Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Outbreaks and Alerts: May 26, 2010

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

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United States
  • Silver Spring, MD. May 25: FDA warns consumers and health care professionals about a possible increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine with high doses or long-term use of a class of medications called proton pump inhibitors. The product labeling will be changed to describe this possible increased risk.
  • Athens, OH. May 25: Casa Lopez on East State Street in Athens is reported to be the source of an outbreak of Salmonella that sickened at least 41 people earlier this month. An additional 15 cases are still awaiting confirming lab test results.
  • San Ramon, CA. May 26: A Lucky’s grocery store in San Ramon, California, apologized Sunday for selling bags of almonds that contained live and dead insects.
  • Puerto Rico. May 26: An outbreak of gastroenteritis, manifesting as vomiting and diarrhea, has affected at least 17 municipalities in the Commonwealth since March 31st.
  • Washington, DC. May 26: According to a congressional memo, FDA is investigating more than 700 consumer complaints involving children's medicines recalled by Johnson & Johnson last month.
  • Silver Spring, MD. May 26: FDA advises consumers and health care professionals about potential rare occurrences of severe liver injury in patients taking the weight-loss medication orlistat, marketed as Xenical and Alli. The FDA has approved a revised label for the prescription drug Xenical. The agency is working with the manufacturer of Alli on label revisions to reflect this rare occurrence.


Canada
  • Montreal, QC. May 25: A Montreal study finds heterotrophic bacteria counts, in more than 70 percent of bottled water samples, exceed the recommended limits specified by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). Researchers from Ccrest Laboratories report their results May 25 at the 110th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Diego.
  • Burnaby, BC. May 26: Unauthorized health products that may pose a serious health risk were seized by Health Canada at YVS (Your Vitamin Store) in Metrotown, Burnaby, BC. The seized products include: DHEA, Free Form Carnitine, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Hydro Lean, Xtra Lean, Yohimbe Extract, Hemo Rage Black, Lipo 6 Black, Lipo 6 Hers Black or Red Rockets.


Europe
  • Isla Cristina, Spain. May 26: About 35 of the 40 invited guests at a restaurant meal to celebrate a Communion became ill with food poisoning symptoms about 24-72 hours after the celebration.
  • Cadiz, Spain. May 26: Twenty-two passengers and three crew members of the Independence of the Seas remain isolated in their cabins due to Norovirus. Almost all of the cruise ship's 3,840 passengers were evacuated to facilitate a thorough disinfection of the ship while it was in port. The ship left port on schedule.


Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Banaskantha, India. May 25: At least 122 people, including 50 women and four children, were taken ill after they ate a sweet dish in a marriage function in a village in Mehsana district, health officials said here today.

Australia and New Zealand
  • Wellington, New Zealand. May 26: The New Zealand Food Safety Authority has launched Kitchen Crimes Week (24-28 May), to educate consumers on food safety in the home.
  • Melbourne, Australia. May 26: A highly virulent strain of Clostridium difficile has been found in three patients at Melbourne's Epworth Hospital. These are the first reported cases of hypervirulent Clostridium difficile in the eastern part of Australia, and represent only the second incident nationwide.

Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Durango, Mexico. May 26: The Epidemiología de Servicios de Salud de Durango has noted a substantial increase in the number of reported cases of diarrhea, with approximately 2,500 new cases reported weekly. So far this year, 21,878 cases have been treated, mostly involving children under 5 years of age.
  • Granada, Nicaragua. May 26: Epidemiologist Dr. Gloria Poveda reports a 94% increase in diarrhea cases, principally in the municipalities of Granada, Diriá and Diriomo.


Posted by Phyllis E at Wednesday, May 26, 2010 2 comments
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Recall Roundup: May 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
  • Allergy Alert: So Shing Hing (USA) Trading Co Ltd recalls DRIED MELON (imported from China) because the product was found to contain undeclared sulfites. The recalled product was sold in the New York City metro area.
  • Recall/Market Withdrawal: Food City advises its customers that ValuTime Sweet Relish (16 oz Jar) has been withdrawn or recalled by the manufacturer.
  • Recall/Market Withdrawal: Crofter Food Ltd. recalls or withdraws Nash Brothers Trading Co. Organic blueberry, strawberry, and raspberry preserves (17.5 oz), because equipment cleaning procedures designated as kosher may not have been fully implemented.


