Tag Archives: food and drug administration fda

USA – Cheese – Listeria monocytogenes – Death and Miscarriage

Posted on July 4, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Listeria BlogEurofins Food Testing UK

Les Freres cheese is distributed by Crave Brothers Farmstead Classics, a Wisconsin producer.  Crave Brothers cheese is sold at some of the Midwest restaurants, including Girl and the Goat in Chicago, Wild Rice in Bayfield, Wisconsin, and Butcher and the Boar in Minneapolis. In the Twin Cities, it is also sold at grocery stores such as Lunds, Byerly’s and Kowalski’s.  The products were distributed nationwide through retail and foodservice outlets as well as by mail orders.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), two older adults in Minnesota got sick in early June after eating the cheese, and one later died.

The outbreak has sickened at least four others in three states, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  In addition to Minnesota, the other states involved are Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.  One of the cases was a pregnant woman who suffered a miscarriage.

All of those sickened were infected with the same strain of listeriosis, the FDA said.

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Posted in Bacteria, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Miscarriage, outbreak, Pathogen

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Research – FDA Investigation Safety of Shell Eggs

Posted on June 21, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Posioning BulletinEGGS

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is planning to establish a Cooperative Agreement with the North Carolina State University Department of Poultry Science and the Piedmont Research Station Poultry Unit to study the safety of shell eggs in the U.S. market. The 2009 Egg Safety Rule was designed to prevent foodborne illness caused by eggs contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis. The Agreement will research routes of transmission for Salmonella in the egg production industry. The agreement will go into effect in September 2013.

Scientists are hoping to investigate how changes in physical feed characteristics and housing could influence Salmonella transmission. Findings will help researchers and the egg industry understand routes of Salmonella transmission and food safety controls needed to help prevent outbreaks.

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Posted in Bacteria, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella

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Research – Norovirus Killed by Electron Beam

Posted on May 13, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin300px-Crassostrea_gigas_p1040848

Researchers at Texas A&M University have developed a way to pasteurize oysters without chemicals or heat using an electron beam. A study measuring the method’s efficacy on norovirus and hepatitis A appears in the June issue of the scientific journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Although the CDC recommends that all shellfish be cooked to an internal temperature of 140˚, many people enjoy raw eating oysters raw. Pasteurization is one way to address the health risk of raw foods. And it’s one of the electron beam or E beam applications being explored at the National Center for Electron Beam Research at Texas A&M University.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already approved E beam technology as a way to control Vibrio vulnificus, a naturally occurring bacteria in shellfish that can cause life- threatening illness or death. In this study, researchers measured E beam’s efficacy on different levels of viral concentration. They found that at high levels of contamination the E beam was able to reduce norovirus levels by 12 percent and hepatitis A levels by 16 percent and at more moderate levels of contamination the method was able to reduce norovirus by 26 percent and hepatitis A by 90 percent

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis E, Illness, Methods, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, Research

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USA – FDA – Recall Organic Baby Spinach Products- EHEC E.coli

Posted on February 13, 2013 by | Leave a comment

FDAEcoli Istock

Out of an abundance of caution, Taylor Farms Retail, Inc. is initiating a voluntary recall of select Organic Baby Spinach products with the potential to be contaminated with (EHEC) Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli.

Symptoms of the diseases caused by EHEC include abdominal cramps and diarrhea that may in some cases progress to bloody diarrhea. Fever and vomiting may also occur.

See Link Above for Product List

No other products or code dates are affected by this recall. The company is cooperating with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) regarding this recall. There have been no reported illnesses attributed to the recalled items.

Customers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume the products and should dispose of them. Consumers may contact Taylor Farms Retail, Inc. for further information at 855-293-9811. Consumers with concerns about an illness from consumption of this product should contact a health care provider.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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Research New Bacterial Identification Technology

Posted on January 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (GPP), which recently received approval from US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is one lab test that can do the job of many,  expertly scanning a solitary stool sample for 11 different illness-inducing organisms.

