Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Outbreaks and Alerts: June 30, 2010

A daily digest of international outbreaks, alerts and food safety news

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.


United States
  • Black Forest, CO. June 29: More than 50 campers, mostly children, have become ill from the norovirus at La Foret Conference Center and Retreat Center in the Black Forest.
  • Baton Rouge, LA. June 29: The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals is reopening oyster harvesting areas 27 and 28.
  • Glencoe, IL. June 29: The Cook County Department of Health continues to investigate an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis gastroenteritis that has been linked to the Skokie Country Club in Glencoe. At least 29 laboratory-confirmed illnesses have been reported; seven people were hospitalized. More than 50 additional cases of illness are still under investigation.
  • Ellensburg, WA. June 29: The Kittitas County Public Health has closed the Creative Kids Learning Center and Little Tot Town child care facilities after one confirmed and two suspected cases of E. coli gastroenteritis were reported to the county. During their investigation, public health officials discovered that a number of other children and adults also were suffering from gastroenteritis. Children who attend Creative Kids Learning Center or Little Tot Town will not be able to attend any child care facility until they have two tests showing they are free of illness.
  • Lancaster County, PA. June 30: The Department of Agriculture has informed Alvin J. Stoltzfus, of Paradise, Lancaster County, that his raw milk permit has been reinstated, and that he may once again sell raw milk after two samples taken on separate days from his dairy tested negative for Listeria monocytogenes.


Canada
  • Toronto, ON. June 30: Siena Foods was caught changing the "best before" dates on packages of ham about a month before it had to recall peppercorn salami when samples tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.


Europe
  • Scotland, UK. June 30: A six-year-old child has left hospital after being treated as a result of one of two E. coli O157 outbreaks confirmed in rural parts of Dumfries and Galloway. Six cases have been confirmed in the Wigtown and Whithorn area, including the primary pupil. A second incident involves three cases in Canonbie and other parts of Annandale and Eskdale.


Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Fiji. June 16: The Northern Division of this island nation has experienced a significant increase in reported Shigella infections this year. Most of the 144 reported cases involve children nine-years old and younger.
  • Bangalore, India. June 29: City doctors have been remarking about the sudden spurt in cases of hepatitis A. With the rains setting in, cases of food poisoning and diarrhoea are on the rise; with it, there are complaints that also relate to the functioning of the liver.
  • Hong Kong. June 30: The Centre for Food Safety released the findings of its Food Safety Report for May. Of the 4,500 food samples tested, 25 samples were found to be unsatisfactory (of which 12 samples were from the same brand) and the overall satisfactory rate was 99.4%.
  • Hong Kong. June 30: The Centre for Food Safety recently completed two targeted surveillance projects on the microbiological quality of lunch boxes and prepackaged food that requires reheating before consumption. All the results were satisfactory.
  • Ziyang, China. July 1: Since December last year, the Singapore non-governmental organisation, Mercy Relief, has bored new wells to supply potable water to five villages within the township. The water is delivered to each of the 574 households in the villages through a new piping system.


Australia and New Zealand
  • New South Wales, Australia. June 30: The New South Wales Food Authority has announced the start of a six-month Scores On Doors trial program. More than 20 Local Councils will be participating in the program, including: Goulburn, Holroyd, Tumbarumba, Forbes, Parkes, Taree, Warringah, Kogarah, Blacktown, Sydney, Ashfield, Randwick, Parramatta, Upper Hunter, Newcastle, Mosman, Waverley, Wyong, Penrith and Cessnock. "Scores on Doors will allow the public to see how a food service business complies with food safety and hygiene requirements by featuring a scorecard with a simple, easy to recognise ranking system of an A, B or C or a P grading" Minister Whan said.

Recall Roundup: June 30, 2010

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.


