Humans and animals both at risk from contaminated pet food

Posted on March 6, 2021 by Douglas Powell

Some time about 2009, I was walking the dogs on a Sunday morning on the Kansas State University campus with a Canadian graduate student who was getting her MS degree at K-State, and we ran into University president, Jon Wefald.

We exchanged pleasantries, he was enamored by the dogs, and soon the conversation turned a pet food recall that had sickened dozens of humans with some bad bug.

Jon asked me, how are people getting sick from pet food and I explained the sometimes lack of process validation in pet food, the wonderful world of cross-contamination, of and that sometimes people ate pet food directly.

Jon was aghast.

I was, meh.

So that’ why these pet food recalls s are important, because the product can all to easily sicken humans along with their pets.

Bravo Packing, Inc. has recalled all Ground Beef and Performance Dog frozen raw pet food because it may be contaminated with bacteria like Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported, but pets who eat the food and people who handle it can become sick with Salmonella and/or Listeria infections.

The recall involves Performance Dog and Ground Beef Raw Pet Food, which are both sold frozen in 2-pound and 5-pound plastic sleeves.

Bravo Packing issued the recall voluntarily after product samples of Performance Dog and a sample of Ground Beef tested positive for Salmonella and Listeria after an FDA inspection.

The FDA warns that pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, vomiting, decreased appetite, abdominal pain, or show no symptoms at all.

Avocados as a source of Listeria

Posted on March 2, 2021 by Douglas Powell

Outbreaks of Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) infections have historically been associated with contaminated deli meats, but recent outbreaks have been linked to produce. To date, avocados have not been identified as the source of any outbreaks of L. monocytogenes infections in the United States, but avocado samples have yielded strains that were closely related genetically to clinical L. monocytogenes isolates.

To determine whether avocados have been a source of listeriosis, we conducted a retrospective review of epidemiological data for clinical isolates that were genetically related to isolates from avocados. Using a national database, we identified clusters containing clinical and at least one avocado isolate. We then selected clusters based upon isolation dates, cluster and composition size, and available food history data. For each cluster, we assessed whether (1) avocado consumption was higher among case-patients in the cluster than among those with sporadic illnesses, and (2) whether the only food isolates within the cluster were from avocados. If both conditions were met, the link was considered “likely,” if one condition was met the link was considered “possible,” and if neither condition was met evidence was “limited.”

Five of fifteen clusters met criteria for assessment. Of these, two were classified as having “limited” evidence for a link to avocados, two as “possible,” and one as “likely.” For the cluster considered “likely”, avocado consumption was significantly higher among case-patients in the cluster compared to sporadic illnesses (Odds ratio: 8.5, 95% CI 1.5-86.5). We identified three clusters that were likely or possibly linked to avocados, suggesting avocados could be a source of listeriosis in the United States.

Messaging on safe handling might be warranted for groups at higher risk, but further research is first needed to better characterize the ecology of pathogens on avocados and likelihood of internalization of L. monocytogenes.

Evaluation of avocados as a possible source of listeria monocytogenes infections, United States, 2016-2019, 16 February 2021

Journal of Food Protection

Mary Pomeroy ; Amanda Conrad ; James B. Pettengill ; Monica McClure ; Allison A. Wellman ; Jessie Marus ; Jasmine Huffman ; Matthew Wise

https://doi.org/10.4315/JFP-20-419

https://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-abstract/doi/10.4315/JFP-20-419/461503/Evaluation-of-avocados-as-a-possible-source-of?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Listeria outbreak linked to queso fresco made by El Abuelito Cheese Inc.

Posted on March 2, 2021 by Douglas Powell

Fast Facts

Illnesses: 11

Hospitalizations: 10

Deaths: 1

States: 4

Recall: Yes

Investigation status: Active

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports that on February 28, El Abuelito Cheese Inc. recalled quesillo and requeson cheesesexternal icon, in addition to the previously recalled queso fresco cheesesexternal icon. These cheeses were made or packed at the same facility as the contaminated queso fresco.

