Great Britain: Brie de Meaux à la Truffe recalled due to Listeria contamination

Fromagerie Beillevaire UK has recalled a batch of its ‘Brie de Meaux à la Truffe’ with a ‘use by’ date of 22 January 2016 because high levels of the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes have been found in the product.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause foodborne illness, particularly among key vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, unborn and newborn babies, those over 60 years old, and anyone with reduced immunity.

Risk

High levels of Listeria monocytogenes in Fromagerie Beillevaire UK, Brie de Meaux à la Truffe.

Product details

Product: Fromagerie Beillevaire UK, Brie de Meaux à la Truffe

'Use by' date: 22 January 2016

Batch number: 1505523

No other Fromagerie Beillevaire UK products are known to be affected.

Our advice to consumers

If you have bought the above product, do not eat it. Instead, return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund or call Fromagerie Beillevaire UK Ltd on 01322 438 017 with any queries.

Pulmonary Research: Researchers develop new method for looking into the lungs ♦ Music therapy increases effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation

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Dog Food Recalled due to Listeria and Salmonella Contamination

Big Dog Natural of Brick, NJ is voluntary recalling a select production lot of Big Dog Natural raw dehydrated dog food Chicken Supreme potentially contaminated withSalmonella and Fish Supreme potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes that was shipped in the week of 10/31/2015 to 11/13/2015 to online customers. Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonellaand Listeria monocytogenes can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

These products were sold directly to consumers through the company’s online website and in the US. The voluntarily recalled product include all weight volumes of the Big Dog Natural Chicken and Fish Supreme. No additional products are affected by this recall.

Big Dog Natural became aware of a potential issue after receiving notification from the FDA that an investigational sample of Chicken Supreme tested positive forSalmonella and an investigational sample of Fish Supreme for Listeria monocytogenes.

Consumers should discontinue feeding the affected product and monitor their pet's health, and contact their veterinarian if they have concerns. Consumers who purchased the product can obtain a full refund or exchange by returning the product in its original packaging.

Consumers with questions should contact Big Dog Natural https://www.bigdognatural.com or by calling 1-732-785-2600 (from 9am till 4pm EST).

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Pennsylvania Dairy Recalls Raw Milk

Agriculture Department Warns Consumers to Discard Raw Milk Purchased at Northeastern Pennsylvania Dairy Consumers who purchased raw milk from Gross Family Dairy in South Sterling, Wayne County, should discard it immediately due to the risk of Listeria.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture today said raw milk collected during required routine sampling by a commercial laboratory on December 17, 2015, tested positive for the bacteria. No illnesses have been reported as a result of the potential contamination, but if people who consumed the raw milk become ill, they should consult their physician. Symptoms of Listeriosis can appear in four days or up to three weeks after ingestion.

Gross Family Dairy sells raw milk on their farm as well as in Stroudsburg, Monroe County, at Earthlight Natural Foods, the Stroudsburg Farmers Market and the Monroe Farmers Market. It also sells raw milk at Dutch’s Market in Greentown, Pike County; Everything Natural in Clarks Summit, Lackawanna County; and at Matt’s Farm Stand in Hamlin, Wayne County. The milk is sold in half gallons and pints, and was bottled December 20, with a sell-by date of December 30.

Agriculture officials have ordered the owner to stop sale of all raw milk until further notice. Two samples taken at least 24 hours apart must test negative for pathogens before the farm can resume raw milk sales.

Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized.

Pennsylvania law allows farms to sell raw milk, but requires the farms to be permitted and inspected by the Department of Agriculture to reduce health risks associated with unpasteurized products.

When an incident of contamination is discovered, the department’s milk sanitarian works with the raw milk permit holder to educate them on where the issue occurred and how to find a solution.

Symptoms of Listeriosis are fever, muscle aches, and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions can occur. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness, but infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth.

For more information about Listeriosis, visit www.health.pa.gov.

