Tag Archives: health

Belgian – Research – Grape Seed Extract Reduces the Infectivity of Norovirus

HACCPEUROPA – Full Article

Norovirus causes more than half of all food-borne illnesses in the United States, and is the second greatest source of reported food borne illness outbreaks in the European Union. A norovirus is a small virus that contains RNA and is surrounded by a protein coating. By sequencing the RNA, scientists have discovered that there are many different types of norovirus. Originally, strains were named based on the city in which they were first identified. Thus, one common strain used to be called Norwalk virus. Based on genetic typing, we now know that there are at least 25 different strains of norovirus that affect humans.

A recent study found that grape seed extract could reduce the infectivity of Norovirus surrogates.

Researchers from Ghent University, Belgium have shown that grape seed extract does so by denaturing the capsid protein, which is the coat of the virus, thereby disabling the virus.

In the study, the researchers observed that under treatment with grape seed extract, at low doses, the spherically-shaped murine (mouse) norovirus-1 coat proteins clumped, and showed obvious deformation and inflation. At higher doses, the researchers saw no coat proteins, only protein debris. This provides evidence that grape seed extract could effectively damage the norovirus capsid protein, which could reduce viral binding ability and infectivity accordingly.

Canada – Montreal – Norovirus Hospital Outbreak

CBC News

An outbreak of norovirus among staff members at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital led to the temporary closure of the hospital’s neurology clinic last week, CBC has learned.

About 45 employees at the hospital came down with gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, cramps and fever, after eating food that may have originated in an in-house catering service that is only used by staff.

The service is run by the hospital’s Atrium Café, a franchise operated by a volunteer auxiliary, which also serves hundreds of staff and visitors to the hospital each day.

The coffee shop is independent of the hospital’s main cafeteria.

“We closed the coffee shop immediately on Thursday afternoon,” said hospital spokesman Glenn Nashen. “Tests were done all day Friday, and although nothing has been conclusive at this point, the suspicion is that [the virus] may have come from this catering service.”

Nashen said as far as the hospital knows, only staff at the hospital caught the virus.

So many staff members in the neurology department fell ill that the neurology clinic had to be closed for half a day on Thursday and all of Friday.

The neurology clinic is expected to be open again on Monday.

Until the infection prevention and control team determines the specific cause of the outbreak, the coffee shop will remain closed, Nashen said

FSA – Food Handlers with Food Poisoning

FSA

The Food Standards Agency is reminding those who work with food and are suffering from symptoms of food poisoning, or those in close contact with someone who is, to stay away from work and see their GP. This is in light of the current outbreak of E.coli O157 in Northern Ireland.

Hospital Food – Clostridium difficile?

WEBMD

A new report suggests that hospital food is frequently contaminated with the dangerous diarrhea bug Clostridium difficile (C. diff).

Houston researchers found that about one-fourth of nearly 100 hospital food samples they tested were positive for C. diff. Among the worst culprits: turkey, chicken, and egg products, vegetables and fruits, and desserts. Almost all were cooked.

It’s only one hospital. And no cases of human infection were linked to the food.

But together with past research, the findings suggest that contaminated food may be an important route of spread of C. diff in hospitals, says researcher Hoonmo Koo, MD, an infectious diseases specialist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

Moreover, the temperatures at which hospital foods are cooked may be too low to kill the bug, he says.

An infectious diseases expert not involved with the research says the major C. diff strains that contaminate food are different from the ones responsible for human disease.

C. diff has been recovered from pigs, cows, and chickens, and the bug has been found in retail meat and salad greens. A few studies have found that the C. diff strains found in animals are the same ones causing human disease, but others have found the opposite.

A 2008 CDC study concluded that “although they share similar clinical features, evidence suggests that the predominant strains causing C. diff [disease] in humans and different animal species are distinct.”

Overall, though, surprisingly few studies have examined the possible link between C. diff disease in food, animals, and humans, according to both the CDC and Koo.

So the researchers tested about 2 tablespoons of each food item served over 80 days at a university hospital in Houston. The number that tested positive for C. diff:

  • Four of eight (50%) turkey samples
  • Four of 12 seafoods (33%)
  • Two of 17 beef servings (12%)
  • One of eight pork servings (13%)
  • Six of 14 chicken and egg products (43%)
  • Six of 27 vegetables and fruits (22%)
  • None of two grains
  • Three of five desserts (60%)

FSA – Food Handlers Fitness to Work Advice

FSA

Food handlers who work while infected with certain bacteria or viruses can spread infection to other people through food they work with. This guidance helps managers and staff to prevent the spread of infection by advising which illnesses and symptoms staff should report and what managers should do in response.

FDA Recall Salmonella Not Peanut Butter – Dog Food

FDA

Nature’s Recipe brand is voluntarily recalling a limited supply of Nature’s Recipe® Oven Baked Biscuits with Real Chicken, manufactured in one of its U.S. production facilities. This is being done as a precautionary measure, as the product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products.
 
