| Several states, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control are investigating a spike in Salmonella Thompson cases in the U.S. -- 85 people in 27 states -- that may be linked to the same contaminated smoked salmon that has sickened 200 people in the Netherlands. On Tuesday, Dutch health officials revealed that they had identified smoked salmon made by Dutch fish processors Foppen as the common source of their ongoing outbreak and recalled the products. They also said the same smoked salmon had been distributed in the U.S. and claimed that the outbreak had sickened 100 Americans. According to agency spokeswoman Lola Russell, CDC has been investigating a spike in Salmonella Thompson illnesses since last month (health officials might normally see 30 reported cases of this strain of Salmonella during this time frame). Russell said epidemiologists have not yet identified a common food source. Russell said it's likely there are more illnesses that have not been reported, but it's also likely that not all 85 cases are linked to the same source. So why did Dutch officials tell the press that there were 100 illnesses in the United States linked to their smoked salmon? Russell explained that CDC often communicates with health agencies abroad and during a conversation with the Dutch National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) someone from CDC may have stated that there were "around 100" illnesses in the U.S. Of the reported cases, 10 individuals were hospitalized and there have been no reports of death. States have been reporting illnesses since July. CDC's investigation is ongoing, but the agency has so far declined to identify which states have reported illnesses. Phyllis Entis, who runs eFoodAlert, a clearinghouse for recall information, has compiled a list of some of the states that are known to be investigating illnesses. U.S. public health officials have said that so far there is no epidemiological link between the illnesses and smoked salmon. According to eFoodAlert, the recalled Dutch smoked salmon was sold in the U.S. by Costco under both the Foppen and Kirkland brands. © Food Safety News More Headlines from World » |
10.02.2012
Has Imported Dutch Smoked Salmon Sickened 100 Americans?
Food Source Might Be Responsible for 10,000 German Illnesses
| As many as 10,000 German school children stricken since Friday by a vomiting virus may be suffering from eating cafeteria food, health authorities say. While the investigation is far form over, attention has focused on the food services company called Sodexo that supplies cafeteria food to many schools and day care centers in areas of German experiencing the outbreak. Berlin health officials expect most children will recover from the norovirus symptoms within a few days, but in the meantime the young people are suffering from vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, fever, and head and body aches. Laboratory testing is currently underway to determine the cause of the massive outbreak of illnesses. The prestigious Robert Koch Institute has told the media that a single food supplier did serve all the schools and day care facilities reporting illnesses. Until the source of the virus is found and the outbreak is over, German school and pre-school children are being encouraged to pack their own lunches. Children who are ill are being told to remain hydrated and to avoid sugary beverages because such drinks can make the symptoms of diarrhea worse. A task force of state and national officials was set up on Friday to investigate the cause of the illnesses, as the number of sick German school children grew rapidly, The Robert-Koch Institute told the newspaper Die Welt that the ill children attend schools and pre-schools in Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia. Consumer Affairs Minister Ilse Aigner said the goal was "to find the cause of the illnesses as soon as possible and to stop its entry into the food chain." A spokesman for Sodexo said less than five percent of the schools it serves has sick children. He said the cause of the illnesses may be a norovirus that is not food related. "The reason that almost all of the children ate food from our kitchens is simply because we deliver food to a lot of schools. We hope that the children feel better soon," he said., However, the Robert-Koch-Institute told Die Welt that it stood to reason that the children were suffering from a food-borne illness, and that some of them had tested positive for the norovirus. The norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea , is highly contagious, and can be transmitted by contaminated food or water, infected people, or contaminated surfaces. Some German schools have closed as a precautionary measure. © Food Safety News More Headlines from World » |
FDA Found Food Safety Problems At Chamberlain Farms Before Recall
| Before Chamberlain Farms recalled its cantaloupe crop on Aug. 22, inspectors out of Detroit for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were already finding the Owensville, IN grower had problems.  And most were discovered a few days before that recall, according to the just released form 483-inspection report from FDA. Here the summary of those inspections by FDA's Meisha R. Waters: 1."During the inspection I observed, indications of poor sanitary practices demonstrating contamination in the firm's cantaloupe packing shed through environmental swabs and product samples which tested positive for Salmonella as follows: - "During this inspection on 08/16/2012, cantaloupes were collected from the 21-acre field located at Old 65 and Co Rd 525 W and tested positive for Salmonella Newport and Salmonella Typhimurium. -"During this inspection on 08/16/2012, cantaloupes were also collected from a cardboard bin after processing in the packing shed and tested positive for Salmonella Newport. - "During the inspection 08114/2012, environmental swabs were collected from various locations and surfaces throughout the packing shed. 7 of 50 environmental swabs tested positive for Salmonella Newport. 