Any person who consumed raw milk from Gross Family Dairy and has symptoms should consult their physician, visit their local health center or call 877-PA HEALTH (714-3258).

Bacterial Research: Our water pipes crawl with millions of bacteria ♦ Bacteria engineered with synthetic circadian clocks ♦ Cooperating bacteria isolate cheaters

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New Zealand: Beehive Shaved Champagne Ham Recalled due to Listeria

Recalled food products: Beehive Shaved Champagne Ham (200g Family Pack)

Beehive Shaved Champagne Ham (200g Family Pack) Use by Date: 26 JAN 16 Batch: 335322

This product is sold in a 200g plastic pack.

The affected product has been sold in Countdown, New World, Pak n Save and Fresh Choice outlets throughout the North Island.

Premier Beehive NZ Limited are initiating a recall of their Beehive Shaved Champagne Ham (200g Family Pack, Use by Date: 26 JAN 2016, Batch 335322) after discovering that the product may contain Listeria.

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Gluten-free breaded chicken nugget recalled due to Staphylococcal enterotoxin

Murry’s, Inc., a Lebanon, Pa. establishment, is recalling approximately 20,232 pounds of gluten-free breaded chicken nugget product that tested positive for Staphylococcal enterotoxin, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The following product is subject to recall: [View Labels]

• 12-oz. boxes of “Bell & Evans Gluten Free Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets” with a “Best By” date of March 25, 2016.

The product, bearing establishment number “P-516” inside the USDA mark of inspection, was shipped to an establishment for distribution nationwide.                               

The problem was discovered by the Colorado Department of Agriculture during a routine retail surveillance and sampling program, which is funded by the USDA at a Food Emergency Response Network lab. After being notified of the positive test result, FSIS conducted traceback activities.

Staphylococcal food poisoning is a gastrointestinal illness. It is caused by eating foods contaminated with toxin-producingStaphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium found on the skin and in the noses of healthy people and animals.Staphylococcus aureus can produce seven different toxins that are frequently responsible for food poisoning.

Staphylococcal enterotoxins are fast acting, sometimes causing illness in as little as 30 minutes. Thoroughly cooking product does not prevent illness, and symptoms usually develop within one to six hours after eating contaminated food. Patients typically experience several of the following: nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. The illness is usually mild and most patients recover after one to three days.

To prevent Staphylococcal contamination, keep kitchens and food-serving areas clean and sanitized. Keep hot foods hot (over 140 °F) and cold foods cold (40 °F or under). Make sure to wash hands and under fingernails vigorously with soap and water before handling and preparing food. Do not prepare food if you have an open sore or wound on your hands or if you have a nose or eye infection..  

Consumers and media with questions about the recall can contact Murry’s Customer Service, at (800) 638-0215

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Food Poisoning: All you need to know about Campylobacter jejuni

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) bacteria are found naturally in the intestines of poultry, cattle, swine, rodents, wild birds and household pets like cats and dogs. The bacteria have also been found in untreated surface water (caused by fecal matter in the environment) and manure.

C. jejuni is the most common type of campylobacter bacteria involved in human illness. People who eat food contaminated by C. jejuni bacteria can become ill with campylobacteriosis. Like other foodborne illnesses, the symptoms of campylobacteriosis can feel like stomach flu, but they can also develop into serious illness with long-lasting effects.

How do people get sick?

Both animals and people can be carriers of C. jejuni bacteria. They can then spread the bacteria to foods, surfaces, other animals or people. Food and beverages can become contaminated when handled by an infected person, or from cross-contamination when raw foods or pets are handled improperly.

The most common way of getting campylobacteriosis is by eating contaminated foods. Common sources of C. jejuni bacteria include:

• raw or undercooked meat like poultry, beef, pork and lamb
• raw milk and other raw dairy products
• raw vegetables
• shellfish
• untreated drinking water

Exposure to C. jejuni bacteria is also associated with the development of:

• Guillain-Barré syndrome (an autoimmune disorder affecting the nervous system)
• Reactive arthritis (a condition that develops in response to an infection in another part of the body and can lend to chronic arthritis)
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Infections of specific parts of the body (bloodstream, septicemia, appendix, gall bladder, central nervous system, colon, heart, urinary tract, abdominal carity)

What are the symptoms and treatment?

