US: E.coli outbreak over, focus on more safety requirements

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared E.coli outbreaks associated with romaine lettuce grown in the Salinas, CA region over and the agencies have lifted the consumer advisory. In a statement, the FDA said there is no longer a need for consumers to avoid…

European Commission bans thiacloprid

The European Commission decided not to renew the approval of a neonicotinoid called thiacloprid, following scientific advice by EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) that…

Australia: $4m grant round opens to enhance food chain traceability

The Department of Agriculture is inviting applications for grants worth $4 million to fund projects to enhance traceability in the food supply chain, enhancing trust in Australian-grown products and boosting the competitiveness of agricultural exporters. Australia’s reputation as a source of clean, green…

CDC reports dozens more Americans sick in ongoing romaine E. coli case

At this time, three dozen more patients and two more US states are officially part of an E. coli outbreak traced to romaine, according to a renewed public alert from the CDC.…

Consumer advisory still limited to romaine grown in Salinas

US: Public health agencies update illness numbers

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted updates to the number of illnesses believed to be linked to romaine harvested from the Salinas region. According to the FDA, romaine lettuce harvested outside of the Salinas region has not been implicated in this…

CO2 Delivery Solutions demonstrated to suppress E. coli

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the latest California romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak has infected over 100 people in 23 States and two Provinces with 58 hospitalized. The cost of this outbreak is estimated to exceed $120 million. CO2 GRO’s CO2 Delivery Solutions has…

Australian Food and Grocery Council

“Food recalls have become incredibly complex and costly exercises”

As supply chains get broader, and companies are increasing the number of markets they export to, product recalls have become incredibly complex and costly exercises. Consumers…

US: New findings and status of the romaine E. coli O157:H7 outbreak investigation

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an update on our investigation of an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses linked to romaine lettuce. The FDA takes…

Romaine demand climbs back up post-recall

Romaine demand is starting to pick up again following the mid-November recall and advisory warning on romaine lettuce grown in the Salinas, Ca. region. On Nov. 22, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga., was released following, at that time, the reporting of 40 cases of E. coli…

US victims at least at 102

Salinas Romaine E. coli strikes two people in Canada

Since November 22, 2019, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has identified one additional E. coli illness in Canada with a similar genetic fingerprint to illnesses…

New Zealand Food Safety announces new strategy and action plan

New Zealand Food Safety will today launch its strategy and action plan to maintain and grow the country's reputation as a provider of trusted and safe food. Deputy director-general New Zealand Food Safety Bryan Wilson will discuss the strategy along with the range of challenges and opportunities facing…

Statement explains food safety credentials of aquaponic produce

The Aquaponics Association presents the 2019 Aquaponics Food Safety Statement, signed by over 130 organizations, including 98 from the U.S. This statement explains the food…

Dole Fresh Vegetables announces precautionary limited recall of colorful coleslaw

Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. is voluntarily recalling a limited number of cases of Colorful Coleslaw. This precautionary recall notification is being issued due to a sample of President’s Choice Colorful Coleslaw which yielded a positive result for Salmonella in a random sample test conducted by the…

Contamination caused by broken light fitting

New Zealand: Strawberries recalled as glass is found in punnet

In Porirua, a Pak'nSave supermarket has pulled punnets of strawberries from sale after one of them was found to contain glass. People who bought Zakberry-brand strawberries from Pak'nSave Porirua on December 2 have been asked to check them and return the product for a refund as it could contain plastic…

E.coli recall in US

"Outbreaks like these are another confirmation that the future of the industry will be indoors"

The FDA has not yet linked any specific romaine lettuce grower, supplier, distributor, or brand to the E.coli outbreak in Salinas, California. This week the outbreak has spread further with 67 people reported sick in 19 states. Just like last year around Thanksgiving, the advice is not to eat Romaine…

Total number of people infected by E. Coli from Salinas California romaine lettuce rises to 67

As of November 25th, a total of 67 people are confirmed to have been infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7, found in romaine lettuce. This number is up by 27 people since a previous update from November 22nd. The infected people are spread across at least 19 states. The continued advice from…

