Organic food news

• Kerry goes on a spending spree with (€325m) $367m deal to acquire Ariake USA and Southeastern Mills NA coatings and seasonings business

  14-12-2018 19:22 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Kerry has struck a c.â325m (c.$367m) deal to acquire Ariake USA, the North American Business of Ariake Japan Co., and Southeastern Mills North American coatings and seasonings business (SEM).
  
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• O2 Natural Recovery water gears up for aggressive expansion in 2019, but is there science behind ‘oxygenated water’?

  14-12-2018 19:17 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Ohio-based âoxygenatedâ water brand 02 Natural Recovery â which has picked up a strong following online, and in CrossFit gyms, yoga studios and other fitness outlets - is expanding its presence in grocery stores including Kroger and Whole Foods in 2019. But is the science behind hyper-oxygenated water solid?
  
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• Nestlé Waters North America Director of Sustainability on reducing PET waste: ‘It’s not just a lofty ambition’

  14-12-2018 17:53 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Nestlà Waters North America has been working for the past seven years to increase the amount of recycled PET plastic in its bottled water, and according to director of sustainability, Valeria Orozco, it's confident it will achieve 25% recycled plastic by 2021 and 50% by 2025.
  
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• Soup-to-Nuts Podcast: What does the future for meal kits look like?

  14-12-2018 13:43 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  When meal kits first launched in the US, Americans were fast to embrace the idea of pre-planned, pre-portioned, ready-to-prepare dinners delivered to their doors, but according to new research from Packaged Facts that love quickly faded for many who became disenchanted with meal kitsâ high prices, extensive packaging and inflexible subscription models.
  
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• Sugar taxes: The global picture

  14-12-2018 09:45 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Sugar taxes continue to hit the headlines, but the introduction of new legislation is never straight-forward. We take a look at 20 countries around the globe where sugar taxes have been in the news.
  
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• Food Safety Modernization Act produce testing has yet to get around to romaine

  14-12-2018 06:05 via Food Safety News
  Analysis
  Public interest in the safety of romaine has increased during the past year as Canada and the United States have experienced three back-to-back outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 tied to the leafy green. Many people are surprised to learn that a bacteria generally thought of as beginning in the guts of cows is ending up in their salad bowls. But that’s what’s happening, with seven dead out of 350 sickened with E. coli infections. There have been 162 patients hospitalized
  
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• Statistics show mixed results on progress against foodborne illness in EU

  14-12-2018 06:03 via Food Safety News
  Salmonella and Campylobacter infections were at a stable level during the past five years, but Listeria cases continue to rise in Europe, according to an annual report on trends and sources of zoonoses.
  The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report is based on 2017 data from all 28 European Union member states and nine other European countries that reported on some zoonotic agents.
  Listeriosis caused a reported 225 deaths, 156 fata
  
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• BULLETIN: FDA names California romaine farm as CDC reports additional E. coli patients

  13-12-2018 22:59 via Food Safety News
  They say the investigation is ongoing and more sources are possible, but as of this afternoon, the FDA is reporting traceback efforts in the ongoing E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce has led to Adam Bros. Farm in Santa Maria, CA.
  The outbreak strain of E. coli O157H:7 has been confirmed in the sediment of an irrigation reservoir on the family-owned farm, according to officials from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During a hastily call
  
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• Kellogg latest to be targeted in glyphosate residue lawsuit, but courts not proving very receptive, say attorneys

  13-12-2018 16:54 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Kelloggâs has become the latest high-profile food brand to face legal action over the alleged presence of trace levels of the herbicide glyphosate in its products, which the plaintiff argues that reasonable consumers would not expect to see in their foods in any amount.
  
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• Organic food worse for the climate?

  13-12-2018 16:13 via Organic News -- ScienceDaily
  Organically farmed food has a bigger climate impact than conventionally farmed food, due to the greater areas of land required, a new study finds.
  
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• The Pinterest 100: Functional ingredients, plant-based eating, fast meals & more pique pinners’ interest

  13-12-2018 13:56 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Each month more than 250 people use Pinterest to discover and share ideas, including what to eat and drink, giving the social media platform the ability to spot and track emerging trends early in the adoption cycle, which when leveraged by savvy CPG companies could help boost sales in the coming year.
  
