RASFF – Too high count of Escherichia coli (1400 MPN/100g) in clams (Veneus Gallina) from Italy in Italy
RASFF – Too high count of Escherichia coli (790 MPN/100g) in mussels ((Mytilus galloprovincialis) from Spain in Italy
RASFF – too high count of Escherichia coli (1300 MPN/100g) in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from Spain in Italy
Wiley Online – Essential Oils Inactivation of Salmonella on Cherry Tomato’s
Wiley Online – The Efficacy of Satureja khuzistanica Essential Oil Treatment in Reducing Escherichia coli O157:H7 Load on Alfalfa Seeds Prior to Sprouting
Ingenta Connect – Commercial Thermal Process for Inactivating Salmonella Poona on Surfaces of Whole Fresh Cantaloupes
Ingenta Connect – Dynamic Effects of Free Chlorine Concentration, Organic Load, and Exposure Time on the Inactivation of Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli
Ingenta Connect – Effect of Packaging Systems and Pressure Fluids on Inactivation of Clostridium botulinum Spores by Combined High Pressure and Thermal Processing
Victoria’s chief health officer Dr Rosemary Lester said there has been a three-fold increase in gastro cases after hot weather sparked people seeking to cool off at public swimming pools.
She urged those who have had diarrhoea not to go into a swimming pool for at least 14 days after symptoms had stopped for fear of passing on the bug.
Dr Lester said the cryptosporidium gastro parasite could not be killed by normal levels of chlorination.
“Cryptosporidiosis is typically caused by swallowing contaminated water, household contact with a case and contact with farm animals,” she said.
Authorities are working with swimming pool owners to implement extra measures to kill the parasite.
Symptoms included watery diarrhoea, stomach cramps and vomiting, Dr Lester said.
Dr Lester urged sufferers to shower before swimming to avoid infecting others, with children and the elderly particularly at risk.
There were 155 Victorian cases of gastro caused by the cryptosporidium parasite last month, three times the February average of 53.
Updated Health Hazard Alert – Certain Mauri brand Gorgonzola may contain Listeria monocytogenes
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is warning consumers not to eat recreationally harvested mussels, clams, or whole scallops from Marin County. Dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins have been found in mussels in this region. These naturally occurring toxins can cause illness or death. Cooking does not destroy this toxin.
This warning is in addition to the annual mussel quarantine that was extended on October 31, 2012 for Del Norte and Humboldt counties. That quarantine is still in effect.
FOSCOLLAB is a new WHO platform for food safety professionals.
FOSCOLLAB enables users to:
By integrating multiple sources of reliable data, FOSCOLLAB helps overcome the challenges of accessing these key sources in a timely manner. It allows for better risk assessment and decision-making by food safety professionals and authorities.
Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Methods, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall, Research
Tagged climate, food safety professionals, global public health, internet, science, technology
Abstract:
This study evaluated the efficacy of a PCR-based system (DuPont Qualicon BAX) for detection of Salmonella in sprouts and spent irrigation water collected during sprouting of seeds naturally contaminated with Salmonella. Alfalfa seeds were grown in Mason jars at 20 and 30°C for 3 days. Levels of Salmonella present in the water and sprouts were determined by most-probable-number (MPN) analysis. Background microflora levels were also determined. Samples of spent irrigation water and sprouts were enriched overnight individually in tetrathionate broth and in buffered peptone water with novobiocin at 42°C and then run in the BAX system. Samples were also enriched according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Bacteriological Analytical Manual (FDA BAM) method for Salmonella as a comparison. Salmonella levels were lower at 20°C compared with 30°C for some trials, and background microflora levels ranged from 107 to 108 CFU/g or ml at 20°C and 108 to 109 CFU/g or ml at 30°C. In trials with a Salmonella level >1.1 MPN/g or ml, both the BAX and FDA BAM methods were able to detect Salmonella in all samples. In trials with lower levels (0.21 MPN/g or ml or lower) of Salmonella, BAX was able to detect more positive samples than FDA BAM. For one trial with <0.003 MPN/g or ml of Salmonella, the presence of the pathogen was not indicated by either the BAX or the FDA BAM method. The results suggest that PCR detected low levels of Salmonella in sprouts or spent irrigation water collected from sprouting of naturally contaminated seeds.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a draft quantitative assessment of the risk of listeriosis from soft-ripened cheese consumption in the United States and Canada. The risk assessment is a joint effort between FDA and Health Canada. View the Federal Register Notice for the assessment.
The new FDA/Health Canada draft risk assessment found that the risk of listeriosis from soft-ripened cheeses made with raw milk is estimated to be 50 to 160 times higher than that from soft-ripened cheese made with pasteurized milk. This finding is consistent with the fact that consuming raw milk and raw milk products generally poses a higher risk from pathogens than do pasteurized milk and its products.
While raw milk and raw milk products put all consumers at risk, the bacteria they may contain can be especially dangerous to people with weakened immune systems, older adults, pregnant women and children. View guidelines for avoiding illness by choosing milk and milk products carefully.
FDA invites comments that can help FDA and Health Canada improve:
To submit comments electronically, go to docket FDA-2012-N-1182 on regulations.gov. The comment period opens February 11, 2013 for 75 days.
Abstract
The effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatments on Vibrio parahaemolyticus cells were investigated using viability counting, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) in order to determine optimal inactivation conditions and further understand the mechanisms of microorganism inactivation under HHP. The results showed that 300-MPa treatment for 10 min could extensively inactivate V. parahaemolyticus, with the number of viable bacteria decreasing from 109 CFU/mL to no viable bacteria. Damage to the cell wall, cell membrane, and cytoplasmic components by HHP treatments can be observed on scanning as well as transmission electron microscopy images. SDS-PAGE results showed that the protein bands differed between HHP untreated and treated V. parahaemolyticus, whereas HHP decreased protein content and caused partial protein degradation. Therefore, our results indicate that HHP can be applied to inactivate V. parahaemolyticus by inducing morphological changes in internal and external structures in the cell, as well as by causing cell membrane damage, cell wall rupture, and membrane protein degradation.
Posted in Bacteria, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Hygiene, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, Vibrio, Vibrio parahaemolyticus
Abstract
To understand the general trends and status of China’s food safety, we analyzed 2387 individual incidents of acute foodborne illnesses that had been reported by medical professionals in published journal papers during the last decade. As a result, 99,487 illnesses and 380 deaths were found in these 2387 incidents. In our analysis, we tried to understand the risks of acute foodborne illnesses and deaths corresponding to food pathogens, food location and settings, implicated food vehicles, sources of contamination and human causes. Based on our analysis, we made recommendations for risk communication, risk management and future research in regard to foodborne illnesses in China.
► We analyze China’s food safety problem in the case of acute foodborne illness. ► Data were extracted from detailed reports on 2387 incidents of foodborne illness. ► Risk factors are discussed from multiple perspectives. ► Recommendation for policies and strategies towards food safety are provided. ► This is so far the most comprehensive analysis of acute foodborne illness in China.
Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, Food Chemistry, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Methods, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Research
Tagged climate, food safety problem, food vehicles, foodborne illnesses, illness data, research
FoodWorld 