In the news

The USDA/FSIS reported that Daniele International LLC (Mapleville, RI) recalled ~52,914 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) sausage products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The RTE sausage products were produced on various dates from May 23, 2022, through November 25, 2022, and shipped to retail locations nationwide on various dates from December 23, 2022, through January 17, 2023. The following products are subject to recall: 6-oz. plastic tray of FREDERIK’S by Meijer SPANISH STYLE charcuterie sampler tray; 6-oz. plastic tray of “Boar’s Head CHARCUTUERIE TRIO”; 7-oz. plastic tray of “COLAMECO’S PRIMO NATURALE GENOA UNCURED SALAMI”; 7-oz. plastic tray of “COLAMECO’S PRIMO NATURALE BLACK PEPPER UNCURED SALAMI”; 1-lb. plastic tray of “DEL DUCA SOPRESSATA, COPPA & GENOA SALAMI”; 1-lb. plastic tray of “DEL DUCA CALABRESE, PROSCIUTTO & COPPA”; 1-lb. plastic tray of “DEL DUCA GENOA SALAMI, UNCURED PEPPERONI & HARD SALAMI”; and 12-oz. plastic tray of “Gourmet Selection SOPRESSATA, CAPOCOLLO, HARD SALAME.”FSIS discovered the problem during routine inspection where Listeria monocytogenes was found on surfaces where the product came into contact. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to the consumption of these products.  @ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/daniele-international-llc-recalls-ready-eat-sausage-products-due-possible-listeria

The FDA has identified enoki mushrooms distributed by Utopia Foods, Inc. (Glendale, New York) and imported from China, and enoki mushrooms labeled as “Producer: Shandong Youhe Biotechnology, Co.,” with an address in China and “Distributed By: Sun Hong Foods, Inc.” as likely sources of illnesses in this outbreak. As of January 18, 2022, the CDC reports three illnesses. Two strains of Listeria monocytogenes detected on enoki mushroom products have been determined through WGS to be the same strains of Listeria monocytogenes and linked to illnesses in the outbreak. A voluntary expansion of the enoki mushrooms from Utopia was reported on January 17, 2023. Additional sample collection and analysis conducted by the Maryland Department of Health have also identified both outbreak strains of Listeria monocytogenes in two product samples of enoki mushrooms. FDA’s investigation is ongoing to determine a potential source of contamination and whether any other products are contaminated or linked to illnesses.  @ https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-listeria-monocytogenes-enoki-mushrooms-november-2022?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

In the fall of 2022, Slovenia saw an increased number of salmonella infections detected in several regions. Several patients sought medical attention and a few required hospitalizations. The outbreak began in November 2022. The patients described consuming steak tartar a day or a few days before the development of symptoms. One hundred thirty-eight salmonella infections were reported between November 12 and 26, 2022, including 70 women and 68 men. The Slovenian authorities’ recorded 94 laboratory-confirmed cases and 44 probable cases.33 people were treated in the hospital, and no death was recorded. Investigations and analyzes carried out by the Food Safety Administration on the samples taken of salmonella-infected beef tartar confirmed that the common source of the November infections was the beefsteak from the Fingušt plant in Mesnina Štajerska. The epidemic strain of Salmonella enteritidis that circulated in our country was not recorded in any other country from which the feedback was sent. The meat originated in Spain, and the product was recalled from the market. @ https://slovenia.postsen.com/local/82431/Salmonella-outbreak-steak-tartare-was-infected.html

An article published in Eurosurveillance describes a recent multiple-serotype Salmonella outbreak in France in 2020, which led to an international investigation. The outbreak affected 44 people who consumed dried pork sausages contaminated by two different serotypes of Salmonella. 33 cases were contaminated with S. Bovismorbificans ST142, and 11 cases with the monophasic variant of S. Typhimurium ST34. qPCR technology identified both serotypes in the same food sample. Suggesting that the food products could have been contaminated at different rates by both serotypes, simultaneously escaping the standard procedures of microbiology laboratories to identify multi-strain contaminations. The study showed two concurrent Salmonella enterica outbreaks linked to the consumption of dried pork sausages produced in a short time by the same manufacturer: the former caused by S. Bovismorbificans and the latter by the monophasic variant of S. Typhimurium, 4,12:i:-. However, molecular methods revealed dual contamination of a single food sample analyzed. @ https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.2.2200123