Researchers from the ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University will be giving out thermometers during the Amgueddfa Cymru Food Festival in Cardiff on Sept. 9.

As part of the “Is your fridge cold enough?” project, 1,000 people will get a free thermometer to take home. They will be asked to upload information about the temperature of their fridge to an online portal. 

Data collection started at another event in August, where 500 thermometers were distributed. Work continues into October, after which data analysis will take place and findings will be prepared as an abstract for presentation at the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) conference in 2024.

The citizen science project aims to obtain information about the operating temperatures of as many fridges as possible to determine if they are storing food safely. People who take part will be entered into a competition to win one prize of a £100 voucher ($125).

How to take part
Scientists will talk people through what they need to do and there will be a bilingual information sheet as part of the thermometer pack. Participants need to put the thermometer in the fridge door storage area and leave the door closed for at least 15 minutes. Past research has found the door of the refrigerator to be the warmest place in the fridge.

Then they should open the fridge and take a picture of the temperature on the thermometer.

Participants either scan the QR code or visit the web address on the information sheet to upload an image of the temperature displayed. On the portal there are questions regarding demographics, the temperature, and refrigeration practices. The portal to submit temperature information will remain open until October 9.

When a temperature above the recommended 5 degrees C (41 degrees F) is recorded, people are told that having a fridge operating at this level can encourage food poisoning organisms and spoilage bacteria to grow quicker. The portal also tells participants that they can reduce the risk of illness and help prevent food waste by gradually adjusting the dial, so temperature on the thermometer is 5 degrees C or less.

Benefit of citizen science projects
To take part in the project, visit ZERO2FIVE’s researchers in the Good Food Cardiff Zone area at the food festival in St Fagans National Museum of History.

Previous ZERO2FIVE research has found that people trust their fridges to ensure food is safe to eat, often without checking they are functioning at the correct temperature. Most households do not have refrigerator thermometers, meaning people may be storing food above the recommended 5 degrees C (41 degree F). This can lead to faster growth of spoilage and food poisoning bacteria.

Ellen Evans, who is leading the project, said: “This exciting citizen science project will give people a chance to take part in important research, but most importantly it will enable people to check whether their fridge is operating at a safe temperature and potentially reduce their risk of getting food poisoning. Fridge thermometers are an invaluable tool, and this is a great opportunity to get hold of one for free.” 

Meanwhile, the UK Association for Food Protection Conference has been scheduled at the All Nations Centre in Cardiff on Nov. 22, 2023. Speakers and the final program have yet to be confirmed.

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The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and EU Commission’s Inter-European Union Reference Laboratories (EURL) Working Group on Next Genome Sequencing (NGS) organized the second Science Meets Policy conference this week. More than 100 people from 20 countries attended in-person while online viewers peaked at 257.

Stefano Morabito, from the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS); George Haringhuizen, at the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM); João André Carriço, of bioMérieux; Katja Alt, from the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Coen van der Weijden, from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) were featured on a panel discussion.

Panelists highlighted the need for flexibility, especially as there are 27 countries in Europe at different stages in use of Whole Genome Sequencing and as outbreaks can involve nations outside the EU. They discussed the types of data needed, data quality and comparability, resource issues, how to build trust and the role of different parties including regulators and industry.

EFSA and ECDC’s One Health WGS system has been operating since July 2022 and while things are going well, not all member states are contributing equally.

Data sharing dilemmas

Bernhard Url, EFSA’s executive director, said genomic data sharing is now at a turning point.

“We believe that from a technological and methodological point of view we are ready to use WGS data more widely and with more impact. Many of the problems have been solved and the technical infrastructure has been built. There is no doubt, at least within the community, that data sharing adds value, because it leads to faster outbreak detection and better tracing. It increases the likelihood of connecting sporadic cases to clusters and to detect outbreaks and there is measurable economic impact,” he said.

However, despite the knowledge that sharing data helps, there are still some obstacles that prevent wider use, said Url.

“There are technological gaps as not all member states or organizations use WGS on a routine basis. There is also a worry that people and countries say we don’t have a robust legal basis to share data. There is a fear that people lose control of data, they produce the data, share it but don’t know what happens afterwards. There is a concern that if this technology would be used widely, many more clusters would be detected, which is good from a public health point of view, but it also would increase the workload of national authorities to follow-up and deal with these clusters.”

Url said it would be “unwise” to wait for legislators to define the rules of the game.

“The WGS community must do our part to create the conditions for success. We think there is a lot we can do to move data sharing forward in the current legislative framework. We still have to work on creating a mutual understanding about benefits and limitations of this technology. We have to agree on common guidelines, processes and procedures, otherwise we wouldn’t know how to compare different outcomes,” he said.  

“We want to act as openly as possible but as confidential as needed, there is a fine line that we have to find. EFSA has invested resources in creating a technological infrastructure for enabling WGS data sharing, mainly to tackle foodborne threats. We will continue to do our part to move genomic data sharing forward.”

United States perspective

Eric Stevens, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said the GenomeTrakr network is the result of 12 years of work. At the end of 2021, there were 600,000 genomes in the public database, today it is more than 1,000,000 sequences.

“After more than a decade of experience, it is not the sequencing that is the challenge when transitioning to this data, it is how you are going to analyze it, train staff, gain the skills and enable the entire system to utilize it effectively,” he said.  

“Metadata helps to tell a complete picture, without it you have a DNA sequence, which can only tell you some stuff. Contextual data gives that data life, it tells you where those bacteria came from, how they were living and when we are starting to think about the interventions we can make, we need that information to understand the complete picture.

“For us, the best use is making it open data available to anyone because somebody maybe interested in Salmonella, somebody else in E. coli and sometimes they overlap with interventions you can make for preventive controls and reducing contamination.”

Stevens said once data is in the database, a variety of things can be looked at.

“When you start thinking of the global food chain you can think where do we need more data from and start doing some projects to tackle those problems to better understand how food becomes contaminated in the first place. You wouldn’t know any of this unless you had the data that can help point the way,” he said.

“GenomeTrakr is responsible for almost 100,000 food and environmental isolates to tell a more complete picture of linking clinical isolates back to their sources, so we can not only respond to foodborne outbreaks but then try to prevent them. When you start looking at where your sources of food and environmental isolates linked to human illnesses come from, you can start doing source attribution and more preventive targeting. If we can get to a point where we can upload data in real time we can start to make those connections as early as possible to get a contaminated product out of the market.”

It can also help in moving from responding to outbreaks to trying to prevent contamination occurring.

“In a facility for example, you are not going to do WGS to identify a pathogen, you can do a quick culture method to see presence or absence. But if you have a facility that is concerned about whether they have a resident pathogen you would 100 percent like this information from WGS. You could expand that further to farms and potential water sources,” said Stevens.  

“When you start doing projects in different parts of the world you start understanding that everybody has issues that maybe aren’t issues for you. We’ve done a lot of work in Latin America and the big problem in getting started in sequencing is availability of reagents. We hear it costs five to seven times more than what we pay. When we talk about this being utilized by the world we have to start focusing on those issues that are going to make the most impact.”

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The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) said mushroom picking had started earlier than usual in 2023.

Rainy weather in several regions in August encouraged the growth of mushrooms. Growth varies yearly, depending on various things, including weather.

Since the start of August, intoxications reported to poison control centers (CAP) have increased. More than 250 cases have already been recorded, twice as many as in the same period in 2022.

There are several reasons for poisonings, including confusion of an edible species with a toxic variety or consumption of edible mushrooms in poor condition that were poorly preserved or insufficiently cooked.

It is not recommended to serve infants picked wild mushrooms but 74 young children were poisoned, including an 11-month-old child who required treatment in intensive care.

Not a new problem
Although ANSES issues recommendations yearly, cases are frequently reported to poison control centers.

Between July and December 2022, 1,923 poisonings were reported to CAPs. This was more than 1,269 cases in 2021. However, the number of serious cases was down slightly from 41 in 2021 to 37 in 2022. There were two deaths compared to four fatalities in 2021. The peak this past year was in October when more than 1,000 cases were recorded.

From all poisonings, 30 people had used recognition applications on smartphones. This is not advised due to the high risk of error.

Pick only specimens in good condition and take the entire mushroom to help with identification. Do not pick mushrooms near potentially polluted sites such as roadsides and landfills.

Store mushrooms in the fridge at a maximum of 4 degrees C (39.2 degrees F), avoid all contact with other foods, and consume within two days of picking. Ensure they are correctly cooked – 20 to 30 minutes in a pan or 15 minutes in boiling water – and don’t eat too many in one sitting.

ANSES recommends only collecting mushrooms they know, as some highly toxic ones are similar to edible species. Poisonous types can also grow where edible varieties had been picked in the past. If there is the slightest doubt, consult a specialist before consumption.

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The Directorate-General of Health (DGS) said 209 cases were associated with the consumption of broa de milho (a type of cornbread) in some regions of the country since mid-July.

The clinical symptoms of cases directed a laboratory investigation that considered the short incubation period and duration, the literature, and had contributions from experts.

Patients presented similar symptoms, including a dry mouth, vision issues, dizziness, mental confusion, and decreased muscle strength. Symptoms were observed between 30 minutes to two hours after eating food. In most cases, they were classified as mild, but more than 40 people required hospital care.

Tropane alkaloid findings
In samples taken from flour, bread, and patients, the tropane alkaloids atropine and scopolamine were detected at very high levels.

An investigation found strong evidence of contamination with seeds from the Datura genus, a plant that may be present as weeds in cultivated fields. Such contamination can occur during harvesting.

This work involved regional departments of public health, the Economic and Food Safety Authority (ASAE) and the General Directorate of Food and Veterinary Affairs (DGAV).

Following the incident, DGAV is to release a guide for producers, to ensure better control of this plant in fields and after harvest.

In early August, officials warned people not to eat broa de milho in certain parts of the country but said the product “is, and should continue to be, an integral part of the Portuguese diet.”

Authorities restricted the use of raw materials in the manufacture of the implicated products.

The advice to avoid broa de milho in Leiria, Santarém, Coimbra, and Aveiro has now been lifted.

Authorities said this is due to the lack of new suspected cases and the absence of potentially contaminated products on the market. Businesses and consumers were thanked for following the earlier recommendations.

DGS added that a risk assessment does not justify maintaining the guidance to avoid broa de milho in the identified regions but if new cases arise the situation could change.

