Tag Archives: science

Research – Super Feezing Campylobacter to Death !

news.scotsman.comCampylobacter

FOOD safety experts plan to “superfreeze” chickens to halt the rise of campylobacter  food poisoning. The Food Standards Agency is currently looking into a procedure which involves exposing the surface of slaughtered chickens to extreme cold, known as rapid surface chilling.

The radical process is currently being considered to help curb the rampant levels of  the food poisoning bacteria commonly found in uncooked poultry products.

Around two-thirds of fresh, raw chicken sold by retailers is believed to be contaminated with campylobacter, which can cause sever stomach upsets.

The FSA aims to reduce the proportion of birds in the highest category of contamination at UK poultry houses from 27 per cent to 10 per cent by 2015.

Dr Jacqui McElhiney, policy adviser on food-borne disease at the FSA in Scotland, said: “This process acts to temporarily cool only the very outer surface of the chicken carcass without freezing the meat itself. It involves exposing the surface of poultry carcasses to very low temperatures for a very short time, which reduces the numbers of campylobacter bacteria on the surface, as they are sensitive to an extreme cold shock treatment of this type.”

USA – The Listeria monocytogenes Issues keep Coming – Crab – Sea Salmon – Sprouted Seedss

PR Newswire

The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC, following a recall by GoldCoast Salads, announced it removed from sale Gold Coast Fresh Crab Spread due to possible contamination by listeria monocytogenes.

The following product is included in this recall:

  • Gold Coast Fresh Crab Spread, UPC 83355500325, 8 oz., expiration date of 1/31/2013

To date, Stop & Shop has received no reports of illness. Customers who have purchased the product should discard any unused portions and bring their purchase receipt to Stop & Shop for a full refund.

Listeria is a common organism found in nature.  Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis.  However, listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections in those with weakened immune systems, such as infants, the elderly and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy.

FDA

Whole Foods Market is recalling four items made with Circle Sea Salmon Lox Trim sold in Oregon and Washington state store seafood departments due to possible Listeria Monocytogenes contamination. Listeria is an organism which can cause a sometimes fatal infection in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer short term symptoms, such as high fever, severe headaches, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The recalled products were sold before Jan. 29, 2013 in all Whole Foods Market stores in Oregon and Washington. No illnesses have been reported related to the recalled products.

The salmon lox trim products (cold smoked salmon lox trim — PLU 97629, Bagel Half with Lox Cream Cheese w/Capers – PLU 92811, Whole Bagel with Lox Cream Cheese with Capers – PLU 98437, Gravlox Cream Cheese Spread – PLU 95307) were sold in clear plastic containers or plastic wrapped with the label “Whole Foods Market.” The recall includes all of these products sold before Jan. 29, 2013.

Signage is posted in Whole Foods Market stores to notify customers of this recall. Consumers who have purchased these products in these two states should discard them, and may bring their receipt to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact 206-854-9880 Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm PST.

FDA – This recall extends to Canada and CFIA also has a recall out

Sprouters Northwest of Kent, Washington is voluntarily recalling all varieties of sprouts products, wheatgrass and pea shoots due to the potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

All varieties of sprouts products including 3-Bean Munchie, Alfalfa, Bean, Broccoli, Brocco Sandwich sprouts, Clover, Deli, Spicy; Wheatgrass and/or Pea Shoots were distributed through 1/30/2013 in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and British Columbia, Canada through retail stores and food service distribution chain.

The affected products are sold under the Sprouters Northwest and LifeForce brand names and are packaged in plastic clamshell containers, plastic cups, plastic trays in 3 oz., 4 oz., 5 oz., and in plastic 1 lb. 2lb, or 5lb. bags. The Best by Dates are including all and up to 2/17/2013.

The problem was identified through surveillance finished products samples collected at retail locations and at the firm by the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

Sprouters Northwest is working with WSDA and the Food & Drug Administration on this recall.

Consumers should not consume the recalled sprouts product, wheatgrass, pea shoots and are advised to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-253-872-0577 from 7AM to 2PM PST.

 

 

USA – Norovirus Outbreak Deli

Concord PatchNorwalk_Caspid

A Concord deli has been closed by Contra Costa County environmental health officials due to norovirus contamination.

Marilyn Underwood, environmental health department director, said the North Park Deli on Nelson Avenue was shut down late Tuesday afternoon. It’s uncertain when the eatery will re-open.

Underwood said two employees at the deli have tested positive for the virus.

