Tag Archives: Illness

Two children dead, 56 ill in Japan from E. coli O111 in raw meat

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In Jan. 1995, a four-year-old girl died in Australia from E. coli O111 after eating contaminated mettwurst, an uncooked, semi-dry fermented sausage; 173 others were sickened.

The company, Garibaldi, blamed a slaughterhouse for providing the contaminated product, while the State’s chief meat hygiene officer insisted that meat inspections and slaughtering techniques in Australian abattoirs were "top class and only getting better." By Feb. 6, 1995, Garibaldi Smallgoods declared bankruptcy. Sales of smallgoods like mettwurst were down anywhere from 50 to 100 per cent according to the National Smallgoods Council.

The outbreak of E. coli O111 and the reverberations fundamentally changed the public discussion of foodborne illness in Australia, much as similar outbreaks of VTEC or shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) in Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. subsequently altered public perception, regulatory efforts and industry pronouncements in those countries.

Yet almost two decades later, history is still being relived.

Japanese media outlets are reporting that two children have died and 56 other people became ill from food poisoning linked to a raw meat dish at a restaurant in central Japan.

One boy died on Wednesday in Fukui Prefecture and the other boy on Friday in Toyama Prefecture after eating dish called Yukhoe served at restaurants run by Foods Forus Co in Kanazawa. The two were infected with E coli O-111 strain.

Yukhoe refers to a variety of hoe (raw dishes in Korean cuisine), which are usually made from raw ground beef seasoned with various spices or sauces. It is basically a Korean steak tartare.

Raw meat is a bad idea.

The company conceded at a news conference that it had failed to carry out hygiene inspections for the last two years of raw meat supplied by a Tokyo-based wholesaler for the dish.

Foods Forus said that it knew its Tokyo-based wholesaler had not sold the beef concerned to be eaten raw, but it served it raw based on its own judgment.

The wholesaler said it was impossible to comment because the person in charge of the sale was absent, Jiji said.

The Japanese apparently have some high-tech bacterial vision goggles that weren’t used in this case.

E. coli O111 has shown up in several tragic outbreaks, including the illness of 314 people and one death in Oklahoma in 2008, the sickening of 212 people in New York in 2004 linked to unpasteurized apple cider, and in salad that sickened 56 in Texas in 1999.
 

Cryptosporidium strikes Sweden again; 1,500 sick

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Late in 2010, up to 11,000 people were sickened by cryptosporidium in Ostersund, Sweden.

Today, The Local is reporting as many as 1,500 inhabitants in the municipality of Skellefteå in northern Sweden have confirmed in a survey that they have experienced stomach flu symptoms probably caused by a parasite outbreak.

Results from tests of water samples following the parasite infection could be completed on Wednesday.

The web survey conducted by Skellefteå and the Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control (Smittskyddsinstitutet – SMI) had been answered by 2,300 residents of the municipality by Wednesday lunchtime. Of those around 60 percent, 1,500 people, confirmed that they experienced stomach flu symptoms since April 1st.

Many complained of having had abdominal pain, diarrhea or gassy stomachs.
The survey has confirmed theories that the stomach flu has probably been caused by the parasite Cryptosporidium could have originated in the municipal water supply, local authorities confirmed at a press conference in Skellefteå on Wednesday.

SMI’s results on drinking water samples, expected at the latest on Thursday could be completed already Thursday afternoon.

People get sick; there’s a reason for HACCP plans

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This person sounds like a bad food safety manager.

New York City’s Village Voice ran a piece about the paperwork being required by health types in the form of HACCP plans (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point).

“… the plans require chefs to map out a convoluted strategy for avoiding foodborne pathogens in potentially dangerous cooking techniques…. Sous vide came under scrutiny and was even banned temporarily in 2006 while the health department decided how to regulate the newfangled method. … Now restaurants desiring to use the sous vide method must have an approved HACCP plan to do so.”

Elizabeth Meltz, director of food safety and sustainability for the Batali Bastianich group, which includes Babbo, Del Posto, and food emporium Eataly, was quoted as saying,

"There was one E. coli outburst from apple cider, and now there’s a HACCP plan required to make it for mass consumption, too."

Maybe the E. coli outburst Meltz was referring to was in Oct. 1996, when 16-month-old Anna Gimmestad of Denver drank Smoothie juice manufactured by Odwalla Inc. of Half Moon Bay, Calif. She died several weeks later; 64 others became ill in several western U.S. states and British Columbia after drinking the same juices, which contained unpasteurized apple cider –and E. coli O157:H7. Investigators believe that some of the apples used to make the cider may have been insufficiently washed after falling to the ground and coming into contact with deer feces.