Queso Fresco with sell-buy dates through 03/28/21

Brand names: El Abuelito, Rio Grande, Rio Lindo

The El Abuelito brand 5-lb product may be repacked by stores and sold without a brand label or labeled with a different brand.

Quesillo (Oaxaca, string cheese) with sell-buy dates through 04/16/21

Brand names: El Abuelito, El Viejito, El Paisano, El Sabrosito, La Cima, Quesos Finos, San Carlos, Ideal

Many of the quesillo products were sold in bulk (5-14 lb bags). These products may be repacked by stores and sold without a brand label or labeled with a different brand.

Requeson (ricotta) with sell-buy dates through 03/14/21

Brand names: El Abuelito, El Viejito

These products were sold in 12-oz clamshell containers.

What You Should Do

Do not eat recalled queso fresco, quesillo, or requeson cheeses. Throw them away or return them to where you bought them.

Listeria, caramel apples and food contact surfaces

Posted on February 28, 2021 by Douglas Powell

The 2014 caramel apple listeriosis outbreak was traced back to cross-contamination between food contact surfaces (FCS) of equipment used for packing and fresh apples. For Washington State, the leading apple producer in the U.S with 79% of its total production directed to the fresh market, managing the risk of apple contamination with Listeria monocytogenes within the packing environment is crucial. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of Listeria spp. on FCS in Washington State apple packinghouses over two packing seasons, and to identify those FCS types with the greatest likelihood to harbor Listeria spp.

Five commercial apple packinghouses were visited quarterly over two consecutive year-long packing seasons. A range of 27 to 50 FCS were swabbed at each facility to detect Listeria spp. at two timings of sampling, (i) post-sanitation and (ii) in-process (three hours of packinghouse operation), following a modified protocol of the FDA’s Bacteriological Analytical Manual method.

Among 2,988 samples tested, 4.6% (n=136) were positive for Listeria spp. Wax coating was the unit operation from which Listeria spp. were most frequently isolated. The FCS that showed the greatest prevalence of Listeria spp. were polishing brushes, stainless steel dividers and brushes under fans/blowers, and dryer rollers. The prevalence of Listeria spp. on FCS increased throughout apple storage time. The results of this study will aid apple packers in controlling for contamination and harborage of L. monocytogenes and improving cleaning and sanitation practices of the most Listeria-prevalent FCS.IMPORTANCE Since 2014, fresh apples have been linked to outbreaks and recalls associated with post-harvest cross-contamination with the foodborne pathogen L. monocytogenes These situations drive both public health burden and economic loss and underscore the need for continued scrutiny of packinghouse management to eliminate potential Listeria spp. niches. This research assesses the prevalence of Listeria spp. on FCS in apple packinghouses and identifies those FCS most likely to harbor Listeria spp. Such findings are essential for the apple packing industry striving to further understand and exhaustively mitigate the risk of contamination with L. monocytogenes to prevent future listeriosis outbreaks and recalls.

Prevalence of listeria species on food contact surfaces in Washington state apple packinghouses, 2021

Applied Environmental Microbiology

Blanca Ruiz-Llacsahuanga¹, Alexis Hamilton¹, Robyn Zaches¹, Ines Hanrahan², Faith Critzer³

DOI: 10.1128/AEM.02932-20

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33608295/

10 dead, 24 sick: Listeria in cheese in Switzerland

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Douglas Powell

Swiss authorities are investigating if cheese from one company is linked to the deaths of 10 people with listeriosis since 2018.

The Schwyz Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened criminal proceedings in connection with Listeria in dairy products and is investigating allegations against the owner of the cheese firm.

A total of 34 cases are believed to have been infected with the same Listeria strain that was detected in brie from the dairy, according to the criminal complaint. Ten of the 34 sick people died. This resulted from analyzes commissioned by the federal government.

The ongoing investigation, with Schwyz police, includes whether the business owner is responsible for the illnesses and has violated food law.

Käserei Vogel AG, based in Steinerberg, a municipality of Schwyz, found Listeria in semi-hard cheese and at its production site in May this year. The company issued a recall, told authorities and informed its buyers to remove the products from shelves. The cheesemaker has already closed the business. More than 25 items sold across Switzerland were recalled and distribution also included Belgium and Germany.

