Bacillus Cereus Concerns Prompt Precautionary Recall Of Canned Slim-Fast Products

Posted on December 4, 2009 by Shawn Stevens

According to the FDA, Unilever has announced a precautionary and voluntary nationwide recall of all Slim-Fast® ready-to-drink (RTD) products in cans.

The products affected by the recall are packaged in paperboard cartons containing four, six or 12 steel cans that are 11 FL OZ (325 mL) each. Individual cans are also sold in certain retail outlets. The recall involves all Slim-Fast® RTD products in cans, regardless of flavor, Best-By date, lot code or UPC number. Click on the following link to view a List of Recalled Products.

No other Slim-Fast® products, including Slim-Fast® powdered shakes, meal bars or snack bars, have been affected by the recall.

The recall was initiated after the company conducted quality testing on Slim-Fast® RTD products in cans. Because possible issues involving Bacillus cereus, the company announced, in an abundance of caution, a precautionary recall of all RTD products in cans that are currently in distribution centers, on-shelf or in back rooms in retail outlets or in consumers’ homes. Click on the following link to view a copy of the FDA Recall Release.

It is also important to note that, to date, there have been no reports of any illnesses associated with the consumption of these products. And, although Bacillus cereus in some instances can cause diarrhea and nausea, the possibility of serious illness or other significant health consequences is remote. Nevertheless, the company working to identify and correct any potential processing issues, and plans to resume production once they have been fully addressed and corrected.

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Bacillus Cereus Fact Sheet

Posted on January 16, 2009 by Shawn Stevens

Bacillus cereus, a commonly occurring pathogen which can survive in remarkably hostile conditions, is typically found in soil. Illness associated with B. cereus can occur when heat-resistant B. cereus endospores survive cooking. If the food is then inadequately refrigerated or held for extended periods at improper temperatures the endospores can germinate and multiply. Once the spores germinate, the vegetative cells can multiply and produce illness causing enterotoxins. B. cereus is known to cause two distinctly different types of food-borne illness.

  • The first type of illness, referred to as the Rapid-onset (Emetic) Vomiting-type, is characterized by nausea and vomiting. The incubation period ranges from 1 to 6 hours. Both the symptomology and incubation period mirror those of Staphylococcus aureus.
  • The second type of illness, generally referred to as the Slow-onset Diarrheal-type, is characterized by diarrhea and abdominal pain. The diarrheal-type illness has an incubation period ranging from 6 to 24 hours. The symptoms include watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps and pain. This type generally mimics the symptoms of Clostridium perfringens.

Regardless of type, symptoms typically persist for less than 24 hours. Generally, gastroenteritis symptoms from B. cereus resolve by themselves. In very rare cases, however, some degree of medical intervention may be required.

The diarrheal-type food poisoning has been associated with a wide variety of foods, including meat and vegetable dishes, sauces, pastas, desserts and dairy products. In turn, the vomiting-type outbreaks have typically been associated with rice products. Other starchy foods such as potato, pasta and cheese have also been implicated. Some outbreaks may ultimately go unreported because of the similarities between B. cereus, Staphylococcus aureus intoxication (B. cereus vomiting-type) and C. perfringens food poisoning (B. cereus diarrheal-type).

B. cereus and B. anthracis may pose a higher risk to those working in food preparation areas and slaughterhouses. While intact tissues and meat from animals are sterile, once slaughtered, the potential for contamination emerges.

The presence of large numbers of B. cereus (greater than 10^6 organisms /g) in a food can be indicative of active growth and proliferation of the organism. Confirmation of B. cereus as the etiologic agent in a food-borne illness outbreak requires, at the very least: (1) isolation of strains of the same serotype from the suspect food and patient; (2) isolation of large numbers of a B. cereus serotype known to cause food-borne illness from the suspect food and patient, and (3) isolation of B. cereus from suspect foods and determining their enterotoxigenicity by serological (diarrheal toxin) or biological (diarrheal and emetic) tests. According to the FDA, the rapid onset time from consumption to symptoms in the emetic form of the disease, coupled with microbiological evidence, is often sufficient to diagnose this type of food poisoning.

References:

www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap12.html

Schneider et al., "Preventing Foodborne Illness: Bacillus cereus and Bacillus anthracis ". Florida Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida. November, 2004.

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