US-NutraUSA-US regulators to consult public over E. coli concerns

The US department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will next month look into solutions to significantly reduce the presence of E. coli O157:H7 in raw meat stocks following recent scares. In a public meeting which will take place on the 9 to 10 April, processors, regulators and other industry stakeholders will present their findings and debate potential overhauls of existing recall and safety practices regarding raw meat use.

The timing of the talks comes just two months after the Minnesota-based Rochester Meat Co issues a major recall of 188,000 pounds of ground beef and other products because of E. coli bacteria concerns.

The E. coli O157:H7 strain of bacteria has been found to cause serious harm, especially to children, senior citizens and those with weak immune systems.

Dr. Richard Raymond, US under secretary for food safety, said that despite major advances in battling foodborne illnesses like E-coli in the country during the last decade, reduction levels have recently levelled out.

“It is time for another series of bold, strong moves based on knowledge and science to produce further significant reductions in illnesses attributed to the products we regulate,” he stated. “We aim to prevent and not just respond to illnesses, and consumers, industry and our public health partners are critical partners in our long term strategy and we look forward to our continuing collaborative relationship to ensure food safety.”…more..

UK-News Wales-Stopping Salmonella in Wales

Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones has announced that a national programme to protect public health from Salmonella in poultry laying flocks of domestic fowl is due to come into force this month.

The programme will include updating and enhancing existing controls to reduce the number of cases in poultry by 10% annually.

Ms Jones said: “The proposed regulations will provide a framework for the National Control Programme (NCP) that details the phases of production which sampling and testing for the Salmonellas must cover.

“The programme will set a target for an annual reduction of at least 10% in the number of positive adult laying flocks, compared with the previous year. The starting baseline in Wales and for the rest of the UK, will be 8% prevalence of Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium serotypes.

“The results of nationwide survey of commercial laying flocks carried out in 2004 –2005 showed that around 8% of layer flock holdings in the United Kingdom (UK) were infected with Salmonella enteritidis or Salmonella typhimurium. This demonstrates excellent progress of industry led initiatives to reduce Salmonella prevalence in laying flocks….more..

US-Fox News Los Angeles-Salmonella Outbreak Prompts Dole to Recall Cantaloupes

Dole Fresh Fruit Co. Friday announced it has voluntarily recalled Honduran cantaloupes because of a salmonella outbreak in the United States and Canada.

The cantaloupes were distributed for sale throughout the United States and parts of Canada in cardboard cartons with the brand “Dole” and “PRODUCT OF HONDURAS” printed on each of the side panels of the carton, according to William Goldfield, Dole’s communications manager. They were packed and shipped by an independent third-party grower, Agropecuaria Montelibano of San Lorenzo Valle, Honduras, Goldfield said. …more…

New Zealand-NZ Herald.com-Distributor fined for selling salmonella-infected food

A food distribution company has been fined $30,000 for knowingly supplying salmonella-infected tahini (sesame seed paste).

Shefco NZ Ltd pleaded guilty in Auckland District Court today for offences dating back more than four years.

The court was told the case dated back to September 2003 following an outbreak of salmonellosis.

During routine testing for the source of the outbreak, contaminated product was found on Shefco’s premises.

The affected stock was held while the company negotiated with the supplier in Lebanon but despite this some of the tahini was distributed.

Ultimately the stock was destroyed,…more..

US-AP via Courier Post-USDA might hold back names of retailers in certain meat recalls

WASHINGTON (AP) — Under pressure from the food industry, the Agriculture Department is considering a proposal not to identify retailers where tainted meat went for sale except in cases of serious health risk, The Associated Press has learned.Had that been the rule in place last month, consumers would not have been told if their supermarkets sold meat from a Southern California slaughterhouse that triggered the biggest beef recall in U.S. history.

The plan is being considered as the USDA puts the final touches on a proposed disclosure rule. It had lingered in draft form for two years until getting pushed to the forefront in February, when 143 million pounds of beef were recalled by Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. in Chino, Calif., after undercover video by an animal-rights activist showed workers abusing crippled cows.

Agriculture Department spokesman Chris Connelly confirmed Wednesday that the agency is weighing whether to make naming the stores mandatory only for so-called “Class I” recalls, which pose the greatest health hazard. The Chino recall was categorized as “Class II” because authorities determined there was minimal risk to human health.

Currently, the government discloses only a recall itself. It does not list which retailers might have received recalled meat. The same holds true for recalled vegetables.

Consumer groups and Democratic lawmakers contend that the public should have access to the names of retailers in all meat recalls. As originally written, the rule would have applied to all meat recalls….more…

UK-Food Standards Agency-Gama Ltd recalls sesame seeds

Gama Ltd has recalled some of its sesame seeds because of the presence of salmonella. Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause food poisoning. The Agency has issued a Food Alert for Information.The products recalled are:

• Gama Sesame Seeds
• Pack sizes: 150g, 500g, 1kg, 2kg and 25kg
• Best before: All date codes between 11/04/08 and 02/07/08

The company has recalled the affected products. Point-of-sale notices will be displayed in its stores explaining why the product has been recalled and the actions customers can take if they have bought the affected product.

