Bio-Rad Laboratories iQ-CheckTM Real-Time PCR Test Kits Approved by AOAC Research Institute

Food pathogens identified in 8-24 hour
The AOAC Research Institute has granted Performance Tested Method status to Bio-Rad Laboratories' iQ-CheckTM test kits. The iQ-Check family of kits is based on automated real-time polymerase chain reaction (RTi-PCR) amplification and detection. Currently, kits are available for Listeria spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and E. coli O157:H7, all of which are approved. All tests can be run at the same time in the same reaction plate. Since the reaction occurs in closed PCR tubes, the chance for cross-contamination is limited. An internal amplification control is performed in each well to verify the validity of the PCR and confirm a negative result.
Two instrument platforms are available, to meet every users needs. The 96-well instrument is suitable for high throughput analysis, with the ability to run 4 instruments from a single computer at the same time. For lower volume users, we offer a 48-well instrument, also with the ability to run 4 instruments from a single computer at the same time. Since Bio-Rad manufacturers both of these instruments, we provide complete instrument and kit technical support.
iQ-Check E. coli O157:H7 is validated with a non-specific 8-24 hour enrichment in Buffered Peptone Water. Modified EC broth (as per USDA MLG) and EHEC Enrichment broth (as per FDA BAM) were also validated for use with shortened enrichment times. iQ-Check Salmonella II requires a single 21 ± 1 hour enrichment in nonselective Buffered Peptone Water, with no selective enrichment step. iQ-Check Listeria spp. and iQ-Check Listeria monocytogenes II are validated with a 25 ± 1 hour enrichment in Listeria Special Broth (LSB), a 24 hour time saving over the reference method. LSB is an enrichment media specially formulated to meet the growth requirements of Listeria while inhibiting competitor organisms.

Source: www.bio-rad.com

Aporte: Guillermo Figueroa

New technology driving US food safety sales

New products designed to help food processors verify the safety of their products at every stage of the food production process.

Increased sales in a buoyant US market, a new report states.US demand for food safety products will increase by 6.5 per cent per year to US$3.2bn (€2bn) in 2012, according to a new study from the Freedonia Group, with the fastest growth coming from smart labels and tags that allow greater traceability of food products along the entire production chain.

Food safety: The demand for products that can help processors ensure that their products are safe has grown in the wake of a number of high profile food recalls and scares in the US.Concerns that some of the affected products could have been consumed by school children on the National School Meal Program prompted calls for tighter controls on food production - a job that could be made easier using new technology.

Labels and tags: Although traditional food safety products such as disinfectants and chemicals will continue to be the main weapons in the battle against food-borne diseases, Freedonia's report suggests that smart labels and tags will experience double-digit annual growth "due to rising demand for the added security and efficiency they can provide".

RFID, traceability: Smart labels include bar codes and radio frequency identification (RFID) chips that are by distributors to provide traceability information, and accounted for around seven per cent of the food safety products market in 2007. But bar code tag and label growth will be restrained due to a mature market, and eventual loss of market share to RFID tags in the longer term.Smart labels: However, it is smart label technology that is likely to drive the market the most, according to the report.

The Westland case - where meat from diseased animals passed into the human food chain - has highlighted the need for greater traceability, and Freedonia's report notes that better tracking of animals would allow government health inspectors to track down the source of an infectious agent far more rapidly.

Cost cutting: But using new technology will also help companies cut the cost of complying with ever more stringent traceability requirements: new US regulations require food and beverage companies to keep records that identify both what raw materials went into a specific food product and where the raw material was from, and to whom the food product was shipped, for a period of two years.

Source: foodqualitynews.com

Aporte: Guillermo Figueroa

Legal/Regulatory News FSIS releasing risk-based inspection reports

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service is publishing two reports that evaluate the scientific support for the proposed risk-based inspection system.

One of the reports details the system as it relates to all processing and slaughter establishments, and the other discusses the system for young chicken slaughter plants. FSIS has revised the reports based on comments from the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI), stakeholders and peer reviewers.

The revised technical report on processing and slaughter establishments is now available. The revised version of the poultry slaughter report will be available on April 25. FSIS said it will continue to tweak the RBI system by working with stakeholders to carry out a methods evaluation.

The agency also has released the Audit Report on Issues Impacting the Development of Risk Based Inspection at Meat and Poultry Establishments. This report presents the results of the audit conducted by USDA's Office of the Inspector General.

