Welcome to the Microbiology Information

The EU and US positions at a Codex meeting to set international standards on food safety foreshadow future legislation that would affect hygiene control measures in manufacturing plants, and the manufacture of powdered formulae, ready-to-eat foods, and pasteurised liquid eggs.

In the six day meeting which ended on the 4 November in New Delhi, India, national representatives to Codex’s food hygiene committee also decided to start work on drafting safety guidelines setting standards to control Campylobacter and Salmonella specie in broiler chicken meat.

At the New Delhi meeting they discussed various positions, including those relating to proposed standards for pasteurized liquid whole eggs, hygienic practice for processing powdered formulae for infants and children, pathogen control measures for Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods & guidelines for evaluating manufacturing control measures.

Codex is a multilateral body set up to develop food safety and other standards that would apply to all member countries.

It operates under the aegis of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation.

The standards are recognised as international benchmarks by one of the multilateral agreements of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and aim to eliminate many of what the UN calls “unjustified technical barriers” to food imports set up by some countries.

The standards also serve to harmonise food safety laws globally, aiding multinational processors in following the law no matter where they trade.

The standards on each particular topic and food type can undergo a huge revision process at various levels of Codex decision making bodies, over a number of years. Member countries must then transcribe the standards into their national laws.

The proposed standard setting what pathogen controls for Listeria monocytogenes ready-to-eat food processors must put in place is based in the main on US risk assessments, according to Codex documents.

Based on the risk assessments, a working group led by Germany concluded that a zero tolerance standard for L. monocytogenes have a proportional reduction in the rates of illness from foods contaminated with the pathogen.

A study commissioned by the food hygiene committee showed that the application of microbiological criteria at a given point of the production chain is only one of the measures that need to be applied, to bring down contamination rates.

The committee proposes to exclude from the criteria foods that are processing in such a way to ensure the killing of L. monocytogenes and for which recontamination is not possible.

The foods must also be processed and handled under systems adhering to good hygienic practice (GHP), a separate international standard.

Such foods include those given a listericidal treatment in the package and those that are produced through aseptic processing and packaging.

The group includes dehydrated products such as powdered milk, dehydrated soup mixes, herbs and spices, fresh, uncut and unprocessed vegetables and fruits, soft drinks, beer and spirits.

At the meeting the EU delegation also proposed that the standard should specifically include ready-to-eat foods for infants and those with medical conditions.

The EU supports a 100 colony forming units per gram (cfu/g) limit on the pathogen for ready-to-eat foods, if the food manufacturer is able to demonstrate the maximum would not be exceeded throughout the shelf-life.

The EU delegation also noted that setting a zero tolerance standard, where a negative reading is set at 25g = 0.04 colony forming units per gram (cfu/g) “might cause misunderstandings”.

The EU also wants clarification on foods not covered by the testing standard, pointing out that previous discussions had also discussed products for which Listeria monocytogenes is “very unlikely” to be detected.

Clarification is also needed about the proposed exclusion of foods for which there is less than ’1 log’ growth during 1.3 times the expected shelf life, the EU stated in its submission. Various definitions of ‘shelf-life’ might confuse the issue.

At the meeting the Codex committee also set its priorities for proposed standards, with those for egg products topping the list.

Other priorities in order are standards for infant and children foods; combining two codes of practice for various nuts into one; setting a single hygienic code for fruits, vegetable and products made from them; quick frozen foods, spices and aromatic plants; low-acid and acidified low-acid canned foods and aseptically processed and packaged low-acid canned foods, natural mineral waters, frog legs, catering, and street-vended foods.

The WTO’s Codex Alimentarius Commission is the body set up to harmonise food safety and other export requirements around the world.

Member countries’ representatives meet regularly to debate a common position or standard on every aspect of such requirements, from the holding temperatures in frozen meat should be kept at, to processing requirements for specific types of cheeses.

Agreements forged at Codex meetings could eventually affect the way processors operate worldwide as they become incorporated into national laws in various countries around the world.

Source

According to Itar-Tass (Moscow), a total of 444 construction workers has been infected with food poisoning and remains in hospitals within the Moscow region.

A total of 444 workers employed at Sheremetyevo (3 terminal in Moscow), the IKEA – Khimki Business Park construction sites had been hospitalized since June 20 with symptoms of food poisoning, a representative of the Ministry for Emergency Situations said.

The workers – citizens of Russia, the CIS and Turkey, lived at the Iskorka and Morozovka recreation compounds in the village of Myshetskoye of the Solnechnogorsk district. Poor quality food was is a presumed cause of food poisoning, a source of the infection is being established, the same source said.