To many, that sounds an impressive feat in an of itself. But considering that 179 million Americans are stricken with gastroenteritis every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s also one that can come in handy. Infectious gastroenteritis is caused by certain viruses, bacteria, or parasites and can be spread easily through person-to-person contact or from contaminated food, water, and surfaces. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea.

The  xTAG can scan for  bacteria including Campylobacter, Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) toxin A/B, Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157, Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) LT/ST, Salmonella, Shigella and Shiga‐like Toxin producing E. coli (STEC) stx 1/stx 2. It can scan for viruses including Norovirus and Rotavirus A. And it can scan for parasites such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia.

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, Clostridium difficile, Cryptosporidium, E.coli, E.coli O103, E.coli O104, E.coli O145, E.coli O157, E.coli O26, EHEC, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Giardia, Methods, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen, Rotavirus

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USA – Recall – Food Grade Limestone – Salmonella

Posted on November 7, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Omya Inc. is voluntarily recalling certain lots of food grade ground limestone products processed at its Superior, Arizona plant because of the possible presence of Salmonella. There have been no reports of any illnesses or adverse health effects associated with any of Omya’s food grade ground limestone products. Although an investigation is still ongoing, Omya is recalling specific lots of Omya-Cal FG-4 AZ, Omya-Cal FG-10 AZ and Omya-Cal FG-15 AZ in the U.S. as a precaution.  Omya’s voluntary recall is being conducted in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The most common symptoms of Salmonella infection are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever, which develop within eight to 72 hours of eating contaminated food. The illness usually lasts for four to seven days and most people recover without treatment. However, salmonellosis can be severe or even life threatening for infants, older people, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems. Individuals experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention.

Omya’s food grade ground limestone products were sold to distributors and/or manufacturers as ingredients for further processing in the U.S. The food grade products were not distributed for retail sale to consumers.
Omya is diligently investigating the possible problem and implemented additional precautionary food safety measures.

The products involved in this voluntary recall are:

Product Container Size Lot numbers
Omya-Cal FG-10 AZ 50 lb. bags
2500 lb. bulk bags
2000 lb. bulk bags		 Z227510511
Z227500511
Z227500511
Omya-Cal FG-4 AZ 50 lb. bags
50 lb. bags		 Z227510409
Z230310409
Omya-Cal FG-15 AZ 2500 lb. bulk bags
2500 lb. bulk bags		 Z228400712
Z228200712

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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USDA Recall Chicken Caesar Salad – Salmonella

Posted on August 17, 2012 by | Leave a comment

USDA

Real Mex Foods, a Vernon, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately 77,688 pounds of Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Kits. The salad kits include dressing made with cilantro that is the subject of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recall by Fresco Green Farms Inc., due to possible Salmonella contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The products subject to recall are:

36-oz. trays of “El Torito Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Kit.”

  • 18-lb. cases that contain eight (8) 36-oz. trays of “EL TORITO Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Kit.”

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella, USDA

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US- BBQ Salads Recall – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on July 30, 2012 by | Leave a comment

USDA

Huxtable’s Kitchen, a Vernon, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately 5,610 pounds of barbeque chicken salads. The salads contain diced onions that are the subject of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recall due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

FSIS was alerted to the problem by Huxtable’s Kitchen. The company was informed by a supplier that diced onions used in the product are subject to an FDA recall. FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of this product.

 

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

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US Bans Korean Shellfish – Faecal Matter – Norovirus

Posted on June 16, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Korean shellfish is not safe to eat and Korea has been removed from the U.S. list of approved  shellfish shippers after officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) discovered unsanitary conditions  that exposed molluscan growing areas to human fecal matter, norovirus and pollution, the agency announced yesterday.

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Posted in Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall

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FDA-Regulated Food Recalls Surged in Last Quarter 2011

Posted on February 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Foods regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were recalled 50 percent more in the fourth quarter last year and affected over 80 percent more units when compared with the previous period, according to the ExpertRECALL ™ Index.
 

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Posted in Clostridium botulinum, E.coli, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Salmonella

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