three patients confirmed with lab testing. All three have the same strain of Salmonella and all three reported eating at the restaurant before becoming ill. The patients reported eating banh mi sandwiches made with pork, chicken and egg. The restaurant is located at 709 N 35th Street in Seattle.

All three people developed one or more symptoms consistent with salmonellosis, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, bloody stool, and fever.

The health department did not identify any ill employees.

Patients range in age from 23 to 38 years old. None have required hospitalization and none have died.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Salmonella

UK – CFA responds to ACMSF Report on Botulinum Neurotoxin-Producing Clostridia

Posted on September 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

CFA

UK Government’s Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF), has been reviewing the risk basis of the FSA’s guidance on the control of non-proteolytic Clostridium botulinum (npcb) in vacuum packed and modified atmosphere packed (VP/MAP) chilled foods. In June 2022 CFA Director Karin Goodburn presented evidence to the group (CFA News #58 & #59). ACMSF has now published its report on Botulinum Neurotoxin-Producing Clostridia. The report is available on on the ACMSF website.

CFA welcomes this Report, which not only updates the risk basis of the guidance but also extends the scope of interest to all Botulinum neurotoxin-producing Clostridia.

The Report reviews botulism incidents globally, noting they have only occurred in very rare occasions in chilled foods and only when not sold or stored chilled, and there is no correlation between the major growth in the chilled prepared food market and botulism.

Read more at the link above

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Posted in ACMSF, CFA, Clostridium, Clostridium botulinum, Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Risk

Belgian officials search for source of Shigella infections

Posted on September 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Belgian authorities have temporarily closed an events venue linked to more than 50 Shigella infections.

The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) and the Flemish Departement Zorg reported that over recent weekends, people had been infected with Shigella after attending the Zandberghoeve venue in Beernem. The source of contamination may be an infected person or a contaminated food or object.

Earlier this year, Zorg en Gezondheid (The Flemish Care and Health Agency) merged with another body to form Departement Zorg.

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Posted in food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, Shigatoxin, Shigella, Shigella flexneri, Shigella Sonnei

Germany – Saxony Milk Our Freshness 1.5% 1l – Microbial Abnormalities

Posted on September 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

LMW

Alert type:

Groceries

Date of first publication:

September 21, 2023

Product name:

Saxony Milk Our Freshness 1.5% 1l

Manufacturer (distributor):

Sachsenmilch Leppersdorf GmbH

Reason for warning:

As part of a self-examination, microbiological abnormalities were discovered that could trigger infections. This can potentially be serious, particularly in vulnerable groups of people (infants, small children, pregnant women, seniors and people with a weakened immune system). Therefore, customers should not consume the affected product.

Packaging Unit:

1 liter

Durability:

October 8, 2023

Lot identification:

10/8/23

Additional Information:

The product was sold through EDEKA branches in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt.

Click to access 2023_09_21_Pressemitteilung_Rueckruf_Sachsenmilch_ESL-Milch_final.pdf

Manufacturer’s homepage:

https://www.sachsenmilch.de/

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Posted in bacterial contamination, cross contamination, Decontamination Microbial, food contamination, food recall, microbial contamination, product recall, Recall

Germany hit by 3-year hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen berries

Posted on September 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

A hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen berries has sickened almost 60 people in Germany across two years.

A total of 55 sequence-confirmed cases and four probable infections have been identified from 10 federal states, according to the Robert Koch Institut (RKI).

In January 2022, RKI was informed about eight hepatitis A virus (HAV) cases with identical genotype IB sequences from two federal states, Hesse and Bavaria. Because of a lack of travel history and the distribution of illnesses, transmission through contaminated food was suspected.

Based on initial surveys by health authorities and experience from past outbreaks, the hypothesis was that cases could be related to eating contaminated frozen berries. Because of the long shelf life and high stability of HAV, frozen products can still lead to illnesses months after purchase by the consumer.

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Posted in food recall, Hepatitis A, product recall, Recall

Italy – Meat tartare – Salmonella

Posted on September 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Salute

Brand : Fiorani & CSpa

Name : Meat tartare

Reason for reporting : Recall due to microbiological risk

Publication date : 22 September 2023

Documentation

Documentation

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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 Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, Salmonella

Finland – Detection of bacteria in cheese dips

Posted on September 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Epressi

Cheddar Cheese Sauce and Dip Nacho Cheese Style.

Paulig has announced a recall of two Santa Maria cheese dips/sauces. The recall is based on a confirmed bacterial observation in a single production batch of cheese sauce. As a precautionary measure, a larger number of production batches are recalled. The recall concerns two products and their following dates:

  1. Cheddar Cheese Sauce (3000 g)
    best before date is between  1.6.2024 and 31.8.2024
  1. The best before date for  Dip Nacho Cheese Style (250 g) is between 1 June 2025 and 31 August 2025.

Instructions for consumers can be found  in the bulletin on Paulig’s website.

More information:

Paulig’s Customer Service 
Tel. 0800 0110 (weekdays 9–12:30) 
consumerservice@paulig.com

The matter is handled at the Food Agency by special expert Mika Varjonen, tel. 050 38 68 416,  firstname.surname@ruokavirasto.fi .

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Posted in Bacteria, bacterial contamination, food recall, product recall, Recall

USA – Hepatitis A exposure at Ivy Lounge

Posted on September 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

Sept. 23 is the last day to be vaccinated for some who were possibly exposed at the Ivy Lounge during the Jason Aldean concert.

Pontiac, Mich. Sept. 21, 2023 – Oakland County Health Division is providing an update on the suspected case of hepatitis A associated with the Ivy Lounge at Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston: the case was confirmed by MDHHS Laboratory. The Health Division advises all season members, their guests and staff who consumed food at the Ivy Lounge between Aug. 26 – Sept. 8 to monitor for symptoms, and if unvaccinated for hepatitis A, to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

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Posted in Hepatitis A

USA – 5 confirmed cases of E. coli reported at Huntley High School

Posted on September 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

NBC Chicago

At least five cases of Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli (STEC) have been reported at suburban Huntley High School, officials say.

In a letter released to parents on Wednesday, officials said they had been contacted by the McHenry County Health Department about the outbreak.

Health officials are working to determine “common exposures” among the five individuals who have been diagnosed with the illness, but no definitive source has been identified at this time.

According to the press release, any child who experiences symptoms of E. coli must be kept home until they are symptom-free for at least 48 hours.

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Posted in E.coli O157, E.coli O157:H7, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, STEC, STEC E.coli

USA – Dozens more sick in Salmonella outbreak linked to Chicago taqueria

Posted on September 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

At least 55 people are sick with Salmonella infections after eating food from a Chicago taqueria. Initial reports said 20 people were sick, with ten people hospitalized.

The Chicago Department of Public Health and the Illinois Department of Public Health are investigating the outbreak. The agencies reported that Carniceria Guanajuato voluntarily closed the taqueria on Sept. 8, 2023. The operator is cooperating with health officials to find the source of the Salmonella.

The strain of Salmonella involved is particularly virulent, or the contaminated foods had large amounts of the pathogen because of the high hospitalization rate.

Public health officials are asking people who ate at the taqueria and became ill to seek medical treatment and ask for Salmonella testing. Salmonella infections can mimic other illnesses.

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Posted in Uncategorized