2 of 50 environmental swabs tested positive for Salmonella Anatum. 2. "Food contact surfaces are not constructed/designed in a manner to allow for appropriate cleaning: On 08/14/2012, while cantaloupes were being processed, I observed, porous food contact surfaces including carpet and wood used throughout the cantaloupe processing line which does not allow for adequate cleaning. Apparent rust and corrosion on multiple pieces of equipment throughout the processing line was also observed. 3. "Failure to clean as frequently as necessary to protect against contamination of food: On 08/14/2012, while cantaloupes were being processed, I observed, multiple locations of the conveyor including rollers and belts, had an accumulation of black, green, and brown buildup. There was an accumulation of debris including trash, wood, food pieces, standing water, mud, dirt, and green buildup observed beneath the conveyer belt in the cantaloupe packing shed. 4. "On 08/14/2012, while cantaloupes were being processed, I observed, standing water in the packing shed on the floor directly below the first conveyer belts of the packing line and on the drip table, which is below the bristle conveyer belt where cantaloupes are being washed and rinsed. This water appeared to have algae growing in it. 5. "The processing water line is not constructed in such a manner as to prevent food contamination: On 08/ 14/2012, while cantaloupes were being processed, I observed the pipe used to supply well water into the dump tank and spray nozzles over the conveyer belt were leaking and appeared to have an accumulation of rust. This water comes into direct contact with the cantaloupe as they are traveling along the processing line. 6. "The firm was not monitoring the effective levels of the chlorine sanitizer in the water contained in the concrete dump tank of the cantaloupe processing line, nor could firm management provide monitoring records to that effect. 7. "Failure to remove litter and waste that may constitute an attractant, breeding place, or harborage area for pests, within the immediate vicinity of the plant buildings or structures: "On 08/14/2012, the firm's garbage receptacle (located on the outside west wall of the packing shed approximately 15 from the processing line) was overflowing with garbage. The north and south sides of the processing shed do not have a wall and is exposed directly to the outside environment." In addition to its cantaloupe recall, Chamberlain Farms by early September was forced to also recall its watermelons. The cantaloupes and watermelons from the southern Indiana farm are now associated with: -A total of 270 persons infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Typhimurium (240 persons) and Salmonella Newport (30 persons) have been reported from 26 states. -The number of ill persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (16), Arkansas (6), California (2), Florida (1), Georgia (9), Iowa (10), Illinois (26), Indiana (24), Kentucky (70), Massachusetts (2), Maryland (1), Michigan (6), Minnesota (5), Missouri (15), Mississippi (7), Montana (1), New Jersey (2), North Carolina (7), Ohio (6), Oklahoma (1), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (5), Tennessee (8), Texas (2), and Wisconsin (6). -The number of ill persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport identified in each state is as follows: Illinois (8), Indiana (9), Michigan (1), Missouri (6), Ohio (3), Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (2) -101 ill persons have been hospitalized. -Three deaths have been reported in Kentucky © Food Safety News More Headlines from Foodborne Illness Outbreaks » |
Temecula Sprouts gains partial name victory
| Advertisement  Sprouts Natural Market, Temecula, Calif., last week won a preliminary injunction forbidding the use of the Sprouts name in Riverside County by Sprouts Farmers Market, a Phoenix-based natural foods store, according to an article in the North County Times. According to the decision, the court found the evidence of customer confusion and the risk of being put out of business sufficient to demonstrate "irreparable harm." However, the Temecula Sprouts failed to get the injunction extended to San Diego County. The decision stated that customers in San Diego wouldn't be as confused by the dueling names as they would in Riverside County. The Temecula Sprouts dates back to 1989, when it was founded as Health Zone Natural Foods LLC. The company changed its name to Sprouts Natural Market in 2001. The conflict started last year, when the Sprouts Farmers Market chain began re-branding Henry's grocery stores in the region as Sprouts after the Henry's chain merged with Sprouts Farmers Market. The Temecula Sprouts argued that the name confusion hurt it more than the Phoenix Sprouts Temecula Sprouts is one small store as opposed to the larger Sprouts Farmers Market chain. In addition, two of the competing stores are located within 1 1/2 miles of the Temecula Sprouts. |
No two bakers are alike
| Last week, I spent the whole day in the company of bakers at the Honey Summit at Kendall College, which was sponsored by the National Honey Board. It is one of my favorite ways to spend a day. The group was kept intentionally small, about 10 or so bakers from all aspects of the market–small retail bakeries, larger wholesale bakeries, very large wholesale bakeries and foodservice. We all learned a lot about honey, obviously, with the biggest take away being "Honey is honey." Or rather, honey is an all natural ingredient with little to no processing required to use it in its natural form. The morning was spent in interactive seminars, but my favorite part of the day was the afternoon we spent in the kitchen of Kendall College.
