Tag Archives: science

US – Ground Hot Pepper – Salmonella

Posted on October 12, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Out of the utmost caution and care for our customers, Nina International of Hyattsville, MD is initiating a voluntary recall of its brand of Ground Hot Pepper, 5oz, 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 Salmonellacan result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

Ground Hot Pepper was distributed in MD, Washington, DC and VA and reached consumers through African and ethnic retail food stores. The product is in a 5oz, clear plastic container, and inscribed with “Nina International, The Best Brand” and “Ground Hot Pepper, Chillies, All Natural.” It has a yellow seal with a red “Nina” inscription and the barcode is 745851004004.

Nina International is issuing this voluntary recall to minimize the risk to the public health. No related illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

The recall was as the result of a routine testing program which revealed that the finished products contained the bacteria. The company has ceased the distribution of the product as we continue to identify the source of the problem.

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

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Uneviscerated Fish – Possible Clostridium botulinum

Posted on October 8, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FDA

KRASNYI OKTYABR located at 60 20th street, Brooklyn, NY 11232 is recalling Beer Set Dried Rudd discovered by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors during a routine inspection and subsequent analysis of the product by Food Laboratory personnel that confirmed the fish had not been properly eviscerated prior to processing.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. Consumers who have Beer Set Dried Rudd are advised not to eat it, but should return it to the place of purchase. Consumers with questions should contact the company at 718-858-6720.

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Posted in Bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, Eurofins Laboratories, FDA, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Pathogen, Recall, Toxin

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German Foodborne Virus Outbreak 6,500 Cases

Posted on October 1, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Reuters

More than 6,500 German children and teenagers have fallen ill with diarrhea and vomiting that health authorities say has likely been caused by a food-borne virus in meals delivered to schools and day care centers.

Regional health ministries and a top health research institute said youngsters from five of Germany’s 16 states had been affected by the acute gastroenteritis, with the first cases registered on Tuesday. So far, those affected had not suffered any complications.

“All the institutions which have registered cases of the illness so far are probably being provided by the same caterer,” wrote the Robert Koch Institute, which researches and advises the German health ministry on infectious diseases. “This suggests that it is an outbreak caused by food.”

The German government and affected states have established a task force charged with looking for the reason for the illness in order to prevent it spreading any further.

(Reporting By Thorsten Severin, Writing by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Myra MacDonald)

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Testing, Food Virus, Foodborne Illness, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis E, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen, Rotavirus

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Norovirus – Wales and New Zealand

Posted on September 27, 2012 by | Leave a comment

BBC News

A total of 74 people have become ill after visiting a hotel in Newport.

An investigation is being carried out after 51 guests and 23 staff were affected by a viral infection, which is probably norovirus, at the Hilton Hotel in Langstone.

They started to become ill last Tuesday and suffered diarrhoea and vomiting.

Hilton Worldwide said the wellbeing of guests and staff was of “paramount importance” and it had brought in “stringent” health and safety measures.

Public health officials say the outbreak is not linked to a particular function or event, but the virus was passed by someone originally infected.

Newport council alerted Public Health Wales two days after the first illnesses.

TVNZ

Virus outbreak hits Wellington childcares, resthomes

Outbreaks of norovirus and rotavirus have been reported at Wellington childcare centres and resthomes.

Regional Public Health had responded to outbreaks of gastroenteritis at four childcare centres and two rest homes since the beginning of the month, medical officer of health Jill McKenzie said.

The number of outbreaks was higher than usual and indicated stomach bugs were circulating in the community.

“The nature of these bugs is they don’t tend to infect one person because their viruses are quite infectious.

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Posted in Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Food Virus, Norovirus, Rotavirus, Virus

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CFIA – Recent E.coli O157 Outbreak Summary

Posted on September 25, 2012 by | Leave a comment

CFIA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has completed its in-depth review of the food safety controls at the XL Foods Inc. facility where positive E. coli O157:H7 findings have led to a voluntary recall of more than 250 products. The CFIA continues to identify additional products affected by this recall and conduct effectiveness checks to verify that affected product has been removed from the marketplace.

The in-depth review focused on the plant’s preventative control measures, food-safety policies and procedures, laboratory methodology, and equipment and quality systems.

While the review did not identify one single factor that would lead to E. coli O157:H7 contamination, the combination of several deficiencies could have played a role. By themselves, each of these findings would not typically signal an immediate concern during the course of normal inspection activities.

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Posted in Bacteria, CFIA, E.coli, E.coli O157, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall

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US – Another Peanut Butter Recall – Salmonella

Posted on September 25, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Sunland, Inc. today announced a voluntary limited recall of its Almond Butter and Peanut Butter products, manufactured between May 1, 2012 and September 24, 2012, because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experiencefever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonellacan 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 voluntary recall was initiated after learning that between June 11, 2012 and September 2, 2012, twenty-nine people reported Salmonella Bredeney PFGE matching illnesses in approximately 18 states, including Washington, California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maryland, according to a report issued on September 22, 2012 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“There is nothing more important to us than the health and safety of our customers, particularly the many families who enjoy our peanut butter everyday. While FDA, CDC, and State Health Agencies investigate to confirm the cause of illnesses reported, as a precautionary step, we have decided to voluntarily recall our Almond Butter and Peanut Butter products manufactured between May 1, 2012 and September 24, 2012. If you purchased these products, do not eat them. Please return the product to your supermarket for a full refund or dispose of it.”

