Food Safety
Multistate Outbreak Linked to Raw Sushi Grows to 200 Cases
Test results lead CDC to add new strain, Salmonella Nchanga, to the outbreak
Forty more illnesses have been added to the multistate outbreak linked to Salmonella-contaminated sushi tuna, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Thursday.
The CDC also announced that health officials has grouped a second strain of Salmonella Nchanga into the outbreak investigation. As of late week, CDC said there were 160 confirmed cases of Salmonella Bareilly that have been linked to the same outbreak. Now, CDC is reporting 190 illnesses in 21 states linked to Salmonella Bareilly and 10 illnesses in five states linked to Salmonella Nchanga.
The product implicated, known as “tuna scrape,” is raw yellowfin tuna that has been shaved and recovered from tuna bones, which is served raw in sushi products, particularly spicy tuna rolls. The Nacaochi Scrape fish product was imported from India and has been recalled by the California-based distributor, Moon Marine USA.
At least two more people have been hospitalized since CDC’s last update, bringing the total to 28. No deaths have been reported.
Read Full Article Here
Senate Committee Seeks $22 Million Boost for FDA
The Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday approved a $22 million bump in discretionary funding for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for fiscal year 2013, giving the agency $2.54 billion.
Of the increase, $12.5 million is designated specifically for implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act, according to a summary released by the committee.
“This funding level takes into consideration the federal government’s responsibilities to protect public health and safety, especially in the areas of food, drugs, medical devices and biologics,” read the summary, noting that the bill does not allocate funds for the various fee programs that provide the lion’s share of resources for FDA’s budget.
The Senate bill would give the Food Safety and Inspection Service $1.001 billion for FY 2013. “This includes an increase above the budget request for Federal inspection activities and the full funding requested in the budget for state and international inspection activities,” according to the committee.
The Alliance for a Stronger FDA, a non-profit made up of 200 FDA-regulated industry stakeholders and consumer groups, expressed appreciation for the committee’s decision to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration a funding boost for fiscal year 2013. The group called the move a “step in the right direction,” but argued that more resources are needed given the agency’s “vast responsibilities and importance to public health protection.”
Read Full Article Here
FDA to Publish New Produce Rule with 120 Days for Comments
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is about to publish a new produce safety rule and will extend the comment period on it to 120 days, according to Michael Taylor, FDA’s deputy commissioner for food.
The Hagstrom Report, a subscriber news service, said Taylor made the announcement while speaking to the national Organic Trade Association, at a two-day meeting that ended Thursday in Washington, DC.
The new produce safety rule is one of four mandates Congress gave FDA in the year-old Food Safety Modernization Act. The rules were due out in January, but have been held up for an internal review by the White House.
The other three new rules will cover preventative controls for food facilities, foreign supplier verification, and preventative controls for animal feed facilities.
Organic growers had asked Taylor for the 120-day comment period — double the normal time —because the draft rule will be coming out during spring planting season.
Read Full Article Here
Outbreak of Salmonella Paratyphi B Infection in North Carolina
The Buncombe County Department of Health (BCDOH) is investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Paratyphi B infection in that county in North Carolina.
As of April 27, 2012, 27 people have become ill with this bacteria. The outbreak began on February 28, 2012. Public health officials are looking at food sources that “may be linked to the outbreak.” The bacteria is found in human intestines and is spread by food and water contaminated with feces of a sick person or by direct contact.
Read Full Article Here
E.coli In Kentucky Sickens Three Kindergarteners, Two Hospitalized
Health officials in Kentucky are investigating an E.coli outbreak that has sickened three Kindergarteners, two of whom are hospitalized, Beth Fisher, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky Center For Health and Family Services (KCHFS) told Food Poisoning Bulletin this morning.
The children attend school at Stanford Elementary school in Lincoln County, about 45 miles south of Lexington. KCHFS is working with officials from the Lincoln County Department of Health to determine the scope and cause of the outbreak, but a source has not yet been identified, Fisher said.
Read Full Article Here
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Recalls
Café-Tasse S.A. Recalling Dark Belgian Chocolate Bar for Undeclared Milk
Café-Tasse S.A. is recalling its Café-Tasse Noir (Dark) Belgian chocolate bar because it may contain traces of undeclared milk. The recall affects 11 cases of 30 bars each. They were sold by seven retailers and one distributor; all have been contacted.
Read Full Article Here
Fatima Brothers Recalling Shad Javantri (Whole Mace) for Undeclared Sulfites
FATIMA BROTHERS of Maspeth New York is recalling Shad Javantri (Whole Mace) because it contains undeclared sulfites. People who are severely sensitive to sulfites may have a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume it. In addition, the product has unallowed dyes Rhodamine B, or Basic Violet 10, and Malachite Green, or Basic Green 4, along with undeclared allowed color FD&C Yellow No. 5.
Read Full Article Here
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Allergen Alert
Reser’s Fine Foods Recalling Mrs. Weaver’s Pimento Spread for Allergy Alert
Reser’s Fine Foods of Oregon is recalling 653 cases of Mrs. Weaver’s Pimento Spread that may have been packed into containers marked “Ham Salad”. The Ham salad label doesn’t list milk ingredients.
Read Full Article Here
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Articles of Interest
by Staff Writers
Hong Kong (AFP) April 26, 2012
|
Hong Kong on Thursday suspended poultry product imports from the northeastern Chinese province of Liaoning after chickens there were found to be infected with the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus.
Five dead chickens in the city of Dalian tested positive for the virus on Tuesday, according to China’s agriculture ministry. The virus can be fatal to humans.
Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety said it will “closely monitor” the situation. The southern Chinese city imported about 28,000 tonnes of frozen poultry and 103 million poultry eggs from Liaoning last year.
Hong Kong culled about 17,000 chickens in December last year and suspended live poultry imports after three birds tested positive for the virus.
Hong Kong is particularly nervous about infectious diseases after an outbreak of the deadly respiratory disease SARS in 2003 killed 300 people in the city.
The city was also the site of the world’s first major outbreak of bird flu among humans in 1997, when six people died.
Related Links
Farming Today – Suppliers and Technology
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[In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit, for research and/or educational purposes. This constitutes 'FAIR USE' of any such copyrighted material.]
Food Safety Report – Saturday April 28th, 2012
Food Safety
Multistate Outbreak Linked to Raw Sushi Grows to 200 Cases
Test results lead CDC to add new strain, Salmonella Nchanga, to the outbreak
Forty more illnesses have been added to the multistate outbreak linked to Salmonella-contaminated sushi tuna, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Thursday.
The CDC also announced that health officials has grouped a second strain of Salmonella Nchanga into the outbreak investigation. As of late week, CDC said there were 160 confirmed cases of Salmonella Bareilly that have been linked to the same outbreak. Now, CDC is reporting 190 illnesses in 21 states linked to Salmonella Bareilly and 10 illnesses in five states linked to Salmonella Nchanga.
At least two more people have been hospitalized since CDC’s last update, bringing the total to 28. No deaths have been reported.
Read Full Article Here
Senate Committee Seeks $22 Million Boost for FDA
The Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday approved a $22 million bump in discretionary funding for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for fiscal year 2013, giving the agency $2.54 billion.
“This funding level takes into consideration the federal government’s responsibilities to protect public health and safety, especially in the areas of food, drugs, medical devices and biologics,” read the summary, noting that the bill does not allocate funds for the various fee programs that provide the lion’s share of resources for FDA’s budget.
The Senate bill would give the Food Safety and Inspection Service $1.001 billion for FY 2013. “This includes an increase above the budget request for Federal inspection activities and the full funding requested in the budget for state and international inspection activities,” according to the committee.
The Alliance for a Stronger FDA, a non-profit made up of 200 FDA-regulated industry stakeholders and consumer groups, expressed appreciation for the committee’s decision to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration a funding boost for fiscal year 2013. The group called the move a “step in the right direction,” but argued that more resources are needed given the agency’s “vast responsibilities and importance to public health protection.”
Read Full Article Here
FDA to Publish New Produce Rule with 120 Days for Comments
Organic growers had asked Taylor for the 120-day comment period — double the normal time —because the draft rule will be coming out during spring planting season.
Read Full Article Here
Outbreak of Salmonella Paratyphi B Infection in North Carolina
The Buncombe County Department of Health (BCDOH) is investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Paratyphi B infection in that county in North Carolina.
As of April 27, 2012, 27 people have become ill with this bacteria. The outbreak began on February 28, 2012. Public health officials are looking at food sources that “may be linked to the outbreak.” The bacteria is found in human intestines and is spread by food and water contaminated with feces of a sick person or by direct contact.
Read Full Article Here
E.coli In Kentucky Sickens Three Kindergarteners, Two Hospitalized
Health officials in Kentucky are investigating an E.coli outbreak that has sickened three Kindergarteners, two of whom are hospitalized, Beth Fisher, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky Center For Health and Family Services (KCHFS) told Food Poisoning Bulletin this morning.
Read Full Article Here
****************************************************************************************************************
Recalls
Café-Tasse S.A. Recalling Dark Belgian Chocolate Bar for Undeclared Milk
Read Full Article Here
Fatima Brothers Recalling Shad Javantri (Whole Mace) for Undeclared Sulfites
FATIMA BROTHERS of Maspeth New York is recalling Shad Javantri (Whole Mace) because it contains undeclared sulfites. People who are severely sensitive to sulfites may have a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume it. In addition, the product has unallowed dyes Rhodamine B, or Basic Violet 10, and Malachite Green, or Basic Green 4, along with undeclared allowed color FD&C Yellow No. 5.
Read Full Article Here
****************************************************************************************************************
Allergen Alert
Reser’s Fine Foods Recalling Mrs. Weaver’s Pimento Spread for Allergy Alert
Reser’s Fine Foods of Oregon is recalling 653 cases of Mrs. Weaver’s Pimento Spread that may have been packed into containers marked “Ham Salad”. The Ham salad label doesn’t list milk ingredients.
Read Full Article Here
****************************************************************************************************************
Articles of Interest
Hong Kong suspends poultry imports from China province
by Staff Writers
Hong Kong (AFP) April 26, 2012
Hong Kong on Thursday suspended poultry product imports from the northeastern Chinese province of Liaoning after chickens there were found to be infected with the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus.
Five dead chickens in the city of Dalian tested positive for the virus on Tuesday, according to China’s agriculture ministry. The virus can be fatal to humans.
Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety said it will “closely monitor” the situation. The southern Chinese city imported about 28,000 tonnes of frozen poultry and 103 million poultry eggs from Liaoning last year.
Hong Kong culled about 17,000 chickens in December last year and suspended live poultry imports after three birds tested positive for the virus.
Hong Kong is particularly nervous about infectious diseases after an outbreak of the deadly respiratory disease SARS in 2003 killed 300 people in the city.
The city was also the site of the world’s first major outbreak of bird flu among humans in 1997, when six people died.
Related Links
Farming Today – Suppliers and Technology
****************************************************************************************************************
[In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit, for research and/or educational purposes. This constitutes 'FAIR USE' of any such copyrighted material.]