Month: July 2012

Recalls and Alerts: July 2, 2012

Here is today’s list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals, allergy alerts and miscellaneous compliance issues. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the sidebar link.

United States

  • Food Safety Alert (Idaho): The Idaho Division of Public Health warns that catfish in the lower Boise River have been found to have high levels of mercury that could be dangerous to developing babies, children, and the general public if eaten too often. Therefore, the state has issued a Fish Advisory for catfish for the lower Boise River.

Europe

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Enforcement Action (Saudi Arabia): Makkah Municipality has closed an unidentified restaurant belonging to a “well-known international fast food chain” in the city center after four people who ate at the restaurant developed food poisoning. Lab tests on samples of food from the restaurant confirmed the source of the outbreak cluster. The restaurant will remain shut for one month and be fined SR4,000.

Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket’s recall web site.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.
**Includes Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs and Pak N’ Save.

Profiling Norovirus

Norovirus wreaks havoc among captive audiences – cruise ships, hotels, restaurants and nursing homes.

Some history

The syndrome known as “acute non-bacterial infectious gastroenteritis was known to physicians and epidemiologists since the 1940s. In 1972, Norwalk virus – now called Norovirus – was recognized as a significant cause of this syndrome.

What is Norovirus, and where is its natural habitat?

Humans are the natural hosts of Norovirus. Transmission of the virus through animals has been suggested as a possibility, but not confirmed.

How is Norovirus transmitted? What is the incubation period of the illness?

Norovirus is transmitted, directly or indirectly, via the fecal-oral route. The virus is extremely hardy and can survive for days on dry surfaces such as furniture, handrails, and other contact surfaces. The virus is spread through the vomit or feces of an infected individual, or via contaminated food or water. An outbreak can expand rapidly, as the incubation period is usually only 24-48 hours.

What are the symptoms of Norovirus gastroenteritis?

Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and copious watery diarrhea.

What is the prognosis of Norovirus gastroenteritis?

Symptoms typically are self-limiting in otherwise healthy adults, lasting 24 to 60 hours. Norovirus gastroenteritis can cause severe dehydration in the elderly or the very young. Approximately 1% of victims require hospitalization.

What foods carry Norovirus?

Norovirus can be present on any surface (including food utensils) or in any food that has been contacted by an infected individual, such as a food handler. The virus does not multiply outside of its human hosts, but as few as 10 virus particles are enough to cause infection.

How can people protect themselves from Norovirus?

  • Paying attention to food recall announcements and immediately discard any recalled food or return it to the store.
  • Pay close attention to personal hygiene, especially when caring for an individual who is suffering from gastroenteritis.
  • If you are suffering from gastroenteritis, do not prepare food for others or serve food.
  • Avoid self-serve buffets, especially on cruise ships.
  • Wash your hands thoroughly after touching surfaces in public places, before eating, and before touching your face. Be aware that some objects (e.g., gambling chips in casinos) have been handled by many people, any of whom may be harboring the virus.

For more information on Norovirus and other food-borne pathogens, visit the CDC website or read Food Safety: Old Habits, New Perspectives.

Recalls and Alerts: July 1, 2012

Here is today’s list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals, allergy alerts and miscellaneous compliance issues. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the sidebar link.

United States

  • Pet Food Safety Recall: Mars Petcare US recalls PEDIGREE+® Healthy Weight Premium Ground Entree in Meaty Juices, PEDIGREE® Weight Management Meaty Ground Dinner Beef & Liver Dinner in Meaty Juices, and PEDIGREE® Weight management Meaty Ground Dinner Chicken & Rice Dinner in Meaty Juices canned dog foods (13.2-oz cans; Lot codes beginning with 209, 210, 211 or 212; Best before dates between 2/24/2014 and 3/23/2014), because the products may contain small pieces of blue plastic. The recalled canned dog foods were distributed to retail customers throughout the USA, including through Food City and Walmart stores.
  • Boil Water Advisory (New Jersey): A Boil Water advisory remains in effect for 22 towns in Monmouth County following the collapse of three large water pipes at the New Jersey American Water Co. water treatment plant at Swimming River Reservoir. An outdoor water ban remains in place for all of Monmouth County.
  • Outbreak Alert Update (New York State): The number of outbreak victims in Onondaga County has increased to 34, according to The Post-Standard. Twenty-one people are confirmed to have been infected with Shigella, and an additional 13 probable cases are awaiting confirmation. The source of the outbreak has not been established. About one-half of the victims are children under 10 years of age.

Canada

HAPPY CANADA DAY TO ALL OF OUR CANADIAN READERS!

Europe

  • Outbreak Alert (UK): Thirty people contracted food poisoning after consuming a four-course meal at the Boundary Rooms suite at PROBIZ County Ground in Hove while while attending a cricket match. The Sussex County Cricket Club believes that the victims may have become ill from contaminated chicken parfait.
  • Outbreak Alert (UK): Four people were hospitalized with salmonellosis after eating at the Copper Beech pub in Darlington between June 2nd and 19th. An additional 15 people also became ill, but did not require hospitalization. The pub has closed its kitchens until the source of the contamination can be identified.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety News (Japan): A nationwide ban on serving raw beef liver in restaurants takes effect today (July 1st). The ban was decided upon following an outbreak of E. coli O157 killed five people and sickened approximately 180. The outbreak victims became ill after consuming raw beef serviced at a yakiniku barbecue chain. The outbreak victims did not eat dishes that contained liver, but E. coli O157 was found in beef liver during the outbreak investigation.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Outbreak Alert (Cuba): Journalists are reporting the death of two people and the hospitalization of 50 due to an outbreak of cholera in Manzanillo. Government officials have not commented on the outbreak, but the municipality has been declared to be in “quarantine.”

Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket’s recall web site.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.
**Includes Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs and Pak N’ Save.