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Findings come from a report covering work of the UK’s national reference laboratory (NRL) for food microbiology between April 2022 and March 2023.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) provides the service for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS). It covers Listeria monocytogenes, coagulase-positive staphylococci, E. coli, Campylobacter, Salmonella, and antimicrobial resistance.

EU exit impact

The UK NRL had reduced opportunities with European Union Reference Laboratories (EURLs) due to EU exit, but participated in certain activities. It is no longer on the EURL Listeria challenge testing working groups and has been unable to attend all EURL annual workshops and training sessions. Certain presentations are on private webpages, which can no longer be accessed.

Despite some restrictions, the NRL attended the proficiency testing part of three of six EURL meetings remotely. The NRL gave advice to FSA, Official Laboratories (OLs) and other stakeholders and liaised with FSA on UK lab capabilities, including responding to queries.

Other work with the FSA included feedback on national monitoring plan sampling priorities and results of a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in flour study.

After the COVID-19 pandemic and leaving the EU, there has been a downward trend in EpiPulse and other alerts being sent to the UK NRL. In the latest reporting period, only one query was received from the Salmonella EURL regarding monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium and whether the strain had been seen in the UK in 2021-22, to which the NRL replied that it had not.

An audit report on Official Laboratories’ capabilities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is due to be published shortly. The NRL is also working on a review of AMR in Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria in food.

Since exiting the EU, the UK has been developing a strategy for border controls on imported products from EU and non-EU countries, including animal and plant products and high risk food and feed of non-animal origin. The NRL met with the FSA to clarify sampling arrangements and expected sample numbers. However, delays in implementation of new sampling requirements for imported foods from the EU have meant that planning for additional testing within the OLs has also been delayed, according to the report.

Proposed activities for April 2023 to March 2024 include meetings with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for AMR, Campylobacter and Salmonella, liaising with CEFAS on E. coli and Salmonella in shellfish and with Campden BRI to discuss challenge testing activities, and monitoring Official Laboratory performance.

Salmonella in UK eggs

In other news, the FSA has looked at Salmonella in UK-produced table eggs. The agency said the analysis does not indicate there is a need for another risk assessment. 

A risk assessment in 2016 found that due to a significant reduction in the risk from Salmonella in UK hen shell eggs produced under a recognized farm assurance scheme, such as the Lion Code or equivalent, the risk to consumers was very low. This led the FSA and FSS to update public advice on eating eggs in 2017, so that vulnerable groups could consume raw or runny eggs produced within an assurance scheme.

Eggs and egg products were the food type most commonly linked to Salmonella outbreaks in the UK between 2015 and 2020, said the review.

Between 2015 and 2019, 954 confirmed cases of salmonellosis were associated with consumption of eggs and/or egg products. This is a similar number of infections per year as reported in the 2016 assessment. Ten of 15 outbreaks had fewer than 45 cases. The largest incidents occurred in 2016 with 158 cases, in 2017 with 162 cases and in 2018 with 259 cases.

Two outbreaks of around 100 cases each were linked to Lion Code eggs. The 2016 risk assessment only found one small outbreak in 2009 traced to Lion code eggs. 

Prevalence of all Salmonella types in laying flocks in the UK in 2017 to 2021 was similar to 2009 to 2016 levels. However, the prevalence of regulated Salmonella serovars and Salmonella Enteritidis has roughly doubled in 2017 to 2021 but still remains within National Control Program (NCP) requirements.

Since the 2016 report, the implementation of whole genome sequencing for Salmonella surveillance by UK public health agencies has become routine. This has increased the sensitivity and specificity of case ascertainment in outbreak investigations, and confidence in source attribution, said FSA.

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The study evaluated remote assessments for Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) re-rating inspections in England. The Food Standard Agency’s (FSA) COVID-19 recovery plan enabled local authorities to conduct an FHRS re-inspection under certain conditions remotely.

It found that remote assessment should be encouraged, provided the concept incorporates hybrid approaches, and the scope is extended to the entire FHRS rating process. Findings will also be considered part of FSA’s modernization of official food hygiene controls.

Low use of remote assessment
Twenty local authorities were interviewed, including 14 that had never used remote assessment for a hygiene re-rating, four that had previously used it, and two that were still using it at the time of the interview. Ten interviews with food businesses of varying sizes included eight with no experience of a remote assessment for a food hygiene re-rating and two that had received them.

A definition of remote assessment was not given, so local authorities were largely uncertain about the concept.

The report found two local authorities had used remote assessment for ratings, which was against FSA guidance. Several also incorrectly believed that any hygiene re-rating remote assessment still had to be followed by an in-person visit before a rating was issued.

Support for remote assessment was mixed. Local authorities that had not used it were not interested in doing so in the future, primarily because the low number of re-rating requests meant it was unlikely to impact their resourcing. Most respondents with experience of remote assessment would either be open to using it again or had continued to use it.

The use of remote assessment to carry out re-ratings entirely remotely was uncommon. This was mainly because local authorities received only a few eligible requests. FSA data shows 63 of 304 local authorities had used remote assessment for a FHRS re-inspection. Participants often used hybrid approaches such as digital tools to collect information and an in-person inspection.

Identified pros and cons
Such assessments were judged appropriate for highly compliant outlets with a history of good scores, lower-risk companies such as home bakers, and structural or document-related non-compliances.

Food firms were open to receiving a remote assessment, delivering it consistently across areas and to a sufficient standard with clear guidance.

Benefits included staff travel time savings and reduced costs. The drawbacks mentioned were that they sometimes took longer than in-person visits and perceived reduced validity due to a loss of sensory aspects and their scheduled nature, so the surprise element was lost.

External issues covered the types of firms requesting re-ratings being unsuitable for such an assessment, limitations in technological capacity, language and communication barriers, lack of familiarity with the remote assessment process, and privacy and data concerns.

Eight authorities noted that firms wanted value for money and would be unwilling to pay the same amount for a remote assessment as an in-person inspection.

Internal barriers to using technology included getting support from environmental health officers, insufficient guidance from the FSA, technological limitations, and knowing if and how much businesses should pay for remote ratings.

To support future use of remote assessment, respondents wanted to see clear messaging from FSA to local authorities and companies to illustrate support; and increased flexibility for councils to choose the scenarios in which they used remote or hybrid approaches.

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An analysis by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) focused on two sub-clusters of Salmonella Enteritidis sequence type (ST) 11 with 134 cases mostly reported between January and August 2023. This Salmonella Enteritidis sequence type is the most frequently detected in Europe.

In one cluster, 97 cases with recent or historical isolates, that were closely related genetically, were reported with 22 cases in Denmark, 19 in France and 12 each in Ireland and the Netherlands. Norway has nine patients, Austria and Belgium both have six, Finland has five, Slovenia has three, Sweden has two, and Germany has one.

Link to meat from Poland
In Denmark, the majority of 19 interviewed cases reported consumption of kebab or pizza that may have had chicken as an ingredient, before developing symptoms. In Austria, two of five interviewed patients reported eating chicken kebabs within seven days before the onset of symptoms and two sick people ate other dishes such as chicken burrito and chicken schnitzel.

Last week, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Fødevarestyrelsen) found Salmonella in a batch of frozen chicken kebab meat from Poland, which was withdrawn from the market. The meat was intended to be further heat-treated before eating.

Further tests found it was the same type of Salmonella that sickened people in Denmark from May to August. Frozen chicken kebab products were mainly sold to restaurants. Salmonella cannot survive heat treatment above 75 degrees C (167 degrees F). Fødevarestyrelsen said it would intensify scrutiny on other batches of chicken products from Poland to ensure they are not contaminated with Salmonella.

In the other cluster, 37 cases were reported with 10 each from France and Germany. Austria has eight patients, Sweden has four, Norway has three, and Slovenia has two.

The majority of tested isolates have shown resistance to ciprofloxacin. When antibiotic treatment is required, ciprofloxacin is often used but other antibiotics are needed for these cases.  

More people sick
The two clusters represent only some Salmonella Enteritidis ST11 infections and these strains continue to pose a risk in Europe until sources in the food chain are properly investigated and controlled, said ECDC.

This is shown by information from Austrian authorities, who have recorded 27 sick people in all federal states except Tyrol. One cluster has 14 cases from February to May 2023. Patients are between the ages of 10 and 64.

Another cluster has seven patients aged between 5 and 63 and a 63-year-old man died. Austrian media reported the Klagenfurt public prosecutor’s office is investigating the death. The third cluster, with the latest illness in July, has six cases in Austria aged between 7 and 75.

There were also 65 infections associated with an English outbreak in 2023. For 43 cases linked to a restaurant, the mean age was 32 with a range of 6 to 61 and 17 were female. Epidemiological investigations suggested eggs or chicken as the likely cause.

Thorough cooking of meat and poultry and avoiding cross contamination from uncooked meat to ready-to-eat food are vital to prevent infection with Salmonella.

In 2021, ECDC and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) disclosed a multi-country outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis ST11 linked to poultry products. In 2020 and 2022, two assessments were published on outbreaks of Salmonella Enteritidis ST11 linked to eggs and egg products, showing circulation of the bacteria responsible since 2013.

Meanwhile, a recent control campaign by the National Food Chain Safety Office (Nebih) in Hungary found numerous hygiene problems, Salmonella positive products and one site was temporarily suspended. The seasonal operation looked at outlets selling gyros – a type of sandwich with meat and salad – and other meats.

In late July, Nébih officials conducted inspections in seven gyros distribution units. Proceedings were opened against five sites due to hygiene and traceability deficiencies. The operation of one was suspended. It has since been re-inspected with defects corrected and the required cleaning carried out, allowing it to continue operating.

A total of 19 products were also sampled at eight producers. Tests confirmed Salmonella in seven batches of poultry, so proceedings were brought against the three producers involved. Another two findings of Salmonella in other checks resulted in action including a manufacturer being told to review slaughter hygiene.

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The rank of countries regarding proper hand hygiene practices was: Denmark, Greece, Norway, Romania, Hungary, Germany, UK, Portugal, France, and Spain, according to a study published in the journal BMC Public Health.

Objectives were to evaluate which demographic groups are more likely to be exposed to foodborne pathogens and assess consumers’ self-reported hand hygiene practices.

Families with members aged over 65 were less likely to apply hand hygiene practices at key moments than those without elderly members. Families with children under 6 years old reported being up to twice as likely to wash their hands at critical times compared to those without kids.