Or maybe the outburst was in Maryland last year when seven people got sick drinking unpasteurized cider; three were hospitalized.

Maybe the outburst was in Iowa, when eight were stricken with E. coli o157:H7 after drinking unpasteurized cider.

Maybe it was one of the 31 other outbreaks of illness we’ve document linked to unpasteurized juices – primarily apple cider. The complete table with body count is available at
http://bites.ksu.edu/fresh-juice-outbreaks.
 

3 kids, 1 adult sick from salmonella linked to raw milk in Texas

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WFAA reports that at least four people, including three children, become seriously ill after drinking raw milk, according to state health officials.

Mary Chiles, a 57-year-old resident of Dallas, was quoted as saying, "They said it would be a while before I got my strength back.”

Chiles said she tried the milk after a health-conscious friend told her the all-natural, unpasteurized beverage might improve her health.

State investigators have now blocked Lavon Farms in Plano, where Chiles purchased her carton, from selling raw milk until tests are complete.

Owner Todd Moore told News 8 the farm sold thousands of gallons of raw milk and never received complaints of any illness.

It wasn’t clear from initial media reports when the illnesses occurred.
 

Walnuts suspected but not confirmed as E. coli source

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The Montreal Gazette is reporting tonight that public health authorities are still trying to pin down the source of an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that has claimed the life of one Quebecer, caused severe kidney complications in another, and sickened 11 others in Canada.

Not much new, other than a few quotes from some of the players.

Adel Boulos, vice-president at Amira Enterprises Inc. said Thursday none of the walnut samples — collected from the individuals who got sick, from stores and from the food importer’s warehouse, adding, "We have decided to do the recall even though none of the walnuts have tested positive. The investigation is going on and we are co-operating fully with the government to make sure that nobody gets sick."

Nathalie Levesque, a provincial Health Department official, said, "The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has serious doubts as to whether the infections are related to walnuts, but it’s the most probable source.”

Read into that what you like. If this was a homegrown product, CFIA would not be saying anything public, based on their past track record (see Maple Leaf). But when it’s imported, CFIA tends to rediscover the basics of epidemiology. Or maybe I’m wrong. If CFIA publically disclosed how, when and why they inform the public about potential food risks, and was consistent, perhaps there would be some confidence in the system.

Alice D’Anjou, a Canadian Food Inspection Agency spokeswoman said, “We got to trace these nuts right back to their source. We’re still trying to identify where the contamination happened, where the problem is, and how to fix it.”

In an advisory issued on Monday, the agency declared that "at this time, the outbreak investigation indicates that several individuals have reported consuming raw shelled walnuts.

The recalled walnuts, all imported by Amira from California, include products sold under the brand names Merit Selection and Tia. The walnuts were sold pre-packaged as well as in bulk bins.
 

E. coli O157:H7 in walnuts; people are sick, Canada won’t say how many

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People are sick in several Canadian provinces from E. coli O157:H7 in walnuts, but federal health types decided it’s a secret, so mere mortals are left to speculate.

From the rather crappy press release:

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Amira Enterprises Inc. are warning the public not to consume certain bulk and prepackaged raw shelled walnut products described below because these products may be contaminated with may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

All raw shelled walnuts sold from bulk bins, all package sizes and all lot codes / Best Before dates of the following raw shelled walnuts and products containing walnuts are affected by this alert. The affected products were available for purchase from January 1, 2011, up to and including April 4, 2011. The raw shelled walnuts are imported from the USA.
Brand Product
Amira Raw shelled walnuts sold from a bulk bin*
Amira Prepackaged raw shelled walnuts (Halves/Pieces/Crumbs)
Tia Prepackaged raw shelled walnuts (Halves/Pieces/Crumbs)
Merit Selection Prepackaged raw shelled walnuts (Halves/Pieces/Crumbs)
Amira Mistral Mix containing walnuts
Tia Mistral Mix containing walnuts
Amira Salad booster containing walnuts
Tia Salad booster containing walnuts

*The brand name Amira may not be marked on the raw walnuts sold from the bulk bins.
Consumers who have purchased walnuts from bulk bins are advised to contact the retailer to determine if they have the affected product.

That’s helpful for consumers.

Amira Enterprises Inc. of St. Laurent, QC, an importer of specialty food products from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran, is voluntarily recalling the affected products from the marketplace.

