Posts from the "Latest News" category
UK: Red Tractor Week to celebrate great British food and farming
Farmers Weekly: The aim of the seven-day campaign is to highlight the [traceability, food safety, animal welfare and environmental] standards behind the scheme and encourage shoppers to buy Red Tractor-labelled food. Farmers are also being encouraged to get involved through the social media campaign #trustthetractor by telling consumers what they do and why supporting Red Tractor is important.
Read Article →AU: DFAT trades facts on China deal
PSnews online: According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, there had been some misconceptions about the China–Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA), signed in Canberra on 17 June, and the resources would help the community understand the landmark trade agreement with China.
It said the trade agreement also did not affect Australia’s science-based biosecurity system. “There are no changes to our quarantine and testing processes, which will continue to apply to food imports including berries,†DFAT said.
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US: Limited precautionary recall of 5 oz organicgirl baby spinach announced
US FDA: September 10, 2015 – Salinas, California – organicgirl Produce is voluntarily recalling a limited quantity of 5 oz. organicgirl Baby Spinach.
No illnesses are reported in association with this recall. This recall action is being taken out of an abundance of caution due to an isolated instance in which a single package of 5 oz. organicgirl Baby Spinach tested randomly by the California Department of Public Health demonstrated the presence of trace levels of cadmium.
Read Article →US: The 5 most dangerous foodborne pathogens
Food Safety News: It can be tricky business to say that one foodborne pathogen is more dangerous than another. Are the criteria the number of illnesses, number of deaths, or percentage of victims who die? Do the severity of an illness or chronic side effects factor into the ranking?
The first three pathogens on this list are fairly obvious dangers and ones on which federal agencies, such the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, focus most of their attention. The other two are much rarer, but they’re still important pathogens to watch out for.
Read Article →UK: National E. coli O157 outbreak reported in the UK
Food Safety Watch:Â Public Health England is investigating a national outbreak of Verocytotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC) serotype O157 phage type 8 vero-toxin type 2a infection that may be associated with consumption of pre-packed salad.
Genetic analysis of VTEC O157 isolates from people affected in the outbreak has identified 38 confirmed cases with one further probable case and four more awaiting test results. The confirmed cases all became ill between 29 July and 12 August and are widely distributed across England, with one case in Wales, but none in Scotland.
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AU: Flying high on taste: the science behind airline food
Sydney Morning Herald:Â Once relatively unappetising, indeed unpalatable, inflight meals have become relatively healthy, appetising and aesthetically appealing, thanks to advances in food science.
Among other things, airlines assume that their passengers might be pregnant, or elderly, for instance, Potter says. “This means food-safety issues require cooking everything to a sort of “well done” formula. Hospitals have similar constraints, although the level of acceptable risk for people eating the food is much lower.”
Read Article →NZ: Fact sheet for microbiolgical limits for L. monocytogenes in fresh leafy salads, fresh fruit salads, sprouted seeds and smoked and gravadlax seafood
NZ Ministry for Primary Industries:Â This fact sheet provides general advice to processors of certain ready-to-eat (RTE) food (e.g. fresh leafy salads, fresh fruit salads, sprouted seeds and smoked and gravadlax seafood) in applying the microbiological limits for Listeria monocytogenes in RTE foods in accordance with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Food Standards Code) Standard 1.61.
Occasional low level contamination of such products by L. monocytogenes may be unavoidable but may not present a risk provided that growth cannot occur and there is less than 100 cfu/g within the stated shelf life.
Read Article →US: Multistate outbreak of Salmonella poona infections linked to imported cucumbers
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: CDC, multiple states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Poona infections. Since July 3, 2015, 285 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Poona have been reported from 27 states. 53 ill people have been hospitalized, and one death has been reported from California.
Read Article →Dr Michael Butcher retires from FPSC Board of Directors
The Fresh Produce Safety Centre Australia & New Zealand (FPSC) today formally announces the retirement of Dr Michael R Butcher from the FPSC Board of Directors. Dr Butcher was appointed to the FPSC Board of Directors when the Centre was established in May 2014.
Dr Butcher explains: “Food safety has always been the unspoken goal for fresh produce producers but high profile food safety failures throughout the world in recent years have created a perception this may not be the case. Most human illness causing pathogens are readily found in the environment and food safety breaches are relatively few given the vast volumes of fresh produce consumed worldwide on a daily basis.
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EU: Risk factors for Salmonella, shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli and Campylobacter occurrence in primary production of leafy greens and strawberries
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health: The microbiological sanitary quality and safety of leafy greens and strawberries were assessed in the primary production in Belgium, Brazil, Egypt, Norway and Spain by enumeration of Escherichia coli and detection of Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and Campylobacter. Water samples were more prone to containing pathogens (54 positives out of 950 analyses) than soil (16/1186) and produce on the field (18/977 for leafy greens and 5/402 for strawberries). The prevalence of pathogens also varied markedly according to the sampling region. Flooding of fields increased the risk considerably, with odds ratio (OR) 10.9 for Salmonella and 7.0 for STEC.
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