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Two types of French cheese have been recalled in Germany due to potential contamination with E. coli O26, just a few days after a similar scare in France. The cheeses Saint-Félicien and Saint-Marcellin, both made by the Société Fromagerie Alpine in Romans-sur-Isère.The brands are mainly sold in large supermarkets such as Leclerc, Lidl, and Auchan. The implicated cheeses were distributed across France with different brand names. The recall happened after 13 children were reported to have contracted cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) due to an E. coli infection, since March 21. Investigations revealed that several of the children had eaten these cheeses before symptoms appeared. The decision was made just a few days after a similar scare in France. @
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/french-cheese-recalled-in-germany-over-e-coli-scare-11493196

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FDA announced a “New Era of Smarter Food Safety” including new technologies for traceability, digital technologies, and new evolving food business models. The FDA intends to evaluate new technologies and upgrade their abilities to rapidly track and trace food through the supply chain. Another effort will be in applying distributed ledgers, sensors, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence to guard the food supply. The FDA will assess technologies that could create a more digital, transparent and safer food system while also addressing consumer demands for quick access to information about where their foods come from, how it was produced and if the food is the subject of an ongoing recall. Initially, they intend to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to explore new ways to enhance the agency’s review of imported foods. The FDA also will look into the implications of home delivery and other changes in food delivery on safety and identify new standards of care. A public meeting will be held, later this year, to learn more about what other stakeholders are doing to create a smarter, safer food system. @ https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/statement-acting-fda-commissioner-ned-sharpless-md-and-deputy-commissioner-frank-yiannas-steps-usher?utm_campaign=04302019_Statement_FDA%20announces%20steps%20to%20usher%20the%20U.S.%20into%20a%20new%20era%20of%20smarter%20food%20safety&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

According to the CDC and 10 state health agencies, a total of 177 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O103 have been reported from 10 states – Georgia (41), Kentucky (65), Ohio (10), Tennessee (52), Virginia (2), Indiana (1), Florida (3), Illinois (1), Mississippi (1) and Minnesota (1). The Illnesses started on March 1, 2019, to April 14, 2019. Twenty-one people have been hospitalized. No deaths or f hemolytic uremic syndrome have been reported. Epidemiological data indicate that ground beef is the likely source of this outbreak. Officials at USDA-FSIS, in Kentucky, and Tennessee collected ground beef from a restaurant and an institution where ill people reported eating, and laboratory testing identified the outbreak strain of E. coli O103 in the ground beef collected in Tennessee. E. coli O103 was identified in the ground beef collected in Kentucky, but laboratory results are pending to determine if it is closely related to the E. coli O103 identified in ill people. Grant Park Packing in Franklin Park, Ill., recalled approximately 53,200 pounds of raw ground beef products on April 24, 2019. K2D Foods, doing business as Colorado Premium Foods, in Carrollton, Ga., recalled approximately 113,424 pounds of raw ground beef products on April 23, 2019. The CDC report did not reveal where the meat packaged by K2D did and Grant Park come from. The restaurant locations are also not revealed. @ https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2019/o103-04-19/index.html