UK-News Wales-E. coli victims need isolating

A new study into the 2005 South Wales E. coli outbreak suggests that isolating children with the infection may cut by half further spread within the household.

Large community foodborne outbreaks of E. coli O157 have been recorded in many countries including Wales, says the National Public Health Service for Wales.

An outbreak of E. coli O157 occurred in September/October 2005 with cases recorded in 44 different schools in the South Wales valleys. In total 157 people, mainly children, fell ill and a five-year old child died. The source of the outbreak was identified as cooked meat supplied to the school meals service by butcher John Tudor and Son.

Once a person has contracted an E. coli infection, it is relatively common for the infection to be transmitted to a close associate, such as a family member. A new analysis of the 2005 South Wales outbreak, based on records collected at the time by Environmental Health Officers, was undertaken by epidemiologists at the National Public Health Service (NPHS) Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC).

This analysis finds that person-to-person transmission was responsible for 5-8% of infections and that half of these cases could potentially have been prevented if the first case could have been taken out of the home, say by admission to hospital, or in some way isolated. The study is being published in the April 15 issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases…more..

Europe-API via Yahoo News- Alert over French E.coli meat sales

SAINT LO, France (AFP) – French officials said Tuesday they had issued a health warning after thousands of people were sold beef contaminated with the E.coli virus in supermarkets across much of the country.

Some 2.35 tonnes of unfit beef mince and burgers, from a slaughterhouse in northern France, were sold across the north and the Paris region, a veterinary services official said, confirming a report in Le Parisien newspaper.

Usually spread through contaminated food or drink, E.coli can cause stomach cramps, diarrhoea, nausea and fever, and can lead to potentially fatal kidney failure for the very young and the elderly.

Le Parisien suggested that “tens of thousands” of people were at risk of infection.

“Up until now, no one has fallen sick,” said the official, Frederic Macqueron.

All the stores in question issued recall notices on Thursday and Friday for the meat, put on sale between March 10 and 18, he added.

Dozens of similar health alerts were issued each year, but that only two or three people fell seriously ill, he said.

US-CNN News- FDA suspects cantaloupe, salmonella link

WASHINGTON (AP) — People should throw away cantaloupes from a Honduran manufacturer believed to be linked to a salmonella outbreak.

The Food and Drug Administration issued the alert Saturday for melons from Agropecuaria Montelibano. Grocers are advised to remove from their stock any cantaloupes from this company. People should check with stores to see whether recently purchased cantaloupes came from Honduras.

So far, 50 people have become sickened in 16 states and nine have become ill in Canada after eating the cantaloupes. No deaths have been reported, although 14 people have been hospitalized, the FDA said.

The government also is seeking to detain all cantaloupes shipped to the United States by Agropecuaria Montelibano.

The FDA said it was taking this step while it continues to investigate the outbreak with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and individual states.

To reduce the risk of contracting salmonella or other foodborne illnesses from cantaloupes, the FDA recommends:

• Purchasing cantaloupes that are not bruised or damaged. If buying fresh-cut cantaloupe, refrigerate or surround it with ice.

• Washing hands with hot, soapy water before or after handling fresh cantaloupes.

• Scrubbing whole cantaloupes by using a clean produce brush and cool tap water immediately before eating.

• Cutting away and not eating bruised or damaged areas of the cantaloupe.

• Discarding leftover cut cantaloupe if left at room temperature for more than two hours.

Symptoms of foodborne salmonella infection include nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps.

The 16 states that have reported illnesses are Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. 

UK-ICWales-Abattoir inspectors took ’softly-softly’ approach

A SERIES of meat inspectors took a “softly-softly” approach towards long-standing hygiene and structural problems at the abattoir which supplied E.coli butcher William Tudor.

JE Tudor & Son was today described as one of the worst in Wales, but the inspectors said they did not want to alienate the owner by adopting a heavy-handed approach towards repeated breaches of the regulations. And one official veterinary surgeon (OV) who oversaw slaughtering at the Treorchy plant, said that he did not have enough time to compile regular hygiene reports, which would highlight the same issues every month.

The E.coli public inquiry today heard more details about the conditions inside the abattoir, which was run by William Tudor’s cousin, and the risk of contamination caused by the poor state of the building, in Howard Street.

Alvaro Pastoriza was the OV who oversaw JE Tudor & Son in 2003 and 2004, and from August 2005 – a month before the E.coli outbreak – until the abattoir closed the following year.

“When I first arrived at the premises I was overwhelmed by the condition – it was very old and in a poor condition, and working there wasn’t easy at all,” he said. “I had to start to prioritise the enforcement issues – by assessing the issues which were important to achieve the hygienic production of meat.”…more…