In the news

The FDA reported that ByHeart recalled Whole Nutrition Infant Formula due to the potential for cross-contamination with Cronobacter sakazakii. No distributed ByHeart product has tested positive for the bacteria. The recalled product is ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula, Milk Based Powder with Iron for 0-12 Months in 24 oz containers. The formula under voluntary recall was distributed directly to consumers in the U.S. No consumer complaints have been received to date that would indicate any illness. ByHeart is taking this precautionary measure because one test sample collected from the third-party packaging facility tested positive for Cronobacter sakazakii.  @ https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/byheart-issues-voluntary-recall-five-batches-its-infant-formula-because-possible-health-risk

As of December 9, 2022, CDC and FDA announced that the outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes linked to Brie and Camembert soft cheese products, including baked Brie cheeses manufactured by Old Europe Cheese, Inc. of Benton Harbor, MI is over. Six illnesses were in six states (CA, GA, MA, MI, NJ, and TX).On September 30, 2022, Old Europe Cheese, Inc. voluntarily recalled multiple brands of Brie and Camembert cheeses produced at their Michigan facility and, on October 5, 2022, extended the recall to include multiple brands of baked Brie products. On November 4, 2022, the firm’s recall notification was updated to include an expanded list of retailers that received recalled bulk Brie and Camembert cheese products from Old Europe Cheese, Inc.  @ https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-listeria-monocytogenes-brie-and-camembert-soft-cheese-products-september-2022?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

From November 1 to date, 26 people in Sweden have been confirmed to be infected with Salmonella Agona. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has shown that the disease cases carry the same strain of Salmonella Agona and are thus suspected of having been infected by a common source. The cases, aged 3-86 years (median=32 years), are from twelve different regions in Sweden, and 15 infected are women. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Agona has also been identified in several cases of illness in Norway. Work to identify the source of infection, which is suspected to be a food with wide distribution in Sweden and Norway, takes place in collaboration between infection control units, the Swedish Food Agency and the Norwegian Public Health Agency, as well as with Norwegian authorities.@ https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/smittskydd-beredskap/utbrott/aktuella-utbrott/salmonella-agona-internationellt-november-2022-/

An outbreak of Salmonella Mbandaka ST413 in EU/EEA, Israel, and the UK linked to the consumption of chicken meat is reported by European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDPC). Based on case interviews from Finland and the UK, ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken products and/or fresh chicken meat are the likely vehicles of infection. Epidemiological data and microbiological evidence from WGS of human isolates indicate several active sources through different food distribution chains, with a likely common source higher up in the chicken supply chain. On 20 May 2022, the United Kingdom (UK) reported a cluster of 31 Salmonella Mbandaka ST413 cases from England (25 cases), Scotland (3 cases), and Wales (3 cases). On 16 June 2022, Finland reported a cluster of nine S. Mbandaka cases from different regions between 19 April and 24 May 2022. Subsequent analysis on 20 June confirmed that the cluster of nine Finnish cases was genetically close to the representative isolates of the UK outbreak strains. In September, more cases were detected, indicating that the outbreak was ongoing. By 8 November 2022, 196 cases (140 confirmed and 56 possible) have been reported in seven EU/EEA countries (Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands), the UK, and Israel. Of 40 cases with information available in the UK, nine (22.5%) were admitted to the hospital, and one died. @https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/multi-country-outbreak-salmonella-mbandaka-st413-possibly-linked-consumption