In the news

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) in collaboration with provincial public health partners, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health Canada to are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Litchfield infections in Ontario (10 cases) and Quebec (2 cases). The outbreak is related to  Filicetti brand Italian Style mild, dry, cured sausage. The implicated product was recalled earlier this month by Longo’s and appeared to be ongoing, as recent illnesses continue to be reported to PHAC. The first recall was issued on October 16, 2019, following this recall additional laboratory analysis has determined that both the recalled Filicetti brand sausage product and the ill individuals in Ontario and Quebec have the same genetic strain of Salmonella. One individual was hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. The collaborative outbreak investigation was initiated because of an increase in Salmonella Litchfield illnesses being reported. This is a rare strain of Salmonella not commonly seen in Canada. @ https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/public-health-notices/2019/outbreak-salmonella-sausages.html

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing on 10/28/2019 (and requesting comment) on a new pathogen reduction performance standards for Salmonella in raw ground beef and beef manufacturing trimmings. The agency explains how it plans to evaluate if an establishments producing raw ground beef and/or beef manufacturing trimmings are effectively addressing Salmonella, using a 52-week moving window of FSIS sampling results and other related verification activities. Approximately one year (52 weeks) after the new standards are made final, the Agency plans to post individual establishment performance as either “meeting” or “not meeting” the pathogen reduction performance standard on the FSIS website, based on the most recent 48 Salmonella sample results. FSIS will continue to analyze these beef manufacturing trimmings samples for Escherichia coli O517:H7 and applicable non-O157 Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) and ground beef samples for E. coli O157:H7. If fewer than 48 samples are collected or analyzed in a 52-week window at an establishment, its status would be reported as “N/A,” provided the establishment has two or fewer Salmonella positives in that window. @ https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/10/28/2019-23473/changes-to-the-salmonella-verification-testing-program-proposed-performance-standards-for-salmonella

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is conducting a food safety investigation on E. coli O157:H7 in various beef and veal products sold by Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd. and St. Ann’s Foods Inc./Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd. Ryding-Regency began recalling beef and veal products on Oct. 3. Since then, several different entities, including some identified by Canadian officials simply as “industry,” have posted recalls. No illnesses have been confirmed, but the investigation is ongoing. In the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert for raw non-intact beef products derived from imported beef from Ontario, Canada, that have been recalled by Ryding-Regency. @ https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2019/10/more-than-800-beef-products-now-under-recall-for-e-coli-risk/

A research team from Austria published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology (October 2019) the results of a five-year study carried out in a meat processing plant during reconstruction, while production was ongoing. They monitored Listeria monocytogenes in 40 floor drains distributed over the food processing facility. Before the commencement of construction a baseline sampling took place, showing 45% L. monocytogenes contamination in the drains. The contamination was decreased to 5% as a result of intensive sanitation measures. The reconstruction activities increased the prevalence of L. monocytogenes in the facility to 20.5% and changed the population to a higher proportion of disease-associated genotypes (61%). A resilient flora was detected during three sampling events that might not have been exposed to daily cleaning in the floor drains. The results of the study indicate that L. monocytogenes poses a higher risk for cross-contamination of products during extended periods of building reconstruction. Special precautions must be taken to avoid cross-contamination of products since reconstruction is usually ongoing for extended periods. @ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168160519302909?dgcid=rss_sd_all