Another team had the same formulas as mine, and the other teams really didn't even realize they were made from the same formula. We made morning buns and honey carrot muffins. My team chose to cut the rectangular morning bun dough in half before rolling it. We rolled one half of the dough along the long side and the other half of the dough along the short side. The short-side dough we cut into regularly shaped, but small, rolls and placed in the (very well) greased muffin tin. The dough we rolled long-side, we cut into even smaller rolls and placed three rolls into each cup of the muffin tin to create a petal-like bun. The other team chose to roll and cut the dough in the traditional size bun. Once out of the oven, their buns were big and fluffy and delicious. Our buns were smaller but equally delicious. Our petal-shaped buns baked much crispier than the others, which gave them a mouthfeel that was completely different than the other versions, although it was the exact same dough.
But this little honey experiment just proved that no two bakers are alike. |
After a delicious lunch, that incorporated honey (of course) into every offering, the group was broken out into teams for an afternoon of baking using formulas that incorporated honey. I felt a bit sorry for my team since they were stuck with me, a non-baker, but soon Catherine Reinhart of Sweet Life Patisserie, Eugene, Ore., was ordering me around like I was one of her bakers (although I'm sure she was quite glad that I don't really work for her.) I rolled dough and cut dough; and even had a mini breakdown when I was given the responsibility of spraying the pan (what if I messed up and our product stuck, ruining it–it would be all my fault). While I thoroughly enjoyed my few hours of being a baker, which really only proved that I'm best suited to sitting at a desk, what I took away was proof of something I've said and believed for a long time–you can give the same formula to two bakers and get two completely different products.
For the honey carrot muffins, after topping with icing we were to garnish them with diced coconut. My team chose to roast the coconut before using it to garnish. And, not to be biased, but that was a good call. The roasted coconut gave the muffin a nice autumn appearance that was perfect for this time of year. That's not to say that the other team's white, unroasted coconut was horrible looking because it wasn't. The appearance of the two versions was completely different; each had their own appeal and would be good in different seasons.Costeaux's bread takes top awards at Harvest Fair
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"We are thrilled to have earned both top awards. It is a testament to the abilities of our professional baking team in producing quality baked goods consistently–year in and year out," William Seppi, general manager, said in a press release. Costeaux won a double gold and gold medals for 14 baked goods, including walnut cinnamon bread, bearclaw, blackberry and almond croissants, the walnut baguette, sourdough boule, ciabatta, sour deli roll, cranberry walnut loaf and seeded sourdough batard. The bakery will showcase its breads and be presented with the awards on Oct. 5 at the Harvest Grand Tasting at Grace Pavilion in Santa Rosa, Calif. |
Costeaux French Bakery, Healdsburg, Calif., won Best of Show awards for its sourdough epi and multigrain batard at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair. This year marks the fourth time that the multigrain batard (pictured, right) has earned the Best of Show award. Hundreds of Illnesses Linked to Salmonella Smoked Salmon
| Smoked salmon contaminated with Salmonella is responsible for sickening hundreds of people in the Netherlands and the United States, according to Dutch public health officials. Multiple news outlets reported the outbreak late Monday, but U.S. public health officials have not released any information about the outbreak. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration referred Food Safety News to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC spokeswoman Lola Russell told Food Safety News that the agency is in the early stages of an investigation and had nothing to report yet. According to an international wire service, the product linked to the outbreak was made in a Dutch fish factory owned by Foppen. At least 200 people have fallen ill in the Netherlands and 100 people people have been infected with the same strain of Salmonella in the U.S., but, as the Dutch National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) noted in a statement, "The real number of infected people is likely to be higher." Foppen apparently supplied smoked fish to major grocery chains in the Netherlands. Dutch health officials have ordered a recall. "An international recall is being prepared," added RIVM. © Food Safety News More Headlines from World » |