“It is worrying that about half of the respondents seem to have insufficient handwashing routines to protect themselves and their family members from foodborne infection,” said researchers.

Not washing hands for long enough

Monitoring handwashing practices can be done by observation or video recording, by measuring soap consumption or in self-reported surveys. All these approaches have strengths and weaknesses, said scientists.

Questions used were part of a larger survey conducted between December 2018 and April 2019 in the European Safe Consume project.

Almost half of 7,866 respondents self-reported that they wash hands after touching raw chicken. Half of the participants washed hands with soap, however, only 15.1 percent respected the recommended duration of 20 seconds. It is advised people sing the Happy Birthday song twice to hit this time target.

High percentages of self-reported handwashing were noticed after going to the toilet and after touching something that may harbor pathogens. Only three quarters wash hands after touching raw meat or eggs.

More than half of 9,966 respondents self-reported washing hands with water and soap, as is recommended by official agencies.

Older respondents above 35 years of age were more likely to report proper hand hygiene practices than younger people. Those with a middle/high level of education were almost three times more inclined to report adequate hygiene practices at key moments, including during raw chicken preparation.

Handwashing and specific practices

The likelihood of washing hands after handling raw chicken was more than 60 percent for Danish respondents. Similar results were found for British, Greek, and Norwegian citizens.

After touching raw chicken, only 294 of 916 British respondents said they wash hands with regular soap. However, the highest frequency of washing hands for at least 20 seconds was for British respondents, while the lowest percentage was for Hungarians.

Percentages reporting handwashing after touching or feeding animals ranged from 51.3 in Denmark to 69.4 percent in Hungary.

Brits, Greeks, and Romanians were more likely to use antibacterial soap. Romanian and Greek respondents had the highest frequencies in terms of duration of handwashing.

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Researchers analyzed the cause of household foodborne disease outbreaks from 2010 to 2020 using data from the National Foodborne Disease Surveillance System.

A total of 17,985 outbreaks, which resulted in 73,252 illnesses, 38,829 hospitalizations, and 1,269 deaths, were reported. Most episodes were from May to October, and the highest number occurred in July.

A similar study, published in China CDC Weekly, looked at outbreaks in catering facilities in the country using data from the same time period.

Wild mushroom problem
Fungi, mainly poisonous mushrooms, were the most implicated food category, with 8,873 household outbreaks. The second was toxic plants and their products, with 1,552. These include aconite, potherb, tung seed or oil, bitter bottle gourd, and Masang fruit. Fungi were the primary etiologic agent, with 31,125 illnesses and 736 deaths.

Household outbreaks rose from 118 in 2010 to 4,140 in 2020. Almost 700 outbreaks were from unknown food. Alcohol products caused the highest case fatality rate, found in the study published in the Foodborne Pathogens and Disease journal.

Salmonella was the top bacterial pathogen with 437 outbreaks, and the principal chemical agent was nitrite, causing 476 outbreaks. Pupal toxicants, tetrodotoxin (TTX), and saxitoxin were the leading poisonous animal toxins. Norovirus was the primary virus, with 13 outbreaks. The cause was unknown for more than 4,200 outbreaks with 75 deaths.

Plant saponin toxicants were mainly found in vegetables. Eggs and egg products were mostly contaminated by Salmonella, followed by meat and meat products with the same pathogen. Chemical pesticides were primarily found in vegetables.

Tackling the issues
Researchers said most poisonous mushroom outbreaks occurred in southwest China, including Yunnan, Hunan, and Guizhou provinces.

Outbreaks from vegetable products were mainly caused by improper processing. Inedibility and misuse, especially wrong identification, were the top contributing factors to illnesses related to poisonous mushrooms, mainly in southwest China. The leading cause of Salmonella contamination in meat and meat products was improper processing and poor storage.

“The reason is that wild poisonous mushrooms are similar in appearance to edible mushrooms, and it is difficult for ordinary people to distinguish edible mushrooms from poisonous mushrooms without proper equipment. This study showed that targeted interventions to reduce mushroom poisoning are critical in China,” said researchers.

“Severe and even fatal aconite root poisoning may occur after consuming herbal soups and foods prepared from aconite roots. If the raw preparations and large amounts of aconite root are used, even prolonged boiling may not have a protective effect.

“All regions should strengthen market surveillance and improve laboratory surveillance of pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella in meat. Residents should raise their awareness of food safety and ensure meat safety by processing meat and raw foods separately and storing them safely.” 

Public health agencies should also boost the supervision of foodborne diseases to reduce the risks.

“Governments should strengthen supervision for provinces with a high incidence of foodborne diseases, especially during peak seasons. In addition, health education for household food handlers, such as proper food handling behavior and emphasis on kitchen hygiene, should be strengthened to improve residents’ awareness of food safety and effectively reduce the occurrence of foodborne diseases among families,” said researchers.

Scientists said it was necessary to change understanding around aconitum plants. Aconite roots are used to prepare herbal soups and meals for their beneficial health effects.

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There is a link between patients and different packaged brands of Spanish omelet (tortilla de patata), which is made with potatoes and eggs, purchased in various supermarkets in different regions.

The Norwegian cases stayed in Barcelona between July 10 and 23.

The first case, a 38-year-old man, was confirmed with onset of symptoms on July 23. He consumed the suspected product between July 17 and 23. The man required hospitalization on August 10, admission to the ICU on August 12, and treatment with botulinum antitoxin.

The second is a probable case; a 38-year-old woman, with onset of botulism symptoms on July 22. She reported eating the implicated product between July 14 and 20 but did not need hospitalization or specific treatment.

Eleven people sick

Five confirmed and four probable cases of botulism had previously been reported from June 21 to July 22. Sick people ranged from 23 to 63 years old with a median age of 49. Four confirmed patients required medical attention in intensive care units but no deaths have been reported.

Italy recorded two cases of botulism linked to omelets eaten in Spain. The patients are a 23-year-old woman and her 61-year-old father who returned home from Valladolid on July 1, having consumed the suspected item on June 30.

The other three confirmed patients live in Madrid, Galicia and Asturias and are aged 43, 49 and 50. Four probable patients are from Valencia, Andalusia and Madrid and are aged 49, 27, 63 and 48.

According to information from the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), all brands of Spanish omelets consumed by the cases were made by a single company. Items were also distributed to Andorra, France, and Portugal.

All items with a batch number equal to or greater than 10001 and an expiration date later than September 2 are safe to eat. Spanish omelets with lot numbers between 5426 and 5563 should not be consumed.

Restart of operations

Earlier this month, the firm linked to the outbreak restarted production after being given the all-clear.

Grupo Empresarial Palacios Alimentación said the production line at the Mudrián factory had been reopened after approval from authorities. Production was stopped and products were removed from sale in July.

All official and internal analyses carried out on the products and manufacturing processes were negative for Clostridium botulinum and botulinum toxin, according to the company.

Palacios Alimentación said it was important to always follow the recommendations for use and conservation instructions on the labeling of such products, which should have been kept refrigerated.

Botulinum poisoning is a rare but life-threatening condition, caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. In foodborne botulism, symptoms generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. However, they can occur as soon as six hours or up to 10 days later. Symptoms may include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing or breathing, paralysis, a thick-feeling tongue, dry mouth, and muscle weakness.

Anyone who has eaten suspect products and developed symptoms should immediately seek medical attention.

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Researchers did not detect a significant difference in the proportion of highly contaminated samples from low- and high-throughput slaughterhouses. High contamination is above 1,000 colony-forming units per gram (CFU/g).

An analysis estimated the difference in risk of campylobacteriosis for products from low and high-throughput poultry slaughterhouses.

Campylobacter is the most common cause of bacterial foodborne illness in the UK. Every year there are an estimated 300,000 cases, of which more than half are related to poultry meat. 

Current rules
Levels are routinely monitored in chicken carcasses processed in high-throughput slaughterhouses, but this testing is not carried out in some low-throughput plants for financial reasons. Each high-throughput site processes more than 7.5 million birds per year, and low-throughput sites handle less than this amount. Of the 1 billion birds slaughtered annually in the UK, about 5 percent go through low-throughput slaughterhouses.

The current rules require samples to be taken once a week. If more than 15 out of 50 have high levels of Campylobacter, measures need to be taken. Beginning in January 2025, no more than 10 samples out of 50 should exceed 1,000 CFU/g Campylobacter.

Work was done to help the FSA decide whether a tailored-made sampling regime for small-throughput slaughterhouses would be appropriate. 

Most chicken on sale in the UK is produced in high-throughput sites. This means small improvements to large plants will have a bigger impact on the overall risk to the public than large changes at smaller plants, according to the report.

No enforcement action is currently taken due to slaughterhouses not sampling or failing the 15 out of 50 requirements.

Results and data gaps
There were 38 low-throughput and 22 high-throughput slaughterhouses registered in the UK, although only 34 provided Campylobacter samples.

Fifty samples from low-throughput slaughterhouses were taken over a 10-week period from September to December 2021 by the FSA to supplement data provided to the agency by food businesses. Seventeen slaughterhouses of each type submitted results in this period.

Low-throughput sites had 197 of 934 samples above 1,000 CFU/g, while high-throughput plants recorded 352 of 1,972 samples above this level.

Two plants had more than 60 percent of their samples exceeding counts of 1,000 CFU/g – one was low-throughput, and the other was a large processor. The legislation states this should be no more than 30 percent or 15 out of 50 samples.

Scientists predicted that if samples were taken every two weeks or every four weeks instead, that would still allow identification of some slaughterhouses failing to comply with the 15 out of 50 exceedance rate. However, identifying issues will take longer, may not detect some failing slaughterhouses, and may impact behaviors; for example, less frequent sampling could affect standards during processing.

However, there was no information on the poultry rearing method prior to arriving at the slaughterhouse or to whom it was supplied as part of onward distribution. Data on low-throughput abattoirs were only available for a period of three months and at the end of slaughter.

Researchers found a lack of consistency in applying sampling requirements in low-throughput slaughterhouses and limited information on corrective actions when high levels are detected.

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28 foodborne outbreaks were reported in 2022, eight more than in 2021. In these outbreaks, 128 people were affected, which is more than the 92 cases in 2021.

Overall, 57 people had to be hospitalized in connection with incidents in 2022, and there were four deaths. They affected between two and 30 people.

Salmonella tops the table
Salmonella was the most common agent, with 80 patients in 11 outbreaks. In second, was Campylobacter with eight episodes and 17 patients, followed by five outbreaks of Listeria monocytogenes that sickened 17 people. All of them were hospitalized, and four died.

