California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director Dr. Ron Chapman warned consumers today not to eat Taste of Roux, LLC jarred soups because they may have been improperly produced, making them susceptible to contamination with Clostridium Botulinum. Ingestion of botulism toxin from improperly processed jarred and canned foods may lead to serious illness and death. No illnesses have been linked to any of the affected products at this time.

Taste of Roux, LLC of Valley Village, California is voluntarily recalling the following varieties of jarred soups: Lentil, Black Bean, Tomato, Carrot Ginger, Vegetarian Chili, and Detox. The soups were sold under the Taste of Roux label and packaged in quart and pintglass jars with screw-on metal lids. The product labels do not include any coding or “use by” dates. Photographs of the affected packages can be found HERE.

The recalled soups were only sold at:

• Malibu Farmers Market, 23555 Civic Center Way, Malibu, CA 90265Sundays, beginning on November 20, 2011

• Autry Farmers Market, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027 Saturdays, beginning on May 5, 2012.

Consumers in possession of the recalled products should discard them in the trash. Botulism toxin is odorless and colorless; cooking the soup will not inactivate any toxin that is present.

Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The initial symptoms frequently experienced are double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, and dry or sore throat. Progressive descending paralysis, usually symmetrical, may follow.  Additional symptoms may include slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, inability of the neck muscles to support the head; paralysis of the extremities and respiratory muscles may occur. Infants with botulism appear lethargic, feed poorly, are constipated, have a weak cry, and poor muscle tone. Consumers with any of these symptoms should contact their health care provider.

LA Star Seafood Co. Inc., Los Angeles, CA is recalling Vobla Dry and Vobla Smoked because they have the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause life-threatening illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled.

The sale of improperly eviscerated fish, 5 inches in length or greater, is prohibited because Clostridium botulinum spores are more likely to be concentrated in the viscera than any other portion of the fish. Uneviscerated fish has been linked to outbreaks of botulism poisoning which may pose a potentially life-threatening health hazard. Symptoms of botulism include blurred or double vision, general weakness, poor reflexes, difficulty swallowing and respiratory paralysis which may lead to death. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

The following products are recalled:

Vobla Dry, 20lb bulk boxes, not vacuum packed, no lot numbers or expiration dates.

Vobla Smoked, 20lb bulk boxes, not vacuum packed, no lot numbers or expiration dates.

Products were distributed and sold at: Arbat Store, Utah; European Importing, Russian Import, and M and M Market, Northern California; Golden Farms Market, Karabagh Market, and Tashkent Market, Southern California; Global Importing, Oregon; Solomon’s Groceries and Europa, Colorado.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the salted and cured fish product (fesikh) described below because it may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. Toxins produced by this bacteria may cause botulism, a life-threatening illness.

The affected product, whole fesikh mullet, was sold in clear vacuum-packaged bags of varying count and weight, bearing no code or date information.

This product was sold from Lotus Catering and Fine Food, 1960 Lawrence Ave. E, Toronto, ON, on or before April 17, 2012.

There have been 3 reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

Food contaminated with Clostridium botulinum toxin may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with the toxin may cause nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, headache, double vision, dry throat, respiratory failure and paralysis. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

Two Minnesota companies – Import Foods Wholesale and Seng Ong Wholesale – are recalling various types of imported fish because they may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum spores, which can cause botulism.

In each case, Minnesota Department of Agriculture Laboratory personnel confirmed that the fish were not properly eviscerated prior to processing.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with either company’s products.

The sale of improperly eviscerated fish, 5 inches in length or greater, is prohibited because Clostridium botulinum spores are more likely to be concentrated in the viscera than any other portion of the fish. Uneviscerated fish has been linked to outbreaks of botulism poisoning, which may pose a potentially life-threatening health hazard.

Import Foods Wholesale Inc. of St. Paul, MN is recalling smoked croaker, smoked barracuda, smoked Big Eye and smoked red snapper imported from Guyana.

