Jensen Farms, the southeastern Colorado cantaloupe growers who were the source of a deadly listeria outbreak last year, filed for bankruptcy Friday.
Lawsuits from the outbreak, which caused at least 32 deaths and dozens of hospitalizations, are prominent in the filing. Attorneys for Jensen Farms and for wrongful-death plaintiffs welcomed the step.
Jensen Farms did not comment.
NORTHEAST OHIO — Listeria, a potentially deadly food-borne bacteria, was found in high levels of fluids dripping from garbage trucks onto neighbourhood streets, a Channel 3 News investigation found.
The bacteria has a mortality rate of 20 percent and, according to microbiologist Roger Pryor, of Accra Labs in Twinsburg, it poses an especially significant threat to the elderly, children and to pregnant women.
Channel 3 news collected samples of fluids spilling from garbage trucks in Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Maple Heights and Brooklyn and had them tested.
In addition to listeria, Accra Labs found very high levels of bacteria and low levels of salmonella.
Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek says homeowners in the Collinwood neighbourhood he represents often complain about the filthy stains left behind by city trash haulers.
“It becomes a major problem because you don’t know what’s in it,” said Polensek.
Some experts say a single drop of listeria is enough to make you sick. Children playing ball in the streets can easily come in contact with the contaminated fluid.
American Society of Microbiology
A previous national survey of Escherichia coli in Norwegian sheep detected eae-positive (eae+) E. coli O26:H11 isolates in 16.3% (80/491) of the flocks. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the human-pathogenic potential of these ovine isolates by comparing them with E. coli O26 isolates from humans infected in Norway. All human E. coli O26 isolates studied carried the eae gene and shared flagellar type H11. Two-thirds of the sheep flocks and 95.1% of the patients harbored isolates containing arcA allele type 2 and espK and were classified as enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) (stx positive) or EHEC-like (stx negative). These isolates were further divided into group A (EspK2 positive), associated with stx2-EDL933 and stcEO103, and group B (EspK1 positive), associated with stx1a. Although the stx genes were more frequently present in isolates from patients (46.3%) than in those from sheep flocks (5%), more than half of the ovine isolates in the EHEC/EHEC-like group had multiple-locus variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) profiles that were identical to those seen in stx-positive human O26:H11 isolates. This indicates that EHEC-like ovine isolates may be able to acquire stx-carrying bacteriophages and thereby have the possibility to cause serious illness in humans. The remaining one-third of the sheep flocks and two of the patients had isolates fulfilling the criteria for atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC): arcA allele type 1 and espK negative (group C). The majority of these ovine isolates showed MLVA profiles not previously seen in E. coli O26:H11 isolates from humans. However, according to their virulence gene profile, the aEPEC ovine isolates should be considered potentially pathogenic for humans. In conclusion, sheep are an important reservoir of human-pathogenic E. coli O26:H11 isolates in Norway.
American Society of Microbiology
The prevalence of Clostridium difficile in retail meat samples has varied widely. The food supply may be a source for C. difficile infections. A total of 102 ground meat and sausage samples from 3 grocers in Pittsburgh, PA, were cultured for C. difficile. Brand A pork sausages were resampled between May 2011 and January 2012. Two out of 102 (2.0%) meat products initially sampled were positive for C. difficile; both were pork sausage from brand A from the same processing facility (facility A). On subsequent sampling of brand A products, 10/19 samples from processing facility A and 1/10 samples from 3 other facilities were positive for C. difficile. The isolates recovered were inferred ribotype 078, comprising 6 genotypes. The prevalence of C. difficile in retail meat may not be as high as previously reported in North America. When contamination occurs, it may be related to events at processing facilities.
The Guidebook contains current protocols for analytical tests required by FSIS regulatory activities on meat, poultry and egg products.1 Specifically, microbiological methods are presented for sample preparation, isolation and identification of the major foodborne pathogenic microorganisms and their toxins, meat tissue species identification, and the detection of extraneous materials and antimicrobial residues. Media and reagent formulations, and Most Probable Number Tables are contained in an appendix.
