Western Pacific: Food Safety StudiesThis is a featured page

China- Scientists claim to have developed a quick and simple colour change test to detect melamine in milk products
09 August 2010
Food Quality News [edited]
The search for a rapid and effective test for melamine was made a priority following the contamination scandal in 2008, when tainted milk powder killed six children and sickened an estimated 300,000. In a peer-reviewed journal, a researcher article (funded by the Chinese Ministry of Health) stated that existing methods of detection offer a high degree of sensitivity but can be costly, time consuming, and labor intensive. They developed a colorimetric method using gold nanoparticles. The test relies on the fact that when gold nanoparticles approach each other and aggregate, their colour changes from wine red to purple/blue. Because melamine kicks off this process, gold nanoparticles can be used as colorimetric probes to test for the toxin. Although it is less sensitive than many other tests, it is sufficiently sensitive to detect melamine in milk-based products at levels desired by regulatory bodies. In Europe and the US, the safety limit for melamine has been set at 2.5mg kg-1 and in China the limit is set at 1mg kg-1 for infant formula and 2.5mg kg-1 for other dairy products.


China- Ensuring and promoting food safety during the 2008 Beijing Olympics
27 July 2010
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease [edited] [BITES]
In preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Chinese authorities undertook a range of measures to strengthen the safety of food throughout the entire food supply continuum to protect the large number of athletes and spectators. Also, food safety promotion campaigns targeted Olympic visitors as well as Beijing residents. Based on an assessment of various indicators, these efforts were successful in reducing the risk of foodborne disease during the Beijing Olympics and promoting safer food for Beijing residents. The food safety experiences of the 2008 Beijing Olympics might be applied to other major sporting events and mass gatherings.


Hong Kong- Targeted food surveillance on ice-cream, frozen confections and powdered infant formula
26 July 2010 news.gov.hk [edited] [BITES]
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) recently conducted two food surveillance projects to assess the microbiological quality of ice-cream and Enterobacter sakazakii in powdered infant formula. The 1,100 ice-cream and frozen confection samples included soft ice-cream, sundaes, ice-cream scoops, and popsicles. The samples were collected from food factories, ice-cream vans, convenience stores, supermarkets, and restaurants for testing of pathogens and hygiene indicators. Two ice-cream scoop samples were found to contain coliform organisms at a level of 150 and 900 per gramme respectively; a soft ice-cream sample was found to have a total bacteria count of 220,000 per gramme; and an ice-cream scoop sample was found to contain coliform organisms at a level of 2,000 per gramme and a total bacterial count of 190,000 per gramme. Under the law, each gramme of frozen confection (including ice-cream) for sale should not contain more than 50,000 bacteria or more than 100 coliform organisms. The maximum penalty for offenders is a fine of $10,000 and three months imprisonment. These tests indicated sub-optimal hygienic conditions for these samples. The CFS has taken follow-up actions, including issuing warning letters to the retailers.

China-Adoption of food safety and quality standards by China's agricultural cooperatives
23 July 2010
Food Control [edited] [BITES]
The Chinese government is encouraging the adoption of food safety and quality standards by agricultural cooperatives to improve the quality of produced. Based on the survey data from 124 vegetable cooperatives in the Zhejiang Province, this study is designed to analyze the factors that affect adoption of food safety and quality standards by agricultural cooperatives. It was found that cooperative size, perception and attitude toward standards, reputation, expected cost and benefit, and the destination market have a positive and statistically significant relationship with the decision of the cooperatives to adopt the standards.


China- Application of content analysis in food safety reports on the Internet
14 July 2010
Food Control [edited] [BITES]
This paper discusses the application of the content analysis method in the analysis of food safety reports. Several subjects, such as food chain, food category, violative testing items, hazard of violative food samples and data in food safety reports from April 1st to June 1st 2009, were investigated. Based on the research, 49% of food safety reports selected came from the food distribution stage, 32% of the food safety reports mentioned one or several food additives. Among the selected reports, “beverages”, “cereals and cereal products”, and “salts, spices, soups, sauces, salads and protein products” are the top three (3) food groups mentioned.


Japan- Quantitative risk assessment of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Finfish: A model of raw horse mackerel consumption in Japan
8 July 2010
BITES [edited]
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of implemented control measures to reduce illness induced by Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. parahaemolyticus) in horse mackerel (Trachurus japonicus). This seafood is commonly consumed raw in Japan. The following factors were evaluated: bacterial growth at all stages, effects of washing the fish body and storage water, and bacterial transfer from the fish surface, gills, and intestine to fillets during preparation. New parameters of the beta-Poisson dose-response model were determined from all human feeding trials, some of which have been used for risk assessment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). The probability of illness caused by V. parahaemolyticus was estimated using both the USFDA dose-response parameters and our parameters for each selected pathway of scenario alternatives: washing whole fish at landing, storage in contaminated water, high temperature during transportation, and washing fish during preparation. The last scenario (washing fish during preparation) was the most effective for reducing the risk of illness by about a factor of 10 compared to no washing at this stage. Risk of illness increased by 50% by exposure to increased temperature during transportation. The other two scenarios did not significantly affect risk.