Listeriosis caused by persistence of listeria monocytogenes serotype 4b sequence type 6 in cheese production environment

Emerging Infectious Diseases vol. 27

Magdalena Nüesch-Inderbinen , Guido V. Bloemberg, Andrea Müller, Marc J.A. Stevens, Nicole Cernela, Beat Kollöffel, and Roger Stephan

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/27/1/20-3266_article

A nationwide outbreak of human listeriosis in Switzerland was traced to persisting environmental contamination of a cheese dairy with Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4b, sequence type 6, cluster type 7488. Whole-genome sequencing was used to match clinical isolates to a cheese sample and to samples from numerous sites within the production environment.

7 sick: Listeria (listeriosis) in Hispanic-style fresh and soft cheeses

Posted on February 20, 2021 by Douglas Powell

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are collecting different types of data to investigate a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections.

Epidemiologic data show that Hispanic-style fresh and soft cheeses may be contaminated with Listeria and may be making people sick. A specific type or brand of Hispanic-style fresh and soft cheese has not yet been identified.

As of February 11, 2021, seven people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported from four states (see map). Illnesses started on dates ranging from October 20, 2020, to January 22, 2021, with six recent illnesses in 2021 (see timeline).

The true number of sick people in an outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Listeria. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 2 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.

Sick people range in age from 45 to 75 years, with a median age of 61. Six people are Hispanic, and 43% are female. All seven people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the month before they got sick. Of the four people interviewed, three reported eating at least one type of Hispanic-style fresh and soft cheeses and all three reported eating queso fresco. Public health officials are continuing to interview sick people to try to identify a specific type or brand of cheese.

Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. CDC PulseNet manages a national database of DNA fingerprints of bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. DNA fingerprinting is performed on bacteria using a method called whole genome sequencing (WGS).

WGS showed that bacteria from sick people’s samples are closely related genetically. This means that people in this outbreak likely got sick from the same food.

State officials are testing samples of Hispanic-style fresh and soft cheeses that they collected from stores where sick people report purchasing cheeses from.

CDC is advising people at higher risk for severe Listeria illness to not eat Hispanic-style fresh and soft cheeses (like queso fresco) until we learn more and to contact their healthcare provider right away if they have any symptoms of severe Listeria illness after eating Hispanic-style fresh and soft .

Listeria in sheep water trough

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Douglas Powell

In the context of a study on the occurrence of Listeria species in an animal farm environment in Valencia, Spain, six Listeria -like isolates could not be assigned to any known species.

Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene and on 231 Listeria core genes grouped these isolates in a monophyletic clade within the genus Listeria , with highest similarity to Listeria thailandensis .

Whole-genome sequence analyses based on in silico DNA–DNA hybridization, the average nucleotide blast and the pairwise amino acid identities against all currently known Listeria species confirmed that these isolates constituted a new taxon within the genus Listeria . Phenotypically, these isolates differed from other Listeria species mainly by the production of acid from inositol, the absence of acidification in presence of methyl α-d-glucoside, and the absence of α-mannosidase and nitrate reductase activities.

The name Listeria valentina sp. nov. is proposed for this novel species, and the type strain is CLIP 2019/00642^T (=CIP 111799^T=DSM 110544^T).

Listeria valentina sp. nov., isolated from a water trough and the faeces of healthy sheep

International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology

Juan J. Quereda¹, Alexandre Leclercq^2,3, Alexandra Moura^2,3,4, Guillaume Vales^2,3, Ángel Gómez-Martín¹, Ángel García-Muñoz¹, Pierre Thouvenot^2,3, Nathalie Tessaud-Rita^2,3, Hélène Bracq-Dieye^2,3, Marc Lecuit^2,3,4,5

https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.004494

75% of pregnant women in NZ aren’t aware of dangerous foods

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Douglas Powell

New research from New Zealand has found that 75% of pregnant women aren’t aware of what foods are potentially dangerous.

