Outbreaks and Alerts: October 16, 2010

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

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United States

• Silver Spring, MD. October 13th: FDA announces that Toby McAdam and Greta Armstrong, doing business as Risingsun Health and The Center for Complimentary and Alternative Health of Livingston, Montana, have signed a consent decree that prohibits them from manufacturing and selling unapproved new drugs and adulterated or misbranded dietary supplements in violation of the law.Prior to entry of the consent decree, Risingsun manufactured and distributed a variety of unapproved new drugs under names such as Black Salve, Cancema, and Can-Support.
• Silver Spring, MD. October 14th: Federal regulators are warning the following eight companies to stop selling so called ‘chelation’ products that claim to treat a range of disorders from autism to Alzheimer’s disease: World Health Products LLC, Hormonal Health LLC, Evenbetternow LLC, Maxam Nutraceuticals/Maxam Laboratories, Cardio Renew Inc., Artery Health Institute LLC, Longevity Plus, and Dr. Rhonda Henry.
• Chattanooga, TN. October 14th: At least 15 people have been diagnosed with apparent food poisoning after eating at the Chattanooga Community Kitchen.
• Buffalo, NY. October 14th: A Tyson meat processing plant on Perry Street – formerly a Russer foods plant – has been shut down by federal regulators after inspectors found violations during follow-up testing stemming from an August recall of deli meat produced at the Buffalo facility.
• Lorain, OH. October 14th: Lorain County Health Department officials have confirmed eight cases of Salmonella among students at Clearview High School. The cluster of illnesses is believed to be connected with a dinner served to the football team two weeks ago.
• Lane County, OR. October 14th: A health advisory prompted by high algae levels found in the main pond in Golden Gardens Park has been lifted.
• Savoy, IL. October 14th: Health officials are investigating a possible Salmonella outbreak among students and teachers that has forced the closure of Savoy Head Start school.
• Olympia, WA. October 15th: The Department of Health advises customers of the Potlatch Beach Mutual Water System in north Mason County to boil their tap water or buy bottled water, after E. coli is detected in the water system. The Minerva Terrace and Canal Mutual water systems – both in the same area – also were placed under boil-water advisories earlier in the week, due to E. coli contamination.

Canada

• Ottawa, ON. October 13th: Environment Canada has declared bisphenol A (BPA) a toxic substance. The chemical is used to make some hard plastic containers and toys, and also is found in resins that coat the interior of food cans to prevent corrosion.

Europe

• Pervomaisky, Russia. October 15th: Six residents – including two children – of the village of Ilovay-Christmas have been diagnosed with hepatitis A infections. All those who were in contact with the infected individuals have been examined and vaccinated.
• Copenhagen, Denmark. October 15th:
  A mobile task force from Denmark's Food Authority raided an illegal slaughter business located at Kæret 5, 6990 Ulfborg and confiscated nearly 2 tons of meat, including carved roast, smoked venison, smoked sliced meat and 1,500 salamis. All of the confiscated products came from deer that were slaughtered and processed in an unlicensed and uninspected facility.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. October 13th: The Saudi Food and Drug Administration was advised by Abbott that 4 cartons (24 cans/carton) of recalled Similac Powder Infant Formula were shipped by the company to individual consumers on a private basis.
• Sichuan, China. October 14th: Police authorities in southwest China's Sichuan Province have blamed last week's mass food poisoning that killed a tourist and sickened dozens on poor management of a local hotel. According to an officer with the public security bureau, the chefs at the Pearl Garden Hotel mistook nitrite for salt while preparing breakfast on October 8th.
• Hong Kong. October 14th: The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) learned on October 9 that certain batches of Indomie instant noodles imported into Taiwan from Indonesia were found to contain a non-permitted preservative methyl para-hydroxybenzoate under Taiwan regulations and that the level of another preservative, benzoic acid, exceeded their legal limit. After completing a follow-up investigation, CFS reports that tests results of samples of the nine types of instant noodles mentioned in the reports were all satisfactory.
• Taiwan. October 15th: The Taiwan CDC has confirmed that a 56-year old man who lives in Taipei City and who has a history of immunodeficiency disease was suffering from cholera. The victim became infected with Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa strain after eating sashimi at a sushi restaurant. This is the fourth confirmed case of cholera in Taiwan so far this year.
• Zhejiang Province, China. October 15th: Sixty-nine students at Township Central Primary School are suffering from fever, diarrhea, vomiting and "other symptoms."
• Nebbi, Uganda. October 15th: A student of Uringi Secondary School died shortly after eating cassava that he purchased from a food vendor within the school. Police have launched an investigation; one person has been arrested.

Australia and New Zealand

• Wellington, NZ. October 15th: Trade Me has suspended the sale of tattoo ink kits after being alerted to potential safety hazards by the Environmental Risk Management Authority. According to a company spokesperson, lab analyses carried out by the government agency found that at least one ink per kit contained at least one metal prohibited under the cosmetic group standard.