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• Red meat once again in crosshairs as study links high consumption with chemical associated with heart disease

  13-12-2018 13:44 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Red meat, which already has a bad reputation for its association with elevated risk of some cancers and other diseases, may have earned another demerit based on new research that links frequent consumption to high levels of a chemical associated with heart disease.
  
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• Red meat once again in crosshairs as study it with chemical associated with heart disease

  13-12-2018 13:44 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Red meat, which already has a bad reputation for its association with elevated risk of some cancer and other chronic health diseases, may have earned another demerit based on new research that links frequent consumption of it to high levels of a chemical associated with heart disease.
  
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• Publisher’s Platform: Anything that causes food poisoning should be considered an adulterant

  13-12-2018 06:06 via Food Safety News
  Opinion
  An additional 87 ill people from 16 states were included in this investigation since the last update on Nov. 15. States with newly reported illnesses include: Michigan, Mississippi, and West Virginia.
  As of Dec. 12, there are 333 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Newport. They have been reported from 28 states. Their illnesses started on dates ranging from Aug. 5 through Nov. 9. One-third of the patients have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
  Epid
  
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• Del Monte recalls canned corn from 25 states, 12 countries for risk of toxins

  13-12-2018 06:05 via Food Safety News
  Del Monte Foods is recalling more than 64,000 cases of canned corn that was not properly processed, which can result in contamination by spoilage organisms or pathogens that can lead to life-threatening illness if consumed.
  The multinational corporation sent the recalled Fiesta Corn with Red & Green Peppers to “multiple distributors and retail locations in 25 states and 12 international locations,” according to the company’s recall notice posted by the Food and Drug Ad
  
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• Inspired Organics recalls sunflower ‘butter’ after positive test for Listeria

  13-12-2018 06:04 via Food Safety News
  A Michigan company is recalling an Inspired Organics peanut butter alternative in the U.S. and Canada because laboratory tests detected Listeria monocytogenes in the product. 
  Lipari Foods has been distributing the product since April 2018, according to the company’s recall notice on the Food and Drug Administration’s website.
  Lipari Foods LLC, based in Warren, MI, shipped the Inspired Organics brand organic sunflower butter to retail stores and unspecified foodservice operation
  
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• Consumer groups back EU transparency vote

  13-12-2018 06:03 via Food Safety News
  Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have backed plans to ensure data used in decisions on food safety is made publicly available.
  The plenary vote on amendments to the General Food Law saw approval for a move to publish safety studies before a product is authorized to go to market. It was adopted by 427 votes in favor, 172 against and 67 abstentions.
  A majority of MEPs agreed the law should be revised so that data relevant for environmental and health protection underpinning European Food
  
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• NEA revokes license of restaurant linked to Salmonella outbreak

  13-12-2018 06:01 via Food Safety News
  The operating license of a restaurant in Singapore linked to more than 80 Salmonella cases and one death has been terminated by authorities.
  The National Environment Agency (NEA) said the action against Spize Restaurant at River Valley Road has been taken with immediate effect and it will be taking enforcement measures against the licensee. The agency also checked other outlets of the same chain. So far, there is no evidence to link the outbreak to these other sites and they have been allow
  
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• Keto brand love good fats raises $5m to fuel US launch: There ought to be a brand that really carries the voice for ‘let’s all eat good fats’

  12-12-2018 17:50 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  After becoming a blockbuster hit in Canada â growing from 200 to over 2,500 stores in less than a year â keto snack bar brand, love good fats, will be launching into 450 Whole Foods stores in the US backed by a $5m equity raise from individual investors including over 40 US and Canadian CPG executives.
  
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• IQ BAR offers 'brain fuel' to mid-afternoon snackers: 'Keto is the most rapidly growing consumer base for us'

  12-12-2018 17:03 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  If you could invent a nutrition bar for your brain, what would it look like? If you included clinically significant doses of every ingredient associated with cognitive health, it would probably look pretty expensive, concedes the founder of IQ BAR. But there is a happy medium between supplements marketed on a cognitive function platform and everyday healthy snacks that can help fuel the brain, he says.
  
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• Investing in the Future of Food: Chobani helps startups navigate food safety, picking partners and more

  12-12-2018 15:55 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  Earlier this week, Chobani put out an open call for âbig-hearted food and beverage startupsâ that make delicious, nutritious, natural and affordable food to help it âtake on the broken food systemâ by participating in the fifth cohort of its highly competitive four-month incubator program.
  