Two norovirus outbreaks affected ten people and one each of E. coli and Shigella sonnei, with two patients reported.

The Ferrero chocolate monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak sickened 14 people in Austria, and five were hospitalized.

Another Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak, but with a different sequence type, affected 30 people in Austria. Ten of them had to be hospitalized, and the contaminated food was suspected to be chocolate.

One Listeria outbreak caused five infections, and two people died. It started in 2020 with three people falling sick and one death, and in 2021 two people were affected, and one died. Infections were caused by eating contaminated dairy products. A country-wide product recall and production in the implicated milk processing plant of Käserei Gloggnitz was stopped.

Another outbreak included three people, who were all hospitalized. The food vehicle was contaminated bacon.

Two outbreaks were acquired abroad, one due to Campylobacter after a stay in Ecuador and another by Shigella sonnei after travel to India.

Control results
Austrian authorities have also published results of several recent controls. One covered the implementation of hygiene requirements and verification of self-checks in approved high-risk establishments that process food of animal origin.

A total of 1,648 samples were taken from 192 companies as part of the campaign in 2022. Of these samples, 1,347 were environmental tests. Those sampled were 99 dairy, 60 meat and 33 fish businesses.

A total of 301 food samples from across the country were examined with six non-compliances. Five of 198 milk samples were problematic. One time each because of E. coli, coagulase-positive staphylococci and histamine content. Two samples had misleading information on shelf life.

One of 36 fish samples was rejected because of Listeria monocytogenes. All 67 meat samples were satisfactory.

In the environmental analysis, Listeria monocytogenes was detected in 41 samples and Listeria species in 74 samples.

Food and environmental samples were tested for Listeria at 156 companies. It was detected in environmental samples from 35 sites. In three of these establishments, there were also indications of Listeria in food samples. Of the 121 sites where no Listeria was detected in environmental samples, there were three plants with signs of the pathogen in food samples taken from the same site.

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In a 2019 outbreak associated with pre-packed sandwiches supplied to hospitals in England, seven patients died of listeriosis.

Following this incident, the FSA said it would review its 2016 listeriosis guidance. The research was commissioned to look at awareness, implementation, and perceived effectiveness of the guidance, including barriers to implementing it in full.

The recent report covers findings from 39 respondents within National Health Service (NHS) Trusts and 445 from Health and Social Care (non-NHS Trust) settings, such as nursing homes, home care service providers and hospices, in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

An online survey was sent to all NHS Trusts in the three nations between November and December 2021. In the majority of cases, the survey was completed by the catering manager, who was responsible for food safety. IFF Research carried out the survey of non-NHS settings by telephone. Fieldwork took place in August and September 2022. IFF Research interviewed the person with overall responsibility for food safety — this was often the general manager.  

Health and social care findings
In non-NHS Trust settings, 63 percent had some knowledge of the guidance. However, 36 percent did not know anything about the document or were not aware of it.

More than half trained kitchen staff (57 percent), nurses, midwives or carers (55 percent) and management personnel (52 percent) in controlling the risk of Listeria monocytogenes. About a third trained staff who sell or serve food as their main role.

The majority were aware of at least some of the risks associated with chilled ready-to-eat foods from Listeria. Almost all agreed that cleaning of all food contact surfaces at their site controlled the risk of the pathogen.

Just less than half reported the maximum temperature that chilled RTE foods reached during storage in areas for patients or residents was 5 degrees C (41 degrees F), which is in line with FSA guidelines. About one-fifth said the max temperature was 8 degrees C (46.4 degrees F), which is the legal requirement, and just over a quarter did not know. Two percent reported that these foods reached temperatures over 8 degrees C for more than four hours.

A high proportion, 80 percent, agreed the maximum shelf-life for RTE sandwiches sold or distributed on their site was day of production plus two days, although 14 percent disagreed. Only 54 percent said they carried out regular sampling for Listeria.

A fifth reported they were not registered with their local authority. They were compared with the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) listings to ensure the reliability of this finding but results were inconclusive, according to the report.

Parts of the guidance mentioned as being useful in reducing the risk of listeriosis included temperature control and fridges, checklists for preventative practice, information on cross-contamination/infection control, and content on cleaning standards. Some would appreciate it being easier to read, updated more often, or being made more accessible.  

A lack of control over the kitchen area was frequently mentioned as a difficulty, followed by 30 percent who found it challenging to ensure good practice in clients’ homes or residents’ rooms. In total, 38 percent of participants said residents’ lack of understanding of the risks was a barrier to implementing good practice.

Including food safety requirements in contracts for onsite retailers or caterers was not always easy. A quarter reported a lack of control over their supply chain. The most difficult area of Listeria control was to check food safety at suppliers by carrying out unannounced visits every six to 12 months. 

NHS results
Overall, 92 percent of NHS Trusts said they had been using the FSA guidance on listeriosis before taking part in the survey.

Nearly all trusts said their kitchen staff received training on how to control the risk of Listeria monocytogenes. Slightly fewer said service and food retail staff had this training whilst 55 percent of ward staff and 21 percent of volunteers were trained. 

Things that made it difficult to implement the guidance in full included a lack of control over food service and their supply chains, high staff turnover and a lack of control over food storage. Other factors were it was not a legal requirement, poor maintenance of equipment and money.

More than half of NHS trusts reported the maximum temperature foods reached during service or storage on wards or other patient areas was 5 degrees C (41 degrees F). A quarter said it was 8 degrees C (46.4 degrees F), with 11 percent reporting it could go beyond 8 degrees C for up to four hours.

A total of 84 percent agreed cleaning of all food contact surfaces controlled the risk of Listeria effectively. About eight in 10 agreed that the maximum shelf-life for RTE sandwiches sold or distributed in the trust was day of production plus two days. Only 13 percent disagreed. Half of respondents said their trust carried out regular sampling for Listeria while almost 40 percent reported this was not the case.

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Bivalve mollusks include mussels, clams, oysters, and scallops. France, Spain, Italy, and Greece make up more than 80 percent of the production in Europe, mostly from aquaculture.

They feed by filtering algae from surrounding water and can accumulate microorganisms and chemical contaminants. Some algae species produce marine biotoxins, which build up in the tissues of bivalve mollusks and when above certain levels, can lead to illness in humans.

The EU Commission gathered information from 15 bivalve mollusk-producing member states, through four audits and 11 questionnaire replies, as well as other publicly available data, and published an overview report.

National agencies are responsible for controlling areas where bivalve mollusks are produced and harvested.

Microbial issues
EU legislation addresses the microbiological risk by requiring the classification of areas where mollusks are harvested. Production areas must be listed as Class A, B, or C depending on their microbial contamination status, using E. coli as an indicator of fecal contamination. Classification determines the post-harvest treatment.

Earlier this year, at least 170 people fell ill in Finland after eating oysters in various restaurants in February and March. Also, in March, Norovirus in mussels sickened seven people in Sweden. Norovirus in oysters from France affected three, and 15 illnesses were linked to oysters from the Netherlands. Twenty people were ill in Belgium in February with norovirus in oysters from France. Oysters caused two outbreaks in Denmark from late 2022 to early 2023 – the first had 19 patients, and 73 people were sick in the second.

The report found most countries keep up-to-date lists of classified production areas, but there are major differences in the development of sanitary surveys. In some cases, reviews of classification areas disregarded results that exceeded the criteria or were based on findings from operators’ checks without following EU rules for the use of this data.

Some member states only monitor the microbial quality of production areas during harvesting periods, which is not in line with EU rules. Other issues include the selection of sampling points and indicator species.

Common shortcomings in survey quality related to failing to demonstrate the representativeness of sampling sites, not including sampling frequency recommendations or the species and points to be sampled, said the EU Commission.

Acting on findings
Monitoring of classified production areas for biotoxins is often not in line with EU requirements, mostly because of the frequency and type of biotoxins tested. The EU Reference Laboratory (EURL) for Marine Biotoxins is working on a guide for monitoring biotoxins in bivalve mollusk harvesting areas.

Member states usually take action when their monitoring tests indicate a potential risk to health. However, weaknesses in the system sometimes impact the timely detection of certain risks or delay the response to them.

Countries generally follow the requirements in legislation for reopening production areas that were closed because of monitoring results. However, several do not consider relevant data during the review of classifications.

Recalling bivalve mollusks that may pose a risk to consumers seems to be a problem, partly because of the perishable nature of the products when they are placed on the market alive, according to the report.

The EU Commission intends to conduct more audits of other bivalve mollusk-producing member states. Current discussions focus on improving the traceability of shellfish destined for purification or exchange between nations and possibly revising the biotoxin content in shellfish.

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The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it has identified an increase of Cyclospora cayetanensis in travelers returning from Mexico. The microscopic parasite is transmitted through contaminated food or drinks.

Between May 12 and Aug. 14, 74 cases were reported in England, Wales, and Scotland. Slightly more than half of patients are female and overall patients have a median age of 44. 

Travel information is known for 52 cases, of which 48 reported going to Mexico. Of these, 42 stayed in different hotels in the Riviera Maya and Cancún regions, and most reported having a variety of food and drink within their resort as part of an all-inclusive holiday package.

Seasonal outbreaks of cyclosporiasis in people returning from Mexico have been reported since 2015, except in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, although case numbers have varied with 79 in 2015, 359 in 2016, 82 in 2017, 61 in 2018, 67 in 2019, and 36 in 2022.

“Travelers to Mexico are strongly advised to maintain good food and water hygiene at all times even if staying in high-end all-inclusive resorts. If possible, they should choose freshly prepared food that is thoroughly cooked and served piping hot. Certain foods should be avoided such as fresh uncooked berries and herbs, unpeeled fruit and salad items as these can be difficult to clean,” said the UKHSA.

UKHSA is investigating the clusters of illnesses with the UK trade association for travel agents (ABTA) and Mexican public health authorities.

Wider problem
At the end of July, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported there are 1,063 patients identified as part of multiple outbreaks from April 2023. Sick people range in age from 2 to 96 and live in 34 states and New York City. A total of 79 people have been admitted to hospital but no one has died.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has recorded 260 illnesses with 230 in Ontario as of August. Patients range in age from 1 to 97 years old. Six people were hospitalized but no one died.

The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) said 43 cases had been reported to the agency in 2023 and at least nine of these were locally acquired, as they did not travel outside of Canada and the United States.