Noroviruses are an important cause of acute gastroenteritis in humans. We incorporated new insights gained over the past decade in an updated estimate of the disease burden of (foodborne) norovirus illness in The Netherlands in 2009. The disease outcomes – non-consulting cases, visiting a general practitioner, hospitalization and mortality – and the foodborne proportion were derived from cohort studies, surveillance data and literature. Age-specific incidence estimates were applied to the population age distribution in The Netherlands in 2009. The general population incidence was 3800/100 000 (95% CI 2670–5460), including 0·4 fatal cases/100 000, resulting in 1622/100 000 (95% CI 966–2650) disability-adjusted life-years in a population of 16·5 million. The updated burden of norovirus is over twofold higher than previously estimated, due in particular to the new insights in case-fatality ratios. Results suggest that the burden of norovirus institutional outbreaks is relatively small compared to the burden of community-acquired norovirus infections.
Cleveland Beansprouts Co. of Ohio is recalling all alfalfa sprouts because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. This bacteria can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections to people with weakened immune systems. Pregnant women who contract listeriosis can suffer miscarriages and stillbirths.
There are no lot codes or any other identifier on the product. The sprouts were distributed only in Ohio. The Ohio Department of Agriculture discovered the contamination under the USDA’s Microbiological Data Program, which is set to be eliminated by the White House and Congress in FY 2013.
If you have purchased this product, do not eat it; discard it in a closed container.
Eighty three general outbreaks of foodborne infectious disease in England and Wales were reported in 2011 to the HPA’s electronic Foodborne and Non-foodborne Gastrointestinal Outbreak Surveillance System (eFOSS)[§]. In the previous year there were 63 outbreaks of foodborne diseases (figure 1).
The rise in the number of general outbreaks in 2011 could be due to the continued increase in outbreaks caused by Campylobacter spp (20/83 in 2011; 18/63 in 2010) and a rise in the outbreaks caused by Salmonella spp compared to the previous year (18 in 2011; 8 in 2010).
Outbreaks of campylobacter have increased since 2009 and concurrently campylobacter is now the most frequently implicated causative agent in reported outbreaks representing 24% of all outbreaks [1,2 ]. In 2011, as in preceding years, most campylobacter outbreaks were associated with consumption of undercooked poultry liver pâté or parfait f rom food service establishments [3,4]. Salmonella spp. accounted for 22% of the outbreaks, most of which were caused by an increase in S. Enteritidis non PT 4 (44%, 8/18) or S. Typhimurium (33%, 6/18). The next most frequently identified agents included: norovirus (10%, 8/83), VTEC O157 (10%, 8/83) and Clostridium perfringens (8%, 7/83)
Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, E.coli O157, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Standards Agency, Foodborne Illness, HPA, Microbiology, Norovirus, outbreak, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella
Tagged clostridium perfringens, food service establishments, research, science
Microbiological testing for various indicator microorganisms is used extensively as a means of verifying the effectiveness of efforts to ensure the microbiological quality and safety of a wide variety of foods. However, for each use of an indicator organism the underlying scientific assumptions related to the behaviour of the target microorganism, the characteristics of the food matrix, the details of the food manufacturing processes, environment, and distribution system, and the methodological basis for the assay must be evaluated to determine the validity, utility, and efficacy of potential microbiological indicator tests. The recent adoption by the Codex Alimentarius Commission of microbiological criteria for powdered infant formulae and related products provides an excellent example of an evidence-based approach for the establishment of consensus microbiological criteria. The present article reviews these criteria and those of various national governments in relation to emerging principles for the evidence-based establishment of effective indicator organisms.
Kaytee Pet Products is recalling a single manufacturing batch of Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat and Hamster due to possible contamination with Salmonella.
No human or pet illnesses have been reported to-date. The recall notification is being issued based on a single manufacturing batch wherein a sample with the “Best Before” date of (lot) 03APR13K61 had a positive result for Salmonella in a random sample test conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat & Hamster product was originally manufactured on January 5 and 6, 2012. Kaytee is taking immediate action to remove the product from all retail stores and distribution centers, and to fully investigate the cause.
Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is a risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.
Posted in Bacteria, FDA, Food Safety Alert, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Pet Food, Salmonella
Tagged science
Posted in Cryptosporidium, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Safety, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen
Tagged environment, health, research, science
FoodWorld 