In the news

According to the FSA, Eastbrook Farm Organic Meats a Bishopstone, Swindon establishment, has recalled certain batch/lots of Helen Browning’s Organic Corned Beef from the British marketplace due to suspected Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The product was sold and delivered in 150 gram packages with a use-by date of 08 July 2021 or 18 July 2021 @ https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-38-2021

The USDA/ FSIS reported that Tyson Foods Inc. (Dexter, MO) recalled approximately 8,492,832 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The frozen, fully cooked chicken products were produced between December 26, 2020, and April 13, 2021. The products were shipped nationwide to retailers and institutions, including hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants, schools, and Department of Defense locations. On June 9, 2021, FSIS was notified of two persons ill with listeriosis. Working with CDC and local partners, the FSIS determined there is evidence linking the Listeria monocytogenes illnesses to pre-cooked chicken produced at Tyson Foods Inc.  This case was reported yesterday by the CDC; see earlier news. @ 

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/tyson-foods-inc.-recalls-ready-eat-chicken-products-due-possible-listeria

The CDC reported that Listeria was found in samples of precooked chicken products. The source of precooked chicken is being investigated. CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) investigate this outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections. As of July 2, 2021, three people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported from two states (Delaware and Texas). All three hospitalized people and one death have been reported from Texas. Illnesses started on dates ranging from April 6, 2021, to June 5, 2021. All three people were in a long-term care facility or hospital when they got sick. These facilities served many food items, including meals with precooked chicken. WGS showed that bacteria from sick people’s samples are identical. This suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from the same food. USDA-FSIS found the outbreak strain of Listeria in two samples of precooked chicken products during routine product testing. Along with the epidemiologic data, this suggests that people likely got sick from eating pre-cooked chicken. @ https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/precooked-chicken-07-21/details.html

CDC researches published (J Food Prot (2021) 84 (7): 1122–1126) a study intended to determine if avocados have been a source of listeriosis. The team conducted a retrospective review of epidemiological data for clinical isolates that were genetically related to isolates from avocados. While to date, avocados have not been identified as the source of any outbreaks of L. monocytogenes infections in the United States, can they be a source of infection. Using a national database, they identified clusters containing clinical and at least one avocado isolate. Clusters were selected based upon isolation dates, cluster and composition size, and available food history data.  For each cluster, they assessed (i) whether avocado consumption was higher among case-patients in the cluster than among those with sporadic illnesses and (ii) whether the only food isolates within the cluster were from avocados. If both conditions were met, the link was considered “likely,” if one condition was met, the link was considered “possible,” and if neither condition was met, evidence was “limited.” Two clusters were classified as having “limited” evidence for a link to avocados, two as “possible,” and one as “likely.”  For the cluster considered “likely,” avocado consumption was significantly higher among case patients than sporadic illnesses. The study suggests that avocados could be a source of listeriosis in the United States.  @ https://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-abstract/84/7/1122/461503/Evaluation-of-Avocados-as-a-Possible-Source-of?redirectedFrom=fulltext