Japan- Chicken meat is an infection source of Salmonella serovar infantis for humans in Japan
01 Jun 2010
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. 7(6): 727-735. doi:10.1089/fpd.2009.0438 [edited][FSNet]
The authors of the study set out to either confirm or refute a recent study's findings that chicken meat is an unlikely source of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Infantis (Salmonella Infantis) in humans in the Kyushu-Okinawa region, Japan.
A total of 74 Salmonella Infantis isolates (30 from human and 44 from other sources), mainly from the Kyushu-Okinawa region in south-western Japan, were analyzed using a molecular-epidemiological approach combining two fingerprinting methods, namely pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), a novel polymerase chain reaction-based technique.
The resulting pulsed-field profiles showed that 17 of 30 human isolates were similar to those found in chicken meat, whereas there were no common pulsed-field profiles between human and chicken egg isolates. Overall, 3 of 18 AFLP profiles included 7 human isolates and 14 chicken egg isolates. In addition, the combined results of the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and AFLP analyses showed that 8 human Salmonella Infantis and 13 chicken meat isolates belonged to the same clonal lines.
These results suggest that chicken meat is an infection source of Salmonella Infantis for humans in the Kyushu-Okinawa region, Japan. The results also showed the relatively high suitability of AFLP for application to epidemiological studies of Salmonella Infantis.


Thailand- A cross-sectional study of Salmonella in pork products in Chiang Mai
18 May 2010
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease [edited][FSNet]
The occurrence of Salmonella in food of animal origin in Chiang Mai province was investigated by using a cross-sectional study during several phases of the pork production chain (cutting, transport, and retail) and of the environment in the cutting unit of a slaughterhouse. In total, 173 pork samples were obtained during the cutting phase, 173 samples from transported pork, 200 samples from retail products, and 300 samples from the slaughterhouse environment. Salmonella was detected in 55.5% of freshly cut pork, 70.5% of transported pork, and 34.5% of retail products. The five most prevalent Salmonella serotypes identified were Rissen (45.3%), Typhimurium (16.3%), Krefeld (10.6%), Stanley (6.3%), and Lagos (6.0%). Carcass contamination prior to cutting and in the slaughterhouse environment appeared to be important sources of Salmonella in transported pork and retail products. As Salmonella was also found during early stages of the slaughter process, attention should focus on all stages of the pork production chain to reduce contamination level and consumer risk of infection.


Korea- Food poisoning associated with emetic-type of Bacillus cereus
06 May 2010
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. May 2010, 7(5): 555-563 [edited][FSNet]
Jung-Beom Kim, Hong-Rae Jeong, Yong-Bae Park, Jae-Moung Kim, Deog-Hwan Oh
Bacillus cereus can cause diarrheal and emetic types of food poisoning but little study has been done on emetic type of food poisoning in Korea. The objective of this study was to report on the emetic type of food poisoning associated with B. cereus in Korea. The toxin gene profile, toxin production, and antibiotic resistance of B. cereus isolates were investigated in this study. B. cereus was detected in three out of four samples, while the other food poisoning bacteria were not detected. All emetic-associated isolates were resistant to β-lactam antibiotics. Most important finding in this study was that the risk of emetic-type B. cereus food poisoning has existed in Korea. This suggested that the food poisoning caused by B. cereus producing emetic and diarrheal toxins should be constantly evaluated to prevent misdiagnosis between emetic and diarrheal types of food poisoning.


China- Ensuring and promoting food safety during the 2008 Beijing Olympics
05 May 2010
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease [edited][FSNet]
Gerald G. Moy, Fanfan Han, Junshi Chen
In preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Chinese authorities undertook a range of measures to strengthen food safety along the entire food supply continuum from production to consumption to protect the large number of athletes and spectators anticipated. In addition, food safety promotion campaigns targeting Olympic visitors as well as Beijing residents were carried out. Based on an assessment of various indicators, these efforts were successful in reducing the risk of foodborne disease during the Beijing Olympics and promoting safer food for Beijing residents. The food safety experiences of the 2008 Beijing Olympics might be usefully applied to major sporting events and mass gatherings in the future.

