Posts from the "Microbial Contamination" category
US: Food hub provides local fruit and veggies
Lisa Cownie / KEYC News: Now there is really no excuse not to eat your vegetables. The MVAC Food Hub in Mankato cleans and preps the veggies for you, all you have to do is pick them up each week. Even better, they all come from local producers.
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US: Farm-fresh food preference not without risks
Mary Ann Thomas / Tribune-Review: Susan Kreinbrook feeds only local, farm-fresh eggs to her family and she buys local poultry as often as she can.
“I talk to my local farmer and I know what I am buying,†said Kreinbrook, a Harrison resident. “You’re right there and you are buying eggs that came from across the street rather than across the country.â€
However, the wholesome image of small, local farms does not ensure a less-contaminated product, researchers say.
Read Article →US: Metrics proposed to prevent the harvest of leafy green crops exposed to floodwater contaminated with Escherichia coli
Allied and Environmental Microbiology: In this study, the suitability of the LGMA metrics for farms in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States was evaluated. The upper end of a spinach bed (in Beltsville, MD) established on a −5% grade was flooded with water containing 6 log CFU/ml Escherichia coli to model a worst-case scenario of bacterial movement through soil. While E. coli was quickly detected at the 9-m distance within 1 day in the spring trial and within 3 days in the fall trial, no E. coli was detected on plants outside the flood zone after 14 days.
Read Article →UK: New diagnostic tests could hamper tracking of foodborne illness
Food Safety Watch: So-called culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs) help doctors diagnose foodborne infections in a matter of hours because they do not depend on traditional bacterial culture techniques, which often take several days to complete. Unfortunately, the absence of a bacterial culture makes it difficult to obtain detailed information from the bacteria responsible for the infection, such as genetic fingerprint and genome sequencing data.
Read Article →AU: Hepatitis A warning issued after supermarket deli worker in Yarram diagnosed
ABC News: Shoppers who have purchased fresh food from a Foodworks in Yarram, in eastern Victoria, have been told to throw it out after deli worker was diagnosed with hepatitis A. Victorian chief health officer Charles Guest said deli items and fresh fruit and vegetables should be discarded.
Read Article →AU: Breakthrough technology stops browning of avocadoes
Foodmagazine: Naruto All Natural Technologies says it has developed a natural processing technology which stops browning of freshly cut avocado and prolongs shelf life. The Australian invention not only stops the browning of cut (or pulped) avocado fruit for a minimum of 10 days when refrigerated (even after packaging is opened) […]
Read Article →NL: Around the world in 1,475 Salmonella geo-serotypes
Emerging Infectious Diseases: It’s easy to remember Salmonella serotypes names, isn’t it? Surely, this is because the naming system of Salmonella serotypes is by far the most scientist friendly. Traditionally, most Salmonella serotypes have been named after geographic locations. We decided to explore the geographic locations to which Salmonella serotypes refer and describe some unexpected twists in the naming scheme. We found that 93% (n = 1,475) of the 1,585 serotypes could be categorized as geo-serotypes; that is, the name refers to a geographic location.
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IE: Berries – Advice to boil imported frozen berries
Food Safety Authority of Ireland: Why is the FSAI reiterating its advice to boil imported frozen berries for one minute? As a result of recent outbreaks of norovirus in Sweden and hepatitis A virus in Australia, both of which have been linked to the consumption of imported frozen berries, the FSAI is reiterating its advice to continue to boil imported frozen berries for one minute before consumption. This is particularly important when serving these foods to vulnerable people such as nursing home residents.
Read Article →AU: New Salmonella warning – mung bean sprouts
SA Health: SA Health has today [19 May 2016] ordered a local mung bean sprout producer Star Tu, to recall all of its products and stop selling immediately after Salmonella Saintpaul was found in packaged bean sprouts.
Read Article →WHO: 10 facts on food safety
World Health Organisation: The great majority of people will experience a food or water borne disease at some point in their lives. This highlights the importance of making sure the food we eat is not contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria, parasites, viruses, toxins and chemicals.
1. More than 200 diseases are spread through food.
2. Contaminated food can cause long-term health problems.
3. Foodborne diseases affect vulnerable people harder than other groups.
4. There are many opportunities for food contamination to take place
5. Globalization makes food safety more complex and essential.
6. Food safety is multisectoral and multidisciplinary
7. Food contamination also affects the economy and society as a whole.
8. Some harmful bacteria are becoming resistant to drug treatments.
9. Everybody has a role to play in keeping food safe.
10. Consumers must be well informed on food safety practices.
Read the full fact file at the World Health Organisation website