In the news

The USDA/FSIS issued a health alert because ground beef products may be adulterated with E. coli O157:H7. A recall was not requested because the products are no longer available. The “Hawaii Big Island Beef” ground beef products were produced on August 8, 2022. These items were shipped to retail and restaurant locations in Hawaii. FSIS discovered the problem during an assessment of the establishment’s production records associated with a sample that tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to the consumption of these products. @ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/fsis-issues-public-health-alert-ground-beef-products-due-possible-e–coli-o157h7

The FDA reported that Kraft Heinz announced a voluntary recall of approximately 5,760 cases of Capri Sun Wild Cherry Flavored Juice Drink Blend beverages. The recall is a result of a diluted cleaning solution used on food processing equipment that was inadvertently introduced into a production line at a factory. Only the Wild Cherry flavored Capri Sun products are affected. The “Best When Used By” date on the products is June 25, 2023. The issue was discovered after the Company received several consumer complaints about the taste of the affected product. The Company is actively working with retail partners and distributors to remove the potentially impacted product from circulation. @ https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/kraft-heinz-announcing-voluntary-recall-capri-sun-wild-cherry-flavored-juice-drink-blend-beverages?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Three outbreaks were added to the table. An outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in an unidentified product. FDA has initiated a traceback investigation. Two Salmonella outbreaks were added: An outbreak of Salmonella Senftenberg in an unidentified product and Salmonella Typhimurium in an unidentified product with traceback. The Salmonella Braenderup in an unidentified product, the outbreak has ended. For the outbreak of Cyclospora in an unidentified product, the case count has increased from 77 to 98. The hepatitis A illnesses linked to fresh strawberries investigation has closed, and the outbreak is over. @ https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigations-foodborne-illness-outbreaks?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Arcobacter is an emerging foodborne pathogen that relatively little is known about. The pathogen can cause human gastroenteric illness and may diminish the shelf life of contaminated foods. A study published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology vol373 (Genetic characterization and biofilm formation of potentially pathogenic foodborne Arcobacter isolates) aims to gain knowledge on the risk associated with their retail foods, their virulence, and to evaluate biofilm-associated genes. Arcobacters were detected in 22.3% of the analyzed samples, and the 83 recovered isolates were identified as A. butzleri (n = 53), A. cryaerophilus (n = 24), A. skirrowii (n = 2), A. thereius (n = 3) and A. vitoriensis (n = 1). They were isolated from all tested food types, mostly squids and turkey meat. Nineteen isolates (23.5%) were able to form biofilms on the different surfaces tested. @ (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168160522001842