Canada
  • Food Safety Recall: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) warns the public not to consume certain Fresh Express brand Romaine-based Salads because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella. Items affected by this recall were imported from the USA, have Use-by Dates of May 13 through May 16 and an “S” in the product code. The recalled items, which are listed in the CFIA Health Hazard Alert, are known to have been sold in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec and may have been distributed nationally.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0637): Insect larvae infestation in dried mushrooms (Boletus edulis) from China; distributed in Canada and Poland.


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.



Posted by Phyllis E at Wednesday, May 26, 2010 0 comments
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Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Outbreaks and Alerts: May 25, 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
  • Baton Rouge, LA. May 24: Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals to reopen oyster harvesting Area 28 to give harvesters as much time as possible to harvest their product before any potential impact from the BP oil spill in the Gulf.
  • Minnesota. May 25: Minnesota Department of Health releases annual report of drinking water. Regular monitoring reveals little evidence of contamination problems in the state's 964 community water supply systems


Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Nairobi, Kenya. May 24: Five people, including one child, have died from a suspected dysentery outbreak in East Pokot District in the past three days. At least a dozen more required hospital treatment; an unknown number of people are receiving care at home.
  • Hong Kong. May 24: The Centre for Health Protection is investigating an imported case of cholera involving 46-year-old woman who developed loose stool and watery diarrhoea beginning on May 16. The patient, who travelled to Singapore between May 10 and May 17, is receiving treatment under isolation at Princess Margaret Hospital.
  • Hong Kong. May 25: The Centre for Food Safety announced the results of a survey of popular food items to assess the safety of Southeast Asian food. One mullet and one fish cake sample, out of 300 samples taken, were found to contain veterinary drug residues malachite green. All 300 samples passed the microbiological tests.
  • Dharmapuri, India. May 25: A 13-year old girl is dead and 60 more are ill with food poisoning, a few hours after attending a wedding celebration at Thoppampatti colony.


Australia and New Zealand
  • Auckland, New Zealand. May 25: Gerard Francis Van Den Bogaart, trading as Golden Harvest Poultry, was today sentenced by Her Honour Judge McAuslan in Papakura District Court after pleading guilty to four offences under the Animal Products Act 1999 (APA) and two offences under the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Managua, Nicaragua. May 25: Health authorities of two of the largest hospitals in Managua report an increase of patients with acute diarrhea.

Posted by Phyllis E at Tuesday, May 25, 2010 0 comments
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Recall Roundup: May 25, 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: Fresh Express, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chiquita Brands International, recalls a specific selection of Fresh Express Romaine-based ready-to-eat salads with the expired Use-by Dates of May 13th through May 16th and an "S" in the Product Code, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled salads were sold in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Nebraska, Montana, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nevada, Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota, in retail supermarket stores, including H-E-B and the following Kroger stores: Fred Meyer, Food 4 Less, FoodsCo, QFC, and Ralphs stores.
  • Food Recall: Ingles Markets Inc. recalls Laura Lynn Purified Water with date of 05APR10 after receiving complaints of an off-taste.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Willamette Shelling Inc. that November and December 2009 inspections of the company's detected Salmonella contamination in the production facility environment and significant deviations from the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation for foods.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns L. Perrigo Company that November 2009 and January 2010 inspections of the company's manufacturing facility in Allegan, MI identified significant violations of Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations for Finished Pharmaceuticals.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Liquid Manufacturing LLC that a January 2010 inspection of the company's acidified and acid foods manufacturing facility revealed significant deviations from the requirements of 21 CFR Part 108, 21 CFR Part 114, and 21 CFR Part 110. The FDA inspection was in response to a consumer complaint involving swollen pouches of baby food products manufactured at the facility.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Solar Farms, Inc. that a July/August 2009 inspection of the company's bean sprout processing facility revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the facility, as well as "objectionable conditions" that rendered the company's sprout products adulterated.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Milky Way Farm that a review of the company's web site has determined that Milky Way Farm is causing to be delivered, selling, or otherwise distributing raw milk, in final package form for human consumption, in interstate commerce, which is a violation of the Public Health Service Act and regulations.


Europe
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Arla Foods Amba recalls 1/2L containers of semi-skimmed milk produced 21th May 2010 because an incorrect "Best Before" date was printed on the containers.


