Tag Archives: food

USA – Beef Recall – E.coli O157

Posted on August 1, 2013 by KSW | 1 comment

National Beef Packing Company, a Liberal, Kan., firm, is recalling approximately 50,100 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The following products are subject to recall:

10 lb. chub of “National Beef” 93/ 7 Fine Ground Beef, Product Code 0707
10 lb. chub of “NatureSource” 80/20 Fine Ground Chuck, Product Code 7031
10 lb. chub of “NatureSource” 85/15 Fine Ground Beef, Product Code 7054
10 lb. chub of “NatureSource” 90/10 Fine Ground Beef, Product Code 7344
10 lb. chub of “NatureSource” 93/ 7 Fine Ground Beef, Product Code 7004
10 lb. chub of “NatureWell 80/20 Fine Ground Chuck, Product Code 7484
10 lb. chub of “NatureWell” 85/15 Fine Ground Beef, Product Code 7454
10 lb. chub of “NatureWell” 90/10 Fine Ground Sirloin, Product Code 7577
10 lb. chub of “NatureWell” 93/7 Fine Ground Beef, Product Code 7404

All these products bear the establishment number “EST. 208A” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products were produced on July 18, 2013 and were shipped in 40 to 60 pound cases to retailers, wholesalers, and food service distributors nationwide.

The problem was discovered through routine FSIS monitoring which confirmed a positive result for E. coli O157:H7. An investigation determined National Beef Packing Co. was the sole supplier of the source materials used to produce the positive product. FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider.

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Posted in Bacteria, E.coli, E.coli O157, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, FSIS, Hygiene, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

Tagged food, health

RASFF Alerts – Salmonella -Feed – Soy Bean – Diced Tomato – Dried Fish – Chicken Meal – Eggs

Posted on July 29, 2013 by KSW | Leave a comment

RASFF – Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) and high count of Enterobacteriaceae (450 CFU/g) in feed for food-producing animals from Mauritania in Denmark

RASFF -Salmonella Give (presene /25g) in soy bean meal from Brazil, via Slovenia in Austria

RASFF -Salmonella Idikan (presence /25g) in soya meal from Brazil, via the Netherlands in Belgium

RASFF – Salmonella spp. in frozen diced tomatoes from Spain in France

RASFF – Salmonella Brunei (presence /25g) in frozen dried fish from Vietnam in Germany

RASFF – Salmonella enteritidis (presence /25g) in chilled chicken wings from Hungary in Slovakia

RASFF – Salmonella enteritidis (presence) in eggs from Spain in France

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Laboratory, Microbiology, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Salmonella

Tagged dried fish, food, salmonella enteritidis, salmonella spp

FSA – Recall – Licorice Root Capsules – Salmonella

Posted on July 23, 2013 by KSW | 3 comments

FSA

Viridian International Ltd recalls two batches of its Licorice Root Vegetarian Capsules due to the detection of Salmonella.

As a precautionary measure, Viridian International Ltd is recalling two batch codes of the above product due to the detection of salmonella in the ingredient used to produce the capsules, which may pose a risk to health.

Licorice Root 30 Vegetarian Capsules and Licorice Root 90 Vegetarian Capsules
Pack size: Glass jars containing 30/90 capsules
Batch codes: 2912206 for 30 capsules and 3012206 for 90 capsules
‘Best before’ date: both products 22/6/2016

Viridian International Ltd is recalling the above product. Product recall notices will be displayed in store, advising consumers of the recall and what they can do if they have purchased the affected product. A recall notice has also been displayed on the company’s website.

A copy of the Viridian International Ltd product recall information notice is attached to this notice.