The Import Foods Wholesale recall is for:

– Smoked croaker in a 10 lb. cardboard box with code 298/11

– Smoked barracuda in a 10 lb. cardboard box with code 0282/011

– Smoked Big Eye in a 10 lb. cardboard box with code 287L10

– Smoked red snapper n a 10 lb. cardboard box with code 298-11

The fish were sold to retail stores in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa.

Consumers who have the recalled fish are advised not to eat it. Return it to the place of purchase.

For more information contact the company at 612-876-5412.

Seng Ong Wholesale of St. Paul, MN is recalling dried mackerel and dried round scad imported from the Philippines.

The Seng Ong Wholesale recall is for:

– Pacific Isles Hasa Hasa Dried Mackerel in 48 oz. cardboard cases with lot numbers 3298 and 0760. This product was sold in Minnesota.

– Pacific Isles Galunggong Dried Round Scad in 48 oz. cardboard cases with lot numbers 3228 and 3168.

This product was sold in Minnesota and South Dakota.

Symptoms of botulism include blurred or double vision, general weakness, poor reflexes, difficulty swallowing and respiratory paralysis, which may lead to death. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

Seng Ong Wholesale, Inc., St. Paul, MN is recalling dried mackerel and dried round scad after it was discovered by the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture Laboratory personnel who confirmed that the product was not properly eviscerated prior to processing due to the presence of gills.

This product may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum spores, which can cause botulism, a serious and potentially fatal food-borne illness.

The sale of improperly eviscerated fish, 5 inches in length or greater, is prohibited because Clostridium botulinum spores. are more likely to be concentrated in the viscera than any other portion of the fish. Uneviscerated fish has been linked to outbreaks of botulism poisoning which may pose a potentially life-threatening health hazard. Symptoms of botulism include blurred or double vision, general weakness, poor reflexes, difficulty swallowing and respiratory paralysis which may lead to death. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

The following products are recalled:

Pacific Isles Hasa Hasa Dried Mackerel in 48 oz. cardboard cases with lot numbers 3298 and 0760 and js a product of the Philippines. This product was sold in Minnesota.

Pacific Isles Galunggong Dried Round Scad in 48 oz. cardboard cases with lot numbers 3228 and 3168 and is a product of the Philippines. This product was sold in Minnesota and South Dakota.

Bad Bug Book – Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins – Second Edition

1. Organism

Clostridium botulinum is an anaerobic, Gram-positive, spore-forming rod that produces a potent neurotoxin. The spores are heat-resistant and can survive in foods that are incorrectly or minimally processed.

Seven types of botulinum are recognized (A, B, C, D, E, F and G), based on the antigenic specificity of the toxin produced by each strain. Types A, B, E and F cause human botulism. (Types C and D cause botulism in animals. Types C and E also cause botulism in birds. No outbreaks of type G have been reported.) Most strains produce only one type of toxin, but strains producing dual toxin types have been reported.

The organism and its spores are widely distributed in nature. They are found in both cultivated and forest soils; bottom sediments of streams, lakes, and coastal waters; in the intestinal tracts of fish and mammals; and in the gills and viscera of crabs and other shellfish.

(Another species of Clostridium, i.e., perfringens, causes foodborne illness, but does not cause botulism. It is addressed in another chapter.)

2. Disease

Overview: Botulism is a serious,
sometimes fatal, disease caused by a potent
neurotoxin formed during growth of C. botulinum. The infection results in flaccid paralysis of muscles, including those of the respiratory tract. Three major types of botulism are known, two of which will be discussed in this chapter: foodborne botulism and infant botulism, which also is foodborne. The third type, wound botulism, is not foodborne and will not be covered extensively in this chapter.

Botulinum toxin causes flaccid paralysis by blocking motor nerve terminals at the neuromuscular junction. The flaccid paralysis progresses symmetrically downward, usually starting with the eyes and face, to the throat, chest, and extremities. When the diaphragm and chest muscles become fully involved, respiration is inhibited and, without intervention, death from asphyxia results.