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• Senate Farm Bill axes ‘mean-spirited’ restrictions to SNAP proposed by House & expands coverage

  12-12-2018 15:08 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Public health advocates are lauding the $876 billion Farm Bill passed by an overwhelming majority of the Senate on Tuesday for rejecting controversial proposals in the House version of the bill that would have significantly curtailed access to the nationâs Supplemental Nutrition Association Program.
  
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• Farm Bill axes ‘mean-spirited’ restrictions to SNAP proposed by House & expands coverage

  12-12-2018 15:08 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Public health advocates are lauding the $876bn Farm Bill passed by an overwhelming majority of the Senate on Tuesday for rejecting controversial proposals in the House version of the bill that would have significantly curtailed access to the nationâs Supplemental Nutrition Association Program.
  
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• Alkaline water: An ‘international growth phenomenon’

  12-12-2018 12:34 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Global sales of alkaline water have risen at 18% a year to $631m in 2017: and the category is rapidly heading towards the $1bn milestone, according to Zenith Global.
  
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• $867 billion Farm Bill now moving quickly through lame-duck Congress

  12-12-2018 06:05 via Food Safety News
  One of the last vestiges of bipartisanship in Congress began delivering its baby Tuesday. House and Senate agricultural conferees finally agreed on the 2018 Farm Bill, and by late afternoon it was sailing through the U.S. Senate on an 87-13 vote.
  There is precious little in the 807-page bill, with its $867 billion in planned spending over 10 years, for food safety. New mandatory funding is included for state departments of agriculture to combat animal disease is in the bill, according to the Nat
  
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• FDA renews warning about tahini amidst outbreak; recall updated

  12-12-2018 06:03 via Food Safety News
  Federal officials are again urging consumers to check their homes for recalled tahini products that are associated with an international outbreak of Salmonella infections. Product expiration dates initially reported by the recalling company were incorrect. Some of the tahini doesn’t expire until 2021.
  In the United States, five people from three states had been confirmed infected as of Nov. 28, according to an outbreak announcement posted that day by the Centers for Disease Control and Pre
  
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• The messy game of building a kids brand: 'We need to define our stories better'

  11-12-2018 18:58 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Building a kids brand can get sticky, especially when the market is full of products that typically fall into two broad buckets: conventional products crowded with mascots, superheroes, and cartoon characters; or the stripped-down, simpler look of the natural kids set.
  
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• Spending more time at home cooking healthy dishes is a top resolution for many in 2019, Peapod finds

  11-12-2018 18:56 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Online grocer Peapodâs third annual meal forecasting survey revealed a growing appreciation for home cooked meals and that spending more time in the kitchen cooking healthy dishes is a top resolution for many in 2019.
  
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• Attorney: ‘I see all these emails saying once the Farm Bill passes, CBD is legal in all 50 states; that’s just not true’

  11-12-2018 18:49 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  There is good news in the impending* Farm Bill for industrial hemp â which will be removed from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act - but this does not suddenly make the on-trend ingredient CBD (cannabidiol) legal in foods, beverages and supplements, stress attorneys.
  
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• Pillars Yogurt prepares to launch whole milk kids’ yogurt range

  11-12-2018 15:26 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  US retail sales of Greek yogurt have been declining over the past two years after a meteoric growth spurt, but there are still pockets of opportunity, particularly in drinkable formats and kidsâ products, claims drinkable yogurt brand Pillars, which is preparing to launch high protein yogurt pouches for children with no added sugar.
  
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• JUST strikes deal in Japan to bring cell-cultured Wagyu beef to market

  11-12-2018 15:23 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  San Francisco-based JUST - best-known for its plant-based eggs and mayo â has struck a deal with Japanese Wagyu beef producer Toriyama, and meat and seafood supplier Awano Food Group, to develop, sell, and market cell-cultured Wagyu beef products.
  
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• Labor shortages likely will get worse before they improve, but several strategies can ease impact

  11-12-2018 15:07 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Securing sufficient labor â both skilled and unskilled â increasingly is a challenge for the food and beverage industry, but strategies ranging from increased automation to partnering with higher education providers to offering employees incentives beyond higher wages could help companies obtain the workforce they need, according to Rabobank experts.
  
