Funviralpark Will 2022 be remembered as the year of salmonella for chocolate, or the year of Cronobacter for infant formula, or has something else caught your attention in the last 12 months?
Since 2020, it sometimes feels like all I’ve been writing about is coronavirus, Brexit, and ethylene oxide pollution. so I’ll take it first.
As the Salmonella tahini/halva case rang out, Listeria in Italy and E. coli in the UK, Salmonella Mbandaka in several countries and a Hepatitis A outbreak in New Zealand surfaced.
This year we covered a few different topics, not just outbreaks and recalls. The drug was found in champagne, pet food contamination, bird flu, poppy seed poisoning, and alcohol poisoning.
- Coronavirus and food outbreak and disease statistics
As predicted last year, most countries experienced an increase in reported outbreaks and illnesses in 2020-2021, but are still below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. This is supported by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) 2021 Outbreak and Disease Report. Looking at the 2022 numbers, it could rise again and return to pre-pandemic numbers.
Six years ago, the UK voted to leave the EU in a referendum. We often hear stories of lost access to networks such as the Emergency Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) portal and food safety agency heads. But Brexit continues to pose new problems. Northern Ireland’s Protocol, border control delays, resource impacts (recently highlighted by the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland), or retention aimed at removing EU law from UK law by 2023 This date can be extended until 2026, regardless of whether it is a draft EU legislation.
As a quick refresher, Belgium issued a sesame warning from India in September 2020. It was later discovered in additives such as locust bean gum. In Europe, the use of ethylene oxide for disinfecting food is not permitted. National authorities are taking different approaches, including recalls and withdrawals. The European Union has tightened its rules several times to address this issue. The case appears to have come to an end with the removal of the relevant page on his website for the EU Commission, but RASFF’s notice continues. It was the largest food recall operation in her EU history, according to a report by the Alert and Cooperation Network (ACN).
- Large-scale E. coli outbreak in France
Frozen pizza was behind the largest E. coli-HUS outbreak ever seen in France. Nestlé was recently allowed to resume operations at its Buitoni factory in Cordry after halting production in April. A total of 56 confirmed and 2 probable cases developed from mid-January to April, with a median age of 6 years. 50 cases of renal failure, known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), resulted in the death of 2 children. Most illnesses were Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O26:H11, but some his O103:H2 infections were documented. In France, STEC surveillance is based only on his HUS in children under the age of 15, so more people may have gotten sick. The outbreak strain was isolated from pizza sampled at the patient’s home and manufacturing plant. E. coli was also detected in flour used to make pizza. Criminal and civil lawsuits are ongoing.
Salmonella in confectionery is a big theme this year. In multiple countries he infected 450 people, beginning with an outbreak of monophasic Salmonella typhimurium from Kinder chocolate manufactured by Ferrero in Belgium. Children were particularly affected and many were hospitalized. Between December 2021 he June 2022 people got sick. Four cases occurred in Canada and one in the United States. Aaron’s facility was all cleared in September after it closed in April. An investigation by the Luxembourg Public Prosecutor’s Office is ongoing.
In Israel, the Straus Group issued a product recall and closed a factory in April because of salmonella. Nof Hagalil’s factory reopened in his August. Elite products were recalled from the United States, Australia, Europe, and the United Kingdom, with associated illnesses reported in Israel. The estimated cost is about $90 million.
Barry Callebaut also felt the effects of salmonella contamination, even though the chocolates involved did not enter the retail chain. According to the company’s financial results, it cost him $77 million. The Wiese factory in Belgium suspended operations after Tennessee Salmonella was detected in lecithin from a Hungarian supplier in June.
Regarding lecithin, it is also worth mentioning the issue of soy lecithin from India due to possible peanut contamination. impacted. It was thought to be due to cross-contamination during processing. Soy lecithin is used in a variety of foods, including chocolate, cheese, margarine, and salad dressings.
- Cronobacter in powdered milk
The main Cronobacter in the infant formula story comes from the United States and is associated with Abbott Nutrition’s plant in Sturgis, Michigan. Four infants contracted Cronobacter and two died. Abbott says there is no conclusive evidence that the illness was related to any of its products.
In Europe, Cronobacter caused recalls of brands of infant formula in Slovakia and the Czech Republic in November. Affected goat milk formulas were created by Goldim.
Cronobacter was also detected in another formula from another producer in the Czech Republic and sent to Moldova. An early Numil infant formula manufactured by Corinos House was recalled in his June.
In early 2022, batches of KetoCal 3:1 tested positive for Cronobacter after sampling by Australian Customs officials. Danone-owned Nutricia said the affected batches were manufactured in Europe and tested negative before leaving the production plant.
We also found an outbreak of Chronobacter sakazakii in a German hospital in 2021, including four babies and one death.
In early 2022, authorities issued warnings about ecstasy-contaminated champagne in Europe. In Germany, eight people fell ill and one died in February. There were also four diseases in Holland. Bottles of Moët and Chandon Ice Imperial were emptied of champagne, replaced with corks, and filled with pure liquid MDMA, also known as ecstasy. The investigation involved Europol and institutions from France, Italy, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.
- monoethylene glycol is back in the news
The 2020 Cervejaria Backer brewery pollution incident in Brazil had developments linked to 10 deaths, including fines and companies given approval to resume beer sales. Monoethylene glycol made headlines for other reasons.
The toxic substance was used in place of propylene glycol, a permitted additive in pet food. ) was involved. Brazilian authorities have listed five of his suppliers: Tecnoclean Industrial, A and D Quimica, Atias Quimica, Bella Donna and Saber Quimica. Local media reported that at least 15 dogs had died.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the 2022-2030 Food Safety Strategy. One goal is to reduce the global average incidence of foodborne diarrheal diseases by 40% by 2030. The first progress report will be made at the World Health Assembly in 2024.
In early December, the FAO Executive Board endorsed strategic priorities for food safety within the FAO Strategic Framework for 2022-2031. Guidance, policy, and advocacy for policy makers.
Work has also begun to update estimates of the foodborne disease burden published in 2015. The Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG) has issued several calls for support for systematic reviews and other research. A new report is planned for 2025.
Food safety topics abound, including heavy metals, mycotoxins, and pesticide residues. For example, some topics are only mentioned occasionally, such as wild mushroom poisoning, foodborne parasites, and allergens. This year in particular, we have had several issues with tainted alcohol. It has caused illness and death in India, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Uganda, Vietnam and Turkiye. There is much to be done.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)