United States
  • Food Safety Recall (Update): USDA posts updated retail distribution list for Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken and Rice frozen dinners that were recalled after having been linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Chester gastroenteritis.
  • Consumer Product Safety Recall: SmileMakers Inc. (Spartanburg, SC) recalls
  • Children’s Happy Charm Bracelets and Football Rings (imported from China by Toy Network, of Indianola, Iowa and Fun Express Oriental Trading Company, of Omaha, Neb) because the metal in the jewelry contains high levels of cadmium.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Basic Food Flavors, Inc. (North Las Vegas, NV) that a February-March 2010 inspection of the company's food processing facility revealed that hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) processed by your facility is adulterated within the meaning of section 402(a)(1) and (a)(4) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. and also revealed also revealed serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation for foods.


Canada
  • Food Safety Recall: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency updates its earlier Health Hazard Alert to advise consumers that Salmonella-contaminated Green Cardamom Pods (imported from Guatemala) were sold at additional stores in Halifax, NS and Kitchener, ON.


Europe
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Wiik & Co.. A / S recalls Suntree brand seedless prunes (Lot Number L69727 and L69966) due to yeast contamination.
  • Food Safety Recall (Finland): Till Publishing Company recalls the Finnish translation of the "1000 Best Salads" cookbook, because a translation error resulted in a poisonous mushroom having been specified as an ingredient in one of the recipes.
  • Food Safety Alert (Denmark): The Danish Food Safety Agency warns the public that meat products sold from the property located at Bakkedraget 19, 4534 Hørve was obtained from animals that were illegally slaughtered. In consequence, the meat products represent a health hazard, as they may contain pathogenic bacteria.
  • Food Safety Notification Update (EU #2010.0746): Altered organoleptic characteristics (blue colour develops after opening package) of mozzarella produced by Milchwerk Jager Gmbh & Co of Germany; distributed in Belarus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0857): Foreign body (hard lumps) in Super Valu and Centra Jelly brand jelly sweets from the United Kingdom; distributed in the Republic of Ireland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0859): Mould growth in Coop brand tomato puree from Turkey, via Switzerland; distributed in Denmark.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2010.0860): Salmonella group C1 (non-motile) in soy bean meal from Germany; distributed in Austria.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2010.0861): Salmonella Senftenberg in soya bean meal from Brazil, via the Netherlands; distributed in Sweden.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0862): Listeria monocytogenes in shrimps in brine from Denmark; distributed in Switzerland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0863): Salmonella Mbandaka in cow milk camembert from France; distributed in France, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0864): Salmonella in meat preparation on spit in foil from Germany; distributed in Germany and Poland.



Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.



Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Purdue Chef Ivan Petkov Teaches Recipe for Food Poisoning

Purdue University Clinical Chef Instructor needs to go back to school!

Ivan Petkov is a Clinical Chef Instructor in Purdue University's Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management. In addition to his teaching role, Petkov is responsible for "...production, recipes, and menu development in a full-service cafe and banquet operation as well as special event chef for Purdue University's President France Cordova."

Under the circumstances, University President Cordova should be thanking his lucky stars that he hasn't been poisoned by his chef!

Earlier today, Purdue issued a news release with the title "Chef offers safety, food preparation tips for outdoor cooking." Among the range of suggestions for preventing grill flare-ups, deep frying, and seasoning food, Chef Petkov served up the following food safety recommendation:
If meat has been out for two hours in the "danger zone" (between 39 degrees to 141 degrees Fahrenheit), microwave it for a minute and a half or grill it for two minutes to kill all the germs. As soon as it reaches a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, it should be safe to eat.

What's wrong with this picture?
  1. Meat should NEVER be left out for any length of time in the "danger zone".
  2. Cooking meat in a microwave is NOT a reliable way to kill bacteria. Just ask anyone who suffered from Salmonella food poisoning after eating a microwaved ConAgra pot pie in 2007!
  3. Some bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus produce heat-stable toxins. If food has been left out long enough for the toxins to form, no amount of reheating will make that food "safe to eat."

Shame on Ivan Petkov for spreading false and inaccurate food safety information.

And shame on Purdue University for not ensuring that its "Clinical Chef Instructor" is properly instructed in safe food handling!


If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.