She said her department was first notified of the illness when 15 people who were at an event catered by North Park Deli on Friday evening became sick over the weekend.

It usually takes 36 to 48 hours after exposure for norovirus symptoms to appear.

Underwood said anyone who visited the deli late last week or early this week and becomes sick should avoid contact with other people. In addition, surfaces and other contaminated items should be cleaned with bleach.

UK – FSA Publishes its Science Priorties 2013

FSAfood_standards_agency_logo

The Food Standards Agency has published its Forward Evidence Plan for 2013. The plan outlines priority science and evidence activities for the coming year, including potential areas for research funding and workshops that will help develop the Agency’s evidence base.

USDA – Recall Veal Trimmings – E.coli O157:H7

USDAUSDA

San Jose Valley Veal, a Santa Clara, Calif. establishment, is recalling
approximately 1,260 pounds of veal trimmings that may be contaminated with
E. Coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

Canada – CFIA – Recall Spouted Seeds – Listeria monocytogenes

CFIAEurofins

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Canada Safeway Limited are   warning the public not to consume the LifeForce Foods brand Sprouts described below because they may be  contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

All codes of the following LifeForce Foods brand sprouts, product of USA,   packaged in plastic clamshell containers of 85 grams, are affected by this alert:

               Product UPC
               Brocco Sprouts                8 51042 00400 2
               Spicy sprouts                8 51042 00401 9
               Alfalfa sprouts                8 51042 00402 6

These products have been distributed through Canada Safeway stores in British Columbia only.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.

USA – FDA Recall Alfalfa Sprouts – Listeria monocyotgenes

FDAEurofins

Sprouters Northwest of Kent, Washington is recalling 1953 pounds of alfalfa, clover, brocco sandwich sprouts, and spicy sprouts due to the potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Products were distributed from 1/10/13 to 1/18/13 in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and British Columbia, Canada through retail stores and food service distribution chain.

The affected products are sold under the Sprouters Northwest brand and are packaged in plastic clamshell containers and plastic 1 lb bags.

The problem was identified through a surveillance sampling and two samples collected at retail locations were tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).

The firm is working with WSDA and the Food & Drug Administration on this recall.

Consumers should not consume the recalled sprouts products and are advised to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-253-872-0577 from 7AM to 2PM PST.

Research – Flow Cytometry Suggests Higher Bacterial Loading in Drinking Water

Science DailyWater

Flow cytometry (FCM) can now be officially used for the quantification of microbial cells in drinking water in Switzerland. The new analytical method — developed at Eawag and extensively tested both in Switzerland and abroad — has been incorporated into the Swiss Food Compendium (SLMB) by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). FCM provides much more realistic results than the conventional method, in which bacterial colonies are grown on agar plates. The results demonstrate that even good-quality drinking water harbours 100 to 10,000 times more living cells than the conventional plate count method would suggest.

EAWAG

USA – Ground Beef – Salmonella Typhimurium – Outbreaks

Food Safety News – First Outbreak Update

An emerging outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium has expanded to five states with 16 people infected with the outbreak strain, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta said Friday.

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)– just 24 hours earlier– announced the existence of the outbreak with seven illnesses in two states, Michigan and Arizona.

CDC said the states and the number of persons infected in the outbreak now includes: Arizona (!), Illinois (2), Iowa (1), Michigan (9), and Wisconsin (3). No deaths have been reported, but 53 percent of the ill persons have required hospitalization.

Food Safety News – Second Outbreak

A second Michigan retail store has recalled about 550 pounds of ground beef products that may be associated with a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak linked to a Macomb County restaurant.

Troy-based Gab Halal Foods recalled various size bags of ground beef, wrapped in clear plastic. The recalled product was produced between Dec. 4, and Dec. 10, 2012 and distributed to the Macomb County restaurant and directly to consumers.

The beef products were sold without labels.

According to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the second recall was initiated out of concern for a cluster of Salmonella Typhimurium illnesses that may be caused by eating a raw ground beef product at a restaurant in Michigan’s Macomb County.

UK – FSA Warning About Campylobacter in Chicken

Daily Telegraph imagesCAYZ5I84

The Food Standards Agency warned that around two thirds of all raw, shop-bought chicken in the UK is contaminated by campylobacter, which affects an estimated 500,000 people a year and kills around 100.

It said not enough was being done by manufacturers to prevent the spread of the bacteria and has called a “summit” meeting of food retail leaders at which it will ask them to plough more money into fighting the problem, rather than treating the current contamination levels as acceptable.