Source: Meatingplace.comTo view these reports, click here.
Aporte: Guillermo Figueroa

Malt-O-Meal Salmonella agona Cereal Linked to Maine Illnesses

Contaminated rice likely cause food poisoninig

Maine has identified three cases of infection with a strain of Salmonella similar to that found in the contaminated cereal, based on preliminary information. The onset of illness dates range from January 22 to March 19. Two of the individuals were hospitalized. . All three reported consumption of unsweetened puffed rice or wheat cereals, but at present it is unknown if the products consumed were part of the current recall. Additional cases of illness in other states are being investigated by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On April 5, 2008 the Malt-O-Meal Company of Minnesota announced a recall of unsweetened puffed rice and unsweetened puffed wheat cereal. In addition to Malt-O-Meal’s own brand, these cereals are sold under multiple labels, including the store brands for Hannaford and Shaw’s Supermarkets. The other brands being recalled are Acme, America’s Choice, Food Club, Giant, Jewel, Laura Lynn, Pathmark, ShopRite, Tops, and Weis Quality. The products recalled include “Best if used by” codes between April 8, 2008 (APR0808) and March 18, 2009 (MAR1809). 1998 Malt-O-Meal Salmonella agona Litigation - Multistate In 1998, Malt-O-Meal on recalled as much as 3 million pounds of its plain toasted oat cereal after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that it was the likely source of Salmonella food poisoning. At least 17 Washington state children became ill with Salmonella agona infections, and litigation resulted. We learned this morning at the Seattle University School of Law Food Safety Seminar that not only is this 2008 outbreak caused by Salmonella agona - the same serotype in the 1998 outbreak, but also the same PFGE pattern.
Source of Article: http://www.marlerblog.com/

Aporte: Guillermo Figueroa

New food safety recall bill was proposed

Require USDA to list all retail stores and school districts that received meat products subjected to voluntary recall
Legal/Regulatory News Legislators introduce food safety recall bill Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.) and 10 co-sponsors last week introduced the Food Safety Recall Information Act (H.R. 5762), which would require USDA to list all of the retail stores and school districts that have received food products subjected to a recall. Since Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. recalled 143 million pounds of beef earlier this year, DeLauro and other legislators have repeatedly called for this transparency. In a news release, DeLauro also objected to a proposed USDA rule that would make this information available only for Class I recalls, which pose the highest risk of human illness, noting that would have excluded the Hallmark/Westland recall, which was a Class II recall, as it carried a much lower risk.Specifically, the Food Safety Recall Information Act would:

• Require USDA to list all retail stores and school districts that received meat products subjected to voluntary recall, regardless of class of recall.


• Require companies that recall any USDA-regulated food product to provide a list of retail stores and school districts that received the product.


• Require USDA to update this list continuously as the information is received, whether by the company doing the recall, or notification from the entity receiving the product.


• Eliminate what it called a "loophole" that allows some downed cattle to be slaughtered under certain circumstances if they pass an additional inspection.

Source: Meatingplace.com
Aporte: Guillermo Figueroa

FDA: Three More Salmonella Cantaloupe Recalls

Fourth cantaloupe recall was notified

The Salmonella cantaloupe scare is still not over. Three more cantaloupe recalls have been added to the growing list of recent cantaloupe recalls. Taylor Fresh Foods of Salinas, California is voluntarily recalling selected fresh cut cantaloupe fruit products which may contain cantaloupe from Agropecuaria Montelibano and began recovering this product on March 22.

The Taylor Fresh product recall includes cut cantaloupe and mixed cut fruit in bowls and trays of all sizes distributed by Taylor. Retail and convenience store products were removed from sale in late March; foodservice distributors, who sell their own brand, have been notified. Labels include: Taylor Farms Gourmet Fruit Tray featuring Creamy Yogurt Dip, Taylor Fresh Melon Mix, Taylor Fresh Fruit Mix, Fresh Fruit Tray with Creamy Strawberry Dip. All Best if Used By Dates before March 30, 2008 are affected; subsequent dates are not. Fresh Express Foods Corporation, Inc. of Medford Oregon is voluntarily recalling cut cubed processed cantaloupe received from C.H. Robinson and supplied by Agropecuaria Montelibano.

