Les jus de fruits ont par le passé déjà été mis en cause dans des éclosions :
•E. coli O157 a contaminé des jus de fruits de la marque Odwalla avec 66 personnes malades en 1996
•Salmonella a contaminé des jus de fruits des marques Orchid Island Juice Company avec 15 personnes malades en 2005
• En 2006, le jus de carottes de Bolthouse Farms a été à l’origine de 6 cas de botulisme dont un décès

Les manipulateurs d’aliments doivent faire attention à ne pas contaminer les produits prêts à être consommés ou les boissons.
Ce que vous pouvez faire :
• Lavez-vous les mains avec du savon et de l’eau potable et séchez-vous les mains avec un essuie-mains en papier avant de manipuler les aliments.
• Quand des aliments sont entreposés dans des glacières ou des réfrigérateurs, conservez les aliments prêts à être consommés couverts afin d’éviter que d’autres aliments comme la viande crue ne puisse couler dessus.
37 personnes malades et 18 personnes hospitalisées sont liés à cette éclosion
Un jus de fruit est la cause qui a probablement rendu malades les visiteurs d'une fête à Winnipeg (Canada) en août 2010. La majorité des malades a été associée à un plateau de spécialités russes qui a été servi à Folklorama, une fête annuelle du patrimoine. Le plateau russe comprenait du bortsch (soupe de betteraves), des boulettes de viande, un plat de riz et du jus de compote. L’origine de la contamination s’est resserrée autour du jus parce que des consommateurs malades ont déclaré avoir mangé à la fois un plat végétarien et non végétarien avec le jus comme seul aliment commun. Le jus de compote a été préparé en ajoutant des pommes non pelées, des myrtilles et des mûres lavées à de l'eau bouillante.
Une fois bouilli pendant cinq à 10 minutes, le jus a été décanté dans les grands seaux en plastique. Le jus est ensuite réfrigéré jusqu'au moment de servir froid.
La contamination après chauffage est probable.
Les fruits ont été lavés et bouillis dans le cadre de la fabrication du jus. Il est probable que le jus ait été contaminé, soit par un membre du personnel ou par une contamination croisée dans le réfrigérateur.
Les autorités sanitaires pensent que la viande de boeuf haché, qui a été également manipulée et préparée sur le site, a été la source la plus probable de la contamination.
Pour plus d’Information, contactez Ben Chapman, benjamin_chapman@ncsu.edu ou Doug Powell, dpowell@ksu.edu
 

Fruit compote may be the most likely culprit which sickened visitors to the Russian pavilion at Folklorama this past August, according to a report published by the Winnipeg Health Region.

The report details the probable cause of the verotoxigenic E-coli and its effect on 37 people who either attended the pavilion or who fell victim to secondary spread of the E. coli bacterium. Only three of the total 40 cases were not linked to the pavilion. In addition, the report offers a number of recommendations designed to reduce the risk of E-coli outbreaks in the future.

According to the "VTEC Outbreak 2010 Report," each person who was treated was interviewed to find the common connection with the pavilion. A study was then undertaken to determine the identity of the specific food item which was contaminated with E-coli, with 33 out of 34 people who attended the pavilion taking part.

Five patients were hospitalized with one case admitted to ICU and seventeen people visited an emergency room. There was one case of hemolytic uremic syndrome. VIP tour group attendees who had not been ill were asked to volunteer to be controls in the study.

The study looked at foods such as borscht, meatballs, a rice dish, and Russian juice (fruit compote). These four items were served together on the "Russian Combination platter." Analysis narrowed down the mostly likely choice to the compote over other sources, partially because the compote was served with both the vegetarian and non-vegetarian platters.

The most plausible source of contamination of the compote juice could have either been from cross-contamination from raw or undercooked ground beef - which is the most common source of E. coli in food products - which was also being handled at the same time in the kitchen or from E. coli contaminated apples used to make the compote.

Interviews with the kitchen staff revealed that most of the food was cooked in a pressure cooker. However, the compote juice was cooked in a separate pot. It was prepared by adding washed, unpeeled apples, blueberries and blackberries to boiling water. The fruit was bought fresh from a supermarket in Winnipeg.

Once boiled for five to 10 minutes, the compote juice was decanted into large 10-litre plastic pails. The boiled compote was then refrigerated until served cold. A new batch of compote was made every day. The only other food item that may have been cooked in the same pot was rice. The fruit was washed before boiling, kitchen staff wore gloves and practiced proper hand washing, and pots were washed and sanitized between use.

I don’t know what Folklorama is in Winnipeg (that’s in Canada) but food served at the Russian pavilion is the suspected source of an E. coli outbreak that has sickened 16 including one confirmed case at emergency rooms between Aug. 1 and Aug. 16.

The Winnipeg Free Press reports the parents of a two-year-old boy who suffered kidney failure want tougher food-handling rules imposed on the fair.

The boy’s mother said tests confirmed the boy had verotoxigenic E. coli and was in acute renal failure. The tot spent two nights in the pediatric intensive care unit and now has a central dialysis line in his neck and hip.

Executive director Ron Gauthier said nothing like this has ever happened before in Folklorama's 41 years and he doesn't know what potential changes the festival could make until the review is complete.