The United Kingdom’s High Court has found a Surrey county petting farm liable for a 2009 E. coli outbreak that sickened 93 people, including 76 children under the age of 10, Smallholder Magazine reports. Several children suffered acute kidney failure and required dialysis following their infections, resulting in some likely experiencing permanent kidney problems. In its defense, Godstone Farm said the UK’s Health Protection Agency and the Tandridge District Council should share responsibility — a claim with which the court disagreed. Petting farms and zoos have been tied to dozens of illness outbreaks in the U.S. and Europe over the past two decades. Nearly all such outbreaks involve pathogens traditionally associated with foodborne illness, including E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Campylobacter. In October 2012, a petting zoo at the Cleveland County Fair in North Carolina caused an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that sickened at least 106 people and killed 2-year-old Gage Lefevers. Children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are especially susceptible to illness from infected animals at petting zoos, where they spread bacteria through fecal bacteria on the ground or in their fur or saliva. In response to that outbreak, Food Safety News published a report on petting zoo outbreaks in November 2012.
The News Desk team at Food Safety News covers breaking developments, regulatory updates, recalls, and key topics shaping food safety today. These articles are produced collaboratively by our editorial staff.
Authorities in Lithuania are investigating two cases of foodborne botulism linked to fish sold at a market.
The State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) conducted an inspection at a market
Parents in Arizona are reporting that their children became infected with E. coli after interaction with animals at the Arizona State Fair petting zoo.
A non-profit group that works
A Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak traced to eggs that sickened more than 100 people has been declared over by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There were 105 confirmed patients
El Eden Import Distributor Corp., a Long Island City, NY, firm, is recalling 264 pounds of potato chip products containing chicharrón (pork cracklings) because they were produced in the Republic
A partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO) and Singapore has been expanded to include risk assessment.
Singapore Food Agency’s (SFA) National Centre for Food Science (NCFS) has been
The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed.
Recent
Made Fresh Salads Inc. of Bay Shore, NY, is recalling all Ready to Eat Deli Style Salads and cream cheese, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria
