Food safety lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic

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While it is, perhaps, premature to look at the COVID-19 pandemic through the rearview mirror only, there is, according to Max Teplitski of The Packer, enough data to extract some useful lessons. 

There has been an 80-95% drop-off in the cases of norovirus infections in the U.S. (and a similar trend in England and Wales) during the COVID-19 pandemic, and another study focusing on a decline in foodborne bacterial infections. 

Similarly, studies in Israel and Spain report a 30-80% decline in reported cases of salmonella, shigella and campylobacter infections. Even though the healthcare system was stressed, authors point out that under-reporting of cases could be ruled out.  

While it is beyond doubt that SARS-CoV2 is not a foodborne pathogen, what can we learn from the measures that were put in place to control COVID-19 that also had a positive impact on food safety?

Even though we cannot eliminate the possibility that lockdowns minimized interpersonal interactions and that limited the spread of some foodborne illnesses, other factors were also likely at play. 

From the first days of the pandemic we were all reminded of the importance of hygiene: washing hands, using alcohol-based sanitizers and doing so often. While hand hygiene is something that is commonplace in the produce and, more broadly, food industry, it was the first time that consumers went to great lengths to sanitize hands before coming into public places and after leaving them.  

The authors of the Israeli study, in fact, make a direct link between an increase in handwashing and a reduction in shigella infections. I firmly believe that continuing handwashing and hand sanitizing habits learned over the past 18 months is the single most effective intervention that the food industry and consumers can implement to reduce the burden of foodborne illness. 

Disinfecting shopping carts was a new practice implemented during the pandemic. While it was put in place to sanitize high-touch surfaces (such as cart handlebars), I have no doubt that this was the second most effective practice in reducing transmission of foodborne pathogens. 

52 sick from Vibrio in Washington after heat wave

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Washington health officials are warning of an outbreak of foodborne illness believed to be connected to the recent Northwest heat wave.

Health officials said 52 cases of vibriosis have already been reported in July, surpassing previous records for the month.

Michael Crowe of King 5 reports Vibrio bacteria are found naturally in the environment but thrive in warm conditions. Officials believe the record heat and low tides at the end of June led to high levels.

That same heat wave, which experts said was made more likely because of human-caused climate change, is believed to have killed as many as a billion sea creatures.
People can get vibriosis by eating raw or undercooked shellfish. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) said symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, headache, fever and chills.

Most people will recover in a few days, though those with compromised immune systems or liver disease are at increased risk of serious illness.

Of the 52 cases, 26 have been from commercial oysters, the DOH said. Four were recreational oysters, and the rest are either unknown or under investigation.

Because of the outbreak, officials are asking people to follow the “Three Cs:”

Cook shellfish to 145 degrees for at least 15 seconds
Check the DOH’s shellfish safety map before gathering
Cool shellfish immediately for the trip home, whether gathered or bought.

E. coli O121 outbreak in U.S. source unknown

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The following is from a list of outbreak investigations being managed
by FDA’s CORE Response Teams. The investigations are in a variety of
stages, meaning that some outbreaks have limited information, and
others may be near completion. 

A public health advisory will be issued for outbreak investigations
that have resulted in specific, actionable steps for consumers to take
to protect themselves. Please direct your attention to those pages for
the most up to date information on the investigation and for consumer
protection information. 

Outbreak investigations that do not result in specific, actionable
steps for consumers may or may not conclusively identify a source or
reveal any contributing factors. If a source and/or contributing
factors are identified that could inform future prevention, the FDA
commits to providing a summary of those findings. 

Date Posted – 14 Jul 2021 
Reference No – 1010 
Pathogen – _E. coli_ O121 
Product(s) Linked to Illnesses – Not Yet Identified 
Total Case Count – 15 
Investigation Status – Active 
Outbreak Status – Ongoing 

If it tests positive for Salmonella in duck, it’s Salmonella in duck: UK’s Natural Instinct recalls several products

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The Food Standards Agency says Natural Instinct Ltd is recalling several dog food products containing duck because salmonella has been found in the products.

Product details

Working Dog Duck

Pack size   1kg and 2x500g

Use by       08 January 2022 15 January 2022 22 January 2022 13 February 2022 20 February 2022 11 March 2022 18 March 2022

Pure Duck

Pack size   1kg and 2x500g

Use by       08 January 2022 15 January 2022 22 January 2022 13 February 2022 20 February 2022 11 March 2022 18 March 2022

Working Dog Puppy

Pack size   1kg and 2x500g

Use by       15 January 2022 22 January 2022 13 February 2022 20 February 2022 11 March 2022

Duck Carcass

Pack size   Pack of 2

Use by       08 January 2022 15 January 2022 20 February 2022

Duck Necks

Pack size   Pack of 6

Use by       15 January 2022 22 January 2022

Risk statement

The presence of Salmonella in the products listed above.

In humans, symptoms caused by salmonella usually include fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Infected animals may not necessarily display signs of illness, but symptoms can include diarrhoea.

Action taken by the company

Natural Instinct is recalling the above products. Point of sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling these products. These notices explain to customers why the products are being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product.

Natural Instinct recall notice(Opens in a new window)

Our advice to consumers

(Pet owners) If you have bought any of the above products do not use them. Instead, return them to the store from where they were bought for a full refund. When handling and serving raw pet food it is always advised to clean utensils and feeding bowls thoroughly after use. Consumers should wash hands thoroughly after handling raw pet food, bowls, utensils or after contact with the faeces of animals. Raw pet food should be stored separately from any food (especially ready to eat foods). Care should be taken when defrosting to avoid cross contamination of foods and surfaces.

Crypto in cattle and humans in Ethiopia

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Cryptosporidium is an intracellular coccidian parasite causing gastrointestinal disturbances resulting in diarrhea in humans and animals. It is more frequently detected in calves and early childhood, and one of the major causes of mortality in low-income countries. National estimates of Cryptosporidium infection rate in cattle and humans are lacking in Ethiopia. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis estimated the prevalence and assess the risk factors of Cryptosporidium infection in cattle and humans over 20 years.

Article searches were made using PubMed, HINARI, Research Gates, AJOLs and Google Scholar databases. Studies that met the inclusion criteria under the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) checklist were used. Random effects models and Inverse Variance Index were used to calculate the pooled prevalence of cryptosporidiosis and heterogeneity among studies, respectively. A total of 23 eligible studies published between 2000 and 2020 were selected for this study. The estimated pooled prevalence of cryptosporidiosis was found to be 16.2% and 11% in cattle and humans, respectively.

Ten Cryptosporidium species were documented with cattle and human-based studies. C. andersoni, C. parvum, C. bovis and C. ryanae were the reported species in cattle. Similarly, in humans, seven types of Cryptosporidium species (such as C. parvum, C. hominis, C. viatorum, C. felis, C. meleagridis, C. canis and C. xiaoi) was recorded. C. parvum and C. hominis were the dominant and responsible species for human illness. Using gp60 gene locus analysis, various zoonotic C. parvum subgenotypes were determined in humans; but it was limited in anthroponotic C. hominis.

In conclusion, the overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in cattle and humans was high and linked with several risk factors. Thus, there is a need for further epidemiological and genetic diversity studies, and awareness of creations on the disease to provide strategies that mitigate the disease in cattle and humans.

Cryptosporidium infection in cattle and humans in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis, 13 July 2021

Parasite Epidemiology and Control

Zewdu Seyoum, Tarekegna, Yeshifana Tigabua, Haileyesus Dejeneab

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parepi.2021.e00219

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405673121000209

Tyson Foods Inc. recalls ready-to-eat chicken products due to possible Listeria contamination

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Tyson Foods Inc., a Dexter, Mo. establishment, is recalling approximately 8,955,296 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced July 3, 2021..

The frozen, fully cooked chicken products were produced between December 26, 2020 and April 13, 2021. The products that are subject to recall are listed here. View the labels here.       

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. P-7089” on the product bag or inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped nationwide to retailers and institutions, including hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants, schools and Department of Defense locations.                             

On June 9, 2021, FSIS was notified of two persons ill with listeriosis. Working in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health partners, FSIS determined there is evidence linking the Listeria monocytogenes illnesses to precooked chicken produced at Tyson Foods Inc. The epidemiologic investigation identified three listeriosis illnesses, including one death, between April 6, 2021 and June 5, 2021. During routine sample collection, FSIS collected two precooked chicken samples from two establishments that are closely related genetically to Listeria monocytogenes from ill people. One of the samples was collected at Tyson Foods Inc. FSIS is continuing to work with federal and state public health partners to determine if there are additional illnesses linked to these products.

Additional information on the investigation may be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumer and institutional freezers. Consumers should not eat these products. Institutions should not serve these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

CDC

Fast Facts

Illnesses: 3

Hospitalizations: 3

Deaths: 1

States: 2

Recall: Yes

Investigation status: Active

Frozen, fully cooked chicken products, such as chicken strips and diced chicken, and products made with fully cooked chicken, supplied by Tyson Foods Inc.

Shipped nationwide to retailers and institutions including hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants, schools, and Department of Defense locations

Products include chicken strips, pulled chicken, diced chicken, chicken wing sections, fully cooked pizza with chicken, chicken salad sandwiches, chicken wraps, and salads with chicken

Brands include Tyson, Jet’s Pizza, Casey’s General Store, Marco’s Pizza, Little Caesars, and Circle K

Many of the recalled products have the establishment number “EST. P-7089” on the product bag or inside the USDA mark of inspection

See the list of products recalled by Tyson Foods Inc., including product and date codes, on these websites:

USDA-FSIS websiteexternal icon

FDA websiteexternal icon

Spices strike again: UnjhaSpice brand cumin powder recalled in Canada due to Salmonella

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UnjhaSpice Inc. is recalling UnjhaSpice brand Cumin Powder from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.