China- Prevalence and characterization of Salmonella serovars in retail meats of marketplace in Shaanxi
29 Apr 2010
International Journal of Food Microbiology [edited][FSNet]
Baowei Yang, Dong Qu, Xiuli Zhang, Jinling Shen et al.
A total of 764 retail meat including 515 chicken, 91 pork, 78 beef and 80 lamb samples were collected in Shaanxi Province of China in 2007-2008 to determine the prevalence of Salmonella. The isolates were characterized using serotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and the presence of blaCMY-2 and blaTEM and class I integrons. Selective serovars were further subtyped using PFGE. Approximately 54% (276) of chicken, 31% (28) of pork, 17% (13) of beef and 20% (16) of lamb samples were positive of Salmonella. Among 24 serovars identified, Enteritidis (31.5%) was most common, followed by Typhimurium (13.4%), Shubra (10.0%), Indiana (9.7%), Derby (9.5%) and Djugu (7.0%). Nearly 80% of the isolates (283) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial, and 53% (191) to more than three antimicrobials. Resistance was most frequently observed to sulfamethoxazole (67%), to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (58%) and to tetracycline (56%). Furthermore, many isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid (35%), ciprofloxacin (21%) and ceftriaxone (16%). Most isolates of Shubra (89%) and Indiana (88%) were resistant to ≥ 9 antimicrobials, compared to only 11% of Enteritidis and 9% of Infantis that showed similar resistance. Class I integrons were detected in 10% of the isolates, and contained aadA, tetR, dhfr, blaPSE-1, blaDHA-1 and blaVEB-1 gene cassettes alone or various combinations. Ceftriaxone- and/or cefoperazone-resistant isolates (n = 62) carried blaTEM (51.6%) and/or blaCMY-2 (56.5%). A total of 116 PFGE patterns were generated among 210 selected isolates. Researchers’ findings indicated that Salmonella contamination was common in retail meats, and that the Salmonella isolates were phenotypically and genetically diverse. Additionally, many Salmonella isolates were resistant to multiple antimicrobials.


Australia- Foodborne disease outbreaks, 2008, OzFoodNet
27 Apr 2010
Food Surveillance – Australia, New Zealand [edited][FSNet]
In Australia, an estimated 5.4 million cases of foodborne disease occur annually, costing an estimated $1.2 billion dollars per year. Surveillance of foodborne disease is used to monitor trends in illness, detect outbreaks, inform preventative measures and evaluate the efficacy of public health measures. OzFoodNet is Australia’s enhanced foodborne disease surveillance system. It was established in 2000 by the Australian Government to improve national surveillance and conduct applied research into the causes of foodborne illness. OzFoodNet aggregates and analyses national-level information on the incidence of diseases caused by pathogens commonly transmitted by food, as well as conducting outbreak investigation and surveillance.
During 2008, OzFoodNet sites reported 1,545 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness; the majority of these were spread person-to-person but include those transmitted by contaminated food. In total, these outbreaks affected 25,555 people, resulting in 691 people being admitted to hospital, and 99 deaths.
Food was suspected or confirmed as the mode of transmission for 104 of these outbreaks, which affected 1,454 people, resulting in 96 hospitalisations and 11 deaths. Salmonella continues to be the leading cause of reported outbreaks of foodborne illness and, in 2008, 34% (35/104) of outbreaks were attributed to the pathogen, of which 89% were S. Typhimurium (31/35). The most common settings where food was prepared in the outbreaks were restaurants (43%, 45/104), commercial caterers (12%, 12/104) or in private residences (12%, 12/104).
A wide variety of food vehicles were implicated in outbreaks of foodborne disease in 2008. Eggs and egg-containing dishes were identified as the most common outbreak food vehicle in 2008 and were responsible for 19% (20/104) of all foodborne outbreaks. The dishes responsible included desserts containing raw egg (such as mousse and tiramisu), egg-based sauces or dressing (such as aioli or hollandaise sauce) or consuming under/lightly cooked eggs or dishes that contained egg. Egg related outbreaks affected a total of 289 people and hospitalised 36 people. Mixed dishes, which include buffets where a variety of dishes were served, was the second most common food vehicle identified in foodborne outbreaks (15%, 16/104). In 2008, the only implicated foods that were contaminated in primary produce environments were fish involved in ciguatera fish poisoning outbreaks.
In recent years a substantial number of foodborne outbreaks have been associated with eggs. Twenty outbreaks were associated with eggs or egg-based dishes in 2008, 24 outbreaks in 2007 and 16 outbreaks in 2007 compared with five outbreaks in 2005 and three in 2004. It is important that egg safety continues to be improved in Australia. During 2009, FSANZ continued developing a primary production and processing standard for eggs and egg products that is considering safety of the whole production chain from farm through to retail.
Foodborne disease surveillance provides information to assist in not only immediate public health action and the prevention of these diseases, but also to the assessment of food safety policies and campaigns. A national program of surveillance for foodborne diseases and outbreak investigation has many benefits including identifying foods that cause human illness by identifying outbreaks that occur across state and territory borders. Continuing efforts to strengthen the quality of these data will ensure their use by agencies to develop food safety policy and thereby help prevent foodborne illness.


