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Two Chinese nationals have been charged with allegedly smuggling into the US the fungus Fusarium graminearum, which scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon, the Justice Department said Tuesday. Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were allegedly receiving Chinese government funding for their research, some of which was conducted at the University of Michigan. It is further alleged that Jian’s boyfriend, Liu, works at a Chinese university where he conducts research on the same pathogen and that he first lied but then admitted to smuggling Fusarium graminearum into America through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport so that he could conduct research on it at the laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated in a press release that the Justice Department “has no higher mission than keeping the American people safe and protecting our nation from hostile foreign actors who would do us harm.” The FBI states that the fungus Fusarium graminearum causes “head blight,” a disease that can devastate wheat, barley, maize, and rice, and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year. Jian was scheduled to appear Tuesday afternoon in federal court in Detroit for her initial appearance on the complaint, the DOJ said. @ https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/2-chinese-nationals-charged-smuggling-potential-agroterrorism-fungus/story?id=122454213

Scientists in China published in J. Food Protection entitled “Development of a test for the real-time fluorescence RNA targeted isothermal amplification to identify Cronobacter species in powdered infant formula quickly.” The current work developed a rapid and sensitive RNA targeting amplification and detection system for Cronobacter spp., including enrichment, RNA isolation, and detection by real-time RNA isothermal amplification, capable of detecting viable Cronobacter spp. in powdered infant formula (PIF) and other food products. The optimized Simultaneous Amplification and Testing (SAT) assay targeting 16s/23s rRNA was used to demonstrate the specificity sensitivity of the detection assay. Seven Cronobacter sakazakii strains and 24 control strains were examined in comparison with real-time PCR (SN/T 1632.3) and ISO 22964. The SAT assay showed sensitivity with a detection limit of 2 log10 CFU/ml without pre-enrichment, 2 log CFU/10ml with 4 hours enrichment, and 2 log CFU/1000ml with 7 hours pre-enrichment (The sensitivity of real-time PCR is 3 log CFU/ml without pre-enrichment, log CFU/ml with 4 hours pre-enrichment and 2 log CFU/10ml with 8 hours pre-enrichment). The newly developed assay can provide results in 4 hours, including enrichment, which has been significantly shortened compared to the real-time PCR method with overnight enrichment. SAT assay did not give false positive results when detecting dead C. sakazakii (7-2 log CFU/ml). In contrast, the real-time PCR assay exhibited a detection limit equivalent to that for detecting viable bacteria. The developed SAT assay, combined with enrichment, offers a rapid, sensitive, and straightforward approach, demonstrating great potential for detecting Cronobacter species in baby formula and other food products. @ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X25001061?dgcid=raven_sd_aip_email

The USDA/ FSIS issued a public health alert for ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. A recall was not requested because the products are no longer available for purchase. The raw ground beef item was produced on May 22, 2025, and May 23, 2025. 1-lb. vacuum-packed packages of “ORGANIC RANCHER ORGANIC GROUND BEEF 85% LEAN 15% FAT” with “Use or Freeze By 06-19-25” and “Use or Freeze By 06-20-25” as represented on the packaging. The item was shipped to distributor locations in Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, and Maryland and was further distributed to Whole Foods Market retail locations nationwide. The problem was discovered when the establishment notified FSIS that it had shipped into commerce ground beef products that tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. There have been no confirmed reports of illness due to consumption of these products. @ 

The FDA reported that Isabelle’s Kitchen, Inc. (Harleysville, PA) recalled 946 cases of refrigerated deli salads containing fresh cucumbers, which Bedner Growers, Inc. had previously recalled due to the potential for contamination with Salmonella. The recalled refrigerated deli salads were sold to food service distributors in New Hampshire, Florida, Maryland, South Carolina, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, as well as to local supermarkets. The products are packed in a white plastic container inside a white or brown corrugated box under the brand names “Isabelle’s Kitchen,” “Maple Avenue Foods,” or “Kings.” No known illnesses have been associated with the recalled products to date. All raw cucumbers are washed & treated as a processing step. Isabelle’s Kitchen was notified by their produce supplier that seven cases of raw whole cucumbers received by Isabelle’s Kitchen are being recalled by Bedner Growers, Inc. and may be contaminated with Salmonella. These recalled cucumbers were processed and used in production on May 14 and May 15, 2025. @ https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/isabelles-kitchen-inc-recalls-refrigerated-deli-salads-containing-fresh-cucumbers-because-possible