Managers of the ENKA Company have been questioned within the framework of an investigation into mass food poisoning of construction workers employed at Terminal 3 at Sheremetyevo airport.

Almost all of the workers arrived in Russia from Turkey, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan to work on construction sites in Moscow. They lived on the premises of Ozero Krugloye recreation center in the Solnechnogorsk district.

According to preliminary data, all the victims have been infected with the salmonella bacteria and the source of the food for the workers were brought from Moscow.

The ENKA company might be stripped of the right to employ foreign workforce, the regional branch of the Federal Migration Service told Tass. “Since the company failed to fulfill its guarantees to the workers, which entailed grave consequences – mass food poisoning, and failed to ensure proper living conditions for the workers we are raising the issue of recalling the company’s license for the use of foreign workforce,” the Federal Migration Service said.

An operational headquarters for prevention of emergency situations in the Moscow region that is working round the clock has been following the situation. Healthcare Minister of the Moscow region Vladimir Semyonov said the workers’ condition was assessed as “medium seriousness”. Luckily, none of the sick people is in serious condition now, Semyonov said.

Deputy chairman of the government of the Moscow region Sergei Koshman said that the workers lived under conditions that did not meet the norm. Having obtained the license to accommodate 500 people, the employers invited 800 instead, Koshman said.

Source

did you know that red wine is known to have multiple health benefits. Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have found that red wine may also protect humans from common food-borne diseases.

Researchers Azlin Mustapha, associate professor of food science in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and Atreyee Das, a doctoral student in the food science program, are conducting on-going studies examining the inhibitory effects of numerous types of red wines, as well as grape juice, against pathogens and probiotic bacteria, which naturally reside in the intestinal tract and can be beneficial in combating, among other things, high cholesterol and tumors.

They found that red wines – Cabernet, Zinfandel and Merlot in particular – have anti-microbial properties that defend against food-borne pathogens and don’t harm naturally useful bacteria like probiotic bacteria.

E. coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes and H. pylori were among the pathogens examined. E. coli and Listeria can be fatal. Mustapha said the most promising results involved Helicobacter pylori, which can be transmitted via food and water and is the main cause of stomach ulcers.

“Our study is a little different than those previously reported in the media. Those studies promote moderate red wine consumption for cardiovascular diseases,” she said. “We went a step farther and asked: If red wine is already good for cardiovascular diseases, what about food-borne pathogens? If you get a food-borne illness and drink red wine, will that help decrease the symptoms a little bit? This study showed that the four probiotics tested weren’t inhibited by red wines; the pathogens were.”

In lab tests, Mustapha and Das focused on ethanol, pH levels and reseveratrol, which is a phytochemical found in grape vines and the skin of grapes. It also is responsible for the red coloring in red wines. They found that in addition to ethanol, pH and reseveratrol also may inhibit food-borne pathogens.

Numerous white wines also were tested, but yielded no positive results, the researchers said.

“It’s not just ethanol in the red wine that is inhibitory toward food-borne pathogens, but other factors which include the pH of the wine – because wines are a little acidic, and possibly the phytochemicals may have an effect,” said Mustapha, noting that grape juice produces similar results.

“We hypothesize that these phytochemicals, reseveratrol being the main one, also play a role not just as antioxidants but also may have some inhibitions against food-borne pathogens. Now, we’re concentrating mainly on the reseveratrol effects on these pathogens.”

The findings were recently presented at the Institute of Food Technologists annual conference in Chicago. http://munews.missouri.edu

Everlasting Distributors, Inc. of Bayonne, NJ, is recalling its Blue Ocean Smoked Indian Sardine Tamban 8oz. packaged frozen products because it has the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which produces a life threatening neurotoxin and can cause life-threatening illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled.

Botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning, can cause the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

Blue Ocean Smoked Indian Sardine Tamban was distributed in New York and New Jersey areas and it reached consumers through retail stores.

Blue Ocean Indian Sardine Tamban comes in an uncoded white styropor foam tray and vacuum packed with a clear plastic bag.

The potential for contamination was noted after routing testing.

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

Consumers who have purchased the Blue Ocean Smoked Indian Sardine Tamban 8oz. frozen product are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Everlasting Distributors, Inc. at (201) 823-0800.

Source

While America’s food supply is the safest in the world, food poisoning is responsible for approximately 76 million illnesses in the United States each year. In fact, it is estimated that 60% or more of the raw poultry sold today probably has disease-causing bacteria. Anyone eating food contaminated by certain bacteria, parasites, or viruses can get food poisoning. Certain factors such as age and physical condition can make certain people more susceptible to food poisoning than others. Infants, pregnant women, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are at greatest risk.