Australia- Microbiological quality of spices; A coordinated survey conducted by food regulatory agencies
27 Apr 2010
Food Surveillance – Australia, New Zealand [edited][FSNet]
In 2007, a survey of the microbiological status of spices sold in Australia was conducted as part of the Implementation Sub Committee (ISC) Coordinated Food Survey Plan, which reports to the Food Regulation Standing Committee. This was a coordinated food survey involving food regulatory agencies in Australia. The results of the survey indicate that, while microbes were found at low levels in some spices, the microbiological risk to public health associated with consumption of spices in Australia is low as most of the products they are used in are cooked which will destroy the microbes.
In the study, a range of spices including whole, ground and mixed products were assessed for water activity, Salmonella spp., Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens. Samples were collected from a range of retail outlets by officers in each Australian State and Territory jurisdiction. Five primary samples of each product of the same batch were collected to form composite samples. Overall, 217 samples were collected for analysis. B. cereus and C. perfringens were analysed using the Most Probable Number (MPN) method.
The objective of this survey was to provide information regarding the level of microbiological contamination of spices available in Australia and thus inform any potential further risk assessment. While spices have been implicated in large scale outbreaks of food borne illness, the impact of contaminated spices on the incidence of foodborne illness in Australia is unclear.
The survey has demonstrated that spices available to the Australian public may contain B. cereus and C. perfringens, potentially causing illness depending on the use of the spice. However, the level of C. perfringens reported in this survey was generally very low. All of these studies indicate that although the incidence of C. perfringens in spices is relatively high, the numbers per gram detected are relatively low. The levels detected for B. cereus in this survey varied. The results presented here indicate that the microbiological risk to public health associated with consumption of spices in Australia is low.


Australia- Microbiological survey of fresh horticultural produce in Australia, 2005-2007
27 Apr 2010
Food Surveillance – Australia, New Zealand [edited][FSNet]
Outbreaks of human foodborne illness have previously been reported in Australia and overseas and have been linked to consumption of contaminated fresh horticultural produce.
In 2005 – 2007, a survey was conducted under the ISC Coordinated Food Survey Plan to determine the prevalence of microbiological contamination in fresh horticultural produce in Australia.
A total of 369 samples were analysed, including lettuce, seed sprouts, strawberries, parsley and basil. The survey collected samples from three points in the horticultural produce supply chain: from the field, at the farm gate and at retail; with the exception of seed sprouts which were collected prior to germination, at the end of the production line and at retail.
Samples were analysed for the presence of Escherichia coli (including verocytotoxin producing E. coli (VTEC) or E. coli O157:H7), Listeria spp. and/or L. monocytogenes, Salmonella spp.
VTEC was detected in one seed sprout sample (broccoli sprouts) collected at the end of production and one sample of parsley collected from the field. Listeria spp. was detected at retail for seed sprouts, while L. monocytogenes was detected in strawberry samples collected from the farm gate and retail. Salmonella spp. was detected in one strawberry sample collected from the field.
Follow-up action was conducted by the relevant jurisdictions for those samples in which microbiological contamination was detected. The follow-up action included contacting the producer involved and reviewing production and handling practices.
While limited by the sample size, this survey provides a snap shot of the microbiological contamination of selected fresh horticultural produce at the time of sampling (2005 – 2007). It confirms that infrequent contamination of fresh produce with potentially harmful bacteria can occur, reiterating the importance for industry and consumers to follow general advice on the safe production, preparation and handling (e.g. washing and refrigeration) of these products.
Since this survey was undertaken, a number of measures have been put in place by the fresh produce industry and jurisdictions to enhance the microbiological safety of these products. More recent surveys of particular sectors of this industry have found even lower levels of microbiological contamination.

Australia, New Zealand- Microbiological quality of cooked prawns in the ACT
27 Apr 2010
Food Surveillance – Australia, New Zealand
FSANZ [edited][FSNet]
Cooked prawns are a popular ready-to-eat food that is widely available in retail establishments across the ACT. FSANZ sets out the microbiological limits for this food in Standard 1.6.1 of the Code. The Standard 1.6.1 lists maximum allowable levels of foodborne micro-organisms for different classes of foods. The Standard is used to determine the level of microbiological contamination that is considered to be of significant risk to public health.
ACT Health officers randomly sampled seven batches of prawns from five different retail outlets across the ACT. The samples were tested against Standard 1.6.1 of the Code. The tests consisted of a Standard Plate Count (SPC) and coagulase-positive Staphylococci analyses to assess the samples for overall hygiene quality. In addition, a Salmonella spp. test was used to determine the presence or absence of this bacterial pathogen.
The outcome of the investigations revealed that there were no deficiencies in the retailers’ equipment and correct food handling procedures were followed. The results therefore suggest that some batches of prawns may already have had a high level of SPC micro-organisms when received by the retailer. The survey indicates that the microbial quality of cooked prawns sold in the ACT is satisfactory, as all of the samples tested contained no pathogenic bacteria and would not pose a risk to public health.