Researchers took a survey of 205 pregnant women, both those in a hospital and online, between December 2017 and January 2018. The results, according to BabyGaga, can be read in two ways. The good news is that the average woman scored 95% correct. The troubling news? Only 25% scored a perfect score. With things like deadly foods for fetuses, you need 100% in order to be completely protected from the dangers.

What danger foods weren’t readily known by expectant mothers? Baked goods with added cream or custard, hummus, certain salads, and soft/semi-soft Cheese all were among the most missed.

Hummus typically purchased in packages run the risk of listeria. This bacteria poses a danger to an unborn baby as it can cause the immune system to weaken. This, in turn, leads to listeriosis. Pregnant women are told to prepare any hummus at home and make sure to eat it while it is still fresh.

Refrigerated, ready-to-eat foods are generally a no-no. Two recent recalls highlight the risk.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a recall for a popular brand of lunch meat.

Levitts Foods (Canada) Inc. is recalling Compliments Smoked Beef Pastrami 175 g with a best before date of Dec 25th, 2020

The CFIA said people should not consume the recalled product and instead throw it out or return it to the store they purchased it from.

The recalled Pastrami was sold at stores in Alberta, Nova Scotia, Ontario and possibly across the country.

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you and your family sick.

The CFIA said there have been no illnesses reported.

This recall was triggered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) test results. The CFIA is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. If other high-risk products are recalled, the CFIA will notify the public through updated Food Recall Warnings.

The CFIA is verifying that the industry is removing the recalled product from the marketplace.

In the UK, Tesco has issued a recall of 80G packets of its own-brand spicy chorizo slices.

Food standards officials reported a detection of Listeria monocytogenes inside some packs of 16.

Packets with the best before end date of 19/12/20 should return the product immediately.

Reducing the risk of illness from listeria after Tauranga, NZ cases reported

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Douglas Powell

The New Zealand Herald reports Toi Te Ora Public Health and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) are reminding the public of the recommended food safety measures to reduce any risk from the bacteria.

“Listeria is a bacteria that can occasionally contaminate food and cause illness which can be serious for those with poor immunity and also pregnant women,” Toi Te Ora Public Health medical officer of health Dr Neil de Wet said.

“Our investigations include determining what the cases may have eaten in order to identify any common risk factors or food that may be the source of infection.”

MPI compliance director Gary Orr said if there was a link identified between these cases and the food supply chain, immediate action would be taken to ensure public safety.

People who are at risk of more serious illness from listeria include pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborn babies, people with weakened immune systems and elderly people, especially if they have poor health.

While detailed investigations are underway and a source of infection for these recently notified cases is not yet clear, and often a source is not able to be identified for individual cases, it is a timely reminder that people who are in an at-risk group should avoid certain foods.

These foods include:
uncooked, smoked or ready-to-eat fish or seafood, including oysters, prawns, sashimi or sushi.
paté, hummus and tahini-based dips and spreads.
cold pre-cooked chicken.
processed meats including ham and all other chilled pre-cooked meat products including chicken, salami and other fermented or dried sausages.
pre-prepared, pre-packaged or stored salads (including fruit salads) and coleslaw
raw (unpasteurised) milk and any food that contains unpasteurised milk.
soft-serve ice creams.
soft, semi-soft or surface-ripened soft cheese (for example, brie, camembert, feta, ricotta, roquefort).

Who puts spinach in ice cream? Ramar foods recalls mint chocolate chip with hidden spinach ice cream because of Listeria risk

Posted on May 17, 2020 by Douglas Powell

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that Ramar Foods of Pittsburg, CA, is recalling its 14 ounce packages of Peekaboo branded Mint Chocolate Chip with Hidden Spinach Ice Cream product out of an abundance of caution because of the potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The ice cream product being recalled was available for purchase at select Target stores in FL, GA, SC, and NC. Only thirty-three (33) containers of the ice cream product were purchased by consumers and the remaining containers have been removed from commerce. The ice cream affected comes in a 14 ounce, printed paper container with UPC# 8685400001, and a Best Before date of 10/08/2021 printed on the bottom.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this product.

The potential for contamination was discovered after internal routine testing by Ramar Foods revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in some packages of the ice cream.

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