12 sick with salmonella linked to turkey burgers

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They may be all natural and lean, but raw, frozen turkey burgers can contain salmonella. With raw, frozen turkey thingies and burgers, and raw frozen beef patties, people have been observed to treat them like a sterile mini-Frisbee because they are frozen, leading to cross-contamination. And something like 1 per cent of Americans say they use a tip-sensitive thermometer to ensure burgers or thingies have reached a safe temperature; color is a lousy indicator of safety. That’s why it’s important to reduce loads of dangerous microorganisms in foods before they reach the food service or home kitchen.

At least 12 people throughout the U.S. are sick with Salmonella serotype Hadar, with illnesses occurring between December 2010 and March 2011. Health types determined that three of the patients in Colorado, Ohio, and Wisconsin specifically reported eating a Jennie-O ground turkey burger prior to illness onset and hospitalization; the last of these illnesses was reported on March 14, 2011.

Last night, Jennie-O Turkey Store, a Willmar, Minn. establishment, recalled approximately 54,960 pounds of frozen, raw turkey burger products that may be contaminated with salmonella. As the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) continues its investigation of illnesses related to this recall, additional raw turkey products may be recalled.

The products subject to recall include:
• 4-pound boxes of Jennie-O Turkey Store® "All Natural Turkey Burgers with seasonings Lean White Meat". Each box contains 12 1/3-pound individually wrapped burgers.

A use by date of "DEC 23 2011" and an identifying lot code of "32710" through "32780" are inkjetted on the side panel of each box, just above the opening tear strip. Establishment number "P-7760" is located within the USDA mark of inspection on the front of each box. The products were packaged on Nov. 23, 2010 and were distributed to retail establishments nationwide.

When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on FSIS’ website at www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Recalls/ Open_Federal_Cases/index.asp.
 

Nosestretcher alert: foodborne illness happens in lots of places besides home

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It’s one of those throwaway catch phrases that people promoting some food safety information campaign just can’t help themselves from using: most foodborne illness is from improper handling and cooking of food at home.

In one of those throwaway blurbs in the Vancouver Sun this morning (that’s in Canada), Mia Stainsby reports:

“A doctor (Dr. John Carsely, Vancouver Coastal Health medical health officer) and a chef (David Robertson, of Dirty Apron Cooking School) will be giving a talk on how to prevent food-borne illnesses at home. Some 700,000 cases of food-borne illnesses are reported in B.C. each year and most are from improper handling and cooking of food at home.”

Show me the data. We’ve reviewed most of the data and seen estimates of the home as the source of foodborne illness vary from 11-84 per cent. And most of the data sucks. If a person eats peanut butter or spinach at home, they might get sick at home, but the contamination was beyond the control of the consumer.

As we’ve written before, while some occurrences of foodborne illness result from unsafe practices during final preparation or serving at the site where food was consumed, others are consequences of receiving contaminated food from a supplier, or both. Data gathered on instances of contamination that lead to illness make greater contributions to the development of programs that reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses, than data or assumptions that describe locations where contaminated food is consumed.

The talk will apparently share the importance of using cooking and fridge thermometers to help prevent food poisoning. Great. Foodservice needs that message as well, so why throw in a throwaway comment about the home?

And how ironically ironic that the talk takes place at 11 a.m. at Dirty Apron Cooking School. Take some swabs of those dirty aprons at the cooking school; it’s not a home.

Jacob, C.J. and Powell, D.A. 2009. Where does foodborne illness happen—in the home, at foodservice, or elsewhere—and does it matter? Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, 6(9): 1121-1123.
?http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/fpd.2008.0256

Foodservice professionals, politicians, and the media are often cited making claims as to which locations most often expose consumers to foodborne pathogens. Many times, it is implied that most foodborne illnesses originate from food consumed where dishes are prepared to order, such as restaurants or in private homes. The manner in which the question is posed and answered frequently reveals a speculative bias that either favors homemade or foodservice meals as the most common source of foodborne pathogens. Many answers have little or no scientific grounding, while others use data compiled by passive surveillance systems. Current surveillance systems focus on the place where food is consumed rather than the point where food is contaminated. Rather than focusing on the location of consumption—and blaming consumers and others—analysis of the steps leading to foodborne illness should center on the causes of contamination in a complex farm-to-fork food safety system.
 

13 sick from salmonella in cantaloupe; CDC update; salmonella in cantaloupe chart updated on bites

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As of March 29, 2011, 13 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Panama have been reported from Oregon (5 cases), Washington (4 cases), California (2 cases), Colorado (1 case) and Maryland (1 case). Reported dates of illness onset range from February 5, 2011 to March 4, 2011. Ill persons range in age from less than 1 year old to 68 years old, with a median age of 12 years old. Sixty-two percent are male. Among ill persons, three have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.