About Cyclospora
Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite.

Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure. Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it’s rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections. 

Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a tiny, single-celled organism. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water. It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and Salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter. 

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A total of 27 people have fallen sick and one has died in the trio of Salmonella Enteritidis incidents.

Investigation of the outbreaks is being carried out by the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), the Ministry of Health and the relevant provincial authorities. Initial surveys point to poultry meat from Poland, which was used to produce kebab skewers, as the vehicle of infection.

First outbreak details
Since February, 14 people in Austria have become ill with a specific type of Salmonella Enteritidis. Patients with this strain have also been reported in Denmark, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom.

From May to July, Statens Serum Institut (SSI) in Denmark recorded 15 people infected with the same type of Salmonella Enteritidis. Patients are seven men and eight women and live across the country. They are between 15 and 99 years old with a median age of 30.

Whole genome sequencing of bacteria isolated from patients showed they were very closely related and all belonged to sequence type 11, which is the most frequently detected Salmonella type in Denmark and the rest of Europe.

In Germany, there are six patients with five of these confirmed. Patients range in age from 9 to 58 years old. Five are male and the other is female. The first date of illness onset is December 2022. The latest reported date is mid-June 2023.

There were 65 infections associated with an English outbreak in 2023. For 43 cases linked to a restaurant, the mean age was 32 with a range of 6 to 61 and 17 were female. Epidemiological investigations suggested eggs or chicken as the likely cause.

The Netherlands has two cases that were notified in March 2022 and April 2023. Both are male and aged between 20 and 40 years old.

Norway has identified one patient, a female younger than 5, with a sampling date in March 2023. There is no information on travel history or possible exposures.

Other outbreaks
The second Austrian outbreak involves another cluster type of Salmonella Enteritidis. A total of seven people have fallen sick since April and one has died.

Investigations into the second incident uncovered another Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak that was responsible for a further six cases in Austria. Related infections have also been reported in Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France.

In the Netherlands, there are eight patients aged 16 to 68 with a median age of 56. Three are male and five are female. People fell sick between September 2020 and July 2023.

In Belgium, there are eight patients possibly related to the outbreak reference strain. The most recent case was isolated in January 2023 from a 49-year old man; the other seven were isolated between January and September 2022 and ranged from 6 to 79 years old. Three were male and four were female.

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Five confirmed and four probable cases of botulism have been reported from June 21 to July 22. Patients range from 23 to 63 years old with a median age of 49. Three confirmed patients required medical attention in intensive care units but no deaths have been reported.

There was a common link to different packaged brands of Spanish omelet (tortilla de patata), which is made with potatoes and eggs, purchased in various supermarkets. All cases had eaten tortilla de patata before becoming ill and products had been made by the same company. Suspected items were also distributed to Andorra, France, and Portugal.

Botulinum poisoning is a rare but life-threatening condition, caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. It can paralyze muscles, including those used for breathing.

All clear at production site
Grupo Empresarial Palacios Alimentación said the production line at the Mudrián factory has been reopened after approval from the Ministry of Health at the Junta de Castilla y León, which supervises its activity. Production was stopped and products were removed from sale in July.

The plant has been inspected up to seven times in the past month and official checks have not found any problems. All official and company analyzes carried out on the products and manufacturing processes have been negative for Clostridium botulinum and botulinum toxin, according to the company.

Palacios Alimentación said procedures had been reinforced but it was important to always follow the guidelines, recommendations for use and conservation instructions on the labeling of such items, as well as information from the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) and health authorities.

The company added it would continue to regularly carry out control checks and improvement procedures to preserve the quality and safety of its products.

All items with a batch number equal to or greater than 10001 and an expiration date later than September 2 are safe to eat. Spanish omelet’s with lot numbers between 5426 and 5563 were earlier withdrawn from the market and should not be consumed.

Packaged Spanish omelet products should have been kept refrigerated and investigators are also looking at the distribution, storage and transport steps.

Details of those sick
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported that Neurotoxin type B has been identified in three of five confirmed patients.

Italy recorded two cases of botulism linked to Spanish omelets eaten in Spain. Patients are a 23-year-old woman and her 61-year-old father who returned home from Valladolid on July 1, having consumed the suspect item on June 30.

The other three confirmed patients live in Madrid, Galicia and Asturias and are aged 43, 49 and 50. Four probable patients are from Valencia, Andalusia and Madrid and are aged 49, 27, 63 and 48.

In foodborne botulism, symptoms generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. However, they can occur as soon as six hours or up to 10 days later. Symptoms may include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing or breathing, paralysis, a thick-feeling tongue, dry mouth, and muscle weakness.

Anyone who has eaten suspect products and developed symptoms should immediately seek medical attention.

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Robert Koch Institute (RKI) scientists assigned 11 notified listeriosis patients to the incident. Despite the risk of Listeria from smoked or graved salmon being known for some time, data shows contamination still exists in production facilities and outbreaks are ongoing with further cases expected, said scientists.

Five people fell ill in 2019, one in 2021, three in 2022 and two in 2023. Five men and six women were affected, aged between 69 and 91 with a median of 79 years old.

One person who was positive for Listeria infection was reported as deceased because of causes other than listeriosis.

A Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) alert identified Listeria monocytogenes in smoked salmon from Poland.

“A RASFF-notification was issued because of an official sample of the mentioned product originating from Poland. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from that sample. The link to the cluster of human cases was made by whole genome sequencing and comparison to the sequences from isolates of human origin,” said a spokesman for the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL).

Broader problem
The specific sequence cluster type that caused the outbreak was mentioned in RKI’s epidemiological bulletin earlier this year when nine cases were known about.

This was part of wider work that identified 24 outbreaks of listeriosis across federal states with links to smoked or graved salmon products as the cause since 2010.

RKI and the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) said measures taken so far don’t seem to be enough to protect consumers.

“The fact that cases continue to occur for many outbreaks, although possible fish products and manufacturers have been identified, casts doubt on the efficiency of measures taken and strategies pursued to minimize Listeria contamination,” they added.

People at an increased risk of listeriosis should only eat fish and seafood that have been well cooked. Smoked and graved salmon products should not be offered to vulnerable groups, such as immunocompromised people and the elderly in healthcare facilities, said the BfR.

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Researchers from the Quadram Institute and the University of East Anglia in England isolated Salmonella from 42 food samples.

Salmonella isolates collected from food using whole genome sequencing (WGS) were compared to isolates from humans in the UK.

Raw foods were collected at retail in Norfolk, including 311 samples each of chicken, leafy greens, and pork, 279 prawns, and 157 salmon between May 2018 and November 2019.

Positive chicken results

Work was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and published in the journal Microbial Genomics.

A previous study by some of the same scientists found that imported chicken and salmon were more likely to be contaminated than domestic products.

In the latest work, 17 percent of 88 imported chicken samples contained Salmonella related to human-derived isolates, but in domestic chicken, the figure was only 2.3 percent of 214 samples. However, most imported chicken samples were frozen while domestic chickens were mainly chilled, so that the differences may be due to unsafe cooking practices associated with frozen chicken. Chicken samples that contained Salmonella Enteritidis originated from multiple countries, including Poland.

Salmonella was isolated from 30 chicken, eight prawns, and four pork samples and included 14 serovars, of which Salmonella Infantis and Salmonella Enteritidis were the most common. Salmonella Enteritidis was only isolated from imported chicken.

Salmonella Newport twice and Salmonella Enteritidis (nine times) were only isolated from imported chicken samples. Salmonella Kedougou and Salmonella Mbandaka were found once and Salmonella Ohio twice from domestic samples. Salmonella Infantis was isolated 14 times from both domestic and imported chicken.

Linking food and human samples

Monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium was the only type found in multiple commodities. Isolates were collected from two domestic pork and one domestic chicken sample from three supermarkets.

All Salmonella Weltevreden-positives in the study were four samples of black tiger prawns from Vietnam, one from Indonesia, and one of unknown origin. Other samples were positive for Salmonella Bovismorbificans, Brunei, Derby, Newport, Reading, and Schwarzengrund.

Closely related human isolates were collected up to three years before or a year after those from food samples. According to researchers, further epidemiological data are required to assess the source of human cases.

Only monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Enteritidis, and Salmonella Infantis found in food were similar to isolates from sick people.

A quarter of contaminated foods harbor diverse Salmonella strains that wouldn’t have been detected if only a single isolate were sampled.

“Whole genome sequencing identified foods associated with clinically important Salmonella and foods with genetically diverse Salmonella, which may hinder outbreak investigations and source attribution,” said Dr. Samuel Bloomfield from the Quadram Institute and lead author of the study.

Researchers looked at each sequence for genes that confer resistance to antibiotic drugs. They found 5.1 percent of chicken and 0.64 percent of pork samples had genes that would make them resistant to multiple antibiotics. This information could be useful for directing treatment.

”Food sources, farming and production practices, and consumer behavior are constantly changing, altering the types of foods associated with foodborne disease. Preventing future salmonellosis outbreaks relies on continued surveillance of Salmonella on retail food with the high resolution of WGS to relate food and human isolates.”

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One of a series of articles, published in the Robert Koch Institute’s Journal of Health Monitoring, focuses on the influence of climate change on foodborne intoxications.

The review looks at hazards to human health posed by relevant foodborne bacteria, parasites and marine biotoxins in Germany including Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Vibrio as well as parasites Cryptosporidium and Giardia.

Climate change can result in higher air and water temperatures, increased precipitation, or water scarcity. For example, in the future, agriculture may have to rely more on treated wastewater due to water shortages. This poses a risk to food safety, because of possible contamination of irrigated produce by pathogens, said researchers.

Campylobacter, Salmonella and Vibrio
Campylobacter infections are typically seasonal, with most cases in the summer months from July to September. With progressive warming as a result of climate change and the associated prolonged warm periods, an increase in cases is expected.

It is also possible that during summer months, increased temperatures lead to higher prevalence in poultry flocks and greater exposure of consumers via consumption of poultry meat, according to the study.

Altered behaviors during summer months could have an indirect effect on the rise in infections, such as more frequent barbecuing of poultry and other meats, or swimming in surface waters. An increase in infections and outbreaks has also been observed after heavy rains and flooding.

In Europe, most salmonellosis cases are reported during the summer months.