Australia, New Zealand- Microbiological quality of savoury pastries
27 Apr 2010
Food Surveillance – Australia, New Zealand [edited][FSNet]
From March to June 2009, a total of 172 ready-to-eat filled savoury pastries were purchased from 45 bakeries across NSW by Environmental Health Officers from local councils and NSW Food Authority officers. Samples collected included pies, sausage rolls, quiches and pasties. These products fall into a large category of ready-to-eat foods for which there are no microbiological standards in the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code. Therefore, the results were assessed against the NSW Food Authority microbiological quality guideline for ready to-eat foods. During collection of samples, a questionnaire was also completed to assess the food handling practices in the bakeries. Information such as where and how the products were prepared, reheated and displayed was collected.
Overall, the results from the questionnaire demonstrated that respondents had a good awareness of the potential hazards associated with these products and implemented good manufacturing practices. It was found that a few businesses could improve practices by more effectively cooling the pie filling and/or reheating the final product prior to display. The positive observational results were supported by the microbiological results, which indicated that all samples tested were either categorised as microbiologically good or acceptable.


Australia, New Zealand- Raw chicken meat microbiological survey
27 Apr 2010
Food Surveillance – Australia, New Zealand [edited][FSNet]
FSANZ
FSANZ was the coordinating agency for a baseline survey to obtain information on the likelihood of live chickens being contaminated on-farm with Salmonella and Campylobacter and also the likelihood of the chicken being contaminated after it has been slaughtered. Salmonella and Campylobacter are the two main bacteria that can be present on raw chicken and cause illness if the chicken isn’t cooked or handled correctly.
As this survey was testing live chickens and raw chicken carcasses, researchers expected to find Salmonella and Campylobacter. As in most poultry producing countries, Campylobacter and, to a lesser extent Salmonella, were frequently found in samples tested. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has recently reported findings from a baseline survey undertaken by European Union Member States. No poultry producing country has been able to eliminate Salmonella and Campylobacter from raw poultry. However, some countries have successfully reduced the amount of Salmonella and Campylobacter in raw chicken to some degree by improving practices and procedures on- farm and at the slaughtering facilities. These countries have found that this results in less illness in people.
As part of its through-chain approach to food regulation, FSANZ has developed a Primary Production and Processing Standard for Poultry Meat. When implemented, this standard will require poultry farmers and processors to ensure their practices and procedures are effective at lowering the likelihood of poultry being contaminated with Salmonella and Campylobacter.
During the development of the Standard for Poultry Meat, the need to obtain baseline data on the prevalence and levels of Salmonella and Campylobacter along the poultry meat supply chain was identified.
Baseline data had been collected at the retail level in 2005/06, but not at the primary production or primary processing stages.
This study measured both the prevalence and where appropriate, concentration, of Salmonella and Campylobacter at three points along the chicken meat supply chain, on-farm, just prior to processing and at the end of primary processing (the slaughtering process). The percentage results for Salmonella indicate the percentage of samples that were positive for all types of Salmonella as well as the percentage that were positive for pathogenic (disease causing) types.
Overall, the results indicate that a large percentage of the live chickens entering the processing plants are infected with Campylobacter (84%) and to a much lesser extent, Salmonella (13% with 7.5% positive for pathogenic types). Chicken carcass samples taken at the end of the slaughtering process gave a similar prevalence for Campylobacter (84%). However, the samples tested were higher for the prevalence of Salmonella (37% with 22% positive for pathogenic types). The levels of Campylobacter on the carcass were reasonably high and for Salmonella, low.
This survey has provided baseline data on the prevalence and levels of Salmonella and Campylobacter on raw chicken meat at both the primary production, and primary processing stages of the chicken meat supply chain, prior to the introduction of a new standard for poultry meat. These results are not dissimilar to those found in many other poultry producing countries.


Australia, New Zealand- Determination of histamine and bacterial isolation in marlin fillets (Makaira nigricans) implicated in a foodborne poisoning
26 Apr 2010
Journal of Food Safety [edited][FSNet]
H.C. CHEN, Y.C. LEE, C.M. LIN, D.F. HWANG and Y.H. TSAI
An incident of foodborne poisoning causing illness in seven victims due to ingestion of marlin fillets occurred in August, 2008, in Kaohsiung City, southern Taiwan. The two suspected marlin samples contained 47.8 and 43.5 mg/100 g of histamine, which is greater than the 5.0 mg/100 g allowable limit suggested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Given the allergy-like symptoms of the victims and the high histamine content in the suspected marlin samples, this foodborne poisoning was strongly suspected to be due to histamine intoxication. Two histamine-producing bacterial strains capable of producing 3.10 ppm and 4.20 ppm of histamine in trypticase soy broth (TSB) supplemented with 1.0% l-histidine (TSBH) were identified as Bacillus subtilis by 16S rDNA sequencing with polymerase chain reaction amplification. However, major histamine-forming bacteria might have been killed during the preparation of fillets before serving and these two B. subtilis isolates might not be the main contributors to histamine accumulation in suspected fillets.
Based on the finding that high contents of histamine (>40 mg/100 g) were detected in the suspected marlin samples, we speculate the temperature abuse of the fillets before cooking contributed to the presence of high histamine levels in marlin fillets and resulted in foodborne poisoning. Although two histamine-producing Bacillus subtilis strains were isolated from suspected fish samples, both might not to be the main contributors to histamine accumulation because of low histamine production. These results re-emphasize proper handling temperature for seafoods and offer an important awareness which Makaira nigricans fillets could become a hazardous food item in causing histamine poisoning even though no quality deficiency was observed on the fillets.



