WA Institutional Food Processor Recalls Food After Learning of Water Contamination Issue

A Washington state establishment which manufacturers food for correctional facilities, senior centers, and county jails, is recalling 319, 000 lbs of food after being notified by the local water authority that the well water used to manufacture their products may be contaminated with hazardous chemicals. This contamination issue also affects the local city's drinking water.

The chemicals, Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), originated from the local Air Force base where they were used in fire fighting spray.  While these chemicals are above EPA standards, there are no food safety regulations. The EPA classifies these as emerging contaminants.with a limit of 70 parts per trillion.  The wells were found to have 1100 parts per trillion.  The chemicals do not have an acute affect at this level, but the concern is for cumulative exposure where they can cause liver damage, cancer, among other negative health affects.  

It is important to understand where a facility's water comes from and potential contamination issues, even if it is municipal water and/or well water.  Are the wells in areas where there has been past contamination issues?  What is the depth of the well?  How often is the water monitored and what is it monitored for?

UDSA /FSIS Recall Notice
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2017/recall-053-2017-release
Correctional Industries Airway Heights Food Operations Recalls Frozen Meat and Poultry Products Due to Water Contamination
Class II Recall 053-2017
Health Risk: Low May 20, 2017
En Español

Congressional and Public Affairs Autumn Canaday (202) 720-9113

Press@fsis.usda.gov

WASHINGTON, May 20, 2017 – Correctional Industries Airway Heights Food Operations, an Airway Heights, Wash. establishment, is recalling approximately 319,000 pounds of frozen meat and poultry products due to water contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The products were produced using water that contained chemical levels above what is considered safe to drink.

The meat and poultry items were produced and packed on various dates from April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017. The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels (PDF only)]

• 31-lb. boxes containing “BROWN GRAVY W/BEEF, MASHED POTATOES, PEAS & CARROTS” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 36-lb. boxes containing “CHICKEN ENCHILADA W/ENCHILADA SAUCE, RICE, AND BLACK BEANS” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 25-lb. boxes containing “CHICKEN PATTY WITH RANCHERO SAUCE, RICE AND GREEN BEANS” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 31-lb. boxes containing “CHICKEN PATTY WITH RICE, BBQ SAUCE, AND BEANS” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 27.75-lb. boxes containing “CHILI SAUCE WITH MEAT, RICE AND VEGETABLES” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 30-lb. boxes containing “COUNTRY FRIED CHKN & BEEF PATTY W/GRAVY, MASHED POTATOES & CARROTS” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 22.75-lb. boxes containing “CREAMED GRAVY W/GROUND BEEF ON BISCUIT & O’BRIAN POTATOES” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 26-lb. boxes containing “CREAMY CHICKEN ALFREDO WITH ROTINI AND CORN” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 24-lb. boxes containing “CREAMY CHICKEN CASSEROLE WITH ROTINI AND VEGETABLES” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 29.25-lb. boxes containing “LASAGNA WITH GREEN BEANS” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 28.75-lb. boxes containing “MEAT LOAF PATTY W/MASHED POTATOES, GRAVY & GREEN BEANS” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 29-lb. boxes containing “ORANGE SAUCE W/CHICKEN, RICE, AND VEGETABLES” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 29.25-lb. boxes containing “SALISBURY STEAK W/GRAVY, MASHED POTATOES & VEGETABLES” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 27.5-lb. boxes containing “SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN WITH RICE AND VEGETABLES” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 27.75-lb. boxes containing “TERIYAKI SAUCE WITH CHICKEN, RICE AND VEGETABLES” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 28.75-lb. boxes containing “TURKEY CHILI WITH RICE AND VEGETABLES” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 27.25-lb. boxes containing “VEGETABLE STEW WITH BEEF, RICE AND PEAS” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 27.5-lb. boxes containing “WHITE TURKEY ALA KING W/RICE & PEAS” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 23.5-lb. boxes containing “HALAL CREAMED GRAVY W/GROUND BEEF ON BISCUIT, & POTATOES” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 25-lb. boxes containing “HALAL BEEF GRAVY WITH RICE BLEND, AND VEGETABLES” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 25.5-lb. boxes containing “HALAL BEEF W/MACARONI & CHEESE SAUCE, & GREEN BEANS” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 26.5-lb boxes containing “HALAL GROUND BEEF & VEGETABLES W/RICE, & GREEN BEANS” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 26.25-lb. boxes containing “HALAL CREAMY CHICKEN CASSEROLE W/SEASONED NOODLES & VEGETABLES” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 22-lb. boxes containing “HALAL CHICKEN PATTY W/RICE & RED BEANS, & VEGETABLES” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 25-lb. boxes containing “HALAL CHILI SAUCE FLAVORED W/MEAT, MACARONI, & GREEN BEANS” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 25-lb. boxes containing “HALAL MEAT SAUCE WITH SPAGHETTI, AND CORN” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.
• 24-lb. boxes containing “HALAL SLOPPY JOE BBQ SAUCE WITH BEEF, POTATOES AND VEGETABLES” and “Mfg Date” April 1, 2017 through May 15, 2017.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 40238” or “EST. P-40238” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to institutions in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

