In May 2009, diarrhea and fever developed in 8 persons living in southwestern France one day after they ate a homemade tiramisu prepared with raw eggs. Fecal analysis was performed on samples from 5 of the 8 persons. French investigators also cultured a sample from the tiramisu. In medical laboratories, the isolation was performed by using standard procedures (i.e., use of conventional selective media). Isolation from the food sample was performed as required by the current International Organization for Standardization ISO 6579:2002 (i.e., by 2 selective enrichment media). All cultures yielded S. enterica subsp. enterica 4,5,12:–:–.

An investigation at the suspected layer farm was conducted and showed the presence of 11 nonmotile Salmonella spp. isolates (with the same antigenic formula) in dust and feces collected from laying-hen houses. The layer farm, located in northwestern France, is a major farm that produces >32,000,000 eggs per year. All 17 isolates (5 from humans, 1 from the tiramisu, and 11 from the laying hens) were pan-susceptible to all antimicrobial drugs tested.

The authors conclude in Emerging Infectious Diseases that the nonmotile S. enterica 4,5,12:–:– strain involved in this outbreak has been present in laying hens in France for the past decade. Despite continuous advances in food safety and disease surveillance, control, and prevention, atypical pathogenic Salmonella spp. strains that bypass existing procedures do emerge. Foodborne bacterial infections remain a major public health concern.

This food poisoning outbreak also highlighted the need for a second selective enrichment media for Salmonella spp. detection not based on the motility in complement to the modified semisolid Rappaport-Vassiladis medium recommended as a single medium by the European Directive.

Complete paper available at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/18/1/11-0450_article.htm.

(Translated by the students in FREN3310 Introduction to French to English translation at the University of Queensland)

This is something not seen in the U.S.

Following an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak which sickened up to 10 children in Northern France in June, 2011, three directors, including the president of the French frozen beef patty manufacturer SEB, were detained and questioned, according to information released by the Douai prosecutor’s office on Wednesday.

SEB’s CEO Guy Lamorlette, the director of quality control, and the quality technician were taken into custody on Tuesday morning by Lille Police investigators and the Public Health Department. According to the Prosecutor Eric Vaillant in Douai, the police then began searching the business.

The three directors were released Tuesday at 10 p.m., added the prosecutor, who will decide whether to open a judicial inquiry in the coming days. The three men could be given three years in prison and fined 45,000 euros for involuntary injuries.

At least two other members of SEB’s management will be interviewed on Wednesday, announced the prosecution.

The discount chain Lidl, who represented 60% of SEB’s orders, terminated their contract with the manufacturer in August. Headquartered in Saint-Dizier (Haunte-Marne), SEB has 140 employees and is in receivership.

A preliminary inquiry into involuntary injuries is in the hands of the Douai prosecutor’s office, and nine families have filed complaints.

Since June, around 10 cases of E. coli O157 have been confirmed among children in the North of France, according to the regional health authority (ARS). Several of the children had consumed frozen beef patties manufactured by SEB.

Pig’s ears are apparently used in meals around the world, such as Oreja de Cerdo in Spain (right); in North America, pig’s ears are most often used as dog treats.

Thousands of packages of cooked pigs ears produced in Spain and distributed in southern France have been recalled after testing positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

Our French friend Albert Amgar provided the link to the AFP story, and Amy translated on the way home from New Zealand this morning.

The Roussillon Salaisons company which makes pork products and prepared meals in Perpignan initiated their own recall of the products in question from the concerned stores. In cases where the product had already been sold, it is requesting that people who still have the product not eat it and either destroy it or return it for a refund.

Those who might have eaten the incriminated product and who have symptoms such as fever, with or without headache, are encouraged to consult their doctor and indicate what they have eaten.

Pregnant women must be especially attentive to these symptoms, as should be immune-depressed and elderly people.

The implicated products are 3200 vacuum-packed bags of plain cooked pigs ears and Galician style cooked pigs ears, both from the Régal Catalan brand. They were sold from July 4 in a few dozen Leader Price stores in Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrénées, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur, the company explained.

They come from two imported lots from Spain with the numbers 07072011and a best by date of 5 October 2011, and 27062011, best by date 25 September 2011. Roussillon Salaisons insisted that the products were made by the Spanish firm Carnes Esman and not by Roussillon Salaisons itself. Roussillon Salaison emphasized that it does make certain pork products but in this case it only sold the pigs ears.

Listeria was discovered during a routine test undertaken by a Leader Price store.
Roussillon Salaisons was alerted to the problem Friday and said that they immediately asked all the stores to pull the product from their shelves and to put up a poster to notify consumers. But the health authorities asked that the company additionally alert consumers through the media, the company explained.

 French friend Albert Amgar passes along the unfortunate story of five people in Avignon who were hospitalized this weekend including two in serious condition after being stricken with botulism toxin during a family dinner.

"The evolution of clinical signs may suggest that this is a botulinum toxin infection," the prefecture said in a statement. Although several of the suspected foods were prepared at home, two products that were part of the meals of these people are the subject of analysis, including a green almond tapenade (180 g pot-lot No. 112005) and a sun-dried tomato spread (jar of 180g - Lot No. 112607) for optimal use by date 16/12/12. "Pending the results and as a precaution it is advisable to suspend use of the products from these two lots," according to the prefecture.

"In 2009 , 13 outbreaks of botulism totaling 29 patients were identified. All occurred in the home and the number of patients per household varies from one to six."