In the news

In the update, the CDC reports that 100 people in 33 states have become ill. There have been 30 hospitalizations and no deaths. The FDA reported that it became aware that recalled Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereals are still being offered for sale. All Honey Smacks cereal was recalled in June 2018. They emphasize that retailers cannot legally offer the cereal for sale and consumers should not purchase Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal. The FDA has learned that some retailers are still selling this product. The FDA will continue to monitor this situation closely and follow up with retailers as we become aware of recalled products being offered for sale. Additionally, the public is urged to report any product being offered for sale to the FDA. @ https://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Outbreaks/ucm610827.htm?utm_campaign=Outbreak%3A%20Multistate%20Outbreak%20of%20Salmonella%20Mbandaka%20Infections%20Linked%20to%20Kellogg%E2%80%99s%20Honey%20Smacks&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. said “Preventing contamination of produce consumed by Americans every day is a key part of the FDA’s mission to protect and promote the public health. To support our partners in this important work, the FDA is providing the funding to help states implement produce safety standards in their farming communities.” FDA had renewed its cooperation with 43 states and added Hawaii, Kentucky and Mississippi to the agreement. FSMA Produce Safety Rule compliance date for large farms was in January 2018, except for the agricultural water requirements that are being re-examined. In the future, states will use much of the cooperative agreement funding to conduct produce inspections. Under the cooperative agreements’ inspection component, the FDA anticipates that most inspections will be conducted by state partners. Today, the FDA is announcing $32.5 million in funding for the 46 states participating in the cooperative agreements. @ https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm613302.htm?utm_campaign=07122018_PR_FDA%20expands%20support%20for%20states%20to%20implement%20produce%20safety%20rule&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

An investigation conducted by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH)resulted in the closing of a Massachusetts restaurant indefinitely following a salmonella outbreak complaint. DPH received 39 complaints about Kitty’s Restaurant and Lounge in early July. Of those complaints, nine were confirmed cases of salmonella, with an additional 30 suspected cases. The North Reading Board of Health narrowed the suspected contaminated food to be the antipasto salad. Officials recommended that management close the restaurant for a full cleaning and sanitization after another reported illness was linked to the restaurant on June 25. They also recommended Kitty’s test 46 employees believed to have worked during the outbreak. All tested employees need to be cleared by DPH before they return to work. The restaurant was briefly able to reopen on July 6 after following recommendations and directions from the North Reading Board of Health but has since closed again. @ https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/Kittys-Restaurant-Closure-North-Reading-Massachusetts-Possible-Salomnella-Outbreak–487769471.html

A team of researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. are developing a plastic packaging strip that could one day tell consumers if a meat sample is safe to eat. They’ve developed a thin, plastic patch they call Sentinel Wrap that changes color under UV light when it comes into contact with meat contaminated with E. coli. The thin, flexible plastic patch looks simple, but it’s taken 15 years of research to get it to work, according to Tohid Didar, an assistant professor in McMaster’s chemical and mechanical engineering department. A printer deposits small droplets of DNA molecules onto a thin, flexible plastic film. Exposure of the strip to sample contaminated with E. coli followed by its exposure to UV light make the strip light up, signaling the presence of bacteria. The patches also detect contamination in water and other liquids. The findings were published journal ACS Nano. They are hoping to have a commercial product in 2 years. @ https://www-cbc-ca.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4736801