For most people in good condition, food poisoning is usually neither long lasting nor life-threatening. However, to less healthy individuals it can become a serious health threat, accounting for approximately 5,000 deaths each year.

The good news is that by taking simple precautionary steps while purchasing, handling, and preparing food you can prevent most cases of food poisoning in the home.

What causes food poisoning? Food poisoning is most commonly caused by bacteria, parasites, or viruses that may be present in the food that you have eaten. You may have heard the names of many of these organisms. They include Escherichia coli (E coli), Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium botulinum, Shigella, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Trichinella, and Hepatitis A virus, just to name a few. They can be present in a wide range of food including red meat, poultry, milk and other dairy products, eggs, unpasteurized vegetable juices and ciders, spices, chocolate, seafood, and even water.

These organisms may be present on your food when it is bought or can get into the food, including cooked food, if the food comes into contact with raw meat juices on dirty utensils, cutting boards, or countertops used to prepare contaminated food. That’s why it is important not only to thoroughly cook your food, but to wash your hands, utensils, and countertops, before and after you handle raw foods.

What are the symptoms? Symptoms will vary depending on the type and amount of contaminants eaten. Some people may get ill after ingesting only a small amount of harmful bacteria, while others may remain free of symptoms after eating larger quantities. The most common symptoms of food poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain (cramps), fever, headache, and fatigue. Symptoms may develop as soon as 30 minutes after eating tainted food, but more commonly do not develop for several days or weeks. Symptoms of viral or parasitic food poisoning may not appear for several weeks, while some toxins in fish may take only a few minutes to cause symptoms.

If you have botulism, you probably will not have a fever and the symptoms may include blurred vision, fatigue, dry mouth and throat.

How food poisoning is diagnosed Food poisoning is often suspected when several people become ill after eating the same meal. To diagnose the cause of the illness, your doctor will need to know the symptoms and what was eaten right before the illness occurred. The doctor may need samples of the food, bowel movements, or vomit. These samples can be tested in a laboratory to determine if the food was contaminated and identify the organism causing the illness.

How is it treated? If the symptoms are severe, the victim should see a doctor or get emergency care. Treatment depends on the severity and cause of the food poisoning. Generally, for mild cases of food poisoning, the doctor will recommend for you to rest, drink fluids to prevent dehydration due to vomiting or diarrhea, and to follow a specific diet. It usually only takes about 1 to 5 days to recover from food poisoning.

If you have botulism, your doctor will prescribe an antitoxin. Other types of food poisoning have no antidote. Antibiotics are usually not helpful in treating food poisoning. Medicine to stop vomiting and stomach cramping may be given.

Prevention is the best approach to avoid food poisoning Most cases of food poisoning can be prevented. Below is a list of a few simple Do’s and Don’ts to help you avoid food-borne illness in the home.

● Do wash your hands, utensils, cutting boards, and countertops between different foods ● Do hrefrigerate or freeze perishables right away (Refrigerator temperature should be 41Ëš F and freezer 0ËšF) ● Do thoroughly cook foods. Cook beef, lamb, and pork to an internal temperature of 160ËšF; whole poultry and thighs to 180ËšF; poultry breasts to 170ËšF, ground chicken or turkey to 165ËšF ● Do hrefrigerate leftover foods as soon as possible; leftovers shouldn’t remain unrefrigerated longer than 2 hours. ● While food shopping, do select frozen foods and perishables such as meat, poultry, and fish last- before checking out ● Do use smooth cutting boards made of hard maple or plastic that are free of cracks and crevices ● Do store raw meats in leak-proof containers or on the bottom of the hrefrigerator to prevent juices from dripping on other foods ● Don’t allow uncooked meats, meat juices, or unwashed fruits and vegetables to come in contact with either cooked or washed foods ● Don’t buy frozen seafood if the packages are open, torn, or crushed on the edges ● Don’t buy food in cans that are bulging or dented, or in jars that are cracked ● Don’t ever buy outdated food. Check the “use by” or “sell by” dates ● Don’t buy unpasteurized milk or dairy products ● Do not buy hrefrigerated or frozen products that are not displayed at the proper temperature ● Do not let small children put foods away unsupervised

More information about this important health subject can be obtained from the following sources: Gateway to Government Food Safety Information www.foodsafety.gov U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/wh-food.html Food Safety and Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/consumerpubs.htm

Supported as an educational service by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. This information is not intended for use as medical advice. You should discuss this information with your doctor.

Avaraham Henoch, MD 564 West 160th Street New York, NY 10032 Phone: (212) 740-6400

New Zealand with only a population of 6 million people is a nation of food worriers after a 750 people survey found some interesting data on their views of food and food borne pathogens.

