Packing Nuts....Controlling Salmonella?

Nuts and Salmonella.....over the month of April, there have been a number of recalls involving nuts.  The recalls are due to FDA testing and finding samples positive for Salmonella.  There have been no reported illnesses. 

FDA has a concern about salmonella in nuts, so companies packing nuts need to have controls in place or better be ready to use that recall plan.

FDA Recall Notices

Waymouth Farms, Inc. Recalls Raw Pine Nuts Because of Possible Health Risk - April 27, 2015 – New Hope, MN – Waymouth Farms, Inc. of New Hope, MN is recalling RAW PINE NUTS in various sizes, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella....
The potential for contamination was noted after routine testing by the FDA revealed the presence of Salmonella in a 4 ounce package.
Production of the Pine Nuts has been suspended while Waymouth Farms, Inc. continues their investigation as to the source of the problem.

Pasta Salad Recalled Due to Use of Recalled Frozen Vegetables

 Hy-Vee is recalling pasta salad due to the fact that they used recalled frozen vegetables in their salad items.  The frozen vegetables are potentially contaminated with Listeria and are part of the Inventure frozen vegetable recall.

Even though it states that the vegetables are to be cooked on the label, this retail store operation appears to be using the product as a fresh ingredient item.  An interesting question is to what agreement was made, if any, on the purchase of these vegetables for a ready-to-eat application.

Ingredients produced for ready-to-eat applications must be produced in a facility that is controlling to a higher level of safety, including strict sanitation and monitoring and the incorporation of high hygiene standards.


FDA Recall Notice
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm444946.htm
Hy-Vee Recalls Summer Fresh Pasta Salad
Hy-Vee pulls pasta salad from stores due to potential threat of Listeria monocytogenes bacteria contamination

Contact:
Consumer:
1-800-772-4098

Media:
Tara Deering-Hansen, Assistant Vice President
tdeering-hansen@hy-vee.com
515-559-5770

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 28, 2015 – West Des Moines, Iowa – On April 27, 2015, Hy-Vee, Inc. issued a recall for Hy-Vee Summer Fresh Pasta Salad that is sold in its stores' kitchen department cold cases and salad bars. The pasta was recalled after Hy-Vee was notified the frozen vegetables used to make the ready-to-eat pasta were potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The frozen vegetables were produced by Inventure Foods, Jefferson, Georgia.

Botulism Outbreak in Ohio Linked to Home Canned Potatoes, Confirmed Cases Now 21

The source of the botulism outbreak at the Ohio church potluck is most likely the home canned potatoes used to make the potato salad.  In this outbreak, the number of confirmed cases of botulism poisoning is now 21.

While potatoes can be safely canned (if done according to the directions provided by the National Center for Home Food Preservation), it is important to use the right potatoes, the right size, and the use of a pressure canner.  While there has been no further information provided at this point related to the canning procedures used or issues seen on other containers processed that may be still in storage, potatoes can become an issue if not done correctly.  First, potatoes are low acid, so a pressure canner must be used.  Second, it is important the type and the size are correct to allow proper heat movement within the jar (convection heating).  If the size is too big or the potatoes break down during processing, the heating parameters within the jar will change, thus affecting the ability of heat to reach the cold spot of the jar. 

Another issue is the use of home canned foods for volunteer events.   Generally,  bringing home canned foods to volunteer events is discouraged.  In Penn State's Volunteer Food Safety Curriculum, Cooking for Crowds, it states in Chapter 4:

As a precaution, never accept any home-canned or home-preserved food [for volunteer events]. Life-threatening foodborne illness can occur from food that has been preserved incorrectly

 The same must be said for using canned foods as an ingredient in dishes that will be brought and served at group functions.  There are no regulations for these volunteer groups and their functions however and so it comes down to the individual groups to require training and to institute policies.

Getting home preservers to follow scientifically developed recipes is not an easy.   Cases like this are reminders that improper canning procedures can lead to deadly consequences.

CBS/AP
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/source-of-deadly-botulism-outbreak-in-ohio-identified/
Source of deadly botulism outbreak in Ohio identified

April 28, 2015, 9:46 AM

LANCASTER, Ohio -- Health officials say the likely source of the botulism outbreak that killed one person and sickened many others at an Ohio church potluck dinner was home-canned potatoes used in a potato salad.

Frozen Vegetables Recalled for Non-Contact Listeria Positive Sample

Greystone Foods is recalling frozen vegetables due to the potential for Listeria.  This recall is connected to the Inventure Foods recall.

The interesting thing about this recall, at least what was written in the FDA Recall Notice (below), is that the Listeria was found on a non-contact surface.  In this section from the notice:

"The potential for contamination was noted after we were informed by our supplier that an area of their facility where the field peas with snaps were blended tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes on a non-food contact surface."