No other Viridian International Ltd products are known to be affected.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Laboratory, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Salmonella

Tagged environment, food, restaurants, science

RASFF Alerts – Salmonella – Soya Bean Meal – Fish Meal – Chicken – Turkey

Posted on July 23, 2013 by KSW | Leave a comment

RASFF – Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in soybean meal from Argentina in Italy

RASFF – Salmonella spp. (in 1out 5 samples) in fish meal from Morocco in Latvia

RASFF – Salmonella Heidelberg (presence /25g) in salted chicken from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF – Salmonella Agona (presence /25g) in frozen turkey meat preparation from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF – Salmonella enterica (presence /25g) in frozen turkey meat from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF – Salmonella enterica (S. enterica subsp. enterica serotype Heidelberg) in frozen salted chicken breast fillets from Brazil in the Netherlands

RASFF – Salmonella Heidelberg (presence /25g) in frozen chicken legs from Brazil in Spain

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, RASFF, Recall, Salmonella

Tagged chicken breast fillets, food, salmonella agona, salmonella enterica, salmonella spp

Italy – Recall Pesto – Botulism Poisoning

Posted on July 22, 2013 by KSW | Leave a comment

Italia and Mondo

Twenty people have been hospitalized in the emergency room of three hospitals int the Genoese area are under observation for suspected botulism poisoning.

They ate pesto of the company that has withdrawn a batch of jars and showed symptoms consistent with a possible poisoning. Two patients have already been discharged.

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Posted in Bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Laboratory, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall

Tagged botulism, emergency room, food, mondo, observation

USA -Cyclospora – Unwashed produce ?? – Drying May Help

Posted on July 22, 2013 by KSW | Leave a comment

Food Posioning Bulletin

Is the source of a multi-state Cyclopora outbreak restaurant lettuce salad? Health officials in at least six states are working in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to divine the food source that has infected hundreds of people with a rare parasite.

The bug is so rare that it is not included in the standard parasite screening which looks for Giardia and Cryptosporidium, said David Warshauer, deputy director of communicable disease at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH). And once it’s confirmed with a special lab test, sub-typing is generally not performed.

With common bacterial food poisoning outbreaks, including those caused by E.coli, Salmonella, Listeria or Campylobacter, subtyping, often done with Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE), is performed to find the bacteria’s “genetic fingerprint.” This allows health officials to see how many people have been sickened by the same source.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

If you’re like most people, you wash your produce before eating it. But do you dry it? You should, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Hundreds of people in six states; Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and Wisconsin have been sickened by a single-cell parasite called Cyclospora. To reduce your risk of food poisoning form fresh produce the FDA recommends the following produce-washing tips. Before you begin, wash your hands with hot, soapy water for 20 seconds, or long enough to sing Happy Birthday twice. Wash produce under cool, running water. Do not use soap or commercial washes. Scrub firm produce such as melons, cucumbers and potatoes with a brush. Dry the produce with a clean cloth or paper towel. Following these recommendations will reduce but not completely eliminate the risk of food poisoning from bacteria or parasites.

People become infected with Cyclospora when they eat or drink food or water that is contaminated with microscopic amounts of fecal matter containing the parasite. Cyclospora is most commonly found in tropical climates but imported foods including mesclun lettuce, basil, snow peas, and raspberries have been the source of a number of U.S. outbreaks in recent years.

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Posted in Cyclospora, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Laboratory, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen

Tagged food, science, water

UK – FSA – Latest research published by the FSA

Posted on July 15, 2013 by KSW | Leave a comment

FSA

The Agency has produced a summary of its research published in April to June 2013. Several areas of research were covered, including consumer attitudes towards the decontamination of meat and the use of freezing to reduce campylobacter in chicken livers. A full report for each area of research can be found via the links at the bottom of the page.

Evaluation: Freezing to reduce campylobacters in chicken liver
The FSA commissioned a research project to assess whether freezing chicken livers, before they are prepared and cooked in a catering or domestic kitchen, can significantly reduce the incidence of campylobacter contamination. Freezing is a proven effective intervention to control campylobacter contamination of poultry meat. However, there has been a lack of evidence on how effective this treatment is with chicken livers, particularly under conditions similar to those in catering or domestic kitchens where freezer temperatures and freezing rates may vary.