Japan and China: Man laced gyoza three times in 2007 dumpling outbreak
29 Mar 2010
The Daily Yomiuri Shimbun Online [edited]
The Chinese man suspected of poisoning gyoza [a Chinese dumpling] that sickened 10 people in Japan has said he injected pesticide into gyoza on 3 separate occasions from October through December 2007.
The head of the ministry's criminal investigation bureau reported that the guilty man admitted to becoming disgruntled because the food company in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, treated him differently from its permanent employees.
According to officials, the guilty man stole methamidophos, a phosphorus pesticide, from the cleaning department at the food plant and obtained several syringes that had been thrown away by a medical institution in July and August 2007.


Korea- Detection and enumeration of microorganisms in ready-to-eat foods, ready-to-cook foods and fresh-cut produce
22 Mar 2010
Journal of Food Safety [edited][FSNet]
MYUNG-SUB CHUNG, CHANG-MIN KIM and SANG-DO HA
Levels of total aerobic plate counts (APC), coliforms and various pathogens in convenient foods including ready-to-eat foods (RTE), ready-to-cook foods (RTC) and fresh-cut produce (FCP) in Korea were investigated. A total of 244 samples comprising 145 samples of RTE, 39 samples of RTC and 60 samples of FCP were purchased from hyper chain stores located in six different provinces. Coliform contamination was detected in approximately 50% of the samples at levels up to 5 log10cfu/g. Escherichia coli was most frequently detected in convenient foods, and followed by Staphylococcus aureus. Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes were detected in only one sample and Vibrio parahaemolyticus was not detected in any sample. These results show that convenient foods in Korea can be contaminated by various pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, precautionary measures are necessary for consumer protection including improving sanitary conditions in the processing plants for RTE, RTC and FCP products in Korea.
Accurate and up-to-date data for microbiological contamination of convenient foods including ready-to-eat foods, ready-to-cook foods and fresh-cut produce are necessary for consumer protection to improve sanitary conditions in food processing plants in Korea. Known contamination levels of indicator organism and/or pathogenic bacteria can be used by administrators to establish national regulations for control of foodborne diseases.


Shigellosis - Viet Nam
22 Mar 2010
Oxford University Clinical Research Unit
The Hospital for Tropical Diseases [edited][ProMed]
At the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Viet Nam, Shigella is reportedly the leading bacterial cause of children hospitalized with diarrhea. Researchers performed a number of treatment and observational studies looking at dysentery and particularly shigellosis.
Over a 15-year period, researchers have seen a change in the dominant species but the inverse of the observations reported from Toronto. Researchers have seen a progressive species shift from S. flexneri to S. sonnei. The dominant Shigella species may be dependent on the location and stage of economic development. S. sonnei appear to be most commonly associated with industrialized countries while S. flexneri is associated with less industrialized countries. Fluctuations in the incidence of S. flexneri serotypes within a single location have also been recorded and because immunity to secondary Shigella infections is believed to be serotype specific, this may be the driving force. The reason for the change in shigellosis species in a specific location is unknown and may be due to number of factors involved in the transmission, environmental niche, the infectious dose and also the changing economic conditions.


China: Serotype, Genotype, and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles of Salmonella from Chicken Farms in Shanghai
03 Mar 2010
Journal of Food Protection®, Volume 73, Number 3, pp. 562-567(6) [edited][FSNet]
Liu, Wei-Bing; Chen, Jing; Huang, Yan-Yan; Liu, Bin; Shi, Xian-Ming
Five hundred fifty samples were collected from five chicken farms in Shanghai during March 2005 to October 2006. Twenty-five samples tested positive for Salmonella from a total of 550 samples, of which 500 were obtained from feces of healthy chickens and 50 were obtained from diseased chicks. The 25 presumptive Salmonella isolates were confirmed by the API 20E identification kit. The susceptibilities of these strains to 14 antimicrobials were determined; most of the isolates (13 of 25) were resistant to doxycycline and tetracycline, and two isolates were resistant to cefotaxime and ceftazidime, but none was resistant to gentamicin or kanamycin.

Occurrence of Campylobacter in commercially broken liquid egg in Japan
03 Mar 2010
Journal of Food Protection®, Volume 73, Number 3, pp. 412-417(6) [edited][FSNet]
Sato, Miki; Sashihara, Nobuhiro
Samples of unpasteurized liquid egg (whole egg, egg yolk, and egg white) and pasteurized liquid whole egg were collected from egg-breaking facilities in Japan and were tested for the presence of Campylobacter. Isolates recovered were tested for freeze-thaw response, sensitivity to antimicrobials, and heat resistance. Campylobacter was isolated from 27.9% of unpasteurized liquid whole egg samples and 36.0% of unpasteurized liquid egg yolk samples. No Campylobacter was isolated from unpasteurized liquid egg white or pasteurized liquid whole egg samples.