The problem was discovered on May 16, 2017 when the city of Airway Heights notified the establishment that the May 8, 2017 water sampling of several wells, which supply the municipal water system, demonstrated chemical contamination. The city of Airway Heights issued an advisory health alert to not drink or use the water for cooking purposes because the water contained elevated levels of fluorinated organic chemicals, Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), above the Environmental Protection Agency Lifetime Health Advisory (HA) levels.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.

Consumers with questions about the recall can contact Michael Cline, industries manager, at (509) 244-4232. Media with questions about the recall can contact Lindsey Konrad, public information officer, at (360) 529-6091.

Spokesman.com
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/may/19/33-airway-heights-area-restaurants-asked-to-keep-c/
33 Airway Heights area restaurants asked to keep city water out of food and beverages

UPDATED: Fri., May 19, 2017, 10:14 p.m.

Health officials have asked some Airway Heights restaurants not to use city well water to wash vegetables and cook food.

The Spokane Regional Health District contacted 33 retail food businesses west of Hayford Road, said Lisa Breen, the food program technical adviser. Those restaurants draw water from two city wells found to contain potentially dangerous chemicals used for decades by nearby Fairchild Air Force Base.

The health district will not enforce the recommendations.

“The onus is put on the operators to be doing what they should be doing,” Breen said.

Restaurants are able to wash dishes with the contaminated water, she said. The recommendations mirror guidance given by the city of Airway Heights on Wednesday.

“We’re not going to ask you to destroy food, but we are going to ask you to carry forward with only using potable water at this point,” Breen said.

Breen said the health district did not contact wholesale food and beverage production facilities because they do not license them.

Sala Thai restaurant owner Pat Smipamorn said he’s been cooking with bottled water. He uses between 50 and 65 gallons a day. He hopes the city of Airway Heights reimburses him for the cost, so he’s saving the receipts.

Barbara Davis, co-owner of Wolffy’s Hamburgers, said she didn’t wait for the health department to contact her. She started throwing away pre-made chili and soups in addition to tossing 500 pounds of ice. Like Smipamorn, she is washing all produce with bottled water and serving canned soda and bottled water.

The hardest part has been storing nearly 650 pounds of fresh ice she ordered from Spokane.

“These are big things of ice,” she said.

Overall, she said it’s been a “doable” adjustment.

She did hear that the Air Force might start providing business owners with bottled water, as it has done for individuals and families. She hopes that is the case.

On Thursday, the Washington Department of Corrections announced in a news release that it has enacted a voluntary recall of all food manufactured by the Airway Heights Corrections Center’s Correctional Industries food production facility.

Elizabeth Coleman, a spokeswoman for the Washington state Department of Health, said the nature of the contamination makes assessing the impact, and formulating an appropriate response, difficult.

“This is a question that at least our state hasn’t faced before,” she said.

The food safety issue is further complicated because the perfluorinated chemicals in question are not regulated by the federal government, meaning there isn’t a clear next step. The Environmental Protection Agency is considering whether or not to regulate the chemicals, Coleman said.

There is some discussion at the state level about whether or not Washington should create its own regulations ahead of the federal government, she said.

“All the actions that are taking place are being taken out of an abundance of caution,” Coleman said.

An added complication is that unlike other chemicals, the perfluorinated chemicals’ negative effects are cumulative, taking years to manifest. They won’t cause an “acute issue right now,” she said.

“It’s not like salmonella or E. coli where we know this is what’s going to happen to you in the next 12 hours,” Coleman said.

Numerous studies have linked the chemicals, which were used in fire-extinguishing foam from 1970 until last year, with an array of health defects, from high cholesterol and thyroid disease to pregnancy-induced hypertension.