More than 130 people are sick in France as part of a Yersinia outbreak linked to a raw milk goat’s cheese brand.
France has 133 cases, while Belgium, Norway, and Luxembourg all have one each in the Yersinia enterocolitica biotype 2, serotype O:9 outbreak.
Etoile de Provence Banon AOP 100-gram with dates up to Aug. 2, 2024, has been recalled from more than 20 countries, including Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
More than 35 people have fallen sick in an E. coli outbreak in the United Kingdom.
The Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) outbreak has had 36 cases across the UK since November 2023.
Patient interviews have identified raisins from Turkey as a potential source, and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has raised the issue with Turkish authorities.
Scientists have said that a type of small organic arsenic species found in some foods can pose a health risk.
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) risk assessment revealed that exposure to dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) compounds raises a health risk, while monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), does not pose a concern for any age group.
Norwegian health officials are investigating the reasons behind a spike in Salmonella cases, which have sickened more than 30 people.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) said the number of people infected with Salmonella typhimurium has increased in recent months. So far this year, 33 people have fallen sick.
In 2009, the EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) adopted a Scientific Opinion on the presence of arsenic in food. In this Opinion, it was concluded that small organoarsenic species like MMA and DMA and the complex organoarsenic species like arsenosugars and arsenolipids could not be considered in the risk characterisation, because of a lack of data. It was also concluded that the complex organoarsenic species arsenobetaine was not of toxicological concern. The European Commission has asked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for an update of the risk assessment of inorganic arsenic of 2009. This Opinion was published in 2024. In addition to the risk assessment on small organoarsenic species that is presented here, the European Commission has also asked for a risk assessment on complex organoarsenic species.
According to a recent report, Campylobacter and Listeria infections have increased, but Salmonella and E. coli cases dropped in Ireland in the first three months of 2024.
Campylobacter infections increased from 700 in Q1 2023 to 733 in Q1 2024. Listeria infections rose from one to five. Salmonella cases decreased from 84 to 67, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections declined from 131 to 116.
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One person has died in an E. coli outbreak in the United Kingdom linked to salad leaves.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) identified two people in England who died within 28 days of being infected with the outbreak strain. Based on information from health service clinicians, only one death is likely linked to STEC infection. Both individuals had underlying medical conditions and the deaths were in May.
UKHSA also revealed the incident is a re-emergence of an STEC cluster investigated in 2023, where no source could be confirmed.
Approximately half of raw chicken sold at Lidl stores across Europe is contaminated with antibiotic-resistant foodborne pathogens, according to the findings of a recent, independently commissioned sampling and testing project. Lidl is the largest grocery chain in Europe, and is therefore one of the largest meat distributors on the continent.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is liaising with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) following the RTÉ Investigates programme in relation to the horse trade which aired on 12 June 2024. The alleged scenes of tampering with horse microchips and horse passports are being thoroughly investigated by DAFM following the airing of the programme. In light of the potential impact of traceability of animals entering the food chain and as part of our role in ensuring the effectiveness of official controls in such operations, the FSAI is engaging closely with DAFM on its ongoing investigation and actions taken by it to address any issues identified for the safety and integrity of the food chain.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has updated its Independence Policy, further strengthening the measures it has in place to manage the interests of the scientific experts and professionals with whom it works and to guard against undue influence. The new policy includes targeted revisions based on a thorough review of the 2017 policy.
he number of people sick in an E. coli outbreak linked to salad leaves has exceeded 250.
There have been 256 confirmed patients in the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O145 outbreak since late May.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Public Health Scotland, and Public Health Wales are investigating the rise in infections.
Reported at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Global Congress, which took place in Barcelona, Spain from April 27–30, 2024, a study conducted by researchers at the University of Bristol has found high levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among Escherichia coli on raw chicken meat sold at retail in the UK, as well as in chicken-based raw dog food samples.
The study analyzed 58 total samples of uncooked meat at retail intended for human consumption—15 each of beef, chicken, and lamb, and 13 of pork—as well as 15 samples of chicken-based raw dog meat. To test for drug-resistant E. coli, the meat samples were enriched and plated onto agar containing common antibiotics, some of which are considered critically important for human health: amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, spectinomycin, and streptomycin.
The number of people sick in an E. coli outbreak in the United Kingdom has passed 200.
There have been 211 confirmed patients in the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O145 outbreak since late May.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Public Health Scotland, and Public Health Wales are investigating the rise in infections.
The number one priority of food safety programs is the safety and well-being of consumers. Proper food storage and handling processes must be adhered to so human lives are protected from the dangers of foodborne illness. Failure to maintain acceptable standards is justifiably met with massive potential for reputational damage and legal accountability.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is to reconsider a decision that an extract of monk fruit manufactured by a Chinese firm must go through an evaluation process before it can be marketed, the High Court heard.
Guilin GFS Monk Fruit Corporation brought judicial review proceedings in 2022 claiming the FSAI acted “irrationally” and “unreasonably” when it classified its monk fruit decoction product as a “novel food” under an EU regulation.
In just the past few days, it seems as if the world has become serious about H5N1 influenza, otherwise known as bird flu. There’s even informed speculation by some qualified scientists that human-to-human transmission is likely already occurring.
Food safety and public health are not yet big concerns. Raw milk is more risky than ever, but pasteurized dairy products, eggs, and poultry are all safe to eat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rates the current public health risk as low but oversees the situation and works with states to monitor people with animal exposures.
Adulteration, illegal slaughter of horses, and products not receiving the necessary checks feature in the latest report on possible frauds and other non-compliances raised by EU member states.
The number of food and other fraud suspicions discussed by European countries remained stable in April. The 341 alerts are similar to the 345 in March but up from 318 in February and 277 in January.
The food safety risks of disposable gloves are addressed in the July 2024 issue of the International Association of Food Protection’s Journal of Food Protection.
The Journal highlights scientific reports of hazardous chemical and pathogenic glove contamination with the potential to contaminate food. It illustrates how new and unused disposable gloves, even when they meet FDA compliance standards, can be sources of contamination.
Meat products made from ground (minced) beef were suspected to be behind a serious E. coli outbreak in the United Kingdom in 2023, according to a recent report.
In June 2023, an outbreak of severe gastrointestinal symptoms caused by a rare type of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) was detected by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