Urinary tract abnormalities in Chinese rural children who consumed melamine- contaminated dairy products: a population-based screening and follow-up study
22 Feb 2010
CMAJ [edited][FSNet]
Jian-meng Liu, Aiguo Ren, Lei Yang, Jinji Gao, Lijun Pei, Rongwei Ye, Quangang Qu, Xiaoying Zheng
Kidney damage related to consumption of melamine-contaminated dairy products by young children in China has been described. However, no studies have reported on the population-based prevalence of kidney damage among exposed children or on the condition of affected children after follow-up.
Researchers conducted an ultrasound-based screening in September 2008 of 7933 children younger than 36 months of age who lived in a rural area in China where the dairy products most highly contaminated with melamine were sold. Researchers monitored children who had evidence of nephrolithiasis or hydronephrosis at screening using renal ultrasonography after one, three and six months. We also collected information from the mothers of affected children about consumption of melamine-contaminated products between June and August 2008.
Among children who underwent screening, 0.61% showed ultrasonographic evidence of nephrolithiasis or hydronephrosis. Most of the affected children were asymptomatic. The majority of the affected children recovered from the toxic effects of melamine over time without specific treatment. Renal abnormalities remained in 12% of the affected children.


Japan- Chicken meat is an infection source of Salmonella serovar infantis for humans
08 Feb 2010
Foodborne Pathogens and Disease doi:10.1089/fpd.2009.0438 [edited][FSNet]
Tamie Noda, Koichi Murakami, Yasuhisa Ishiguro, Tetsuo Asai
The study sets out to either confirm or refute a recent study's findings that chicken meat is an unlikely source of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Infantis (Salmonella Infantis) in humans in the Kyushu-Okinawa region, Japan.
Methods: A total of 74 Salmonella Infantis isolates (30 from human and 44 from other sources), mainly from the Kyushu-Okinawa region in south-western Japan, were analyzed using a molecular-epidemiological approach combining two fingerprinting methods, namely pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), a novel polymerase chain reaction-based technique.
The resulting pulsed-field profiles showed that 17 of 30 human isolates were similar to those found in chicken meat, whereas there were no common pulsed-field profiles between human and chicken egg isolates. Overall, 3 of 18 AFLP profiles included 7 human isolates and 14 chicken egg isolates. In addition, the combined results of the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and AFLP analyses showed that 8 human Salmonella Infantis and 13 chicken meat isolates belonged to the same clonal lines.
These results suggest that chicken meat is an infection source of Salmonella Infantis for humans in the Kyushu-Okinawa region, Japan. The results also showed the relatively high suitability of AFLP for application to epidemiological studies of Salmonella Infantis.


Antibiotic resistance in Salmonella isolates from imported chicken carcasses in Bhutan and from pig carcasses in Vietnam
01 Feb 2010
Journal of Food Protection®, Volume 73, Number 2, pp. 376-379(4) [edited][FSNet]
Ellerbroek, L.; Narapati, D.; Phu Tai, N.; Poosaran, N.; et al.
The antibiotic resistance in Salmonella isolates from 400 imported chicken carcasses in Bhutan and from 178 pig carcasses in Vietnam were analyzed on a random basis against 14 antimicrobial agents. Among the poultry samples tested, 13% were positive for Salmonella. Salmonella Enteritidis dominated with a prevalence of 80.7%, and 40 of the 42 isolates harbored two or more resistance determinants. For the 178 pigs investigated, 49.4% of the swabs and 34.8% of the lymph nodes were Salmonella positive. The most prevalent serotypes in lymph nodes were Salmonella Derby (50.0%) and Salmonella Typhimurium (27.4%). From the Salmonella isolates from pigs, only 6% were sensitive to the antimicrobial agents tested. The high resistance level of Salmonella isolates from pigs and chicken carcasses to different classes of antimicrobials should be emphasized and encourage a prudent use of these agents in animal farming, especially in pig production.


30 Jan 2010
Risk Analysis [edited][FSNEt]
Kondaswamy Govindaraju, Mark Bebbington, and Thewaporn Wrathall
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority sampling protocol for compliance inspection of imported food products is evaluated for its ability to provide consumer protection. The sampling protocol involves both partial testing of imported consignments and complete skipping inspection of consignments based on the quality history. The risk posed by the strategies of partial testing and skipping inspection of imports is evaluated using the average outgoing quality limit and other performance measures. The cost dimension of sampling inspection is also considered. Suggestions for improvement, which include tightening the skipping inspection parameters, are made.