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.



Posted by Phyllis E at Tuesday, May 25, 2010 0 comments
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Monday, May 24, 2010

Outbreaks and Alerts: May 24, 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
  • Baton Rouge, LA. May 23: Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals announced today the closure, effective immediately, of additional oyster harvesting bed areas west of the Mississippi, including areas 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22 and 23 as a precautionary response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf.


Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Ben Tre, Vietnam. May 22: Three new cases of cholera have been reported in Ben Tre province, bringing the total in the Mekong Delta province to 25 cases so far this year.
  • Tamil Nadu, India. May 22: One woman is dead and 26 more people are suffering from "viral dysentery" after drinking contaminated water from an open well that had not been chlorinated for several months. Ten of the victims are children.
  • Guangdong, China. May 22: Twenty-five people in two cities are suffering from paralytic shellfish poisoning after preparing and eating fresh scallops at home.
  • Ipoh, Malaysia. May 23: Food contaminated with Streptococcus has been blamed for an illness outbreak that affected 179 pupils of SJK (C) Wah Keow school in Langkap. The students, who had eaten at a school canteen, complained of a variety of symptoms, including: abdominal pains, vomiting, fever, cough, influenza, diarrhoea, headache, dizziness and sore throat. Streptococcus was recovered from samples of the canteen food, and from the hands of a food handler who worked in the canteen.
  • Gujarat, India. May 23: Two separate food poisoning incidents have sickened at least 64 people who attended marriage parties in two different districts.


Posted by Phyllis E at Monday, May 24, 2010 0 comments
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Recall Roundup: May 24, 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: Grace Foods USA recalls two batches of canned Corned Beef, which were produced for the US market by a Brazilian supplier, because routine testing revealed higher than USDA allowable levels of Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic treatment routinely used for cattle, in two affected batches of the product.


Europe
  • Food Product Withdrawal (Finland): Inex Partners Oy withdraws Rainbow Frozen stir-fry (wok) vegetables (packed in 450 g plastic bags; imported from Belgium) after a dead mouse was found in one package. Consumers are asked to return the empty packages to the store for a refund.


Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Food Safety Recall (Hong Kong): Nestle HK Limited recalls all batches of Nescafé Collections instant coffee, including: "CAP COLOMBIE" (100g), "ALTA RICA DECAFF" (100g), "SURAYA" (100g), "ESPRESSO" (100g) and "ALTA RICA" (100g). The coffee powder may contain small fragments of glass.
  • Food Safety Recall (Taiwan): Taiwan health authorities have initiated a recall of dried bean curd manufactured by Cheng Hsiang Foods Co., after the bean curd was found to be the source of at least two cases of botulism.



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.



Posted by Phyllis E at Monday, May 24, 2010 0 comments
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Sunday, May 23, 2010

It's Not Just E. coli O145 Anymore, Either!

A second E. coli is found in romaine lettuce responsible for E. coli O145 outbreak

In its Final Update on the E. coli O145 outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on May 21st that a second type of Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) E. coli – E. coli O143 – was found in a sample of shredded romaine lettuce obtained from an institution as part of the E. coli O145 outbreak investigation.

The institution where the E. coli O143-positive lettuce was found was a customer of the processing facility that supplied E. coli O145-positive lettuce (presumably, Freshway Foods). No illnesses have been associated with the E. coli O143 strain, which is described by CDC as an "incidental finding."

After reviewing past reports of E. coli O145 submitted to CDC by state health departments, the federal agency has determined that 26 people from five states (Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Tennessee) have been confirmed to be part of the current outbreak; an additional seven cases are considered "probable." Twelve of the outbreak victims have been hospitalized – three with hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Although FDA's investigation into the source of the contamination is ongoing, CDC does not expect to find any additional outbreak cases.

FDA's trace-back of the contaminated lettuce has led it to "... a farm in Yuma, Arizona which grew the romaine lettuce supplied to Freshway Foods during the time period of interest." As is usually the case in this type of investigation, FDA has not released the name of the farm.

While any type of Shiga-toxin producing strain of E. coli is a "notifiable disease" and must be reported to CDC, this is the first time that E. coli O145 has been responsible for an outbreak of food borne disease in the United States. It surely won't be the last. Non-O157 toxin-producing strains of E. coli, including O111, O26, O145 and O143 are just as dangerous as E. coli O157:H7.