Intestinal illness can be caused by viruses, bacteria or parasites, and usually involves vomiting and diarrhea. People often call it the flu, though it is in no way related to the influenza virus, which causes respiratory illness.

People infected with C. jejuni bacteria can experience a wide range of symptoms. Some do not get sick at all, though they can still spread the infection to others. Others feel as though they have a bad case of the flu. A rare few become seriously ill and must be hospitalized.

Most people with campylobacteriosis develop the following symptoms two to five days after being infected (though symptoms can appear as late as one month after infection):

• diarrhea (often bloody or watery)
• abdominal pain
• fever
• nausea
• vomiting (sometimes)

Fast fact

Campylobacteriosis affects children under five and young adults (15-29) more frequently than other age groups.

The illness can last up to ten days, and most people recover without treatment. As with any disease causing diarrhea or vomiting, people infected should drink plenty of liquids to replace lost body fluids and prevent dehydration. Although anyone can get campylobacteriosis, pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, young children and older adults are most at risk for developing serious complications.

While long-term consequences are rare, a small number of people may get the following illnesses:

• septicemia (an infection of the bloodstream)
• sudden gall bladder inflammation (which can feel like a sharp abdominal pain)
• Guillain-Barré syndrome (an autoimmune disorder affecting the nervous system)
• meningitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord)
• Reiter's syndrome (a condition that develops in response to an infection in another part of the body and can lead to chronic arthritis)
• chronic colitis (inflammation of the colon)

How do I avoid getting sick?

Food safety tip

When cooking a chicken or turkey, it is safest to cook the stuffing in a separate dish, to prevent cross-contamination and undercooking. For more on cooking poultry safely, see Poultry Safety.

Foods contaminated with C. jejuni look, smell and taste normal. The good news is, C. jejuni and many other harmful bacteria can be killed by cooking food properly.

These tips will help protect you and your family from C. jejuni:

• Cook food to a safe internal temperature using a digital thermometer.
• Poultry and meat should be well cooked, not pink in the middle. If you are served undercooked food in a restaurant, send it back.
• Buy shellfish from reputable suppliers.
• Drink water from a safe (treated or boiled) water supply.
• Only buy clean and uncracked eggs. Store eggs in their original carton (so you can check the "best before" date) and place them in the coldest section of the fridge, not the door.
• Eat and drink only pasteurized juice, cider, milk and milk products. Mother's milk is the safest food for infants.
• When buying and storing groceries, keep raw meats separate from fruits, vegetables, cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods.
• Wash your hands before handling any food. Be sure to wash your hands, cutting boards, counters, knives and other utensils after preparing raw foods.
• Wash raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly with clean, safe running water before you prepare and eat them. Use a brush to scrub produce with firm or rough surfaces, like oranges, cantaloupes, potatoes and carrots.
• Never place cooked food on the unwashed plate that held raw meat, poultry or fish. Wash thermometers in between testing.
• Keep pets away from food storage and preparation areas. Wash your hands well with soap and water after handling pet treats, pet food and pet toys, or after playing with or cleaning up after your pet.
• If you have been diagnosed with campylobacteriosis or any other gastrointestinal illness, do not prepare food or pour water for other people.
• If you are diagnosed with campylobacteriosis, be sure that you or your doctor tells the local Public Health Department. If many cases happen at the same time, it may mean that a restaurant or a particular food item has a problem that needs to be corrected.

Also, these safe food practices will reduce your risk of contracting campylobacteriosis and other foodborne illnesses.

Food safety tip

Pasteurization destroys C. jejuni and other harmful bacteria. Try using pasteurized egg products when preparing foods that traditionally contain raw eggs, like egg nog, mayonnaise, salad dressing, ice cream and mousses.

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