Interestingly, scientists believe people may be anxiously worrying over small issues that pose little risk to their health.

In the phone survey conducted for the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA), they found that salmonella was the worst food fear, with 77 per cent being “very concerned” about it.

In addition, an antibiotic in meat was next with 67 per cent and campylobacter with 63 per cent.

But scientist Dr Donald Campbell said people were missing the three biggest threats to life, the amount of salt, fat and sugar in their diet.

Interestingly, people were more concern about eating at local buffets, food halls and ethnic restaurants than food made at home in an unhygienic way.

Campbell, the NZFSA principal adviser of public health, was surprised salmonella was the most feared.

“I would have expected campylobacter to be higher than salmonella,” he said.

Campylobacter had a greater impact on the community than salmonella. There were generally 10 times as many cases of campylobacter in a year than salmonella, said Campbell.

New Zealand had a 15 per cent rise in notified campylobacter cases last year to 15,873, compared with 1335 cases of salmonella.

Both are food-borne illnesses that have been associated with chicken and raw meats, and can cause symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and headache.

Canterbury medical officer of health Alistair Humphrey put campylobacter high on his list of concerns.

But he said many other bugs lurked in food, including norovirus which causes gastroenteritis’s of which there had been outbreaks in Christchurch.

Antibiotics used in animals for therapeutic purposes and to prevent disease may scare consumers towards vegetarianism, but “the evidence is of it being a very low risk,” Campbell said.

Listeria was a rarer food-borne illness (19 cases nationally last year) but could have devastating consequences, he said. At least half of cases occurred in pregnant women and one in four of their babies have died.

Listeria is linked to deli meats, poultry products, smoked seafood’s, soft cheeses and pre-cooked sausages. However stronger regulations have forced many food manufacturers to comply with strict hygiene.

Participants were more spooked about the use of pesticides in food production and additives.

More than 60 per cent of participants were “very concerned” about their potential effects.

Campbell said these were more “perceived risk” than actual risk, as pesticides and additives were covered by regulations.

The authority commissions the surveys every few years to gauge public feeling and tailor its food safety messages. “We eat at least three times a day, so it matters to us all,” Campbell said.

Genetically modified food greatly concerned 56 per cent of respondents, about the same as in two previous years, whereas a new category, food from cloned animals, worried 54 per cent.

“There is such a small use of genetically modified food. I would not put them as high on the list,” said Campbell.

Food allergies and irradiated food brought up the rear, with 47 per cent and 41 per cent respectively.

Here we go again. Another outbreak of gastroenteritis has affected 47 people at a nursing home at South Morang, North of Melbourne.

The illness struck 30 residents and 17 staff at the San Carlo Home for the Aged. Although it is still early, the source of the illness remains unknown.

One of the victims, a 90-year-old man, has died, but the cause of death is not yet known as it could be of natural causes.

San Carlo Home spokesman Christian Peterson says family members were asked to stay away from the home over the weekend.

“The best way people can help is by staying away and letting the staff get on with the job of looking after the residents and helping prevent the spread further,” he said.

“At all times we’ll keep relatives, staff and the appropriate agencies informed, as we have done over the last few days.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers about the risk of botulism food poisoning from Hot Dog Chilli Sauce Marketed under a Variety of Brand Names.

In particular are 10 ounce cans of Castleberry’s Hot Dog Chilli Sauce (UPC 3030000101), Austex Hot Dog Chilli Sauce (UPC 3030099533), and Kroger Hot Dog Chilli Sauce (UPC 1111083942) with “best by” dates from April 30, 2009 through May 22, 2009 due to possible contamination with clostridium botulinum.

Consumers who have any of these products or any foods made with these products should throw them away immediately. If the “best by” date is missing or unreadable consumers should throw the product out.

Two children in Texas and an Indiana couple who ate these products became seriously ill and have been hospitalized with the toxin.

Symptoms of botulism poisoning can begin from 6 hours to 2 weeks after eating food that contains the toxin. Symptoms may include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness that moves progressively down the body, affecting the shoulders first then descending to the upper arms, lower arms, thighs, calves, etc. Botulism poisoning can also cause paralysis of the breathing muscles which can result in death unless assistance with breathing (mechanical ventilation) is provided.

Individuals who show these symptoms and who may have recently eaten Castleberry’s Hot Dog Chilli Sauce, Austex Hot Dog Chilli Sauce, or Kroger Hot Dog Chilli Sauce should seek immediate medical attention.

All of the above products are manufactured by the Castleberry Food Company in Augusta, Georgia.