Foodborne botulism is a severe type of food poisoning caused by ingestion of foods containing the toxin produced by C. botulinum. This type of botulism most often develops after consumption of improperly processed and inadequately cooked home-preserved foods. Home- canned or, occasionally, commercially produced foods have been involved in botulism outbreaks in the United States. Although the incidence of the disease is low, the disease is of considerable concern because of its high mortality rate if not treated immediately and properly.

Infant botulism is a serious illness caused by ingestion of C. botulinum spores that colonize and produce toxin in the intestinal tracts of infants (i.e., intestinal toxemia botulism).

Wound botulism is the rarest form of botulism and is discussed only briefly here, because it does not involve food. It results when C. botulinum colonizes in a wound and produces toxins, which reach other parts of the body via the bloodstream. Whereas foodborne botulism is limited to the amount of toxin ingested, C. botulinum in wounds produce toxin in situ (gas gangrene) until the pathogen is gone.

A fourth, “undetermined” category consists of adult cases in which a food or wound source cannot be identified. It has been suggested that some cases of botulism assigned to this category might result from intestinal colonization in adults, with in vivo production of toxin.

The medical literature suggests the existence of an adult form of botulism similar to infant botulism. In these cases, patients have had surgical alterations of the gastrointestinal tract and/or antibiotic therapy. It is proposed that these procedures may have altered the normal bacterial population of the gut and allowed C. botulinum to colonize the intestinal tract.

Recommended treatment for foodborne botulism includes early administration of botulinum antitoxin, available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and intensive supportive care, including mechanical breathing assistance. An antitoxin for infant botulism (Botulism Immune Globulin Intravenous, abbreviated BIG-IV) also is available and should be administered as early in the illness as possible. Antimicrobial therapy is not recommended, due to concerns about increased toxin release as a result of cell lysis.

• Mortality: The mortality rate is high if treatment is not immediately administered. The disease is generally fatal in 5% to 10% of cases.

• Infective dose: An extremely small amount – a few nanograms – of the toxin can cause illness.

• Onset:
Adult: Usually 18 to 36 hours after ingesting food containing the toxin, although times 
have varied from 4 hours to 8 days. 
Infant: Generally follows a period of normal development.

• Illness / complications: See above.

• Symptoms:

Adult: Initial symptoms may include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. If the disease is not treated, symptoms may progress to paralysis of the arms, legs, trunk, and respiratory muscles.

Early signs of intoxication consist of marked lassitude, weakness and vertigo, usually followed by double vision and progressive difficulty in speaking and swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distention, and constipation may also be common symptoms

Infant: Constipation after a period of normal development is often the first sign of infant botulism. This is followed by flat facial expression; poor feeding (weak sucking); weak cry; decreased movement; trouble swallowing, with excessive drooling; muscle weakness; and breathing problems.

• Duration: Patients with severe cases that involve paralysis of the respiratory muscles may need mechanical ventilation and intensive care for weeks or months.

• Route of entry: Oral, for foodborne infection. (Infection of wounds also occurs).

• Pathway: Clinical presentation develops after a person ingests the pre-formed toxin, or if the organisms grow in the intestines or in wounds, followed by toxin release. The ingested botulinum toxin (an endopeptidase enzyme) blocks peripheral cholinergic neurotransmission at the neuromuscular junction and cholinergic autonomic nervous system. The toxin acts by binding presynaptically to high-affinity recognition sites on the cholinergic nerve terminals and decreasing the release of acetylcholine, causing a neuromuscular blocking effect. (This mechanism laid the foundation for development of the toxin as a therapeutic tool; e.g., when temporary inactivation of specific muscles is needed for therapeutic or cosmetic purposes.) 
C. botulinum produces the toxin as a complex of proteins, among which is the neurotoxic moiety. The toxin is synthesized as a relatively inactive single-chain polypeptide with a molecular weight of ~150 kDa. It becomes an active toxin by selective proteolytic cleavage to yield the heavy and light chains that are linked by a single disulphide bond and non-covalent interactions. The toxin’s light chain is a Zn++-containing endopeptidase that blocks acetylcholine-containing vesicles from fusing with the terminal membrane of the motor neuron, resulting in flaccid muscle paralysis.

