Foodborne Illness News and Research

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Commonly referred to as food poisoning or foodborne disease, foodborne illnesses (FIs) are gastrointestinal (GI) tract infections that arise with the ingestion of contaminated food. The main culprits are usually microorganisms or chemical agents.

Antibiotic residues in meat can allow pathogenic bacteria to proliferate

Antibiotic residues in uncured pepperoni or salami meat are potent enough to weaken helpful bacteria that processors add to acidify the sausage to make it safe for consumption, according to a study to be published in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, on August 28.

29 Aug 2012

Lunch boxes and school eating areas are hotspots for bacteria

Canadian moms earn top marks when it comes to good hygiene practices, but a new study by Lysol and the Global Hygiene Council reveals they could do more to safeguard against bacteria hotspots in schools, especially at lunch time.

27 Aug 2012

Study explores role of L. reuteri against foodborne infection

While many bacteria exist as aggressive pathogens, causing diseases ranging from tuberculosis and cholera, to plague, diphtheria and toxic shock syndrome, others play a less malevolent role and some are critical for human health.

21 Jul 2012

UC Davis, CDC, Agilent and FDA partner to develop public database of foodborne pathogen genomes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the University of California, Davis, Agilent Technologies Inc., and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today a collaboration to create a public database of 100,000 foodborne pathogen genomes to help speed identification of bacteria responsible for foodborne outbreaks.

12 Jul 2012

AOAC certifies InstantLabs Salmonella Species Food Safety Kit

InstantLabs Medical Diagnostics Corporation, developer of the portable Hunter Accelerated Real-Time PCR system, today announced that its Salmonella Species Food Safety Kit has been certified as AOAC Performance-Tested (AOAC PTM Cert. No. 031202) by the AOAC Research Institute (AOAC-RI) across four key food matrices.

19 Jun 2012

Food safety tips while barbecuing

Barbecue season has begun and Health Canada would like to remind Canadians of steps they can take to avoid foodborne illness caused by bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter.

18 May 2012

E coli detection in contaminated meat to be ‘sped up’ says USDA

The government is gearing up to speed up the process for tracking E. coli in meat, a move that will help authorities more quickly find the source of bacteria outbreaks and hasten recalls of contaminated food.

3 May 2012

Scientists identify hypervirulent Salmonella bacteria

UC Santa Barbara researchers have discovered Salmonella bacteria that are up to 100 times more capable of causing disease. Their findings may help prevent food poisoning outbreaks that continue to plague public health and the food industry.

19 Apr 2012

Salmonella link with yellowfin tuna: mass recall follows

A yellowfin tuna product used to make dishes like sushi, ceviche and sashimi sold at restaurants and grocery stores has been connected with with an outbreak of salmonella that has sickened more than 100 people in 20 states and the District of Columbia, federal health authorities announced last Friday.

16 Apr 2012

Imported food leading to more foodborne disease outbreaks

Foodborne disease outbreaks caused by imported food appeared to rise in 2009 and 2010, and nearly half of the outbreaks implicated foods imported from areas which previously had not been associated with outbreaks, according to research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, presented today at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta.

15 Mar 2012

Plasma can be an effective method to kill pathogens on uncooked poultry

A new study by food safety researchers at Drexel University demonstrates that plasma can be an effective method for killing pathogens on uncooked poultry. The proof-of-concept study was published in the January issue of the Journal of Food Protection.

3 Feb 2012

Study to explore food safety practices in domestic kitchens across UK

Researchers at the Universities of Hertfordshire and Newcastle have been commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to look at food safety practices in UK kitchens.

1 Dec 2011

FDA creates Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today a streamlined, integrated approach to effectively and rapidly respond to human and animal foodborne illness outbreaks: the FDA Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation (CORE) Network.

15 Sep 2011

Ecological research on disease prevention and human biome

Public awareness about the role and interaction of microbes is essential for promoting human and environmental health, say scientists presenting research at the Ecological Society of America's (ESA) 96th Annual Meeting from August 7-12, 2011.

12 Aug 2011

Lantibiotic could prevent harmful bacteria in foods

University of Minnesota researchers have discovered and received a patent for a naturally occurring lantibiotic - a peptide produced by a harmless bacteria - that could be added to food to kill harmful bacteria like salmonella, E. coli and listeria.

5 Aug 2011

PA departments warn public regarding use of glass-bottled milk from Brunton Dairy in Aliquippa

The Pennsylvania departments of Health and Agriculture and the Allegheny County Health Department are advising the public of the possible health risks associated with products, specifically glass-bottled milk, from Brunton Dairy in Aliquippa, Beaver County.

30 Jul 2011

FDA warns consumers not to drink raw milk from Tucker Adkins Dairy

The FDA is working with officials in North Carolina and South Carolina to investigate an outbreak of campylobacteriosis in three people who consumed raw milk from Tucker Adkins Dairy in York, S.C. The three confirmed cases and another five probable cases are from three different households and each case reports that prior to becoming ill they consumed raw milk that was obtained from Tucker Adkins Dairy on June 14, 2011.

18 Jul 2011