Statement of Jimmie Shearer, President and CEO of Sunland, Inc.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). No other Sunland products are affected by this recall.

The products were distributed nationally to numerous large supermarket chains.

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

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US – Pet Food Contaminated with Salmonella

Posted on September 24, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Kasel Associated Industries of Denver, Colorado is recalling its Boots & Barkley 6 count 5 inch American Beef Bully Sticks because it may be contaminated with Salmonella. The bacteria can sicken animals who can pass it to humans, and people can get sick by handling the contaminated product.

The products were distributed nationwide through Target stores from April through September 2012. The pet treats are packed in a clear plastic bag marked with bar code number 647263899189. All lot numbers are recalled. The lot codes that tested positive for Salmonella include   BESTBY20APR2014DEN, BESTBY01JUN2014DEN, BESTBY23JUN2014DEN, and BESTBY23SEP2014DEN.

No illnesses have been reported to date in humans or animals in connection with this product.

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Posted in Bacteria, Hygiene, Microbiology, Pathogen, Pet Food, Recall, Salmonella

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FDA Reort Multi State Outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes in Cheese

Posted on September 21, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FDA

The FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local public health officials are investigating a multi-state outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to imported Marte brand Frescolina Ricotta Salata cheese distributed by Forever Cheese Inc. of Long Island City, New York. 

Forever Cheese has initiated a voluntary recall of this cheese which may be identified with a lot number (T9425) and/ or a production code (441202).
 

The FDA has placed the maker of the recalled cheese,Fattorie Chiarappa S.R.L.of Conversano, Italy, on Import Alert1. This means that Fattorie Chiarappa cheese will be denied admission into the United States unless the importer shows that the cheese is not contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, such as by using private laboratories to test the cheese.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports a total of 14 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes from 11 states and the District of Columbia. Nationwide, 14 persons have been hospitalized. Three deaths have been reported. The CDC2 says that listeriosis contributed to at least one of those deaths. 

 The investigation into this outbreak continues, in order to determine whether there are other possible sources of the outbreak.

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Posted in Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Recall

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FSA Scotland Food Survey Report

Posted on September 20, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FSAS

The results from the analysis of food samples collected from Scottish businesses in 2011 have shown a slight increase in the levels of satisfactory samples in comparison with the previous year.

The report has shown that 80% of samples collected in 2011 by local authorities in Scotland and submitted to the UK Food Surveillance System (UKFSS) were satisfactory, a rise of 3% on 2010. Areas where improvements could be made in relation to food handling practices in retail and catering businesses were also identified in the report (see attached).

During 2011, almost 9,200 food samples were collected from Scottish businesses and analysed by the Public Analyst Laboratories in Scotland. More than 5,000 samples were examined microbiologically and a further 4,188 underwent chemical analysis, including tests for contaminants, additives and labelling inaccuracies.

As in previous years, the results of sampling in 2011 show that there were very few issues relating to foodborne pathogens (illness causing organisms). The majority of failures in microbiological testing (83%) were due to the elevated levels of hygiene indicators (bacteria that can be used as indicators of general hygiene practices in food premises) and total bacterial counts (total number of bacteria on a food sample). These are not inherently a hazard but can indicate poor hygiene practices during food preparation and handling.

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Posted in Bacteria, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Spoilage, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Illness, Microbiology, Research

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US – Products Containing Mangoes – Salmonella Risk

Posted on September 20, 2012 by | Leave a comment

FDA

United Salad Co. is initiating a voluntary, precautionary recall on various products it distributes to retail supermarkets that contain Mangoes associated with  the Food Source Tomorrow’s Tropical recall with the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

There have been no reported illnesses attributed to the recalled items. United Salad Co. is issuing this voluntary recall linked to the supplier’s Tropical Mangoes recall to minimize risk to the public health.

The recalled products were distributed to retailers and supermarkets from 09/01/12 to 09/17/12 in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.  A list of recalled products is listed in the attached table.

The company has directly notified all customers who received the recalled product and requested removal from store shelves.

Anyone who has the recalled product in their possession should not consume it and should destroy or discard it. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-547-5536 Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Pacific Time).

FDA

In cooperation with the FDA’s warning to not consume mangoes from Agricola Daniella, FreshLine / Caito Foods Service of Indianapolis, Indiana, is initiating a voluntary recall of a limited quantity of expired products that contain fresh-cut mangoes and are distributed to retail supermarkets due to the potential risk that the mangoes may contain Salmonella. This is associated with FoodSource’s (Edinburg, TX) recall of mangoes sourced from Agricola Daniella. The FDA has placed Agricola Daniella on the Import Alert Listing.

There have been no reported illnesses attributed to the items listed in this recall.

FDA

GHSW, LLC of Houston, Texas is initiating a voluntary recall of a limited quantity of expired products that contain fresh-cut mangoes and are distributed to retail supermarkets due to the potential risk that the mangoes may contain Salmonella. Salmonella is 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.

This recall is associated with Food Source’s recall of mangoes sourced from Agricola Daniella. The FDA has issued an Import Alert and advised consumers not to eat mangoes from Agricola Daniella.

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

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