Outbreaks and Alerts: June 29, 2010

A daily digest of international outbreaks, alerts and food safety news

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.


United States
  • Oregon. June 25: The state has lifted its health advisory for marine water contact at Sunset Bay State Park beach.
  • Baton Rouge, LA. June 28: The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals announced that it is partially reopening oyster harvesting Areas 9 and 10, closed since May 23rd as a precaution in anticipation of possible oil intrusion.
  • Indianapolis, IN. June 29: The Indiana State Department of Health has issued the 2010 Indiana Fish Consumption Advisory.
  • San Antonio, TX. June 29: The Texas Department of State Health Services has issued an advisory warning people not to consume any species of fish from Lower Leon Creek from the Old U.S. Highway 90 bridge downstream to the Loop 410 bridge in San Antonio.The advisory was issued after laboratory testing showed elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, in fish samples collected from the creek.
  • Clatsop County, OR. June 29: A public health advisory has been issued due to higher-than-normal levels of bacteria in ocean waters at Hug Point State Park Beach in Clatsop County.
  • Freeport, MN. June 29: The Schlangen Family Farm near Freeport, was searched earlier this month, according to a state Agriculture Department spokesman. Investigators were looking for evidence that Alvin and Alice Schlangen were selling raw milk, meat and produce without the required licenses or permits and without proper labeling.
  • Amherst, OH. June 29: The boil water alert that was issued for South Amherst on June 27th has been lifted.
  • Orange County, CA. June 29: A water-quality task force will decide today whether or not to implement beach monitoring displays showing same-day results for bacterial testing in near-shore waters. The pilot program has been running for the last four weeks.


Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. June 26: Members of the public have been strongly urged to forego all burial rituals when handling bodies of relatives who have succumbed to cholera.
  • Hong Kong. June 29: The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health has received 14 more reports of suspected food poisoning cases involving 38 people who had consumed food purchased from a restaurant in Jordan on June 26 and June 27. The investigation into the cause of the illnesses is continuing.



Latin America and the Caribbean
  • San Isidro de Pocosol, Costa Rica. June 29: The combination of an infection with Shigella flexneri and a whipworm parasite infestation is believed to have killed six-year old girl and sickened her younger sister. Both Shigella and whipworm are transmitted via fecal contamination of food or water, or by person-to-person transmission due to poor personal hygiene.


Recall Roundup: June 29, 2010

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.


United States
  • Food Safety Recall: Amazing Taste Foods (Malibu, CA) recalls three Amazing Taste Seasoning Mixes, because they contain black pepper that was recalled by Mincing Overseas Spice Company and may be contaminated with Salmonella. The seasoning mixes were sold in Meijer stores and probably also were available in other retail grocery stores and supermarkets.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Recall: INZ Distributors Inc./Magic Power Coffee Inc. (Brooklyn, NY) recalls all production dates up to 05/08/2010 of Magic Power Coffee dietary supplement after FDA undeclared hydroxythiohomosildenafil in the product. Hydroxythiohomosildenafil, which is chemically similar to Sildenafil (a prescription drug used to treat erectile dysfunction) may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs such as nitroglycerin and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Union Development Frozen Foods Co., Ltd. (Taiwan, Republic of China) that an evaluation of the company's HACCP plan dated May 3, 2010 revealed serious deviations from the requirements of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Mamma Lina's, Inc. (San Diego, CA) that a March 30/April 1, 2010 inspection of the company's seafood processing facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Tejas Industries Inc. (Hereford, TX) that December 2009 and January 2010 inspections of the companies facilities, together with FDA's having detected Salmonella meleagridis in a sample of Merrick Beef Filet Squares pet chews, confirmed that the company offered pet treats for sale as food that were adulterated. FDA also identified shortcomings in the company's recall of the Salmonella-contaminated pet chews.


Europe


Asia, Africa and the Middle East



Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.



Monday, June 28, 2010

Outbreaks and Alerts: June 28, 2010

A daily digest of international outbreaks, alerts and food safety news

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.


