The CORE list of outbreaks and adverse events includes 2 cases. A new outbreak of Salmonella Hartford (ref # 1144) linked to a not yet identified product has been added to the table. FDA has initiated traceback. The hepatitis A virus (ref #1143) cases have been adjusted from nine to five cases following the CDC’s exclusion of suspect cases from the case count. FDA has initiated sample collection and analysis. @ https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigations-foodborne-illness-outbreaks?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
ruth
The following is a list of outbreak and adverse event investigations primarily being managed by FDA’s CORE Response Teams.
Action
Status
In Canada, Maple Dale Cheese products were recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes
According to the CFIA, Maple Dale Cheese Co (Plainfield, Ontario) brand cheese products were recalled from the Canadian marketplace due to Listeria monocytogenes. The products include (i) Maple Dale Cheese Co. branded Repress Aged Heat Treated White Cheddar Cheese, sold in 40-pound foodservice portions, and (ii) Maple Dale Cheese Co. branded Shredded Two (2) Year Old Aged Cheese, sold in 10-pound foodservice portions. The recalled products were sold in Alberta and Ontario.@ https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/maple-dale-cheese-co-brand-cheese-products-recalled-due-listeria-monocytogenes
ruth
New Canadian Pathogen Reduction Monitoring Program for Salmonella and Campylobacter for raw poultry
The CFIA has published a new guidance document for the Pathogen Reduction Monitoring Program (PRMP) for Salmonella and Campylobacter in raw poultry. All Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) license holders that slaughter poultry and produce chicken parts are expected to begin implementation by April 1, 2023. Food businesses that slaughter poultry or process poultry products need to consider Salmonella and Campylobacter as hazards of concern to their products and implement control measures throughout their production process to mitigate risks. Food businesses can verify the efficacy of their control measures, such as sanitary dressing procedures and antimicrobial interventions, by implementing the Pathogen Reduction Monitoring Program (PRMP). PRMP described in the document provides a means to verify that overall control measures effectively reduce Salmonella and Campylobacter contamination in raw poultry and poultry products to the maximum pathogen limits allowed. @ https://inspection.canada.ca/food-guidance-by-commodity/pathogen-reduction-monitoring-program/eng/1676571981964/1676572045540
There is a significant burden of illness in Canada from foodborne salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis. Both epidemiological evidence end expert opinion recognize poultry and poultry derived products as an important source of these illnesses.
ruth
Stanford researchers have developed a new method to identify bacteria in fluids
Scientists from Stanford University published in the journal Nano Letters(Fareeha Safir et al., Combining Acoustic Bioprinting with AI-Assisted Raman Spectroscopy for High-Throughput Identification of Bacteria in Blood, Nano Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c03015). The new study demonstrates an innovative method for the identification in minutes of bacteria in blood using Raman spectroscopy. It involves shining a laser on a drop of blood, mucus, or wastewater, and the light reflecting can be used to identify bacteria in the sample since every microorganism has its unique spectrum fingerprint. The novelty is manipulating the spectroscopic data using nanoparticles and artificial intelligence. A printer deposits tinny samples to paper using acoustic pulses. The samples were infused with gold nanorods that attach themselves to bacteria, amplifying the signal. Machine learning is used to identify bacteria. @ https://phys.org/news/2023-03-bacteria-fluids.amp