While there is no detail on what 'non-contact surface' was tested, there is no regulatory requirement (FDA Listeria Guidance) to recall based upon a positive finding on a non-contact surface.  Listeria can and often will be found in a facility, but as long as it is in control, more specifically, prevented from getting into food, the risk should be minimal.  Especially for products that have cooking instructions listed on the package. 

This has received a lot of attention in this sector of the industry.  Was it an overly cautious move, or were there other contributing factors?  One may be that many frozen vegetables are being used without cooking, including when used in salad or juice blends.


FDA Recall Notice
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm444548.htm
Greystone Foods, LLC voluntarily recalls Today’s Harvest Field Peas with Snaps, Silver Queen Corn, and Broccoli Florets due to possible health risk.

Contact: Consumer: 1-205-945-9099

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 24, 2015 — Greystone Foods, LLC voluntarily recalls Today’s Harvest Field Peas with Snaps, Silver Queen Corn, and Broccoli Florets with the sell by date 04/21/16 shipped to Publix Supermarkets warehouse in Lakeland, FL warehouse due to possible health risk.

Nylabone Recalls Puppy Treats Due to Positive Salmonella Sample

Nylabone Products is recalling their puppy starter kit due to the fact that sample product, tested by the company, was found to be positive for Salmonella.

Nylabones are those dog treats that seem to last forever.  They come in edible and inedible  (basically plastic) types.  In the Puppy Starter Kit package, there were both the edible and inedible types of bone.  So it can be assumed that the edible one was the one found to be positive for Salmonella. 
Here are the ingredients for the Bacon edible:

Bacon: Wheat starch, glycerin, cellulose, lecithin, potato starch, chicken powder, roast beef flavor, natural bacon flavor, natural flavor, oat fiber, calcium carbonate, soy flour and rosemary oil.
Vitamins: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B-6, Folic Acid, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Biotin, Choline, Inositol and PABA.
Minerals: Calcium Carbonate, Ferrous Carbonate, Magnesium Oxide, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Chloride, Zinc Oxide, Copper Oxide, Manganese Oxide and Sodium Molybdate.

As we have seen with other recalls involving Salmonella in dry product, rarely is the recall  limited to one lot.  Rather, Salmonella as an environmental contaminate, can survive in these dry facilities for long periods of time and thus contaminate product over that period.  As an environmental contaminate,  Salmonella gets onto the product after the process rather than being present in the ingredients and surviving the process.  If this is the case, than other lots should be checked. (If instead, it is a processing issue and Salmonella from the ingredients survived the process, then this means a process deviation was missed).

 

FDA Recall Notice

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm444560.htm
TFH Publications, Inc./Nylabone Products Recalls Puppy Starter Kit Due To Possible Salmonella Health Risk

Contact: Consumer: 1-877-273-7527

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 22, 2015 - TFH Publications, Inc./Nylabone Products, of Neptune, NJ is recalling one lot of its 1.69 oz. package of the Puppy Starter Kit dog chews, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals ingesting the product and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Fruit and Vegetable Juice Blends - Reviewing the Risks and Their Control

Juice blends, the mixing of juice from different fruits and vegetables, are growing in demand. But some processors may not realize there can be a risk of foodborne pathogens if that juice operation does not handle and process the fruits and vegetables properly. This goes for both when serving juice fresh without any processing treatment, or fresh juice receiving a processing treatment that serves to reduce/eliminate pathogenic microorganisms (a 5 log reduction). According to the Food Code, if a processor does not use a microbial reduction process, that product must be labeled as such. (Consumers should know the difference between these two, because the non treated juice does have a higher risk for foodborne illness, especially when that juice is low acid, and/or stored for any time rather than consumed immediately).

Low acid / high pH juices are the result of using a high proportion of low acid produce such vegetables, including spinach or kale, in the blend These low acid juices, as compared to the higher acid juices, are a bigger concern in that they better able to support the growth of pathogenic bacteria if present (as compared to more acidic juices like apple juice.) When these low acid receive a processing treatment, such as those processed by ultraviolet light (UV) or by high pressure processing, Clostridium botulinum is a risk.

What are the concerns related to juice:

Inventure is Recalling Frozen Vegetables and Juice Blends Due to Potential for Listeria Contamination

Inventure's Georgia facility is recalling fresh frozen vegetables and  smoothie kits after the company discovered Listeria in that Georgia processing facility.  There have been no reported illnesses to date.

While Listeria in smoothies can be a risk, specifically since the product is considered ready-to-eat.  The vegetables on the other hand, do have cooking instructions.  However, there is a risk if the consumer undercooks the product or if they use it in the preparation of vegetable juice blends.

The other interesting point is that this action is being taken for positive environmental sample, not a product sample testing positive.  There is no indication as to the location in the environment of the positive sample or whether product was actually tested.  Since two product lines were recalled, either these lines shared the same pieces of equipment, or there were more than one positive samples.