Recalled product

Brand Product          Size     UPC    Codes

UnjhaSpice    Cumin Powder         454 g   None  1610001

Best Before: October 2023

What you should do

If you think you became sick from consuming a recalled product, call your doctor.

Check to see if you have the recalled product in your home. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased.

Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems may contract serious and sometimes deadly infections. Healthy people may experience short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.

This recall was triggered by 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 industry is removing the recalled product from the marketplace.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

Undiagnosed deaths, dog, Australia: Voluntary meat diet dog food recall

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ProMed mail reports in some of the drier parts of inland Australia (quite removed by distance from Bairnesdale in Victoria), there is a wild legume (_Indigofera_ spp.) containing the toxin indospicine. This plant tends to be more abundant during the wetter seasons in the desert country and/or is a more preferred food of some herbivores at these times.

This toxin can accumulate in the offal and musculature of monogastric
herbivores (e.g., horses). If said meat from such animals finds its
way into pet food and forms a substantial proportion of the pets’ diet, it causes a non-responsive acute hepatitis.

Indospicine in the diet of equines also causes chronic liver disease and a hepatic encephalopathy condition commonly referred to as “walk-about” disease (not to be confused with the condition of similar cause arising from consumption of hepatotoxic _Crotolaria_ spp. By horses in the wetter tropics and sub-tropics). Affected horses compulsively pace or walk, initially causing dumping of the toes of the hooves (especially rear) and progressive loss of coordination with
progression to head pressing and, ultimately, death. Feral horses (of which there are sizeable numbers scattered over the drier inland areas of Australia) and domesticated horses showing early signs of walk-about disease are more likely to find their way to knackeries.

This condition was researched and established in Alice Springs by Dept of Primary Industries and Fisheries and a local private veterinary clinic (in collaboration with CSIRO, Long Pocket Research Station in Brisbane, Qld.) in the early-mid 1980s after a run of very good seasons in the central Australian deserts, and seasonal occurrence of acute, non-responsive, fatal hepatitis affecting pet dogs.

Raw is still risky: New Brunswick (that’s in Canada) health officials say no to restaurants serving beef tartare

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Health officials in New Brunswick are clamping down on restaurants serving beef tartare because the dish, considered by some a delicacy, violates the province’s food regulations.

Kevin Bissett of The Globe and Mail writes that over the past month, 11 restaurants have been given notice to stop serving raw or undercooked meat. The notice came as a surprise to chef Luc Doucet at the Black Rabbit restaurant in Moncton, N.B.

“I was blindsided,” he said in an interview Monday. “I got an email from health inspector that they needed a meeting and they showed up Thursday and served us a letter to cease all tartare operations and take it off the menu.”

The letter said current regulations don’t allow such foods to be served. “Our department was recently made aware that ground beef prepared as per the request of the customer and/or steak tartare is presently available at your food premises,” the letter stated. “This practice must cease immediately as it is in direct violation of the New Brunswick food regulation.”

Doucet said it appears officials were responding to a complaint, even though he’s never heard of anyone becoming sick from eating the dish (huh? – dp). He said he didn’t appreciate the way officials addressed the issue.

“It was not to ask us to provide our procedure for tartare or ground beef at the restaurant,” he said. “It was more, cease every dish that you have, and a lot of my restaurant friends have tartare on the menu.”

Of concern is that undercooked meat can contain pathogens that can make people sick. In a statement, the province said it’s working on establishing how such dishes can be served safely.

“These letters have not been issued as the result of people becoming ill from consuming these foods — instead, they are issued because of general food safety concerns, as eating raw or lightly cooked meats may increase the risk of food poisoning,” wrote Bruce Macfarlane, a spokesman for the Department of Health.

New Brunswick regulations include minimum cooking temperatures for meats such as beef, pork and poultry. The statement said for items like sushi and sous vide, policies are in place to support safe consumption.

Doucet said his beef tartare is composed of a quality cut of meat that is sliced in small cubes rather that ground up, and he said he has sampled tartare in restaurants across the country.

 “Every time I go to Quebec, I have tartare in some form,” he said.

Raw is risky: UK oyster farm shut down after more than 100 people ill

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ITV reports a Whitstable Oyster Company farm has been closed down as officials investigate multiple reports of people falling ill after eating the shellfish.

It’s believed more than 100 people have fallen ill with vomiting and diarrhea symptoms since eating the oysters.

Officials stress that the batches of oysters affected have been identified and testing is ongoing.

The Food Standards Agency, Public Health England and Canterbury City Council have issued a joint statement stressing that there is no further risk to consumers.

They said:

“The oyster harvesting business linked to the outbreak ceased harvesting, no further oysters have been distributed since illnesses have occurred, and oysters distributed before they were aware of the illnesses have been withdrawn from the market.

“All oysters that were distributed are now passed their shelf life, there is no known further risk to consumers.”