United States
  • Amherst, OH. June 27: A boil water alert has been issued for the Village of South Amherst. The alert is in effect until further notice.
  • Columbia, SC. June 27: The Department of Health and Environmental Control is taking close look at many Columbia rivers and warning swimmers about a potential sewage overflow.
  • Lancaster County, PA. June 28: Residents of Penn Township are being asked to boil their water until further notice because Cryptosporidium has been found in the water supply. Residents will soon get their water from a neighboring community instead.
  • St. Petersburg, FL. June 28: NOAA modifies commercial and recreational fishing closure in the oil-affected portions of the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Silver Spring, MD. June 28: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued draft guidance intended to help reduce the development of resistance to medically important antimicrobial drugs used in food-producing animals.


Canada
  • Windsor, QC. June 28: Residents of Windsor are being asked to boil their water after a major manure leak over the weekend. A break in farming equipment caused more than 100,000 litres of animal waste to flow into the Watopeka River.
  • Victoria, BC. June 28: Ten people with Clostridium difficile have died at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital since an outbreak started on March 29, according to the Vancouver Island Health Authority. Thirty-six people have contracted the bacterial infection since the outbreak started.
  • Vancouver, BC. June 28: The BC Center for Disease Control is reminding the public that the risk of illnesses contracted from eating raw or undercooked seafood and shellfish rises with in warm weather. Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a naturally occurring bacterium found in shellfish that can cause illness in people, prefers warmer water temperatures and is present in shellfish in higher concentrations in summer months.


Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Ludhiana, India. June 27: Birthday celebrations turned into tragedy for a migrant family when their two children died of food poisoning after having dinner suspected to be laced with lizard poison at Gobindgarh village, near here, last night. Three other family members are still in hospital. Police suspect that the poisoning was accidental and occurred as the result of a lizard having fallen into the food.
  • Hong Kong. June 28: The Department of Health is investigating five clusters of food poisoning involving a total of 26 people. All of the victims fell ill after consuming food obtained at a restaurant in Jordan, an area in the Yau Tsim Mong District of Hong Kong.
  • Yulin, China. June 28: Seventy students are being treated for Shigella sonnei dysentery after flooding caused contamination of the water supply at a primary school.


Recall Roundup: June 28, 2010

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.


United States
  • Allergy Alert: Pure Base Distribution, LLC (Ontario, CA) recalls its 4 ounce bottles of “Pure Base Garlic Spread - Concentrate” and 7 ounce bottles of “Pure Base Garlic Spread - Ready to Spread” items because they may contain undeclared milk and wheat. The recalled spreads were distribution nationally in retail stores and on-line.
  • Allergy Alert: The Kroger Company advises its customers that Roba Dolce Double Chocolate Chunk Gelato (33.8 oz) contains undeclared peanuts, because Peanut Butter Chunk Gelato was packaged in the Double Chocolate Chunk packaging in error. The mislabelled Gelato was distributed in Fry's stores.


Europe


Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.



Sunday, June 27, 2010

Outbreaks and Alerts: June 27, 2010

A daily digest of international outbreaks, alerts and food safety news

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.


United States
  • Atlanta, GA. June 25: CDC reports that 37 people in 18 states are confirmed to have been infected with Salmonella Chester. At least seven people were treated in hospital. The outbreak strain was recovered from an intact package of Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken and Rice single-serve frozen dinner found in the home of one of the Minnesota outbreak victims.
  • Little Rock, AR. June 25: Three cases of severe diarrheal illness have occurred in Saline County this month and have been linked to swimming in the Saline River near the Highway Five Bridge. The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) has tested water from the area and found it to be unsafe for swimming.
  • Lincoln, NE. June 25: Nebraska has issued a health alert for toxic blue-green algae at Swan Creek 5A Lake near Tobias in Saline County.
  • Juneau, AK. June 25: A middle-aged man from Haines is in hospital in Juneau. The man developed symptoms consistent with Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning after eating Dungeness crab in Haines on Friday.
  • Cary, NC. June 26: Forty members of a Cary Baptist church – including members of the pastor's family – developed Norovirus gastroenteritis after 140 members of the congregation shared a potluck lunch last Sunday.
  • Glencoe, IL. June 26: Seven cases of Salmonella gastroenteritis have been linked to the Skokie Country Club in Glencoe since June 10. The club voluntarily closed its kitchen on Thursday (June 24). According Amy Poore, spokesperson for the Cook County Department of Health, the seven cases are completely unrelated to the Salmonella Hvittingfoss outbreak that is still under investigation in the state.