Collaborative investigative efforts of state, local, and federal public health and regulatory agencies have linked this outbreak to eating cantaloupe. On March 22, 2011, Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. voluntarily recalled cantaloupes. Consumer should not eat recalled cantaloupes and restaurant and food service operators should not serve them. The cantaloupes, grown in and shipped from Del Monte Fresh’s farm Asuncion Mita in Guatemala, have a light brown color skin on the exterior with orange flesh. The recalled cartons of cantaloupes are dark brown cardboard with the “Del Monte” logo in red lettering and “cantaloupes” in yellow lettering on a green background. The cantaloupes have the lot codes: 02-15-24-10, 02-15-25-10, 02-15-26-10 and 02-15-28-10. No illness has been linked to cantaloupes from other sources.

An updated table of salmonella-in-cantaloupe outbreaks and recalls is available at:
http://bites.ksu.edu/cantaloupe-related-outbreaks.

12 sick: multistate outbreak of Salmonella Panama infections linked to cantaloupe

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Cantaloupes are once again making people sick with salmonella.

An updated table of U.S. salmonella-in-cantaloupe outbreaks and recalls is available at:
http://bites.ksu.edu/cantaloupe-related-outbreaks

“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control is collaborating with public health officials in a number of states, including Oregon, Washington, California, and Maryland and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Panama infections. Investigators are using DNA analysis of Salmonella bacteria obtained through diagnostic testing to identify cases of illness that may be part of this outbreak.

“As of March 22, 2011, 12 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Panama have been reported from Oregon (5 cases), Washington (4 cases), California (2 cases), and Maryland (1 case). Reported dates of illness onset range from February 5, 2011 to February 23, 2011. Ill persons range in age from less than 1 year old to 68 years old, with a median age of 12 years old. Sixty-six percent are male. Among ill persons, two have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.

“Collaborative investigative efforts of state, local, and federal public health and regulatory agencies have linked this outbreak to eating cantaloupe. Eleven of 12 ill persons reported eating cantaloupe in the week before illness. Ten of these 11 ill persons purchased cantaloupes before becoming ill at seven different locations of a national warehouse clubs. Information gathered with patient permission from membership card records helped determine that ill persons purchased cantaloupes sourced from a single farm. Product traceback information indicates these cantaloupes were harvested from single farm in Guatemala. FDA is working closely with CDC, authorities in states where illnesses have occurred and the firms involved to investigate the source of the contamination.

“On March 22, 2011, Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. voluntarily recalled 4,992 cartons of cantaloupes, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella Panama. The cantaloupes were distributed through warehouse clubs in Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

The recalled products consist of cartons of cantaloupes, each containing 4 plastic mesh sleeves with 3 cantaloupes per sleeve that were available for sale between March 10 and March 21, 2011. The cantaloupes, grown in and shipped from Del Monte Fresh’s farm Asuncion Mita in Guatemala, have a light brown color skin on the exterior with orange flesh. The recalled cartons of cantaloupes are dark brown cardboard with the “Del Monte” logo in red lettering and “cantaloupes” in yellow lettering on a green background. The cantaloupes have the lot codes: 02-15-24-10, 02-15-25-10, 02-15-26-10 and 02-15-28-10. No illness has been linked to cantaloupes from other sources.”

In farm-to-fork food safety, the idea is to minimize levels of contaminants throughout the system – salmonella should not be entering food service or home kitchens through cantaloupe. But if it does, here are ways to further minimize the spread and growth of salmonella.

The most important thing to do is to minimize the chances of contaminating the interior of the fruit. This is done by preventing the rind from contaminating the inside of the cantaloupe, either by direct contact or by cross-contamination. There are different methods used for preparing a cantaloupe, but there is disagreement over which is the most effective technique.

References:

“Reducing Salmonella on cantaloupes and honeydew melons using wash practices applicable to postharvest handling, foodservice, and consumer preparation”. Tracy L. Parnell, Linda J. Harris, Trevor V. Suslow. University of California. International Journal of Food Microbiology 99 (2005) 59-70.

“Effect of Sanitizer Treatments on Salmonella Stanley Attached to the Surface of Cantaloupe and Cell Transfer to Fresh-Cut Tissues during Cutting Practices”. Dike O. Ukuku and Gerald M. Sapers. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Journal of Food Protection, Vol. 64, No. 9, 2001.

Here’s a video from a few years ago about how to safely prepare cantaloupe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v4DYoKjwFw