3. Frequency

As noted, the incidence of the disease is low, but the mortality rate is high, if the disease is not treated immediately and properly. Some cases of botulism may go undiagnosed because symptoms are transient or mild or are misdiagnosed as Guillain-Barré syndrome.

4. Sources

General info: The types of foods involved in botulism vary according to food preservation and cooking practices. Any food conducive to outgrowth and toxin production can be associated with botulism. This can occur when food processing allows spore survival and the food is not subsequently heated before consumption, to eliminate any live cells.

Almost any type of food that is not very acidic (pH above 4.6) can support growth and toxin production by C. botulinum. Salt concentration from 4% to 5% is needed for inhibition of its spores (especially regarding type E), with a 5% concentration completely inhibiting their growth. Salt concentrations slightly lower than those providing inhibition tend to extend spore outgrowth time at low temperatures.

A variety of foods, such as canned corn, peppers, green beans, soups, beets, asparagus, mushrooms, ripe olives, spinach, tuna fish, chicken and chicken livers, liver pate, luncheon meats, ham, sausage, stuffed eggplant, lobster, and smoked and salted fish have been associated with botulinum toxin.

Infant botulism: Of the various potential environmental sources, such as soil, cistern water, dust, and foods, honey is the one dietary reservoir of C. botulinum spores linked to infant botulism by both laboratory and epidemiologic studies. Honey should not be fed to infants under 12 months of age.

5. Target Populations

All people are believed to be susceptible to botulism.

6. Diagnosis

Although botulism can be diagnosed by clinical symptoms alone, differentiation from other diseases may be difficult. The most direct and effective way to confirm the clinical diagnosis of botulism in the laboratory is to demonstrate the presence of toxin in the serum or feces of the patient or in the food the patient consumed. Currently, the most sensitive and widely used method for detecting toxin is the mouse neutralization test. This test takes 48 hours. Culturing of specimens takes 5 to 7 days.

7. Food Analysis

Since botulism is foodborne and results from ingestion of preformed C. botulinum toxin, determination of the source of an outbreak is based on detection and identification of toxin in the food involved. The most widely accepted method is the injection of extracts of the food into passively immunized mice (mouse neutralization test). The test takes 48 hours. This analysis is followed by culturing all suspect food in an enrichment medium, for detection and isolation of the causative organism.

8. Examples of Outbreaks

See CDC information on surveillance and investigation.

9. Other Resources

• Loci index for genome Clostridium botulinum is available from GenBank.

• CDC’s Emergency Preparedness and Response for Botulism.

Continue Reading Bad Bug Book – Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins – Second Edition – Clostridium botulinum – Botulism

Botulism impairs the body’s nervous system. The symptoms include blurred or double vision, weakness or paralysis, poor reflexes, difficulty swallowing and speaking, and difficulty breathing. Symptoms of foodborne botulism usually occur 12-36 hours after ingestion, but may take several days.

The New York City Health Department is investigating one confirmed and one suspect case of botulism, a rare but serious foodborne illness caused by an extremely potent toxin. Both patients are Chinese-speaking Queens residents and had recently purchased unrefrigerated fresh bulk tofu from the same store in Flushing.

Fish may put consumers at risk of botulism and other food hazards

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in a complaint filed by the Department of Justice, is seeking to stop the processing and distribution of fish products at a California company because of a risk of botulism and other food hazards.

If granted, the permanent injunction against Fujino Enterprises Inc., doing business as Blue Ocean Smokehouse, of Half Moon Bay, Calif., would stop the company from processing and distributing fish and fish products. Blue Ocean’s president Erika Fujino also is named in the government’s complaint.