Europe
  • Harwich, UK. June 25: Eight-six passengers on the Jewel of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) cruise ship were reported to be suffering from Norovirus gastroenteritis when the shipped docked in Harwich on Thursday – the second outbreak reported on the Jewel of the Seas this month. The ship will be thoroughly disinfected before the next group of passengers is allowed to board, according to a Royal Caribbean spokesperson.


Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Mumbai, India. June 25: Twenty-four children, including a nine-month-old baby, from the Asha Sadan Rescue Home at Umerkhadi were admitted to JJ Hospital, Byculla, on June 24th, following complaints of vomiting and upset stomachs. The children, who were treated at the hospital and released, became ill a couple of hours after eating a dinner that consisted of dal, rice and dudhi halwa.
  • Cameroun. June 25: The Ministry of Public Health reports that 23 people have died of cholera and 140 have been confirmed infected with Vibrio cholerae within the last several weeks. The outbreak is centered in seven health districts in the far north of the country.


Saturday, June 26, 2010

Recall Roundup: June 26, 2010

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.


United States
  • Food Safety Recall (Update): USDA releases updated retail distribution list for recalled SpaghettiOs With Meatballs.
  • Food Safety Recall (Update): USDA releases updated retail distribution list for recalled Marie Callender's frozen dinners.
  • Food Safety Recall: Kellogg Company (Battle Creek, MI) recalls certain breakfast cereals due to an uncharacteristic off-flavor and smell coming from the liner in the package. The recall covers specific date codes of Kellogg's® Apple Jacks®, Kellogg's® Corn Pops®, Kellogg's® Froot Loops® and Kellogg's® Honey Smacks® Only products with the letters "KN" following the Better If Used Before Date are included in the recall. The recalled products were distributed nationwide in the USA only.
  • Food Safety Recall: Great Kitchens, Inc. (Est P-2539B; Romeoville, IL) recalls approximately 109,800 pounds of BBQ chicken pizza products that may contain small pieces of plastic.
  • Food Safety Recall: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) warns consumers not to eat Flash Pop Candy imported from China after tests by CDPH found unacceptable levels of lead. Consumers in possession of the candy should discard it immediately. Flash Pop Candy is imported and distributed by Kidsmania, Inc., (Santa Fe Springs, CA), which is working with CDPH to remove the product from retail sale.
  • Consumer Product Safety Recall: The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) recalls a small percentage of 1-liter bottles of Scope Original Mint and Scope Peppermint mouthwash with malfunctioning child-resistant caps in the United States and Canada. The affected bottles have a number 4 on the bottom of the bottle to the far right of the recycling symbol.


Canada
  • Food Safety Recall: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency expands its earlier Health Hazard Alert to include additional distribution information for Salmonella-contaminated Cardamom Seeds.
  • Food Safety Recall: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency warns the public not to consume the pods of Green Cardamom (product of Guatemala), sold in various size packages or from bulk bins, because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The Cardamom Pods were sold in certain retail stores in Ontario and Nova Scotia. Please follow the live link to CFIA's Health Hazard Alert for a list of the stores.
  • Consumer Product Safety Recall: Procter and Gamble (Toronto, ON) recalls certain 1-litre Scope Original Mint (UPC 056100033165 and UPC 056100003038) and Scope Cool Peppermint (UPC 056100003205) mouthwash bottles. The recalled bottles, which have the number 4 on the bottom of the bottle to the far right of the recycling symbol, may have defective child-resistant closures. The recalled mouthwash was manufactured in the USA and sold across Canada between February 2010 and June 2010.


Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.