According to CDC, "... there are limited public health surveillance data on the occurrence of non-O157 STECs, including E. coli O145; therefore, E. coli O145 may go unreported. Because it is more difficult to identify than E. coli O157, many clinical laboratories do not test for non-O157 STEC infection."

It's time for clinical labs, USDA, FDA, and state agencies to remove their O157:H7 blinkers and treat any and all STEC E. coli strains as equally dangerous.

It's not just about a single type of E. coli anymore!

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Posted by Phyllis E at Sunday, May 23, 2010 0 comments
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Street Food

Street food: A traveler's best friend – and worst enemy

Street food can be the most delectable manifestation of a region's cuisine.


Perhaps some BBQ Duck in Bangkok;



A refreshing glass of fresh-squeezed sugar cane juice in Bagan;



Bruschetta prepared to order in the Saturday San Francisco Farmer's Market;



Or just a simple loaf of bread in France.



At its best, street food is fresh, tasty and typical of the cuisine of the country, city or neighborhood where it is sold. At its worst, it is a teeming mass of microbes poised to destroy the joy of a traveler's vacation, and stunt the health of local citizens.

Dr. Teresa Estrada-Garcia and her colleagues have been studying the microbiological safety of street foods in Mexico City for several years. They have found Salmonella, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Aeromonas hydrophila and several varieties of pathogenic E. coli – including shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) – in taco dressings, chili sauces and seafoods sold by Mexico City street vendors.*

Hispanic children who live in the United States along the border with Mexico and travel across the border regularly are at greater risk of contracting hepatitis than children who remain in the United States, according to the US CDC. Children who become infected are 17 times more likely to have eaten food from street vendors than children who remain hepatitis-free.

Mexico is not the only country where street food is a risky business. Similar problems have been reported in Nigeria, the Philippines, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Ghana and Guatemala. Nor is the United States immune from this problem. A 2003 study of mobile food vendors in New York City found that more than two-thirds of the vendors engaged in one or more activities that violated New York's Code of Health. Violations including handling food with bare hands, not washing hands, not maintaining food at the correct temperature, and cross-contamination of ready-to-eat foods with raw meat or poultry.

Contaminated street food has facilitated the spread of cholera, dysentery and typhoid fever in countries where sanitation facilities are poor or nonexistent. Before eating food from a street vendor, consider the risk as well as the reward.



*Based on a series of four research articles kindly provided to me by Dr. Estrada-Garcia.

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.

Posted by Phyllis E at Sunday, May 23, 2010 2 comments
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Saturday, May 22, 2010

Recall Roundup: May 22, 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: Tiffany Food Corporation (Brooklyn, NY) recalls Dried Sweet Potato due to the presence of undeclared sulfites. The product was distributed nationwide and is a product of China.
  • Food Safety Recall: Caldwell Fresh Foods (Maywood, CA) recalls all alfalfa sprouts manufactured under the Caldwell Fresh Foods, Nature's Choice, and California Exotics brands, because the alfalfa sprouts may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled sprouts are linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Newport illness in 10 states.
  • Food Safety Recall: Trader Joe's advises its customers to return or discard Nature's Choice alfalfa sprouts purchased from its stores in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. The alfalfa sprouts may be contaminated with Salmonella Newport and have been recalled by Caldwell Fresh Foods.
  • Food Safety Recall: Walmart advises its customers to return or discard alfalfa sprouts produced by Caldwell Fresh Foods.


Canada
  • Allergy Alert: Mrs. Dunster’s Inc. (Sussex, NB) recalls MRS. Dunster’s Old Fashioned Ginger Snaps, sold in 350 gpackages bearing UPC 0 59548 00055 3. All Best Before date codes up to and including 10 JL 08 are affected. This product has been distributed in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
  • Consumer Product Safety Recall: John Bead Corporation Ltd. (Scarborough, ON) recalls Cross, Baseball Glove and Dolphin charms because the charms contain lead in excess of allowable limits. The recalled items were manufactured in Taiwan and the USA and were sold across Canada from May 1999 to April 2010.