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• Stakeholders and lobbyists leave tracks at FSIS during October

  11-12-2018 06:05 via Food Safety News
  The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s top two food safety officials met ten times with stakeholders and lobbyists over 21 days in October, according to the recently issued public calendar from the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
  Carmen Rottenberg, acting deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety, and Paul Kiecker acting FSIS administrator kept their doors open during the month.
  Their busiest day with outsiders was Oct. 2 when in back-to-back sessions Rottenberg and Ki
  
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• Complaints about metal pieces in Jimmy Dean sausage prompt recall 

  11-12-2018 06:04 via Food Safety News
  CTI Foods LLC is recalling almost 30,000 pounds of Jimmy Dean sausage links because consumers have reported finding pieces of metal in the product.
  Complete distribution details were not immdiately available. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported only that the sausage was sent to “an establishment in Tennessee where the product was further distributed to retail stores.” The USDA did not report whether any of the stores are in other states.
  The Owingsville, KY-based CTI Foods pr
  
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• Slight decline in UK chickens positive at top level for Campylobacter

  11-12-2018 06:03 via Food Safety News
  The percentage of fresh whole chickens produced in the United Kingdom positive for the highest level of Campylobacter contamination has declined compared to earlier this year.
  For the top nine retailers, 3.5 percent of chickens samples tested from July to September this year carried more than 1,000 colony forming units per gram (cfu/g) of Campylobacter.
  The figure for the previous results from April to June 2018 was 3.7 percent, while for July to September 2017, it was 4.6 percent. The expected
  
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• iwaspoisoned.com app gives the public and public health officials new tools

  11-12-2018 06:02 via Food Safety News
  The website iwaspoisoned.com, credited with helping to identify several high-profile foodborne illness outbreaks in recent years, has released an app designed to help people decide where to go when dining away from home.
  The app identifies restaurants with recent reports of food poisoning. Another feature allows users to easily upload photos of restaurant receipts and potentially dangerous food they are served.   
  “Food poisoning is a common, costly, and avoidable
  
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• CAHFSA and IAEA to cooperate on food safety

  11-12-2018 06:01 via Food Safety News
  The Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are set to work together in areas including food safety.
  The two parties signed an agreement in Vienna, Austria last month to cooperate in the use of nuclear science and technology for sustainable agricultural health and food safety in the Caribbean.
  It provides the framework for collaboration to address challenges faced by the member states of both organisations as well as small islan
  
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• Smucker recalls 9Lives cat food; tests showed problem with thiamine

  11-12-2018 06:00 via Food Safety News
  The J.M. Smucker Co. is recalling canned cat food due to possible low levels of thiamine, also referred to as vitamin B1, in the food. Smucker distributed the food to retailers nationwide.
  Smucker’s officials initiated the recall, which is being carried out in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration, after internal finished product testing revealed the potential problem.
  The following products are affected:9Lives Protein Plus With Tuna & Chicken. 4-pack of 5.5-oz cans; Best i
  
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• What are consumers ordering through food delivery apps? GrubHub shares its top foods from 2018

  10-12-2018 17:39 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Plant-based eating and convenient breakfast items are trends that have taken over the packaged food and beverage space, but do the same consumer interests hold true for the food delivery industry as more time-starved consumers are reporting using apps such as GrubHub and UberEats as a replacement to cooking at home?
  
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• Consumers will embrace brands that ‘do the right thing,’ af&co. trendologists predict

  10-12-2018 15:32 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  From the âvolatile government situationâ to the âcrazy acts of natureâ across the nation and âsenseless hate crimes,â many consumers in the US are feeling uneasy and looking for a way to âescape from some of the badnessâ by visiting hotels, restaurants and supporting CPG brands that are doing the right thing, according to trendologist and president of af&co. Andrew Freeman.
  
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• Consumers will embrace brands that ‘do the right thing,’ AF & Co. trendologists predict

  10-12-2018 15:32 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  From the âvolatile government situationâ to the âcrazy acts of natureâ across the nation and âsenseless hate crimes,â many consumers in the US are feeling uneasy and looking for a way to âescape from some of the badnessâ by visiting hotels, restaurants and supporting CPG brands that are doing the right thing, according to trendologist and president of AF & Co. Andrew Freedman.
  