The recalled cantaloupe was distributed to two local restaurants, one hospital, and one retirement center in Medford; one restaurant in Klamath Falls; and one grocery store?Price Less “Deli Department”?in Cave Junction. All have been contacted. ? Fresh Express Foods has received product from a new source and will continue to supply its customers.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, causing diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps within 12 to 72 hours of infection. The illness lasts a week and most recovers without treatment; however, in some, hospitalization is required. Severe cases can result in arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis and even death.
Source of Article: http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/2866 Aporte: Guillermo Figueroa

Food Safety FSIS outlines why it might broaden definition of E. coli as adulterant

Whole muscle cuts will be also included in sampling plans
USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service plans to look closely at how primal cuts are handled and tested before deciding whether it should define E. coli O157:H7 as an adulterant in beef regardless of the type of product or intended use of the product."We have not made decisions about how to go forward, but what we have in place now is not working," FSIS Deputy Assistant Administrator Daniel Engeljohn said Wednesday at a public meeting about E. coli in Washington.Currently, intact product distributed for consumption as intact product — designated primal and sub-primal cuts such as roasts and steaks — is not considered adulterated if it is contaminated with E. coli.However, Englejohn outlined considerations that might warrant changing that policy, such as evidence that a substantial amount of primal cuts are used as source material for non-intact ground beef, and evidence that non-designated primal cuts are not receiving the same E. coli interventions and testing as boneless manufacturing trimmings.In the short term, Englejohn said the agency will intensify its focus on slaughter/dressing compliance, reviewing industry data on the effectiveness of sanitary practices.
FSIS also will look more closely at sampling protocols, including what constitutes a production lot, how samples are collected and how decisions are made about when other production lots may be affected by positive E. coli test results.Urgency: Although Englejohn characterized assessment of E. coli's status as an adulterant in a broader range of products as "long term,"
FSIS Under Secretary Richard Raymond spoke with greater urgency at the meeting. "I don't want to leave this problem for the next under secretary, and I don't want to have a prolonged, fruitless deliberation on this subject," Raymond said. "We have a problem. Let's work quickly and thoughtfully to find the right prescription to solve it."Raymond indicated there will be a 30-day comment period following the two-day meeting, which discussed a variety of ways to improve E. coli detection and reduce related human illness. He said FSIS will then review responses and plan its next steps based on that input.
The American Meat Institute, for one, already has spoken out against FSIS's proposed change. "No outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 have been linked to whole muscle cuts like steaks and roasts," said AMI Foundation President James Hodges. "Contemplating an expansion of that policy to muscle cuts that are internally sterile will not solve the problem.
No policy change by government can alter the current scientific reality that bacteria exist on all fresh agricultural products. The data tell us, however, that Americans enjoy beef products safely better than 99.99 percent of the time."
Source: Meatingplace.com
Aporte: Guillermo Figueroa

Piden retiro de aditivos alimentarios provocan hiperactividad en los niños.

Entre ellos colorantes muy usados en dulces y jugos.
La autoridad europea de inocuidad de los alimentos (EFSA), pedirá la próxima semana a los fabricantes de alimentos que retiren varios aditivos que, según los últimos estudios, provocan hiperactividad y otros trastornos en el comportamiento infantil.
A petición de la EFSA, la Universidad de Southampton realizó un estudio que demuestra que siete de los aditivos más comunes en los productos alimenticios entre ellos la Tartrazina y el amarillo crepúsculo, perjudican la inteligencia y el comportamiento de los niños.
A la luz de este informe, el regulador pedirá a los fabricantes que retiren de sus productos seis de estos aditivos para finales del próximo año, y los sustituyan por alternativas más naturales siempre que sea posible.
Algunas empresas que producen golosinas ya han accedido a retirar los colorantes, que pueden causar hiperactividad y mal comportamiento en los pequeños, pero organizaciones han criticado la medida sea de cumplimiento voluntario, en lugar de prohibirse los componentes.

