In the news

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

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

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

The FDA reported that Lidl US recalled ready-to-eat Tapas branded Cocktail Shrimp by Lidl, 7 oz., due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The product was distributed to all Lidl US store locations. Lidl US stores are in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia. This voluntary recall includes all units of the ready-to-eat Tapas branded Cocktail Shrimp by Lidl, packaged in 7 oz. containers. The recall was issued due to routine testing, which revealed that the finished product contained Listeria monocytogenes. Lidl US has ceased producing and distributing the product as they continue their investigation in conjunction with the FDA to resolve the issue. Lidl US has received no reports or complaints of illness related to this product to date. @ https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/lidl-voluntarily-recalls-7-oz-tapas-branded-cocktail-shrimp-lidl-due-possible-health-risk