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.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected, but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

No pet or consumer illnesses from this product have been reported to date. However, because of its commitment to safety and quality, the Company is conducting a voluntary recall of this product.

Salmonella Virchow – Vancouver 55 Cases

Food Poisoning Journal

 According to news reports, as of Friday afternoon, Clark County health officials have confirmed 21 cases of Salmonella Virchow and report 55 probable cases. The cases involve mostly adult customers who visited the On the Border restaurant between Sept. 20 and Oct. 8. Five restaurant food handlers and at least one child also tested positive. The exposure dates stretch into October. Health officials closed the restaurant Tuesday.Health officials are still working to determine the source of the bacteria, but they may never be able to pinpoint exactly what caused people to get ill. Health inspectors have collected samples from environmental surfaces and food handlers. Restaurant employees have thrown away all opened food and ice and are working to clean and sterilize the entire restaurant.

The restaurant will not be allowed to reopen until health officials are confident the public is no longer at risk.

Thai Red Pepper Recall – Salmonella

FDA

S & P Company, Limited of Paramount, CA is recalling 150 cases/1,800 jars of Su-nun Crush Roasted Thai Red Pepper, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

The Su-nun Brand Red Pepper was distributed in the Los Angeles Area Grocery stores (between July of 2012 to October 2012) including Bell and Long Beach, Rockford, IL, Phoenix, AZ, Omaha, NE and Brooklyn, NY.

The Su-nun Brand Red Pepper ‘Super Hot’ 10.58 oz. is in Flake form packaged in a clear plastic jar with a red plastic screw-on lid. There is a clear plastic heat shrink and red and yellow label. Bar code 659613000770.

“No illnesses associated with this product have been reported to date.”

The recall was as the result of a routine sampling by the Food and Drug Administration and their further analysis which revealed that the finished products contained the bacteria. The company has ceased the production and distribution of the product as FDA and the company continue their investigation as to what caused the problem.

Consumers who have purchased Su-Nun Brand ‘Crush Roasted Thai Red Pepper’ are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at (562) 220-2666 between 10am and 4pm (Pacific Time Zone) Monday-Friday Ask for John.

 

How Many More Peanut Butter Products Recalls – Salmonella?

FDAPeanut Butter Products Salmonella

JagRma LLC of San Diego, CA is doing a Limited Voluntary recall on it’s 16oz NuttZo Original (Blue Label/UPC code 894697002030) manufactured in Oct and November 2011 with “Best Buy Dates 10/7/12-12/31/12 stamped on lid or bottom of jar,” because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

FDA

With the FDA’s announcement of an expanded recall of Sunland Inc.’s peanut butter, AdvancePierre Foods of Cincinnati, OH, is initiating a voluntary recall of select frozen products including Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, Peanut Butter and Jelly Graham Cracker sandwiches and Peanut Butter cup products all produced at its Easley, South Carolina factory. In the best interest of consumers, AdvancePierre has decided to recall all of the potentially affected products, including those beyond the one-year shelf life.

The affected products have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. To date, there have been no confirmed illnesses or injuries reported in connection with any of the AdvancePierre recalled products, and no other AdvancePierre products are being recalled at this time.

FDA

LIN-MAR PARTNERS, INC of Austin, Texas is recalling two varieties of Longhorn Bars:  Roasted Peanut with Chocolate Energy Bars and Peanut Butter Trail Mix Protein Bars because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

No complaints of illnesses have been reported to date. Consumers are urged not consume the product and to return the bars to the place where they purchased them for a full refund.  Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-512-561-5000 between 8 am and 5 pm CST.

 FDA

Creative Energy Foods, Inc. (CEF) is voluntarily recalling Ridgebar brand nutrition bars which contain blanched roasted peanuts supplied to CEF by Sunland, Inc. The decision was made as the result of the expanded recall of peanut butter, nut butters and peanut products by Sunland because of potential contamination with Salmonella.

 No illnesses associated with any of these products have been reported to date.

FDA

Creative Energy Foods, Inc. (CEF) is voluntarily recalling Crunch® thinkThinnutrition bars which may contain blanched roasted peanuts supplied by Sunland , Inc. to CEF. The decision was made as the result of the expanded recall of peanut butter, nut butters and peanut products by Sunland because of potential contamination with Salmonella.

Salmonella bacteria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps. Consumers with the above symptoms should consult their physician. 

While no illnesses associated with any of these products have been reported to date, as part of our commitment to the safety and quality of our products we have decided to issue a voluntary recall.

 

Whole Foods Spring Roll Recall – Salmonella

Food Posioning Bulletin

Whole Foods Market is recalling two items from a single store because the products were made from Sunland peanuts that may be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. The products were sold in the grab and go section and at the full service chef’s case. The store is at 2955 Kirby Drive in Houston, Texas.