Source: http://www.epha.org/a/2754
Aporte: Julio Parra Flores

Salmonella study to build prebiotics knowledge

The use of galacto-oligosaccharides to protect animals from salmonella infection

Galacto-oligosaccharides are prebiotics that occur naturally in breast milk and are known to play a role in building the health of infants at a time when their immune systems are less developed. They have also been used in foods aimed at adults, to help foster growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut and alleviate the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome - as well as stomach upsets and diarrhoea. Now, however, researchers are looking at using prebiotics further up the food chain, in place of antibiotics to block pathogens and stop animals getting sick.Laura Searle from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency in the UK is today reporting positive findings on the use of a mixture of galacto-oligosaccharide mixture intended for human use, in a murine model. So far her work has centered around reducing the invasion capabilities of Salmonella typhimurium and reducing the seriousness of the symptoms in the mice. After treatment with the mixture, fewer Salmonella bacteria were found in systemic and intestinal tissues, she reports. Full details of the study and findings, which are being presented at the meeting of the Society for General Microbiology in Edinburgh, have not been seen by NutraIngredients.com prior to publication. However Searle said she is submitting her work to a scientific journal. Searle is now working to uncover the exact mechanism by which the galacto-oligosaccharises works, potentially also contributing to knowledge as to how they could help humans, too. This research will shed light on the mechanisms by which prebiotics could work to stimulate normal flora in the gut so that they "out compete" with the enteric pathogens. Although it is still early days, she said she hopes her work towards establishing a mechanism in animals could, ultimately, feed in to research on benefits for humans. Salmonella typhimurium is of particular concern, "since we can trace people being infected through direct contact with animals or through the food chain". The use of prebiotics for farm animals is an interesting new area, driven by the EU ban on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters and therapeutic agents for animals in 2006, since such use can lead to antibiotic resistance. This has meant there has been an urgent search to replace antibiotics in animal food farming. In addition to the bacteria-fighting benefits of the prebiotics and the implications for both human and animal health, such research could also yield economic benefits for farmers.
Source: nutraingredients.com
Aporte: Guillermo Figueroa

Staph aureus food poisoning in a restaurant

Staphylococcus toxin sickened more than 137 people.
A staph bacteria may have sickened more than 137 people who ate an Easter buffet at Claudia Sanders Dinner House in Shelbyville, Ky., state health officials said today.Preliminary results from the Kentucky State Lab suggested that staphylococcus aureus might be the culprit in the food poisoning, although it’s not definitive since it was found in some stool samples and not others.“We anticipate more confirmed results next week,” said Tony Millet, a spokesman for the state’s North Central District Health Department.Health department officials said today they would allow the famed restaurant, once owned by Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Col. Harland Sanders and his wife, to reopen tomorrow. It has been closed since Tuesday.The restaurant employs about 90 full-time workers ages 16-78. Riley said she instructed staff this week to clean everything, including the ceiling and the walls.“We’ve sanitized and Cloroxed every surface in the building,” she said. “And anything that was opened, even if it wasn’t used that day, has been thrown away.”Before receiving word of the preliminary test results yesterday, Riley said the staff simply “tried to prepare for the worst,” taking on the task of sanitizing “as if it was our fault.”Staphylococci can exist in air, dust, sewage, water, milk and food, or on food equipment, environmental surfaces, humans and animals.It exists on the skin, nasal passages and body hair of many healthy people. The state lab is still testing samples from food and patrons.According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, staph bacteria’s incubation period is about 30 minutes to six hours, with roughly two days of symptoms. That is consistent with the illnesses reported, officials said. Riley said today she believes the outbreak occurred shortly after a “mass of people” came into the restaurant on Easter Sunday following an accident that closed part of Interstate 64. The restaurant is at 3202 U.S. 60. About 2,500 people are thought to have eaten at the restaurant on Easter. Because the restaurant doesn’t offer a buffet every day, Riley said the buffet table there is not like those found at restaurants that do, lacking the typical “sneeze guard” over the table itself. Instead, each pan of food has a shield that can be raised or lowered.The restaurant has made no plans to cancel its buffet, which is offered one day per week and on holidays like Easter and Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day is the restaurant’s busiest day of the year.When talking to health officials about what the restaurant could do to prevent a future outbreak, Riley said she found a couple of changes that could be made, such as changing food pans out more often and dropping the shields to cover three-quarters of the pan. However, she said that would significantly slow patrons from getting through the buffet line, especially at peak times.“We’re looking at that as part of the investigation,” said state epidemiologist Kraig Humbaugh.According to the CDC, death from staphylococcal food poisoning is rare, although instances have occurred among the elderly, infants and severely debilitated persons.Health officials are still asking patrons who ate at the restaurant that day to contact them, even if they didn’t get sick.Source: Courier Journal.com
Aporte: Guillermo Figueroa