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• Rabobank experts see path forward for food & ag growth despite ongoing trade uncertainties

  10-12-2018 15:10 via FoodNavigator-USA RSS
  
  Uncertainty surrounding the US-China trade war and the renegotiated trade deal with Canada and Mexico are taking a toll on US food and agricultural industries, but experts with Rabobank say there is hope for the future if players take action now to diversify and reposition their products.
  
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• FDA Frontlines: Meet Scott Loughan, compliance officer of the year

  10-12-2018 06:05 via Food Safety News
  Contributed
  My name is Scott Loughan and I am a Compliance Officer in the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Regulatory Affairs. I work in Vermont and I am a senior case officer in my division. It’s my job to protect the public health by working with manufacturers that FDA regulates to make sure they meet all federal laws, rules, and regulations.
  To do this I review and evaluate findings and evidence collected during inspections by our FDA investigators that could indicate a po
  
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• Broken thermometers at processed food facility, illegal drugs in beef and veal prompt warnings

  10-12-2018 06:03 via Food Safety News
  The Food and Drug Administration recently warned owners of a beef producer, a dairy, and a frozen food company about violations of federal food safety laws.
  Food companies that receive FDA warning letters have 15 days to respond. Companies that do not respond, or those that submit responses describing inadequate correction measures, face regulatory action by FDA without further notice. Those actions can include, without limitation, seizure and injunction. Warning letters released by FDA in recen
  
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• Beef snack sticks recalled for not listing milk as an allergen

  10-12-2018 06:01 via Food Safety News
  3-D Meats LLC in Dalton, OH, Sunday recalled approximately 47 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) beef snack stick products because the products are misbranded and may contain milk, a known allergen, which was not declared on the finished product label, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
  The FSIS is concerned that some product may be consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to co
  
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• When is a potato washer not a potato washer? When it’s washing cantaloupes

  09-12-2018 06:03 via Food Safety News
  Opinion
  Food companies have been at the forefront of technological innovation and scientific research and development for decades upon decades. Cursory attention to the items we eat — how those items are grown, sourced, processed, and packaged – provides ample evidence of scientific research and development and technological innovation in the food industry. Simultaneously, food companies are justifiably concerned about protecting their brand names, market share, liability r
  
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• NZ surveillance data reveals common Salmonella serotypes

  09-12-2018 06:01 via Food Safety News
  Salmonella Bovismorbificans was the most common serotype confirmed in October in New Zealand, according to monthly surveillance data.
  The total number of human Salmonella isolates (95) confirmed last month decreased compared to the figure in October 2017 (112). Salmonella Bovismorbificans represented 11.6 percent in October this year versus 8.9 percent in October 2017. This strain has been the most reported one every month since July this year when it was Salmonella Typhimurium phage type 56.
  Un
  
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• CDC finishes investigation of deadly outbreak traced to kosher chicken

  08-12-2018 06:20 via Food Safety News
  Federal health officials say they have concluded their investigation into a deadly 11-month Salmonella outbreak associated with chicken from Empire Kosher.
  Twenty-five people from six states were confirmed infected and one person died, according to the Dec. 7 outbreak from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ill people ranged in age from less than one year to 76 years old. The patients’ illness onset dates range from Sept. 25, 2017, through Aug. 13, 2018. The outbreak strain of
  
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• Sharp rise in French Salmonella outbreak linked to raw milk cheese

  08-12-2018 06:03 via Food Safety News
  The scale of a Salmonella outbreak in France linked to raw milk cheese has jumped to more than 80 possible cases.
  Santé publique France, the national public health agency, said 83 people had been identified so far in the Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak, which is up from 14 in the initial announcement. The cheese was also distributed to Austria, Belgium, Germany and Italy. Belgium and Germany have issued recall notices.
  Sixty-five patients in France have been interviewed about their s
  
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• Denmark probes pork link in Salmonella outbreak; strain is antibiotic resistant

  08-12-2018 06:02 via Food Safety News
  Officials in Denmark are investigating a Salmonella outbreak with 32 cases and 19 hospitalizations. Initial information points to fresh pork as the source.
  Infections with Salmonella monophasic Typhimurium have been reported to the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) since mid-October. Salmonella monophasic Typhimurium is often found in pigs.
  The outbreak was discovered on Nov. 16 and is being investigated by SSI, DTU Food Institute and Fødevarestyrelsen (Danish Veterinary and Food Adm
  
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