France: Contaminated oysters behind several recent outbreaks

Published Jan 26, 2023

Tridge summary

Recent reports have highlighted outbreaks of norovirus and other pathogens linked to the consumption of oysters, leading to recalls and production area closures in various countries including France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, and Hong Kong. The outbreaks have affected a wide range of people, raising concerns about the safety of shellfish and the health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups. The articles also emphasize the importance of monitoring and regulating the shellfish industry to prevent such incidents. Research in Poland has shown high levels of pathogenic bacteria in raw bivalve mollusks, with the majority of the samples tested positive for Salmonella, Listeria, and Staphylococcus aureus, predominantly from the Netherlands and France. These findings underscore the ongoing challenges in ensuring the safety of shellfish and the need for enhanced surveillance and prevention strategies.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Oysters from different sources have been linked to illnesses in several countries in recent weeks. There have been several product withdrawals and recalls plus the closure of production zones in France due to the detection of norovirus. When announcing the closure of harvesting areas, French authorities reported illnesses but did not say how many and Santé publique France has yet to provide information on cases to Food Safety News. The problem and the impact on producers has been raised in the French Senate with politicians saying 15 production areas have been closed. They asked what measures the government intended to take to support the sector in the current situation and to prevent future seasonal contaminations. Recall notices of some oysters due to norovirus have been published by agencies in Belgium and Luxembourg. Danish situation Two outbreaks in Denmark have been caused by shellfish. The first with 19 people sick involves oysters from France but originating in Ireland. ...

Source: Foodsafetynews