Which? tested standard, oranic and free-range whole chickens and chicken portions from Aldi, Asda, The Co-operative, Lidl, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose, taking a total of 193 samples. They found that one in five (18%) of the samples were contaminted with campylobacter, while 14% were contanimated with listeria and 1.5% were contamined with salmonella.

The consumer organisation said that while the results suggest an improvement on the FSA’s findings in 2009 that 65% of fresh chickens were contamined with campylobacter at point of sale, the levels of contamination were still to high to be acceptable.

It pointed to its research last year, which revealed that 82% of the public want better control of campylobacter throughout the supply chain, rather than having to deal with contamination when cooking and handling chicken.

“While the situation is improving, it is still unacceptable that one in five chickens we tested were found to be contaminated with campylobacter,” said Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director.

“We want to see the risk of contamination minimised at every stage of production, because for far too long consumers have been expected to clean up mistakes made earlier in the supply chain.”

The action was based on results of testing that revealed the presence of Campylobacter bacteria in the company's raw cream.

The CDFA states that"consumers are strongly urged to dispose of any product remaining in their refrigerators with code dates of “MAR 27” and earlier, and retailers are to pull those products immediately from their shelves."

The farm had ceased distribution of its products last Monday, March 19, after CDFA "made a preliminary positive finding of campylobacter in raw cream."

While no illness have been definitively linked to the raw milk,  the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is "currently conducting an epidemiological investigation of reported clusters of campylobacter illness where consumption of raw milk products may have occurred."

As of today, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said 78 cases of campylobacter bacteria are connected to unpasteurized milk sold in mid-January by The Family Cow dairy in Chambersburg.

The department says it is the largest foodborne outbreak related to raw milk in the state.

Of the cases, 68 people were sickened in Pennsylvania, five in Maryland, two in New Jersey and three in West Virginia. At least nine people were hospitalized, state Department of Health spokeswoman Holli Senior said.

Jerry Dell Farm Unpasteurized, Raw Milk September 2011 – 2 Ill.  At least two people became ill due to Campylobacteriosis after drinking raw milk. Jerry Dell Farm in Freeville, New York had produced the milk. The farm had an agricultural permit to sell raw milk at the farm. The milk was confirmed to be contaminated with Campylobacter.

Matanuska-Suisitna Valley Cow Share Program Raw Milk May 2011 – 18 Ill.  An outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni was linked to the consumption of raw milk obtained through a cow share program in southeast Alaska. In Alaska, regulations did not allow the sale of raw milk; however owning shares of a cow to obtain milk was permissible. Campylobacter was not isolated from milk, but was isolated from manure samples collected at the dairy farm. Coincidentally Listeria was isolated, but no human illness had been attributed to this pathogen.

County Health Officer Dr. Karen Furst said there were almost 100 more cases reported in 2010 compared with 2009 — 233 vs. 135 — and the rise that began last summer is continuing into this year.

San Joaquin County Public Health Services conducted a study to look for a common source and specimens were sent to the California Department of Public Health Laboratory for more specific DNA identification.

No common source of exposure was discovered.

Read more: http://www.modbee.com/2011/05/19/1696316/digestive-disorder-on-the-rise.html#ixzz1MxeDZtvt

The improved standards, effective in July 2011, will assist establishments slaughtering chickens and turkeys to reduce pathogens such as salmonella and campylobacter in their products. In two years, the new standards are estimated to prevent about 5,000 campylobacter illnesses and about 20,000 salmonella illnesses each year.

Local health officials found evidence of the campylobacter bug on chicken cartons, which can induce vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.

The food safety team at Birmingham council surveyed 20 supermarkets, convenience stores and butcher's shops across the city. They found that eight were contaminated on the outside of the packet.

They also found seven chickens were contaminated inside the wrapping, while one tested positive for salmonella. There was no link between those infected inside and outside the packaging. Both types of bacteria are dealt with by thorough cooking and hand washing. 

Read more

At least seven people in Central New York became ill with the bacterial infection Campylobacter after eating at Hinerwadel’s Sept. 15, according to the Onondaga County Health Department. The infection can cause diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. People who become ill from the infection can have symptoms for up to two weeks.

The incubation period for the infection can be as long as 10 days. Dr. Cynthia Morrow, the county’s health commissioner, said she anticipates the number of people ill associated with the outbreak will grow.

The Health Department said there is no indication of improper food handling at Hinerwadels. The department said it is working to determine the source of the infection.

The Health Department is asking anyone who ate at Hinerwadel's on or after Sept. 15 and who became ill to call the department at 435-6607.