The favored growth of Salmonella at higher temperatures leads to higher concentrations in contaminated foods during warmer periods. Among other things, this is linked to poor food preparation and refrigeration during barbecues or picnics, which are also more common in summer. Elevated temperatures increase the risk of cold chain disruption, which can have a significant impact on the microbiological status of food.

Foodborne Vibrio infections have been rare in Europe so far. Occurrence of Vibrio spp. is favored by global warming and the increase of heatwaves and may lead to its spread and possibly also the establishment of new types in Europe, so human infection incidence may go up in the future, according to researchers.

The increase in water temperature will lead to an amplification of Vibrio contamination in European seafood catching, harvesting, and farming areas, and will also expand beyond summer and autumn months.

Accurate information on foodborne Vibrio infections is not yet available. In Germany, only isolated cases have been recorded since introduction of mandatory reporting in 2020, which may indicate either low exposure to Vibrio-containing products or that a large proportion of illnesses are not detected or reported. Raw and insufficiently heated products such as mussels and oysters pose a risk, especially for people with weakened immune systems or pre-existing conditions.

Parasites and prevention steps
Research from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), which has not yet been published, indicates that a changing climate also has a direct impact on the prevalence and virulence of parasites, which are already very stable in the environment. Cryptosporidium and Giardia can remain infectious for a long period and cause disease, especially after consumption of raw contaminated food.

Extreme weather such as heavy rainfall and flooding, which are expected to increase as a result of climate change, grow the risk of infectious oocysts/cysts entering bodies of water, as well as the risk of contamination of plant-based foods, said researchers.

Climate change is altering the geographic distribution of some algal species that may be involved in forming harmful algal blooms. Marine biotoxins are not detectable by odor, taste or appearance and are not usually destroyed by cooking, freezing, or other preparation processes.

“Our main recommendations for minimizing the health risk from foodborne infections and intoxications lie in the area of kitchen hygiene, which should always be applied when preparing food. This includes thorough handwashing and the use of fresh kitchen utensils after handling raw meat and fish, as well as avoidance of cross-contamination,” said researchers.

“In addition, most microbiological pathogens can be safely killed by a sufficient heating process; for example, a core temperature of 70 degrees C (158 degrees F) for at least two minutes must be maintained when preparing seafood.

“We also recommend the use of new technologies to track supply chains. Given a globalized food distribution network and the use of different processing and preservation techniques, it can be difficult to track a product’s supply chain to identify potential risks. Technological advances have produced digital solutions for this; knowledge of fish stocks, seafood traceability and supply chain transparency can benefit from innovative approaches.”

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The incidence of invasive listeriosis in Finland is higher than the EU average, and most cases are in the elderly with a pre-existing condition, according to the study published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection.

Eating high-risk foods
From 2011 to 2021, 722 listeriosis cases were reported, ranging from 42 to 93 per year. The median age of patients was 75 but ranged from 8 to 101 years old, and the incidence rate was 11-fold in those older than 75 compared to other age groups.

Most interviewed patients in the study were immunocompromised because of an underlying illness or medication use. Interview data were obtained for 304 cases from 2016 to 2021. For patients with underlying diseases, the main ones were heart disease, diabetes, other cancers than leukemia, lung disease, and chronic kidney disease.

In Finland, whole genome sequencing (WGS) was introduced in 2015 for Listeria confirmation and typing, and interviews of listeriosis cases were launched in 2016 at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). Since starting interviews with patients, eight outbreaks with 133 patients could be solved with both epidemiological and microbiological evidence. They were linked to fish products, fresh or frozen vegetables, and meat and lasted for between three and seven years.

Two weeks before the start of symptoms, 71 of 297 had been in inpatient treatment, 84 of 294 had eaten in a restaurant, 38 of 285 had traveled in Finland, and 14 of 283 had been abroad. The most consumed risk foods recorded were ready-to-eat meat cold cuts and cured and cold- or hot-smoked fish. Many patients had high-risk foods or reported improper food storage.

In Finland, listeriosis in pregnant women is rare. They are advised to eat fish products only properly heated and to avoid sushi, roe, and foods containing raw fish. Unheated meat cold cuts are deemed safe if consumed well before the use-by date.

“This suggests that recommendations about high-risk foods and proper food storage should also be highlighted to other risk groups than pregnant women, as well as to relatives and people taking care of the elderly,” said researchers.

Of the cases, 96 of 286 reported a habit of checking their fridge’s temperature once a week, 25 said once a month, and 73 said less frequently. Also, 179 reported throwing out outdated products once a week, 29 said once a month, and 25 said less frequently. Almost 100 cases did not know of risky foods for listeriosis before infection.

Matching Listeria from patients to a food source
From 2011 to 2021, the Finnish Food Authority received 4,939 Listeria monocytogenes isolates from foods and production plants from 23 local official food control labs. Isolated strains represented 3,353 samples—more than 100 food samples contained above 100 Listeria colony-forming units (CFU)/g. 

The overall occurrence of Listeria in food products in Finland is unknown, as no national sampling surveys have been conducted since 2016.

Since 2018, the Finnish Food Authority has been typing food isolates with a similar method to that used for patient isolates, enabling comparison of Listeria strains. Researchers found matching food isolates that gave microbiological evidence to support epidemiological findings in outbreak investigations.

Researchers combined data from Finnish national listeriosis surveillance, patient interview responses, and laboratory data of patient samples. They compared them to Listeria findings from food and food production plants collected during outbreak investigations from 2011 to 2021.

Using WGS, from 2015 to 2021, scientists identified 23 clusters with five or more patient isolates, many of which persisted for years. In 12 clusters, food or environmental isolates were also detected.

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A total of 1,923 intoxications were reported to poison control centers (CAP) during the surveillance period, between July and December. The amount is usually around 1,300 cases. Levels in 2022 were similar to those in 2019.

The monthly poisoning peak of 2022 occurred in October when more than 1,000 cases were recorded. Nearly 40 serious cases occurred, including one person needing a liver transplant and another who had kidney failure, and two people died. In 2021, 41 serious cases and four deaths were reported.

Mushroom growth varies from year to year depending on various things, including weather, according to an article in Vigil’Anses, a newsletter published by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES).

Risk factors for poisoning are poor conservation, consumption of old mushrooms in poor condition, undercooked mushrooms or eating too many, and personal sensitivity, but the major risk is confusing an edible species with a toxic one.

Digging deeper into cases
A questionnaire to better understand the circumstances of intoxication was undertaken by poison control centers. It was offered to each person calling a poison control center for mushroom poisoning to assess the methods of obtaining and identifying mushrooms, plus knowledge of ANSES’s prevention messages.

Although recommendations are issued every year by ANSES, poisonings are frequently reported to poison control centers because of the consumption of raw mushrooms by young children or the use of identification applications for smartphones.

In 2022, 1,862 people were poisoned during a meal including mushrooms. The other cases include accidental ingestion by young children or vulnerable adults.

For 1,146 meals, information on the origin of mushrooms was available. More than 92 percent had been picked but some had been bought in supermarkets, markets or greengrocers or eaten in restaurants.

Picking had taken place mainly in forest areas and less frequently in a garden. A small percentage were from the roadside. Most mushrooms had been cooked before consumption but they were eaten raw in 94 meals.

Some people had tried to identify picked mushrooms before consuming them using various ways such as a book, a smartphone application, the internet or via the help of a third party such as a pharmacist or a mycologist from an association.

The most frequently identified toxic species were Satan’s (or Devil’s) bolete, yellow agarics, poisonous lepiota types or the fly agaric.

People mainly suffered from digestive symptoms including vomiting, nausea, diarrhea or abdominal pain. Neurological issues were observed in 17 percent of patients, including dizziness or headaches. Some people showed excessive sweating or a rash, as well as cardiovascular symptoms.

Wild mushroom advice
ANSES recommends that people only collect mushrooms they know as some highly toxic ones are very similar to edible species. Poisonous types can also grow where edible varieties had been picked in the past. If there is the slightest doubt, consult a specialist before consumption.

Pick only specimens in good condition and take the entire mushroom to help with identification. Do not pick mushrooms near potentially polluted sites such as roadsides and landfills.

Store mushrooms in the fridge at a maximum of 4 degrees C (39.2 degrees F), avoid all contact with other foods and consume within two days of picking. Make sure they are cooked properly – 20 to 30 minutes in a pan or 15 minutes in boiling water – and don’t eat too many in one sitting. Also, don’t give wild mushrooms to young children or use only mobile apps for identification, due to the high risk of error.

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Consumer practices deviating from the intended use of a food highlights the need for improved labeling about correct preparation and businesses need to assess the potential impacts of climate change, said scientists brought together by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO).

The FAO/WHO Joint Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) met in Geneva, Switzerland, from late May to early June 2023, to perform risk assessments of Listeria monocytogenes in selected foods using models developed since a previous meeting.

In the first meeting, the expert group worked on models for lettuce, cantaloupe, frozen vegetables and ready-to-eat (RTE) fish and said they should be programmed, tested and reviewed.

During the second meeting, several risk assessment models were developed and evaluated to characterize the risk of listeriosis because of consumption of diced RTE cantaloupe, frozen vegetables, and cold-smoked RTE fish. However, the model for lettuce was not ready for evaluation.

The meetings come in response to a Codex Committee on Food Hygiene request to undertake a production-to-consumption risk assessment of Listeria monocytogenes in food. This will inform any future revision of guidelines on general principles of food hygiene to control the pathogen in food.

Main findings
Risk assessment models were considered useful and fit-for-purpose but the dose-response model could be improved by considering additional factors, such as underlying health conditions of those at risk. Experts said the models should remain available as open-source tools.

End-product sampling and microbiological testing on its own had little effect on reducing risk, even when applied to every lot but these methods can help verify the effectiveness of control measures.

In the diced RTE cantaloupe model, use of fit-for-purpose water in primary production and of an irrigation system that avoids contact between water and the edible part of the crop reduced the risk. Poor management of wash water and of environmental hygiene during processing increased risk.

Climate change could increase the prevalence of Listeria in soil, lead to a decrease in agricultural water quality and an increase in storage temperature.

Blanching reduced the risk of Listeria in frozen vegetables. However, post-blanching contamination and growth of the pathogen may occur. If non-RTE frozen vegetables are consumed without adequate cooking, then defrosting practices influence the risk.

Higher Listeria levels on incoming fish and poor environmental hygiene practices during filleting and slicing increased the risk. Addition of lactic acid and diacetate or lactic acid bacteria culture to the product lowered the risk due to reduced growth. For the climate, an increase in initial levels of Listeria in raw fish and in the storage temperature during shelf-life of the product could lead to a bigger risk.

