French oysters contaminated by Norovirus

NOROVIRUS
Food-borne viruses represent a major source of contamination for bivalve mollusks, as we are just reminded by the twelth RASFF ALERT for 2015. Oysters from French origin (5 alerts) have been contaminated by Norovirus and Italy and France are the ones who have published those alerts.

Food Ministry and actions at the french level 

DGAL (Direction Générale de l'Alimentation - Food General Administration) has qualified FIVE LABORATORIES in France for testing for norovirus in shellfish. Other labs in Europe offer such analyses to producers, importers and processors to control the viral risk. 

 

RASFF
18 virus alerts have been registered so far for 2015 in the RASFF (rapid Alert System for Food and Feed), 67% concerning mollusks contaminated with norovirus. Oysters and clams were the two produces concerned.

Find out more : French oysters contaminated by Norovirus

ceeram joins bioMérieux

Sécurité alimentaire : un smiley à l'entrée des restaurants ?

Dans le cadre de la Loi d'Avenir de l'Agriculture, la Direction
générale de l'Alimentation (DGAL), qui contrôle la sécurité dans les
assiettes françaises, envisage d'apposer un "smiley", vert ou
rouge, à l'entrée des restaurants. Il
renseignerait les clients sur l'état de l'hygiène d'un établissement.

Le projet de Loi d'avenir de l'Agriculture

Le ministre de l’agriculture, de l’agroalimentaire et de la forêt a
présenté un projet de loi d’avenir pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et
la forêt.
L'agriculture française et les secteurs agroalimentaires et forestiers
doivent relever le défi de la compétitivité pour conserver une place de
premier plan au niveau international, et contribuer au développement
productif de la France.

http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichLoiPreparation.do;jsessionid=2559A3BE1A613580F789267A3BAE30CD.tpdjo17v_1?idDocument=JORFDOLE000028196878&type=general

Transparence des résultats des contrôles sanitaires

Les consommateurs auront désormais accès aux résultats des contrôles
sanitaires effectués dans les cantines, restaurants, ateliers de
transformation de produits alimentaires.

http://www.senat.fr/scrutin-public/2013/scr2013-242.html

Les Français et l’alimentation

La Sécurité des produits alimentaires & les informations données par les étiquettes enregistrent les moins bons scores de satisfaction et la plus forte baisse [Lire page 10]



http://www.tns-sofres.com/sites/default/files/2014.06.30-etiquettes.pdf

Norovirus Transmission between Hands, Gloves, Utensils, and Fresh Produce during Simulated Food Handling

Human noroviruses (HuNoVs), a leading cause of food-borne gastroenteritis worldwide, are easily transferred via ready-to-eat
(RTE) foods, often prepared by infected food handlers.



Norovirus Transmission between Hands, Gloves, Utensils, and Fresh Produce during Simulated Food Handling

Norovirus : are you at risk eating clams?

Just for 2014, Clams from Vietnam have been controled 24 times for the presence of norovirus by the RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food & Feed)

Vietnamese Clams

Hard clams live in marine waters, especially in central Viet Nam. But some bivalves are also found in estuarine tidal flats such as those of the Mekong Delta.

Meretrix lyrata and Production areas

Meretrix lyrata lives in mud flats with sandy or muddy bottoms.
The clams are either concentrated in big estuarine areas or scattered in small coastal sand dunes mixed with mud flats.

The culture of this species has developed in coastal alluvial grounds of Ben Tre, Soc Trang, Tien Giang and Tra Vinh provinces with yields of up to 50 tonnes/ha. 

Vietnam Mekong Delta to Build 30 Wastewater Treatment Plants by 2020

Under the planning on water drainage for major economic zones in the region by 2020, 13 plants for domestic wastewater treatment and 17 ones for industrial wastewater treatment will be built in Can Tho, An Giang, Kien Giang and Ca Mau.


Sources :
- Wageningen UR
- RASFF
- Mekong River Commission
- FAO
- NGO Centre
- The Mekong Delta System: Interdisciplinary Analyses of a River Delta [Fabrice G. Renaud,Claudia Kuenzer]

Scientific Opinion on the risk posed by pathogens in food of non-animal origin. Part 2 (Salmonella and Norovirus in berries)

Scientific Opinion on the risk posed by pathogens in food of non-animal origin. Part 2 (Salmonella and Norovirus in berries) - 3706.pdf

Fast, Economical Detection of Norovirus for Routine Labs

ceeram has launched two new kits for the detection and identification of Norovirus genogroups I and II (NoV GI & NoV GII) from food and environmental samples. With increasing European and international regulations, routine laboratories can now choose all-in-one, ready-to-use tools that combine flexibility and ease-of-use with less false positives whilst offering an excellent price/quality ratio.

World leaders in food virology, specializing in the production of detection and identification kits for emerging and atypical microbial agents, ceeram has expanded its offering with these two new innovative kits for the detection and identification of norovirus genogroups I and II, which are responsible for most gastroenteritis of viral origin. These multiplex real-time RT-PCR detection kits allow routine food and environmental laboratories to identify the presence of these pathogens in one unique standardized test.

Tools for Routine Laboratory Use

With now four different ceeramTools® Norovirus kits (2 simplex, 1 Screening, 1 Duplex), ceeram provides laboratories with the largest specific range dedicated to norovirus detection. High performing and cost-effective, those kits combine fast results with sensitivity, reliability and robustness, with the continuous aim of protecting public health.

Screening Kit – norovirus@ceeramTools™ – Item Number KPNOV

This first-line kit rapidly screens in one well, for the presence of norovirus in food and environmental samples so that the laboratory can determine if a contamination risk exists. Available in September 2014.

Duplex Kit – noroGI-GII@ceeramTools™ – Item Number KNVGIGII

Using just one run in a single well, this kit identifies and quantifies the two norovirus genogroups (GI and GII) potentially present in food and environmental samples. Molecular biology laboratories benefit from significant cost savings and improved efficiency as only one analysis is required for the detection and identification of both parameters. Available in September 2014.


rapidmicrobiology » Fast, Economical Detection of Norovirus for Routine Labs