More than 200 people got sick at Hinerwadel’s in 2008 from the same infection. Raw mahogany clams were suspected as the source of that outbreak.

Information collected about the cases "strongly suggests that exposure occurred at the Campfire Lodge Resort," according to the statement. At least 70 more cases are considered "probable."  Along with county health agents and DPHHS, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and Madison County Health Department are involved in the probe.

Camplobacteriosis symptoms include diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and sometimes fever within two to five days of exposure, according to the statement. The illness typically lasts one week. Indirect transmission of the bacteria through consumption of contaminated food or water is the most common vector of infection.

Anyone with questions or concerns should talk to their doctor or the health department at 582-3100.

“Right now, we’re waiting for confirmed lab results” from the people who became sick and from the dairy at 7577 N. 107th St., Alden said, to determine whether the illnesses are linked to goat milk from the dairy.  “We can say that everyone who has reported illness also reported drinking raw milk from Billy Goat Dairy,” Alden said.

Two children were examined at The Children’s Hospital in Aurora after becoming ill. Alden said Friday that one is still hospitalized and remains in serious condition with hemolytic uremic syndrome.

"We're thinking that the outbreak is decreasing out there," said Joy Holbrook, a nurse epidemiologist with the department. "It has been several days since we've had any new cases from Saratoga Springs."

Though Holbrook said she couldn't predict when the outbreak would end, "the pattern would show that if it's continuing to decline, that it will just go away, and that's what we're hoping for."  Some Saratoga Springs residents are still reporting illness. Because the health department only receives cases of Campylobacter confirmed in a laboratory, Holbrook said there "may be some people who are sick that we are not aware of, who have not been tested."

Health department officials still are looking for the source of the contamination, which is responsible for 21 confirmed cases of Campylobacter and more than 300 probable cases. Holbrook said the small trace of organisms required to cause sickness and infection can be difficult to detect.

Individuals are considered "Confirmed Cases" of this outbreak if they lived and/or visited the area since April 12th, have had symptoms consistent with campylobacter (diarrhea, vomiting) after April 13th, and have a laboratory test confirming campylobacter. Individuals are "Probable Cases" is they have all the above except the lab confirmation.

As of May 20th, the UCHD has reported 17 confirmed cases and 333 probable cases in connection with this outbreak. The UCHD is continuing the investigation, as well as notifying physicians of the outbreak and making recommendations for residents. The UCHD continues to be concerned about secondary infections, and would advise precaution for anyone who is or has been sick in the last 10 days (see link below).

If you believe you or your family members have been effected by this outbreak, please contact the UCHD Office of Epidemiology at 801-851-7037 or by emailing uchlth.lisag@state.ut.us.

The Utah Department of Health announced Monday it has suspended the dairy’s permit to sell unpasteurized milk due to the outbreak. Nine individuals in Weber, Davis and Cache counties, all of whom have since recovered, were diagnosed with Campylobacter after drinking raw milk from the farm during the outbreak.

The farm stopped selling raw milk after learning one person became sick, and may permanently halt unpasteurized milk sales altogether, Bob Ropelato, co-owner of Ropelato Dairy said to The Standard-Examiner.

Campylobacteriosis can spread through contaminated food and water, and may cause vomiting, cramping, abdominal pain, fever and muscle pain. In rare cases some people can develop arthritis or Guillain-Barré syndrome, which can cause paralysis.

Nurses with mercy also say Campylobacter infection is causing people troubles right now.
The infectious disease is caused by a bacterium and is one of the most common causes of diarrhea in the U.S. Most cases are associated with handling raw poultry or eating raw or undercooked poultry meat.

The FDA is collaborating with the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH), the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health and the Indiana State Health Department, to investigate the outbreak. MDCH reports that, as of March 24, 2010, it received reports of 12 confirmed cases of illness from Campylobacter infections in consumers who drank raw milk. The raw milk originated from Forest Grove Dairy in Middlebury, Ind.

The Pennsylvania departments of Agriculture and Health today advised consumers who purchased raw milk from Pasture Maid Creamery in New Castle, Lawrence County, to discard the product immediately because of potential bacterial contamination.

A Department of Agriculture lab found the Campylobacter bacteria in a recent milk sample taken from the dairy as part of a human illness investigation.

Pasture Maid Creamery, owned and operated by Adam Dean, sells directly to consumers who sometimes provide their own bottles. The business is not related to Dean's Dairy in Sharpsville, Mercer County, which produces pasteurized milk for sale in supermarkets. The Agriculture Department recommended that Mr. Dean stop selling raw milk for human consumption. The dairy is providing additional raw milk samples to be tested for bacterial pathogens to determine subsequent action.

