Tag Archives: food poisoning

Research – FDA Advice on Eggs

FDA EGGS

What You Need to Know

Fresh eggs must be handled carefully to avoid the possibility of foodborne illness, often called “food poisoning.” Even eggs with clean, uncracked shells may occasionally contain bacteria called Salmonella that can cause an intestinal infection.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that 142,000 illnesses each year are caused by consuming eggs contaminated with Salmonella. FDA has put regulations in place to help prevent contamination of eggs on the farm and during shipping and storage. But consumers play a key role in preventing illness associated with eggs. In fact, the most effective way to prevent egg-related illness is by knowing how to buy, store, handle and cook eggs — or foods that contain them — safely. Follow these safe handling tips to help protect yourself and your family

Research – Food-poisoning pathogen: A multi-faceted poison? Bacillus cereus

Science Daily Bacillus_cereus_01

The Bacillus cereus bacteria is one of the potential causes of food poisoning. A recent study shows that this versatile pathogen produces 19 different variants of a poison that causes nausea and vomiting in human beings. This variety could explain why some cases are relatively benign and others can result in death.

 

Israel – 250 Paratroopers – Food Poisoning

Healthmap.org

Some 250 members of the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] Paratroopers 202nd Battalion came down with food poisoning after eating Friday night [27 Mar 2015] dinner at their base this past weekend.The soldiers are currently stationed on the Golan Heights, where they are taking part in a battalion-wide exercise that began last [Mon 23 Mar 2015] and which might have to be suspended due to the soldiers’ health.

 

USA – Food Poisoning – Philadelphia Gathering of Lawyers, Law Students

Food Poisoning Bulletin

A Chinese New Year banquet in Philadelphia’s Chinatown triggered one of the largest food poisoning outbreaks in the city’s history, according to Philly.com. Nearly 100 lawyers and law students who attended the banquet were sickened.

There were 250 guests at the Feb. 27 celebration at Joy Tsin Lau, a dim sum restaurant. Two days later, dozens of them fell ill, some ended up in the emergency room, according to the report.

USA – Frozen Spinach Outbreak Updates – Listeria monocytogenes

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Cadia, Meijer, Wild Harvest and Wegmans brands of  frozen spinach are being recalled for potential Listeria contamination. Coastal Green Vegetable Company LLC of Oxnard, CA  supplied the spinach to Twin City Foods, Inc. of Stanwood, Washington which distributed the product sold under those four brand names. Cadia is the store brand for Tops Markets. Wild Harvest is a Supervalu brand.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Simply Balanced Frozen Organic Chopped Spinach sold exclusively at Target stores nationwide is being recalled for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. There have been several recalls of spinach for Listeria in the past few days. No illnesses have been reported to date, but listeriosis, the illness caused by this pathogenic bacteria, can take up to 70 days to appear.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

La Terra Fina is recalling spinach dips sold at Costco and Smart & Final stores for possible Listeria contamination. No illnesses has been reported at the time of the recall, but consumers who have purchased these products should not eat them as Listeria can cause serious illness or death.

The recall was issued after La Terra Fina received a recall notice from its organic spinach supplier of possible Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products were distributed to Costco stores in the Northwest, Midwest, Northeast and Southeast regions and Smart & Final stores along the West Coast only.

USA – Hepatitis A – Pizza – Vaccines – Information – Food Poisoning Journal

Food Poisoning Journal

WIVB Buffalo reports that the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center drew a crowd of hundreds of pizza lovers Monday, looking for protection against possible exposure to hepatitis A.  Casa Di Pizza, a popular Elmwood Avenue restaurant in Buffalo, had a server diagnosed with the disease on Friday. The Erie County Health Department encouraged 1,500 patrons to receive vaccinations if they ate at the restaurant or banquet room between March 9th and March 19th — Monday they vaccinated 766 people. The bar and take-out service were not involved with the server in question.

Food Poisoning Journal

Last Friday, the Erie County Department of Health announced two precautionary public health clinics in response to the recent identification of the hepatitis A virus in a local restaurant worker, a server at Casa di Pizza on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. The health department also warned the public that they should watch for symptoms of Hepatitis A for 50 days after their visit. If they start having Hepatitis A symptoms they should call their healthcare immediately and tell them they may have exposed to Hepatitis in Buffalo. Anyone experiencing Hepatitis A symptoms should contact their healthcare provider immediately.

Food Poisoning Journal

Hepatitis A is one of five human hepatitis viruses (hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E) that primarily infect the liver and cause illness. An estimated 80,000 cases occur each year in the U.S., although much higher estimates have been proposed based on mathematical modeling of the past incidence of infection. Each year, an estimated 100 persons die as a result of acute liver failure in the U.S. due to hepatitis A, but the rate of infection has dramatically decreased since the hepatitis A vaccine was licensed and became available in the U.S. in 1995.

China – Chinese High School Students Riot Over Mass Food Poisoning

Radio Free Asia imagesCAIM0ZM7

Thousands of disgruntled students smashed up their high school campus in the southwestern Chinese province of Guizhou in the early hours of Friday morning after an outbreak of food poisoning made hundreds of them sick.

Students at Guizhou’s Puding County No. 1 High School ran riot through their dormitories, smashing windows and prompting China’s ruling Communist Party county leaders to rush to the school to deal with the incident, the county government said in a statement on its website.

It said no one was hurt, but made no mention of the mass food poisoning incident, prompting a slew of critical comments on social media sites.

Social media posts said 3,000 students at the high school’s Hengshui campus near Guizhou’s Anshun city had also staged large-scale protests after more than 400 students became ill.

RASFF Alert – Food Poisoning – Kebab Meat – Staphylococcus – Salmonella – Bacillus cereus

RASFF-Logo

RASFF – food poisoning suspected (Staphylococcus, Salmonella or Bacillus cereus) to be caused by kebab meat from Germany in France

USA – Listeria in Ice Cream

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Target is recalling Blue Bell No Sugar Added Mooo Bars for potential Listeria contamination. The recall stems from a Listeria outbreak linked to single serving ice cream products made on a production line at Blue Bell’s Brenham facility.

Five people who were patients at Via Christi hospital in Wichita between January 2014 and January 2015 contracted listeriosis from contaminated Blue Bell ice cream they were served while hospitalized for unrelated illnesses.  Three of them died.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

The deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that has killed three people in Kansas has been linked to Blue Bell ice cream. When most people think of food poisoning, they think of undercooked or raw meat or eggs. How does a supposedly innocuous product like ice cream become contaminated with pathogenic bacteria?

Listeria monocytogenes bacteria are everywhere in our environment. These bacteria live in soil and water. Animals carry the bacteria and can transfer it to our food though feces, through dirty irrigation water, and in food harvesting and transport.

USA – Hepatitis A Outbreak – Hotel

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Five people who visited restaurants in the Westin Verasa Napa Hotel in Napa County, California have confirmed cases of Hepatitis A, the health department reports. The exposure took place between Feb. 9 and Feb. 26 at La Toque restaurant and BANK Café and Bar.The health department has not yet determined the source.