Europe
  • Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Cora S.A. recalls Winny brand Atlantic Smoked Salmon, EAN 5.400.247.045.607 (all lots sold from 08.04.2010 to 20.05.2010), due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. Customers are asked to return the recalled product to their local Cora supermarket for a refund.
  • Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Match recalls Winny brand Atlantic Smoked Salmon, EAN 5400247045607 (Lot no. k116610N274RLAF087; Best before 26/05/10), due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. Customers are asked to return the product to the store for a refund.
  • Food Safety Recall (Republic of Ireland): Nestlé UK and Ireland Ltd recalls all 100g jars of Nescafé Collections instant coffees, because of possible contamination with small pieces of glass.
  • Food Safety Recall (Netherlands): Nestlé recalls all 100g jars of Nescafé Collections Cap Colombie and Nescafé Collections Espresso instant coffees, because of possible contamination with small pieces of glass.
  • Food Safety Recall (Finland): Suomen Nestlé Oy recalls all 100g jars of Nescafé Collections Espresso instant coffee, because of possible contamination with small pieces of glass.


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.



Posted by Phyllis E at Saturday, May 22, 2010 0 comments
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Outbreaks and Alerts: May 22, 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
  • Hendersonville, TX. May 18: About 100 students from Indian Lake Elementary School became ill last week with flu-like symptoms, including headaches, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Preliminary tests confirmed that the illnesses were due to Norovirus. Health officials are trying to determine the source of the infections.
  • Baton Rouge, LA. May 19: Louisiana has partially reopened oyster harvesting areas 14 and 15, and all of areas 2, 3 and 4.
  • Baton Rouge, LA. May 20: Louisiana has partially reopened oyster harvesting area 17.
  • Baton Rouge, LA. May 20: Louisiana closes oyster harvesting area 13. As of this date, areas 8 and 28 remain closed; areas 2 through 7 and portions of areas 14, 15 and 17 north of the 29.10.16 N latitude line were recently reopened.
  • San Diego, CA. May 21: San Diego County is investigating three cases of Salmonella gastroenteritis that match the alfalfa sprout outbreak strain. Alfalfa sprouts from a California grower are responsible for at least 23 cases of Salmonella Newport infections nationwide. According to County Environmental Health officials, Trader Joe's is believed to be the only retailer of the implicated sprouts in San Diego County.


Canada
  • Ottawa, ON. May 20: With the beginning of barbecue season, Health Canada reminds Canadians of steps they can take to avoid foodborne illness caused by bacteria such as Salmonella and other pathogens.
  • Ottawa, ON. May 21: Health Canada clarifies that, contrary to media reports, the federal agency has not approved the sale of any pre-mixed alcoholic energy drinks.


Europe
  • United Kingdom. May 20: The Food Standards Agency has published an update on its investigation – in conjunction with Spanish authorities – into an outbreak in mid-August 2009 of Salmonella Enteritidis phage type (PT) 14b was possibly linked to an egg production premises in Spain.
  • United Kingdom. May 20: This year's Food Safety Week runs from the 7-13 June with a focus on preventing Campylobacter food poisoning by highlighting the importance of proper cooking and avoiding cross contamination.
  • Netherlands. May 20: Investigators in the Netherlands publish an update on the investigation of an outbreak of Hepatitis A infections linked to semi-dried tomatoes in oil.


Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Xi'an, China. May 22: Bad milk or eggs are suspected to have sickened 42 primary school students at a Ziwu Street Central Primary School, in Chang'an District Friday. The students became ill with symptoms of a mild gastroenteritis after eating a breakfast of milk and eggs. They were treated and returned to class the same afternoon.
  • Moroto District, Uganda. May 22: Cholera has spread to 40 villages in the district. Five deaths and 220 cases of cholera have been reported since the outbreak was detected on April 16.

Australia and New Zealand

Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Chacharramendi, Argentina. May 22: La Escuela Hogar 176 de Chacharramendi has suspended classes after an outbreak of gastroenteritis that sickened at least 20 students, three teachers and one villager. The school is scheduled to reopen on May 26th, following a thorough cleaning and disinfection.


Posted by Phyllis E at Saturday, May 22, 2010 0 comments
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Friday, May 21, 2010

Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 22 People in 10 States

Alfalfa sprouts contaminated with Salmonella Newport responsible for outbreak

CDC reports that alfalfa sprouts contaminated with Salmonella Newport were responsible for at least 22 illnesses in 10 states between March 1st and May 2nd of this year. The number of confirmed cases may increase as federal and state investigators continue to conduct DNA testing of Salmonella cultures recovered from patient samples.