Help on foodborne disease burden wanted
WHO has asked for experts who can contribute to developing estimates of the global burden of foodborne disease. The agency is in the process of updating 2010 estimates that were published in 2015. Revised figures should be available in 2025.

The main role would be participating in a structured expert elicitation study on the attribution of diseases to food and other pathways. A team under Dr. Tina Nane, associate professor at Delft University of Technology, was selected to lead the study through a bidding process.

The Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG) is supporting WHO in the efforts. Estimating the global burden of foodborne disease involves different data from various sources.

Systematic reviews and surveillance data will provide an estimate of the true incidence of disease caused by hazards that can be transmitted by food. Then, disease models are used to estimate the impacts of these diseases on mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Source attribution is another step in the work. The selection process started Aug. 1, 2023 and continues onward.

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Michael Vasser, from the CDC, gave details about the reoccurring, emerging and persisting (REP) strain during a recent presentation at the International Association for Food Protection.

An REP strain is a reoccurring, emerging and persisting group of bacteria, closely related by whole genome sequencing, that continues to cause illness over time. The CDC recently reported that almost 3,000 infections from a persistent strain of Salmonella Infantis since 2012 are linked to chicken.

“Since the full transition to whole genome sequencing to detect multi-state outbreaks, at CDC we’ve been able to identify strains that continue to see cases over time. We saw an outbreak of Salmonella Newport return in 2018 after it was originally investigated in 2016 and 2017. The outbreak caused more than 400 illnesses that resulted in a very large ground beef recall,” said Vasser.

“That begs the question, had we understood the strain in 2016-17 could we have prevented such a large outbreak from occurring? We decided to collaborate with other state and federal regulatory partners to create this new concept, which is reoccurring, emerging and persisting strains.”

Vasser said approaches to investigating REPs may be different than traditional outbreak methods and about 20 REP strains are currently being monitored.

“We know that most illnesses reported through PulseNet are not linked to a source. The goal is to use REPs to drive down the incidence of illness and to better understand sporadic illness. REP strains offer a means of tracking and investigating problems that are larger in scope than traditional outbreaks but we know we need to keep pushing on translating tracking into action and prevention.”

Listeria example and potato link
Vasser gave an example of long running related Listeria infections. The PulseNet laboratory network identified a cluster of six clinical isolates in February 2017 from four states. People fell ill between May 2016 and February 2017. The same pattern was also seen in two isolates from 2011. Patients reported consumption of ice cream, so multiple production facilities were inspected and samples collected but the outbreak strain was not found.

By March 2018, there were 23 illnesses from 12 states. Open-ended interviews then suggested various frozen foods such as pizzas, meals and snacks. However, in May 2018, isolates from U.S. potatoes were uploaded to the NCBI database by the National Service of Health for Food Safety and Food Quality (SENASICA) in Mexico. Isolates were collected from fresh, raw potatoes grown in the U.S. and tested at export by Mexico.

The REP code was officially assigned in June 2021 with 66 illnesses from 21 states. Potatoes were not on the original Listeria questionnaire but now a potato specific version is being used and all 13 patients interviewed reported consuming potatoes in some form. For nine people, it was frozen potato products.

Currently, 82 cases have been reported from 23 states, with Texas the most affected. Sick people range from less than 1 to 104 years old. The latest case was in April 2023. A total of 66 have been hospitalized, 18 are pregnancy-associated and 12 have died.

“This REP is challenging given the related raw potato isolates and the enormity of items made with fresh potatoes. It is still unclear if potatoes are actually the source of infections or if contaminated potatoes seeded the strain in facilities or environments where other foods are grown or processed. It could be that both potatoes and others foods are contaminated. Sampling of products will likely be our best bet to determining the source of foods causing illness,” added Vasser. 

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Tim Jackson took up the role of president at the conclusion of IAFP 2023 in Toronto, Canada, replacing Michelle Danyluk. Jackson is also a senior science advisor for food safety with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN).

In one of several talks, Jackson said FDA separates root cause analysis (RCA) and root cause investigation with the latter helping inform the former to find out what caused the problem.   

Complexities and potential controls
A root cause investigation occurs mainly during an outbreak to investigate potential failures and involves traceback information, firm inspections, records and verification data. A RCA looks at information generated during the response and tries to understand how an event occurred.

The first presentation focused on RCA to identify causes of viral and parasitic outbreaks. In the U.S., several hepatitis outbreaks have been linked to fresh and frozen berries in recent years while norovirus is another issue. Also, Cyclospora cayetanensis has been associated with ready-to-eat and other types of fresh produce in the U.S. and Canada but Cryptosporidium, Giardia and Toxoplasma gondii are other concerns.

Challenges include investigations being conducted after an outbreak or issue is over; analytical testing is statistically limited and often inconclusive; fresh produce has a short shelf life and may not be available for analysis; in multi-component or assembled products the supply chain is complex; limited tools for analysis of some agents and insufficient evaluation of underlying causes.

Control measures at the growing stage include condition and treatment of irrigation water and proximity to animal production. During harvesting, hygienic design of equipment and tools and worker cleanliness are important. At the cooling and packing or storage and distribution stages, pest control must be considered.

Jackson spoke about the “Swiss Cheese Model” with the idea being a variety of defenses lining up to prevent problems occurring and if an issue gets past one defense it might be blocked by the next one. He said product testing is statistically limited and hygiene indicators like E. coli in water testing do not necessarily line-up with the presence of pathogens.

“Usually there is no smoking gun found. In that case, you need to identify all potential root causes and implement corrective or preventive actions around those systems that are needed to control the hazard. In many cases ongoing verification may be needed. Root cause investigations and RCA require resources across stakeholders and disciplines,” he said.

Post-outbreak steps
Outbreaks and recalls are visible indications of food safety system failures. Less visible are near misses uncovered by verification of processes, materials, growing and manufacturing environments through measurements, inspections and sampling programs.

In a second talk, Jackson said more outbreaks are being seen because advances in whole genome sequencing and other technology are helping link cases from the background noise.

“In some cases we see outbreaks over and over again that happen every year, occasionally there is one like a Black Swan, that happens out of the blue but we want to make sure that we’re not just reacting to outbreaks but that we’re thinking about what we learned and helping to prevent them from happening again,” he said.

“One example is enoki mushrooms, we had recurrent issues of Listeria monocytogenes from certain regions in Asia. We don’t know exactly what the failure is in manufacturing to cause the issue. A prevention strategy was developed that looks at communication and stakeholder engagement. We’re translating the Produce Safety Rule into Korean. During outreach to understand differences in enoki mushroom consumption we discovered that in Asia they are boiled, in the U.S. we don’t think we have to cook mushrooms. We have an import alert on mushrooms from certain countries and are conducting research to understand risks and controls.

“The second example is Cronobacter sakazakii in powdered infant formula. We saw some recurrent issues from assessments of these manufacturers. We met with stakeholders to talk to them about the challenges. We issued a recommendation letter based on what we’ve seen in our inspections but there’s other work to establish a medical foods team, develop a tool for data-driven inspection and compliance, update the infant formula compliance policy guide, conduct education for FDA regulatory staff to target what the concerns are and there are long term actions around regulations and guidance development.” 

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Belgium recorded 830 outbreaks in 2022 compared to 547 in 2021, with 4,247 people affected compared to 2,070 in 2021. In 2022, 125 people were hospitalized, and two died.

The rise may partly be because of increased activity in the hospitality, restaurant, and catering sector after large closures because of COVID-19. The various incidents, such as Salmonella contamination at Ferrero, may also have raised consumer awareness and encouraged them to report illnesses, said the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC).

Outbreak data
A dozen Bacillus Cereus outbreaks affected 172 people, while nine Salmonella outbreaks sickened 206. The incident linked to Ferrero chocolate caused 64 cases in Belgium.

Seven histamine outbreaks had 44 cases, and one Yersinia enterocolitica incident led to 17 illnesses. In five Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) outbreaks, 15 people were sick, and two Listeria outbreaks had five cases. Two Clostridium perfringens incidents had 46 cases and two deaths.

Eleven outbreaks caused by viruses affected 816 people, and one linked to parasites sickened 15. The agent was unknown for 772 outbreaks, according to data from Sciensano, Belgium’s national public health institute.

In early July 2023, Ferrero found Salmonella again at its plant in Arlon and the implicated production line was temporarily stopped. No final product tested positive and by the end of the month, the factory had returned to full production with shipments being ramped up over time.

Fraud work
FASFC, also known as AFSCA or FAVV, had previously revealed 394 recalls in 2022 as well as 5,000 complaints and 6,600 questions to its advice line.

The agency carried out 70,260 samples in 2022, and 97.8 percent of them were compliant. Almost 16,000 warnings were issued, and temporary closure was required on nearly 300 occasions.

In 2022, several incidents occurred in large companies in the food sector. A few months apart, Ferrero and Barry Callebaut were confronted with unrelated contamination by Salmonella. Also, Milcobel, a major player in the dairy market, revealed a problem with Listeria monocytogenes at one of its sites. Contamination was found during self-checks, there were no related illnesses, but large amounts of cheese had to be recalled.

FASFC’s food fraud unit received 834 information dealing with potential fraud in 2022, and 600 investigations were opened.

Operations included wider EU work on testing for sugars added to honey, sunflower oil due to the invasion of Ukraine, additives in sweets imported from non-EU countries, sulfites in meat to hide spoilage, potato variety fraud, and illegal sale and processing of game meat.

A particular focus was food supplements, with some found to contain sildenafil without it being listed on the label. Checks online and on posted items revealed only 12 of 86 samples were compliant.

Herman Diricks, managing director of FASFC, said: “The food incidents that occurred in 2022 remind us that we must not let our guard down. It is essential that everyone involved in the food chain buys into the culture of food safety and acts accordingly to maintain a high level of food safety and consumer confidence. Therefore, a strong and effective agency is more necessary than ever to monitor the food chain.”

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The decision covers consignments of beef, poultry, and meat products and preparations exported from Brazil to England, Scotland, and Wales. It comes after an audit of Brazil’s sanitary and phytosanitary controls.

Following allegations of fraud in Brazil in 2017 during Operation Carne Fraca, measures were implemented for enhanced checks on certain imported animal products.