The state Health Department received 5 reports of Campylobacter enteritis, from people who have also consumed raw unpasteurized milk purchased from Willow Marsh Farm.

Campylobacter is a bacterial infection that can cause diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, headache, and muscle pain. The illness usually occurs two to five days after ingestion and generally lasts for seven to ten days.

Anyone who purchased milk from Willow Marsh Farm and still has the product should discard it immediately. Individuals experiencing gastrointestinal illness symptoms after consuming milk purchased from Willow Marsh Farm should contact their health care provider.

The farm has voluntarily suspended milk sales since it was first notified of the reported illnesses on January 22.

Preliminary tests concluded today at the New York State Food Laboratory found that raw unpasteurized milk produced at Willow Marsh Farm and collected on January 25 may be contaminated with Campylobacter. Final test results will be available in the coming week. If the raw milk sample is confirmed positive for Campylobacter, the producer will be prohibited from selling raw milk until subsequent sampling indicates that the product is free of pathogens.

Willow Marsh Farm holds a Department of Agriculture permit to legally sell raw milk at the farm. Routine samples are taken monthly and tested by the state Agriculture and Markets Department to determine whether the raw milk is free of pathogens.

Raw milk does not provide the protection of pasteurization, which eliminates all pathogenic bacteria, including Campylobacter. Producers who sell raw milk to consumers must have a permit from the Department of Agriculture and must sell directly to consumers on the farm where the milk is produced. These producers must also post a notice at the point of sale indicating that raw milk does not provide the protection of pasteurization. Farms with permits to sell raw milk are inspected monthly by the Department.

Among the findings:

1.  Campylobacter was in 62 percent of the chickens, salmonella was in 14 percent, and both bacteria were in 9 percent. Only 34 percent of the birds were clear of both pathogens. That's double the percentage of clean birds we found in our 2007 report but far less than the 51 percent in our 2003 report.

2.  Among the cleanest overall were air-chilled broilers. About 40 percent harbored one or both pathogens. Eight Bell & Evans organic broilers, which are air chilled, were free of both, but our sample was too small to determine that all Bell & Evans broilers would be.

3.  Store-brand organic chickens had no salmonella at all, showing that it's possible for chicken to arrive in stores without that bacterium riding along. But as our tests showed, banishing one bug doesn't mean banishing both: 57 percent of those birds harbored campylobacter.

4.  The cleanest name-brand chickens were Perdue's: 56 percent were free of both pathogens. This is the first time since we began testing chicken that one major brand has fared significantly better than others across the board.

5.  Most contaminated were Tyson and Foster Farms chickens. More than 80 percent tested positive for one or both pathogens.

6.  Among all brands and types of broilers tested, 68 percent of the salmonella and 60 percent of the campylobacter organisms we analyzed showed resistance to one or more antibiotics.

This video is also worth a watch:

Nick Grube continues part 2 of a 3 part series. Part 1 ran a few days ago.  The article is a must read for raw milk producers, raw milk drinkers, potential raw milk drinkers, politicians and health department regulators.  A picture too is worth a thousand words:

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is taking the lead for the International Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) in developing standards to combat campylobacter in broiler chickens.

The highly-regarded Codex guidelines are also often used by international bodies, like the World Trade Organization, to settle trade disputes over food safety issues.

New Zealand had the world’s highest rate of campylobacter infection, which can be caused by eating raw or undercooked poultry.

NZFSA’s science director, Steve Hathaway says New Zealand’s cutting-edge research and innovative controls have made huge inroads into decreasing the country’s campylobacter infection rate.

“New Zealand has got a reputation for getting stuck in and really reducing what is a serious health problem world-wide. We have worked closely with the poultry industry over the past three years to research and develop campylobacter controls and other countries see there is a lot to learn from us as their focus on food-borne campylobacter infection increases.”

In 2006, the effects of major food-borne illnesses cost New Zealand $86 million in lost productivity. It was estimated 90 per cent of that cost was due to campylobacter infection. Just two-and-a-half years later, the NZFSA’s campylobacter risk management strategy has made a 50 per cent reduction in cases of campylobacter infection caused by food. The annual saving to society is estimated to be around $36 million.

While New Zealand heads up the Codex work on campylobacter, Sweden will lead parallel guidelines for salmonella. When the combined international standard is completed, countries belonging to Codex will be able to use the guidelines and examples to control the effects of both bacteria in their own poultry industries.

The guidelines are expected to be finalised next year after the CCFH meets in November.