As of today, illnesses associated with this outbreak have been reported by Arizona (1), California (11), Colorado (1), Idaho (1), Illinois (1), Missouri (1), New Mexico (1), Nevada (2), and Oregon (1). The Oregon victim is an infant. Four of the 22 victims – including the Oregon child – were hospitalized.

Caldwell Fresh Foods (Maywood, CA), the sprout manufacturer, has recalled all lots of Caldwell Fresh Foods, Nature's Choice, and California Exotics brands of alfalfa sprouts. According to Caldwell, the alfalfa sprouts were distributed to a variety of restaurants, delicatessens and retailers nationwide. In California, the recalled sprouts were sold at Kings Super Market, Numero Uno Stores, Cárdenas Markets, Trader Joe's Stores, Gonzalez Northgate Markets, Wal-Mart stores, Jons Markets, and Canton Foods.

If you have purchased alfalfa sprouts recently – and, especially if you live in one of the states where outbreak cases have been reported – please check the brand name on the package and discard any Caldwell Fresh Foods, Nature's Choice or California Exotics brands. If you experienced any symptoms of gastroenteritis (e.g., nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps), after eating alfalfa sprouts, you should immediate medical attention and mention that you ate alfalfa sprouts.


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.

Posted by Phyllis E at Friday, May 21, 2010 0 comments
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Outbreaks and Alerts: May 21, 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. May 21: Oregon Public Health warn consumers about a nationwide recall of alfalfa sprouts produced by Caldwell Fresh Foods of Maywood, CA, and sold under several label names in Oregon. The sprouts, which are being sold in at least 17 other states in the West, Midwest and the South, have been identified as the source of an outbreak of 23 cases of salmonellosis in 10 states caused by a strain of Salmonella Newport. All Caldwell-produced alfalfa sprout products are covered in the recall, including Nature’s Choice, California Fresh Exotic, and Caldwell Fresh Foods brands. The sprouts were sold at Trader Joe's and Walmart stores in Oregon and may also have been served in restaurants and delis.
  • Reno, NV. May 20: A child became infected with Campylobacter after eating homemade cheese that was sold illegally door-to-door.
  • Greene County, OH. May 20: County investigators are searching for the source of a strain of Salmonella that has sickened at least 4 people in the last 48 hours. Two of the victims have been hospitalized.


Canada
  • Vancouver, BC. May 20: BC Center for Disease Control announces that black market eggs may be the source of an unusual rise in Salmonella infections in the province. Since 2008, more than 500 cases of salmonellosis have been reported to provincial health authorities, mostly in the lower mainland area of the province. The illnesses appear to be associated with the consumption of eggs. The province reports that an investigation revealed the "... use of ungraded and broiler hatching eggs in restaurants and other food service establishments in the Lower Mainland. Eggs used at these places," according the the BC CDC report, "were of poor quality, cracked and dirty.”


Europe
  • Stavropol, Russia. May 20: Thirty-four people have been stricken with Salmonella after eating soft ice cream at the cafe Gudnes in Stavropol. Two of the victims are in intensive care. One of the café workers, when interviewed, suggested that stale eggs may have been used in the ice cream that was served in the café.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Johannesburg, South Africa. May 21: Norovirus has been blamed for the death of six newborns in the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. All six infants were born prematurely and weighed less than 1 Kg.
  • Hong Kong. May 20: The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reports that a two-year-old girl living in Tuen Mun has been confirmed to have been infected with E. coli O157:H7. This is the second case reported in Hong Kong so far this year. CHP reminds residents "...to observe good personal, food and environmental hygiene..." in order to prevent the spread of E. coli O157:H7 and other foodborne diseases.

Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific
  • Papua New Guinea. May 20: The Minister of Health announced that the recent epidemic of cholera is "under control." Cholera was responsible for 117 illnesses and two deaths in the Central Province; in Port Moresby, three people died and 132 were infected with cholera.

Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Arequipa, Peru. May 20: Five doctors, two nurses and a guard were hospitalized with symptoms of acute gastroenteritis after eating beans and stewed chicken at a local kiosk. Operations were temporarily suspended at the food kiosk while samples were taken for analysis. One doctor remains hospitalized; the other victims have recovered.


Posted by Phyllis E at Friday, May 21, 2010 0 comments
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