ToBRFV spreads further in Europe

The next country where ToBRFV is found is Spain. Rafael Sánchez Trujillo, head of the Plant Health Service of the Junta de Andalucía, spoke about finding the virus in an Almeria greenhouse during the…

Hong Kong government suspends import and sale of romaine lettuce from Salinas

Following The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) announcement about the possible contamination of romaine lettuce from…

Turkey provides farmers with "spinach" training

Following the recent poisoning cases from spinach, Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli announced that farmers will be provided with training on spinach and said: "We need to further explain to them how to prepare bunches and what to send to the market and what not to send to the…

E.coli recall in US

FDA: "Greenhouse and indoor grown lettuce safe"

There's only 37 days left on the calendar before 2020 starts, but in the US it might feel like a throwback to 2018. Just like last year, there's a recall of Romaine Lettuce in the week before Thanksgiving. And just like last year, greenhouse and indoor grown lettuce are declared safe. A total of 40 people…

Ireland: Minister for food, forestry and horticulture launches plant health and biosecurity strategy

The Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture, Andrew Doyle, T.D., today launched DAFM’s Plant Health and Biosecurity Strategy This strategy outlines the importance of plant health biosecurity for Ireland, as well as ensuring that all relevant stakeholders are aware of the risks to plant…

Nearly 100,000 pounds of salad products recalled because of E. coli

The Missa Bay company, working out of Swedesboro, New Jersey, is recalling approximately 97,272 pounds of salad products because the lettuce ingredient may be contaminated…

Hepatitis A outbreak related to blackberries sold by Fresh Thyme

A multi-state outbreak of Hepatitis A has been linked to eating blackberries purchased at Fresh Thyme grocery stores in three states: Indiana, Nebraska and Wisconsin. These…

Ready Pac still says: No recall for salads linked to this outbreak

US officials name romaine in Maryland E. coli outbreak

At least 20 people in Wisconsin have E. coli infections, linked to an outbreak in Maryland that has been traced to ready-to-eat romaine lettuce salads. Some officials,…

Through to November 2020

FDA will test romaine lettuce for pathogens

After four outbreaks in less than two years where likely contaminated romaine lettuce contained deadly E. coli O157: H7, the Food and Drug Administration has decided to turn to microbial testing for clues for the next year to try to figure out what’s happening. Earlier this year, the agency announced…

Toxic weeds found among spinach samples

Spinach hospitalises dozens in Turkey

At least 66 people have been hospitalized across Turkey over the past four days for food poisoning that is suspected to have originated from spinach mixed with a toxic weed. The case is serious enough to have prompted officials to launch an investigation and gather samples. Istanbul's health authority on…

2018 outbreak analysed

First Australian Salmonella Havana outbreak has been traced to alfalfa sprouts

According to researchers, the Salmonella outbreak linked to alfalfa sprouts last year was, in fact, the first identified Salmonella Havana occurrence in Australia. During June 2018, an increase in Salmonella Havana was detected through routine surveillance by the Communicable Disease Control Branch…

Istanbul, Edirne, Tekirdağ and Kocaeli provinces

Health Minister Koca urges calm over spinach food poisoning

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca urged citizens not to panic amid an increasing number of food poisoning cases due to spinach consumption. The number of patients poisoned from spinach mixed with toxic herbs has risen to 196, Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Tuesday, adding that there was no need for…

EU again hits Kenyan produce with ‘high chemical use’ label

The European Union has returned Kenya to the list of countries that use high levels of crop protection agents on their horticultural produce. This, again, poses a threat to exports, the country's major source of foreign exchange. The negative labelling comes just five months after Kenya was delisted in…

US: New outbreak of E.coli possibly linked to Romaine lettuce

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration shared news of a recent E.coli outbreak, involving 23 illnesses, that was likely associated with romaine lettuce. No deaths were reported. The active investigation has reached its end and the outbreak appears to be over. The FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease…

reporting obligation of possible infection

ToBRFV: Q-status in Europe starts today

As of today, the ToBRF virus has a quarantine status in the European Union. This means, among other things, that Member States are obliged to inform anyone who may be at risk…

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