Castleberry has informed FDA that it is voluntarily recalling all of the potentially contaminated products and is cooperating with FDA, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the states’ active investigations into the cause of this contamination and scope of the products’ distribution.

Castleberry is also voluntarily recalling a number of products that are not under FDA’s regulatory authority.

For a list of these products, visit: www.castleberrys.com/news_productrecall.asp.

FDA will provide updates as more information becomes available. Consumers can call the FDA at 1-888-723-3366.

Castleberry recommends consumers with any questions or concerns about this recall should go to Castleberry’s website (www.castleberrys.com) or call Castleberry’s consumer hotline at 1-888-203-8446.

The list has also been expanding and can be found here

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the USDA have extended GRAS (Generally Recognised as Safe) Approval for LISTEXâ„¢ to all Food Products.

In the fight against Listeria, one of the most dangerous food pathogens, US food processing companies can now apply a novel yet natural tool: LISTEXâ„¢ bacteriophages. The FDA and USDA have approved this
product from The Netherlands as GRAS, based on extensive safety and efficacy data and organoleptics tests confirming that LISTEXâ„¢ is safe and has no impact on taste, smell, colour, and other physical properties of treated products.

Bacteriophages or phage are some of the most abundant micro-organisms on earth. Fresh water and seawater can contain as many as 1 billion phages per ml, while in fresh and processed meat and meat products, more than 100 million viable phages per gram are often present. Phages are harmless to humans, animals and plants, and target only bacterial cells. They are extremely specific in regard to the bacteria they recognize.

The LISTEXâ„¢ bacteriophages target only Listeria bacteria (leaving desirable bacteria in place), and are easy to apply in the environmental areas of the production processes or even within the process.

In October 2006 the FDA had already proclaimed GRAS for LISTEXâ„¢ against Listeria in cheese. The extension to all products susceptible to Listeria, opens the door for the meat and fish industry to apply LISTEXâ„¢.

Earlier this month, the Dutch designated inspection office SKAL confirmed the ‘organic’ status of LISTEX™ under EU law, as a result of which it can be used in the EU in regular and organic products.

EBI Food Safety’s CEO, Mark Offerhaus: “Food Safety now tops the agenda of US food processing companies and consumers, who are insisting on ‘green’ solutions, rather than chemicals. Natural bacteriophages prove to be a unique solution, where increased safety does not come at the expense of product characteristics. US food processors can now benefit from LISTEX™, like their European counterparts.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Listeriosis, the disease caused by Listeria monocytogenes, is one of the most severe food borne infections, with a mortality rate of 30%. It can take weeks after exposure before an infection becomes apparent. The US Food Safety and Inspection Service maintain a zero tolerance policy for the bacterium, which grows at refrigeration temperature and is omnipresent.

According to Itar-Tass (Moscow), a total of 444 construction workers has been infected with food poisoning and remains in hospitals within the Moscow region.

A total of 444 workers employed at Sheremetyevo (3 terminal in Moscow), the IKEA – Khimki Business Park construction sites had been hospitalized since June 20 with symptoms of food poisoning, a representative of the Ministry for Emergency Situations said.

The workers – citizens of Russia, the CIS and Turkey, lived at the Iskorka and Morozovka recreation compounds in the village of Myshetskoye of the Solnechnogorsk district. Poor quality food was is a presumed cause of food poisoning, a source of the infection is being established, the same source said.

Managers of the ENKA Company have been questioned within the framework of an investigation into mass food poisoning of construction workers employed at Terminal 3 at Sheremetyevo airport.

Almost all of the workers arrived in Russia from Turkey, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan to work on construction sites in Moscow. They lived on the premises of Ozero Krugloye recreation center in the Solnechnogorsk district.

According to preliminary data, all the victims have been infected with the salmonella bacteria and the source of the food for the workers were brought from Moscow.

The ENKA company might be stripped of the right to employ foreign workforce, the regional branch of the Federal Migration Service told Tass. “Since the company failed to fulfill its guarantees to the workers, which entailed grave consequences – mass food poisoning, and failed to ensure proper living conditions for the workers we are raising the issue of recalling the company’s license for the use of foreign workforce,” the Federal Migration Service said.

An operational headquarters for prevention of emergency situations in the Moscow region that is working round the clock has been following the situation. Healthcare Minister of the Moscow region Vladimir Semyonov said the workers’ condition was assessed as “medium seriousness”. Luckily, none of the sick people is in serious condition now, Semyonov said.

Deputy chairman of the government of the Moscow region Sergei Koshman said that the workers lived under conditions that did not meet the norm. Having obtained the license to accommodate 500 people, the employers invited 800 instead, Koshman said.

Source