Joe Whitworth

Joe Whitworth is a food and beverage trade journalist. Prior to reporting for Food Safety News, he worked for William Reed Business Media since 2012 as Editor of Food Quality News before becoming food safety editor for Food Navigator. Whitworth has moderated sessions at Food Ingredients Europe in 2015 and The Ingredients Show in 2018. Before joining William Reed, he worked on newspapers run by Fairfax Media in Australia. Whitworth graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).

Firm/Organization: Marler Clark LLP, PS

Blogs: Food Safety News

Latest Articles

Food Safety News

Listeria outbreak in Spain linked to meat product; Salmonella warning issued for Mardrid

By Joe Whitworth on August 17, 2019

Spanish authorities have linked an outbreak of Listeria that has affected more than 40 people to a brand of meat. La Consejería de Salud y Familias de la Junta de Andalucía reported those ill lived in Seville and Huelva and became sick in the past three weeks. The agency connected illnesses to the product by interviewing patients. It has a commercial name of “La Mechá” and is made by the company Magrudis, based in Seville.…

Food Safety News

Austria hit by Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria outbreaks

By Joe Whitworth on August 16, 2019

Officials in Austria are investigating three different outbreaks caused by Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) reported the source of the Salmonella outbreak has been identified but the vehicle of infection for the E. coli and Listeria outbreaks are still unknown. In the Salmonella outbreak, 235 people are ill who live in Styria, Lower Austria, Vienna, Burgenland, Tyrol, Carinthia, Upper Austria and Salzburg. The source was found…

Food Safety News

Mixed results for UK Campylobacter rates in chicken

By Joe Whitworth on August 15, 2019

Campylobacter contamination in chickens in the United Kingdom has decreased but it remains high in smaller retailers, independent shops and butchers, according to a Food Standards Agency report. The proportion of fresh whole chicken at retail contaminated with the highest level of Campylobacter spp. has decreased from 2014 but for birds from smaller shops no decline has been seen. The target is to reduce the percentage of chickens produced in U.K. slaughterhouses contaminated with more…

Food Safety News

Germany had almost 900 foodborne outbreaks last year

By Joe Whitworth on August 14, 2019

illustration food poisoning word cloud magnifying glass

Almost 900 suspected foodborne outbreaks were reported in Germany last year including one due to Salmonella with almost 200 ill and another from Listeria that continued into this year with 100 infections. Molecular surveillance plays an important role in detecting outbreaks. A decrease in transmitted data on pathogen typing has made it more difficult to detect outbreaks of E. coli or listeriosis, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). Data comes from the same report…

Food Safety News

EU proposal to strengthen targeted checks at borders under fire from businesses

By Joe Whitworth on August 13, 2019

A number of food trade groups have hit out at how the European Commission plans to strengthen targeted checks at its borders, saying proposals are not risk-based. The International Meat Trade Association (IMTA) and European Livestock and Meat Trades Union (UECBV) were among associations to say requirements were not in line with a risk-based approach. The draft regulation sets procedures at border control posts for authorities to perform intensified official controls on products of animal…

Food Safety News

People ill in UK from rare Salmonella strain in pork from Romania

By Joe Whitworth on August 9, 2019

A Salmonella outbreak in the United Kingdom linked to pork from Romania has sickened 24 people, bringing the total impacted to 32. Eight people from Ireland are also part of the outbreak and five of them needed hospital treatment. The infections from Salmonella Bredeney have been reported from July 2017 to July 2019. In Ireland, one person fell sick in August 2018. The other seven became ill between May 4 and June 3, this year…

Food Safety News

Most issues found with imported products in Czech Republic

By Joe Whitworth on August 7, 2019

A quarter of food products imported into the Czech Republic from a third country were non-compliant last year, according to a report. Inspection results revealed the highest number of violations for foodstuffs imported from third countries at 25.1 percent and those made by producers in the European Union at 16.9 percent. Domestic production had the least violations at 13 percent. Findings come from the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority’s (CAFIA) 2018 annual report.…

Food Safety News

50 sick from Salmonella in England and Wales

By Joe Whitworth on August 6, 2019

Public health officials in England and Wales are investigating the source of a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 50 people. Public Health England (PHE), Public Health Wales (PHW) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are looking into the Salmonella 4,[5],12:b:- outbreak that could be linked to food served at some Indian restaurants. It was identified by routine surveillance that found increased reports of Salmonella serotypes and through analyzing data obtained through whole-genome sequencing…

Food Safety News

DG SANTE audits tuna controls in Italy and Portugal

By Joe Whitworth on August 5, 2019

The European Commission’s unit responsible for policy on food safety and health has published two reports on fishery products from tuna species. DG SANTE auditors went to Italy from Jan. 29 to Feb. 8 this year and Portugal from Oct. 15 to 26, 2018. It covered the fishing, production, processing, distribution and placing on the market — up to and excluding retail — of tuna products. The objective was to assess Italian and Portuguese control…

Food Safety News

Outbreak in Ireland tied to Romanian pork; other countries report illnesses

By Joe Whitworth on August 2, 2019

Eight people are part of a Salmonella outbreak in Ireland linked to pork from Romania. Five of them were admitted to hospitals. Infected people also have been identified in other countries. One person was sickened by Salmonella Bredeney in August 2018. The other seven people fell ill between May 4 and June 3, this year. Those stricken are six adult males and two children who are siblings. There have not been any deaths. Pork product recall…

Joe Whitworth

Listeria outbreak in Spain linked to meat product; Salmonella warning issued for Mardrid

Austria hit by Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria outbreaks

Mixed results for UK Campylobacter rates in chicken

Germany had almost 900 foodborne outbreaks last year

EU proposal to strengthen targeted checks at borders under fire from businesses

People ill in UK from rare Salmonella strain in pork from Romania

Most issues found with imported products in Czech Republic

50 sick from Salmonella in England and Wales

DG SANTE audits tuna controls in Italy and Portugal

Outbreak in Ireland tied to Romanian pork; other countries report illnesses

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