Blue Ocean processes fresh and smoked fish and fish products including salmon, cod, halibut, Wild King Salmon Candy (a honey-glazed, cold-smoked salmon), hot-smoked tuna, sturgeon and hot-smoked fish cream cheese spreads. Blue Ocean receives fish for processing from outside California, including salmon from Washington state and sturgeon from Oregon.

“This company has ignored warnings by FDA and the California Department of Public Health by continuing to sell seafood that puts consumers’ health at risk,” said Dara A. Corrigan, associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. “We are taking this action, in part, as a result of collaborative enforcement actions with our state partner and as part of our joint efforts to protect the public health.”

The complaint alleges that the company’s fish and fish products are adulterated, because they are processed under conditions that do not comply with the agency’s Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations. HACCP is a science-based system of preventive controls for food safety that is used by commercial seafood processors to identify potential food safety hazards and take steps to keep them from occurring.

The complaint also alleges that Blue Ocean’s fish are adulterated because the conditions under which they are prepared, packed, and held fail to conform to the Current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements for food established to ensure that food is processed in a safe and sanitary manner. An FDA inspection in October 2011 found poor employee sanitation practices and showed that the company’s facility was not maintained in a manner that protected against food contamination.

Blue Ocean’s vacuum-packaged hot and cold smoked fish products may pose a risk for the development of Clostridium botulinum toxin that can cause botulism, a rare but serious illness that may result in paralysis, inhibited respiration, and death. This toxin cannot be removed by cooking or freezing.

Investigators also found Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono) on food-contact and non-food-contact surfaces in the food processing areas of the company’s facility. Listeriosis, the illness caused by L. mono, can cause fatal infections in young children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Pregnant women may suffer miscarriages or stillbirths as a result of the infection.

In addition, Blue Ocean’s tuna products may pose a risk for the development of scombrotoxin (histamine), a toxin that also cannot be removed by cooking or freezing, and that can cause an illness known as scombrotoxin poisoning.

The company’s violations led to its voluntary destruction of almost 1,500 pounds of hot- and cold-smoked fish in October 2011, under the supervision of the FDA and the California Department of Public Health.

The complaint was filed on March 13, 2012, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

No illnesses have been reported to date associated with Blue Ocean’s products

W & C International Import Inc. is recalling “Rely” Sardine Anchovies because the product was found to be un-eviscerated.  The recalled “Rely” Sardine Anchovies were distributed nationwide in 7.0 oz. plastic packages. The “Rely” Sardine Anchovies are a product of China.

The “Rely” Sardine Anchovies were sampled by a New York State Department of Agriculture Food Inspector during inspection. Subsequent analysis of the product by New York State Food Laboratory personnel confirmed that the “Rely” Sardine Anchovies were not properly eviscerated prior to processing.

The sale of un-eviscerated fish is prohibited under New York State Agriculture and Markets regulations because Clostridium Botulinum spores are more likely to be concentrated in the viscera than any other portion of the fish. Uneviscerated fish have been linked to outbreaks of botulium poisioning.

This product may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum spores, which can cause Botulism, a serious and potentially fatal food-borne illness. Symptoms of botulism include blurred or double vision, general weakness, poor reflexes, difficulty in swallowing and respiratory paralysis.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

In December, The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Bos Fish warned the public not to consume certain Bos brand Herring Fillets because the product may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. Toxins produced by this bacteria may cause botulism, a life-threatening illness.

The affected product, Bos brand “Naturally Smoked Herring Fillets – Natural”, was sold refrigerated in various weight packages from Ramaker’s Imports, St. Catharines, ON without a Best Before Date applied to the package. The affected product was sold by Ramaker’s Imports from September 2011 to December 7, 2011.

Consumers who have purchased refrigerated Bos brand “Naturally Smoked Herring Fillets – Natural” from any other retailer without a Best Before Date on the package are also advised not to consume the product.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

Food contaminated with Clostridium botulinum toxin may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with the toxin may cause nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, headache, double vision, dry throat, respiratory failure and paralysis. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

The retailer, Ramaker’s Imports, St. Catharines, ON is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace.