Nestlé has been given permission to partially reopen a plant in France where pizzas behind a serious E. coli outbreak were made.
French officials from the Nord area of the country in the Hauts-de-France region gave the green light this past week for operations to restart at the Buitoni factory in Caudry.
Approval only applies to production of pizzas with cooked dough. The line making pizzas with no re-baking of dough, such as the Fraîch’Up range, will not restart yet.
Fraîch’Up frozen pizzas were the source of the largest E. coli-HUS outbreak ever documented in France.
One element of the plan to restart has included the dismantling and cleaning of 19,000 parts on the production line.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted surveillance activities for multiple pathogens. Since March 2020, there was a decline in the number of reports of norovirus and Campylobacter recorded by England’s national laboratory surveillance system. The aim is to estimate and compare the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on norovirus and Campylobacter surveillance data in England.
Between mid-August and December 2022, the Statens Serum Institut has registered 11 cases of Listeria monocytogenes . The Statens Serum Institut, the Danish Food Agency and the Danish Food Institute DTU have investigated the disease outbreak and identified fish cakes as the source.
About the disease outbreak
Between mid-August and December 2022, the Statens Serum Institut registered 11 people who are infected with the same type of Listeria monocytogenes (figure 1). Among the sick are 4 men and 7 women. In relation to age, there is one child and 10 adults (median age is 77). The patients are infected throughout the country (table 1). Interviews with six patients showed that all had eaten fish cakes.
Table 1. Patients with the same type of Listeria monocytogenes in Denmark, August to December 2022, per region (n=11)
Region
Number of patients
The capital
4
Central Jutland
2
Northern Jutland
0
Zealand
2
Southern Denmark
3
Total
11
The investigation of the outbreak
The outbreak is handled by the Central Outbreak Group, which consists of SSI, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the DTU Food Institute. SSI stands for whole-genome sequencing of listeria isolates from the patients and interviews with patients or relatives with a view to identifying a possible source of infection. The outbreak investigation showed that fish meatballs were the cause of the disease outbreak. The fish meatballs were recalled from stores on November 8, 2022.
The outbreak strain
The bacteria is of the type Listeria monocytogenes . By whole-genome sequencing of the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria isolated from the patients, it can be seen that they are very closely related and belong to sequence type 7.
Do not consume, use, sell, serve, or distribute recalled products
Affected products
Brand
Product
Size
UPC
Codes
Igor
Gorgonzola Dolce
Variable
Variable
Best Before: 23/FE/01 Lotto 2774015 and 23/FE/01 Lotto 2775033
Issue
The affected product is being recalled from the marketplace due to possible Listeria contamination.
The recalled product may have been sold by various retailers, either clerk-served or in smaller packages, with or without a label that may not bear the same brand, product name or best before date. Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased the recalled product are advised to contact their retailer.
The recalled product has been sold in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec and may have been distributed in other provinces and territories.
What you should do
If you think you became sick from consuming a recalled product, contact your healthcare provider
Check to see if you have recalled products
Do not consume, serve, use, sell, or distribute recalled products
Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the location where they were purchased
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, the infection can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or even stillbirth. In severe cases of illness, people may die.
Restaurants and food retailers that have received Sun Hong Foods Inc. enoki mushrooms sourced from China.
Consumers, especially those who are or could become pregnant, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems, who have recently consumed enoki mushrooms labeled as Sun Hong Food, Inc. product sourced from China.
Product
Product is labeled as Sun Hong Foods Inc, (Montebello, CA) enoki mushrooms sourced from China.
Purpose
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is advising consumers not to eat, restaurants and food retailers not to sell, and to dispose of product labeled as Sun Hong Foods Inc. enoki mushrooms sourced from China due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
Summary of Problem and Scope
On November 28, 2022, Missouri state partners, as a part of the FDA-funded Laboratory Flexible Funding Model Cooperative Agreement Program collected enoki mushroom samples from retail markets in Missouri. One sample labeled as Sun Hong Foods Inc, (Montebello, CA) and sourced from China tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, but does not appear to match any clinical isolates from active outbreaks.
FDA Actions
The FDA is issuing this alert advising consumers to not eat and restaurants and food retailers to not sell Sun Hong Foods Inc. enoki mushrooms sourced from China due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. FDA is also advising consumers, restaurants and food retailers to dispose of Sun Hong Foods Inc. enoki mushrooms sourced from China.
The FDA is awaiting information on further interstate distribution of the enoki mushrooms and will continue to monitor the investigation and provide assistance to state authorities as needed.
Symptoms of Listeriosis
There are a range of symptoms for listeriosis. Depending on the severity of the illness, symptoms may last from days to several weeks. Mild symptoms may include a fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If the more severe form of listeriosis develops, symptoms may include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. For the very young, the elderly, and the immune-compromised listeriosis can result in death.
People infected with L. monocytogenes may start to see symptoms in a few hours or as long as two to three days after eating contaminated food. More severe forms of listeriosis may take anywhere from three days to three months to develop.
Listeriosis can be particularly dangerous for pregnant women and their newborn babies, leading to serious complications with their pregnancy, including miscarriage and stillbirth. Babies born with a listeriosis infection may develop severe health complications that require immediate medical attention, lead to lifelong health problems, or result in death. Women who suspect they have symptoms of listeriosis (muscles aches, nausea, stiffness in neck, headaches, etc.) should seek medical care immediately and tell their health provider what they ate. Learn more about People at Risk of Foodborne Illness.
Due to the range in severity of illness, people should consult their health care provider if they suspect that they have developed symptoms that resemble a(n) L. monocytogenes infection.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Texas Department of State Health Services, and other public health partners, are investigating a multistate outbreak of norovirus illnesses linked to raw oysters from Texas.
*This number is an estimate based on the information we have at this time. CDC is working with state and local partners and will update this number as more information is gathered.
Raw Oysters and Norovirus
If eaten raw, oysters and other filter-feeding shellfish can contain viruses and bacteria that can cause illness or death. Anyone who consumes raw shellfish is at risk of contracting norovirus. Children younger than five years old, the elderly, and those people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe infections. Food contaminated with norovirus may look, smell, or taste normal. To avoid food poisoning from oysters, cook them well to a temperature of at least 145 degrees F.
What Businesses Should Do
Do not serve or sell raw oysters harvested between 11/17/2022 and 12/7/2022 from harvest area TX 1, Galveston Bay, Texas:
Restaurants and food retailers should not serve raw oysters from harvest area TX 1, Galveston Bay, Texas, harvested between 11/17/2022 and 12/7/2022, which will be printed on product tags.
The FDA has confirmed that raw oysters harvested in area TX 1, Galveston Bay, Texas were potentially contaminated with norovirus and distributed to restaurants and retailers in Alabama (AL), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Louisiana (LA), Mississippi (MS) North Carolina (NC), Tennessee (TN) and Texas (TX). It is possible that additional states received these oysters through further distribution within the U.S.
Throw away any remaining oysters or return them to your distributor for destruction.
These oysters may be contaminated with norovirus. Follow these steps:
Wash and sanitize containers and surfaces that may have come into contact with these oysters.
Wash hands with warm water and soap following the cleaning and sanitation process.
What You Should Do
Do not eat any raw oysters from the areas listed above. If you have oysters at home from any of the areas listed above, throw them away. Clean any utensils or food preparation surfaces that may have touched the oysters.
If you think you might have gotten sick from eating possibly contaminated raw oysters, talk to your healthcare provider and report your illness to your local health department.
TFP Nutrition announced today that it is issuing a voluntary recall of a dry cat food formulation manufactured on November 13, 2022, at its Nacogdoches, Texas facility. HEB Texas Pets Indoor Complete Dry Cat Food is being recalled due to potential Salmonella contamination. Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated cat products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products. No cat or human illness has been reported with respect to the recalled cat food to date.
Cats with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some cats will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy cats can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your cat has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.
This product was only distributed in the State of Texas and sold in HEB retail stores. All recalled product has been removed from store shelves and no other HEB products are affected by the voluntary recall. Affected product will contain “MFG 13 NOV 22” on the second line of the lot code located on the back of the bag.
Description
Size
Production Code
H-E-B Texas Pets Indoor Complete Dry Cat Food
16 lb.
MFG 13 NOV 22
Cat owners who are unsure if the product they purchased is included in the recall, or would like a replacement product or refund, may contact TFP Nutrition via a toll-free call at 1-800-560-9197, Monday through Sunday, 8 am – 5pm CST. Consumers may also go to tfpnutrition.com/recallExternal Link Disclaimer for more information.