For beef and poultry meat products from Brazil, exports to Great Britain no longer need enhanced pre- and post-import testing for Salmonella or the added attestation attached to health certificates confirming Salmonella sampling, methods of analysis used, and results.

The number of microbiological non-compliances in Brazilian poultry products was three in 2020, five in 2021, and four between January and October 2022. In 2022, Brazil exported U.S. $282.2 million in poultry meat and around $134.5 million in beef to the UK. Since Brexit, Brazilian agricultural exports to the UK have increased by 67 percent, reaching $1.8 billion in 2022.

A report sets out the conclusions and recommendations of the audit led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in October 2022. The visit reviewed the enhanced Salmonella checks in place for exports of poultry meat and of poultry and beef meat products and preparations.

Post-import physical checks for poultry and beef products will be reduced from 100 percent physical and 20 percent microbiological sampling. Brazil can now re-list certain poultry and beef sites for export to Great Britain.

Auditors visited central and regional authorities, two certification centers, eight slaughterhouses, four other businesses, two farms, and four laboratories. The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA) leads official controls and certification of exports of animals and animal products. The Department of Inspection of Animal Products (DIPOA) is responsible for managing the Brazilian Federal Inspection Service (SIF).

Main audit findings
Brazilian authorities have made “significant” progress in correcting the systemic failings in the framework of controls and their application that led to enhanced Salmonella controls. According to Defra, changes to legislation and a restructuring of the authorities have strengthened the regulatory oversight of exports and clarified accountabilities.

However, there was no consistent process for delisting establishments. One site informed authorities it had stopped production in 2020 and requested delisting. At the time of the audit, the list of approved sites for export to Great Britain, published by MAPA, still had this firm as approved, and UK authorities had not been informed.

In beef slaughterhouses, hygienic dressing of carcasses was not done effectively to minimize the risk of contamination, including the risk of Salmonella cross-contamination. Slaughter lines were overcrowded and required constant monitoring and corrective action, such as slowing the line. 

The audit team was told it was a requirement that Salmonella samples in poultry taken for export consignments to Great Britain should be sent to official MAPA labs. However, some results reviewed by auditors suggested this was not always the case. There was also an “inconsistent” understanding and application of Salmonella testing requirements, depending on the frequency of export and product type.

Several pieces of machinery in poultry plants were not cleaned adequately before production started, with feathers and blood residues from the previous processing shift found.

Several recommendations were made around contingency planning and written procedures; delisting establishments; official controls on approved sites; Salmonella controls; and lab capability and microbiological testing.

One recommendation covered the need for plans to ensure sufficient resources are available to undertake inspections at the required frequency, even if changes in risk levels lead to added demand. Another mentioned health marking of beef carcasses being applied inconsistently. In some cases, it was only put on the packaging, not the carcass.

Meanwhile, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have called for evidence of the UK joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Responses will inform FSS and the FSA advice to the Department for Business and Trade, contributing to a report as part of the parliamentary scrutiny process on the Free Trade Agreement. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 10.

Views are wanted on whether and to what extent human health may be affected regarding food safety and nutrition because of provisions in the CPTPP related to trade in agricultural products.

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From August 2022 to mid-July 2023, 92 cases of Salmonella Senftenberg have been reported, 12 people have been hospitalized, and one person died in Germany. Most patients are female, while 28 are male. Infections have occurred in all age groups.

Germany is the most affected country, with 26 patients, followed by France with 16, Finland with 12, and Sweden with 11. The United States has recorded two patients.

The first U.S. case is a 47-year-old female reported in October 2022. The second is an immunocompromised 42-year-old male with disease onset in April 2023. This person had a liver transplant in 2022.

In April 2023, Santé publique France was informed by the national food reference laboratory that Salmonella Senftenberg had been isolated from a mixed salad containing cherry tomatoes and green leafy vegetables, which was prepared in mid-August 2022. However, it was not served as intended to airline customers.

Thirteen affected countries
Sick people also live in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom.

Most cases were reported between October 2022 and March 2023, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Detection of the first case in France, with an isolation date in August, suggests suspected contaminated food entered the French market around mid-August and other countries later.

Salmonella Senftenberg is a relatively uncommon serotype in cases of salmonellosis. In 2020 and 2021, 36 and 75 cases respectively were reported to ECDC.

Link to tomatoes
Among 21 patients interviewed in Austria, France, Germany and Sweden, 20 reported consumption of tomatoes and 12 said they had eaten iceberg lettuce.

Tomatoes were suspected as the vehicle of infection by national authorities in France and Austria and were traced back to wholesalers in Germany, the Netherlands and Spain, and to growers in the Netherlands, Spain and Morocco. However, there is no microbiological evidence from tomatoes, so the source of infection has not been confirmed.

Intermittent reporting of patients between August 2022 and June 2023 indicates prolonged distribution of contaminated food from a common source for about 10 months in the EU and UK. Finding linked cases in the U.S. suggests a possible common source of infection or travel to Europe, said ECDC.

Contamination of cherry tomatoes may have occurred at pre-harvest on farms during growing via different sources, such as use of contaminated water, including re-used irrigation water.

“Identifying the nature and source (root cause) of microbial contamination of vegetables in the food chain remains crucial to ensure appropriate handling and activities by growers, producers, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers and to prevent the risk of foodborne illness deriving from exposure to Salmonella-contaminated vegetables,” said ECDC.

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Proposed amendments would apply a temporary change to official controls or special conditions on the entry into Great Britain of the selected products. Stricter checks have been suggested for enoki mushrooms from two nations because of Listeria as well as tahini and halva from one country because of Salmonella.

The comment period is for food and feed businesses in England, Wales, and Scotland, local and port health authorities, and other parties with an interest in food and feed safety. It is open until Aug. 28.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have reviewed current controls. Ministers will make risk management decisions based on FSA and FSS recommendations. It is anticipated that related legislation will come into force in early 2024. Changes do not apply in Northern Ireland due to the Windsor Framework rules.

List of possible amendments
The review found 20 new products that should have enhanced controls because of concerns they present a risk to public health. Stricter controls should be brought in for three products while another four should have reduced checks. Two products should be removed from the scope of controls.

Imports of high risk food of non-animal origin from certain countries can only enter Great Britain through approved Border Control Posts (BCP) where official controls are undertaken such as documentary, identity and physical examinations including sampling.

Enoki mushrooms from China and South Korea have been added to the list of controls at a frequency of 20 percent for identify and physical checks for Listeria.

Sesame seeds as well as tahini and halva from sesame seeds from Syria are now included with controls for Salmonella at a frequency of 10 percent.

Recent changes under EU rules mean consignments of tahini and halva from Syria entering Europe will be subject to identification and physical checks at a frequency of 20 percent.

Under UK plans, groundnut paste from the United States will be checked for aflatoxins at a rate of 10 percent. Groundnut products from Brazil and hazelnuts from Turkey have been delisted because of improved compliance.

Reduced checks are proposed for sweet peppers from China for Salmonella at a frequency of 10 percent, palm oil from Ghana for Sudan dyes at a rate of 20 percent and nutmeg from Indonesia for aflatoxin at a frequency of 10 percent.

Several modifications are suggested because of aflatoxins in spice mixes from Pakistan, groundnuts from India, Egypt, Gambia, Senegal, and Ghana, and melon seeds from Iran.

A number of changes are proposed because of pesticide residues in Granadilla and passion fruit from Colombia, bananas from Ecuador, oranges from Egypt, certain spices from India, some peppers from Kenya, and dragon fruit from Vietnam.

Mycotoxin data call
FSA and FSS are also requesting data on the levels of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in food and consumer exposure. T-2 and HT-2 are mycotoxins which mainly affect cereal crops such as oats, wheat, and barley. Presence is heavily weather dependent and can show large annual variability.

The agencies are gathering information on these mycotoxins so the contaminants can be reviewed and consumer exposure assessed. Data is wanted from throughout the cereals supply chain, from field to retail level.

Deadline for submission is Oct. 31, any data submitted will be available to FSA and FSS and could be used in the risk analysis process for these mycotoxins. 

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Ursula von der Leyen, president of the EU Commission, said the European Union had agreed to remove the remaining restrictive import measures linked to the incident. 

“We have taken this decision based on science, based on evidence and based on the assessment of the International Atomic Energy Agency,” she said.

The Government of Japan welcomed the announcement, adding it had requested the EU and its member states to lift the measures on several occasions.

EU removes restrictions
After the accident, the EU imposed pre-export testing of food products for radioactivity. Since restrictions were adopted in 2011, they have been reviewed by the EU Commission every second year and have been eased as risks declined. The last review, in September 2021, limited pre-export testing restrictions to wild mushrooms, some fish species and wild edible plants.

No non-compliances with maximum radionuclide levels set in regulation have been observed at import in the EU since June 2011, showing the control system and checks performed by Japanese authorities are effective, said the EU Commission. Levels of radionuclides in food and feed from Japan will continue to be followed-up to ensure consumer safety.

Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said following the work of Japanese authorities and collaboration with EU experts, restrictions can be relaxed.

“The favorable control results of the recent years demonstrate the strong commitment and cooperation of our Japanese partners, and I am very grateful to everyone who has made this possible,” she said.

Import restrictions were removed in England, Scotland, and Wales in June 2022 following an assessment by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS).

Concerns over release of treated water
The EU Commission said it was important that Japan continues to monitor domestic production for radioactivity. This includes fish, fishery products and seaweed close to the release site of the treated water. They should be checked for the presence of radionuclides, including tritium.

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) review found that Japan’s plans to release treated water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station into the sea are “consistent” with its safety standards.

IAEA said the discharges of treated water would have a “negligible” radiological impact to people and the environment.

Stored water has been treated through an Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) to remove almost all radioactivity, aside from tritium. Before discharging, Japan will dilute the water to bring the tritium to below regulatory standards.

However, Hong Kong said it plans to ban the import of aquatic products from 10 parts of Japan once the country starts discharging wastewater from Fukushima, to ensure food safety and public health.

Products include all live, frozen, chilled, dried, or otherwise preserved aquatic products, sea salt and unprocessed or processed seaweed.

Officials said there is no guarantee that the purification system can operate continuously and effectively in the long term after commencement of the discharge plan, and that the move would not pose potential risks to food safety. China has taken similar action, according to media reports.

In a communication in June, to the World Trade Organization (WTO)’s Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Japan called on a dozen countries and regions that still had import measures in place to remove them and provided an update on the water discharge situation.

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