Thailand- Prevalence of Escherichia coli and Enterococci in a Thai frozen cooked chicken plant, and modeling of the cleaning and sanitizing procedure 27 Jan 2010 Food Control [edited][FSNet] Suwimon Keeratipibul, Suree Meethong, Punnida Techaruwichit and Nut Thephuttee E. coli and contamination with enterococci in a cooked ready-to-eat chicken meat product and on processing environmental surfaces were determined. Environmental surfaces were divided into three zones according to the distance of the products. Contamination with enterococci was higher than with E. coli on the surfaces in all zones. E. coli was not detected in any product, whereas 11.1 to 16.7% of samples were adulterated by enterococci. Contamination was mostly found in the niches of surfaces that were difficult to clean and sanitize, which led to contamination of the surfaces of the product transfer conveyor. Mathematical models, parameterized with scrubbing times with 1% (v/v) Quorum Pink II HF detergent, the concentration of acetic acid and the contact times with 100 ppm chlorine were established to predict the probability for both groups of viable bacteria on the conveyor surfaces following the cleaning and sanitizing process. Predicted values were almost equal to actual values, although slightly lower, when models were tested to validate the cleaning and sanitizing procedure.


18 Jan 2010
China Post [edited][FSNet]
Nearly 30 percent of dried fruit and pickled vegetables on the market do not meet food safety standards, as they contain excessive levels of additives, a Taipei City health official reportedly said Monday.
The Taipei City Government Department of Health recently conducted random inspections of 97 dried fruit and pickled and dehydrated vegetable products sold in hypermarkets, traditional markets and the Dihua Street Commercial Circle in Taipei City, the director of the department's Food and Drug Division was quoted as saying.
She added that 26 of the products, or 26.8 percent, failed to pass the food safety tests. In addition, it was found that 11 of the products were improperly labeled.
In the tests of the dried fruits, it was found that 17 of the 51 samples -- or 33 percent -- did not meet food safety standards, as most of them contained excessive amounts of artificial sweetener or cyclamate, according to the official.
One of the samples sold at a dried food store in Taipei and produced by a manufacturer in Changhua County was reportedly found to contain cyclamate levels 20 times higher than the permissible amount.
Consumption of too much artificial sweetener may cause thirst, intestinal discomfort, nausea, or even vomiting, while long-term ingestion of cyclamate could lead to bladder cancer, the official warned.
The department also determined that nine of the 35 pickled vegetable samples failed to meet safety standards, as most of them contained excessive levels of benzoic acid. Ingestion of high levels of the chemical preservative could affect liver and kidney functions.

2009
Massey University [edited][FSNet]
An enhanced notified enteric disease surveillance trial began on 1 July 2007 and continued until 30 June 2008. The aim of the trial was to measure the quality, timeliness and completeness of data collected and submitted by a regional Public Health Service (PHS) to the Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited (ESR), via the national disease database (EpiSurv) for notified cases of enteric diseases. The trial evaluated two different methods of data collection: postal questionnaires and telephone interviews. Telephone interview techniques were used to improve the contact rate, timeliness and completeness of data gathered from all notified cases of campylobacteriosis in the Manawatu, Horowhenua and Tararua regions. The target set for the project was to achieve a 95% contact rate with 90% full completion of all EpiSurv data fields. For all notified cases of campylobacteriosis a 97% contact rate was achieved in a time frame of between zero to 20 days (three day median) and completeness of all the EpiSurv case report fields ranged between 96 – 100% in the final data. Prior to the commencement of the study, between 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005, MidCentral PHS (MCPHS) made contact with around 58% of all notified cases of campylobacteriosis and 77% of all other notified enteric disease cases1 . A short pre-screen mail questionnaire, with reply-paid envelope, was sent to all notified cases of cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, salmonellosis and yersiniosis in the MCPHS regions. EpiSurv case report fields were completed using information supplied in the returned questionnaires. Return rate, timeliness, and completeness were compared with the telephone interview group. Fifty three percent of cases we attempted to contact via mail questionnaire responded within two to 63 days (six day median) and completeness of all the EpiSurv case report fields ranged between 81 – 100%. In addition, we monitored the newly introduced ESR Early Aberration Reporting System (EARS) flags for increased levels of disease compared to historical disease rates, and assessed its usefulness as a tool to identify potential outbreaks in the region. While no outbreaks that had not already been identified by PHS staff were found by monitoring the EARS system, EARS has become an important tool in the MCPHS for comparing our rates of disease with bordering PHSs. EARS also provided a good quick reference tool for media enquiries and the graphs produced in EARS have been well utilised as visual aids for training and seminars presented during the trial period. The results of the surveillance trial initiatives were compared to the rest of New Zealand (NZ) over the same time frame and with a comparable, medium-sized, PHS. While the results of the telephone interviews from the MCPHS trial were close to the comparable PHS, they were significantly higher than for the rest of NZ. The postal questionnaires achieved a lower contact rate than the comparable PHS but similar to the rest of NZ. However, the quality of data gathered in the returned MCPHS postal questionnaire was significantly higher in most fields. Additional analysis was undertaken which indicated that those cases living in higher deprivation and rural areas were less likely to respond to a postal questionnaire. An over-representation of common enteric disease notifications from rural areas in the MCPHS was also highlighted by our research. This trial has shown the effectiveness of utilising telephone interviews and telemarketing techniques for gathering timely and complete data for human enteric disease surveillance within the MCPHS. It has also demonstrated that a short pre-screen questionnaire can be effective in collecting good quality data needed to complete the standard EpiSurv case report form.



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