Liver

  • Careful with that chicken pate; significant source of campylobacter in UK

    Posted: December 2nd, 2011 - 4:47am by Doug Powell

    Campylobacter is usually number 1 or 2 when it comes to causes of foodborne illness, so I’m having trouble with the lede from the BBC that claims over 90 per cent of cases of campy in the U.K. this year were due to people eating undercooked chicken liver pate, often at weddings.

    The Daily Mirror specifies that 90 per cent of outbreaks of campylobacter at catering venues in 2011 were linked to people eating chicken pate.

    I have no idea what the U.K. Health Protection Agency (HPA) actually said because there is nothing on their website yet, although they apparently analyzed 18 outbreaks of campylobacter in 2011 across England.

    In all, 443 people became unwell and one had to be hospitalised.

    The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has reminded caterers to cook poultry livers to prevent infection.

    Of the 18 outbreaks, 14 occurred in catering venues, and 13 of these were linked to chicken or duck liver pate.

    Seven were linked to wedding receptions at hotels, banqueting venues or public houses and six were associated with catering at other functions such as hotels, clubs and restaurants.

    The HPA found that livers used to make the parfait or pate were undercooked allowing the liver to remain pink in the center.

    The FSA issued updated advice to caterers on the safe handling and cooking of livers twice in 2010, but campylobacter outbreaks associated with the consumption of chicken liver pate have continued to occur.

    Last week, some 80 patrons nibbling on hors d’oeuvres during a fundraiser at the fancy Lowry Hotel in Manchester were sickened with campylobacter linked to the chicken pate.

    Maybe FSA should try different messages using different media, and perhaps evaluate if any of their advisories actually result in fewer sick people.

    PS: The Food Standards Agency subsequently published a statement that says:

    “New figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) reveal that 90% of campylobacter outbreaks at catering venues were linked to undercooked chicken liver pate. Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK.”

    Nice reporting BBC (state-sponsored jazz and bad pop music).

     

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    Campylobacter, Chicken, food safety, liver, Pate, Uk
  • Chicken livers sicken with salmonella

    Posted: November 9th, 2011 - 3:14am by Doug Powell

    In a new twist to the on-going saga of frozen, not-ready-or-ready-to-eat chicken thingies (below, left), broiled chicken liver products that are linked to a cluster of Salmonellosis illnesses in New Jersey and New York, have been recalled.

    No word on how many people are sick.

    The illnesses are linked to the consumption of broiled chicken livers which appear to be ready-to-eat, but are in fact partially cooked and need to be fully cooked before consumption. See, it says so on the label (right). Illnesses are also linked to chopped liver made from this product at retail stores. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg was isolated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Market from samples of broiled chicken livers from the establishment, and chopped chicken livers produced at retail from these livers. These products would have been repackaged and will not bear the original packaging information.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said Schreiber Processing Corporation, a Maspeth, N.Y. establishment, is recalling an undetermined amount of broiled chicken liver products.

    The outbreak strain PFGE pattern does not match another strain of Salmonella Heidelberg associated with ground turkey recalled earlier this year. It is not known at this time if this outbreak strain has any drug resistance, but any finding of drug resistance will be made public by FSIS once it becomes available.

    The products subject to recall include:
    • 10 lb. boxes with two, 5 lb. bags of "Meal Mart Broiled Chicken Liver; Made for Further Thermal Processing"
    • 10 lb. boxes of loose packed "Chicken Liver Broiled"

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    Salmonella  |  0 Comments
    Chicken, food safety, label, liver, salmonella, thingies
  • Know thy suppliers: UK Kosher Deli fined for supplying meat unfit for human consumption

    Posted: October 22nd, 2010 - 1:15pm by Doug Powell

    A kosher food supplier has been ordered to pay £27,000 by the courts for selling a pot of chopped liver containing a potentially deadly bacteria.

    Bosses of Kosher Deli UK Ltd., based on the Claremont Industrial Estate, in Claremont Way, Cricklewood, admitted supplying 1kg of meat contaminated with Listeria to a residential care home in May 2008.

    An investigation into the company, lead by Barnet Council's environmental health team, was launched after an 89-year-old care home resident was diagnosed with listeriosis.

    A judge at Wood Green Crown Court on Monday said serious issues at Kosher Deli had been set out in an audit report by the Meat Hygiene Service, but accepted the offence represented a lapse over a short period of time in a business which had been operating for 74 years.

    Albert Bendahan, managing director of Kosher Deli, said it was “exasperating” that the case was brought based on one allegation from a care home resident, and insisted the family run company took every precaution to ensure food safety was maintained, adding,

    “We continuously test and monitor our products, instruct and train our staff and live up to the requirements and beyond of the Food Standards Agency Guidelines.”

    Try harder.

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    Listeria  |  0 Comments
    Elderly, Kosher Deli, liver, Pot, Uk
  • Raw oysters still risky

    Posted: September 15th, 2010 - 12:25pm by Doug Powell

    September may be a ‘R’ month but the Gulf of Mexico is still warm. I know. We’re still here. So is Vibrio vulnificus.

    The Sarasota Herald Tribune reports the Florida Department of Health is warning heavy drinkers and people with liver damage to avoid eating raw oysters or exposing open wounds to still-warm Gulf and bay waters.

    So far this year, six deaths from Vibrio vulnificus infection have been reported in Florida. The DOH has determined that at least two of the deaths were attributed to raw oyster consumption. Eight wound infections have been reported, but none were fatal.

    Thoroughly cooking oysters — frying, stewing, or roasting them — eliminates harmful bacteria and viruses, says the DOH.
     

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    gulf, liver, oyster, Raw, Risk, Vibrio