Do Less Recalls During COVID-19 Mean Our Food Is Less Safe? No.

In an article from "The Hill", they ask if food is safe during the COVID-19 pandemic because they were not seeing many recalls.  They state, "Recalls, though, were flowing in regularly before February, with five in January, four in December, four in November and three in October."

I am not sure I would call this flowing when you look at the amount of product that is made by thousands of establishments across the country.  And when we look at the type of recalls over the past 6 months, only a few were due to foodborne pathogens.  Most recalls were due to foreign material (often one to three complaints, normally plastic) or allergen-related.

So to assert that our product is less safe because we are not seeing recalls because inspectors are distracted due to COVID-19, that is plain phooey.  As we have tracked recalls over the past decade, we have seen a steady decrease in the serious pathogen-related recalls, and that is because the industry is focused on food safety improvement.  

I would like to have seen one of these quoted academics actually say, 'based on the types recalls we've not seen over the past years, the meat industry has been doing a great job.'  Because it has.

Are people less likely to complain about that piece of plastic in their burrito because they are worried that someone with COVID-19 breathed on the packaging?  Probably.  I will give them that.

https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/493423-usda-under-pressure-as-food-safety-concerns-grow
USDA under pressure as food safety concerns grow
By Alex Gangitano - 04/19/20 06:00 AM EDT

This Week in Mislabeled Product for Week Ending April 25, 2020

Undeclared Suflites in Compot - ROYAL INTERNATIONAL TRADING Inc of Brooklyn, NY is recalling its 500g (17.63oz) packages of "TAINY BOCTOKA DRY FRUITS MIX COMPOT APPLE" because they contain undeclared sulfites. The recall was initiated after routine sampling be New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors and subsequent analysis by Food Laboratory personnel revealed the presence of sulfites in the500g (17.63oz) packages of "TAINY BOCTOKA DRY FRUITS MIX COMPOT APPLE" which were not declared on the label.

Undeclared Sulfites in Juice - Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. is recalling a single production lot of 5.5oz cans of Pink Lite Cranberry Juice Drink (listed below) because it may contain undeclared sulfites, which were erroneously added by a contract manufacturer. Sulfites are a common preservative added to many food products; however, consumers who have sensitivity to sulfites run the risk of allergic reactions if consumed.

Flounder Missing Allergens - Buckhead Meat and Seafood of Houston, Inc., a Sysco Company, is voluntarily recalling a small quantity of frozen Flounder Stuffed with Seafood because its labeling inadvertently did not identify the following allergens in the product: wheat, soy, milk, fish, and eggs.

European Study on Listeria Outbreak Linked to Frozen Vegetables

A piece by the European Food Safety Authority on Listeria issues with blanched and frozen vegetables shows the importance of Listeria control in the post-processing environment. Also shows that the 100/gm level for Listeria may have issues. This comes after a long, ongoing "multi‐country outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes ST6 that caused 53 cases and 10 deaths over the period 2015–2018, was linked in 2018 to frozen vegetables."
We have known both of these items for some time.  With blanched vegetables, we are never sure the consumer is going to properly handle and cook the vegetables.  Therefore, low levels of Listeria can be problematic even if the product will not support growth during frozen storage.

In the US, as part of the Preventive Controls for Human Foods regulation, this is controlled as part of  the Sanitation Preventive Controls if that product is considered ready-to-eat.  And we have a zero-tolerance policy.

European Food Safety Authority
EFSA Journal
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6092
The public health risk posed by Listeria monocytogenes in frozen fruit and vegetables including herbs, blanched during processing

Chipotle Agrees to $25 Million Fine for Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

 As part of the series of foodborne illness outbreaks linked to Chipotle, the company has agreed to pay 25 million fine according to the US Department of Justice.  As part of the agreement, the company "agreed to a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) that will allow it to avoid conviction if it complies with an improved food safety program."

"Chipotle was implicated in at least five foodborne illness outbreaks between 2015 and 2018 connected to restaurants in the Los Angeles area, Boston, Virginia and Ohio. These incidents primarily stemmed from store-level employees’ failure to follow company food safety protocols at company-owned restaurants, including a Chipotle policy requiring the exclusion of employees who were sick or recently had been sick."

Although the company had a substantial loss in stock value along with drop in sales, they have been doing well as of recent.  "Chipotle reported financial results for its fiscal first quarter, clocking a 7.8% increase in revenue, to $1.4 billion, compared with the same period a year ago. Comparable restaurant sales increased 3.3%, even with a 1.4% decrease in the number of transactions, and inspite of a 16.0% decline in comparable restaurant sales in the month of March."

Meatingplace.com
Industry News - AM
https://www.meatingplace.com/Industry/News/Details/91665
Chipotle to pay $25M to settle food safety case
By Lisa M. Keefe on 4/22/2020

CDC MMWR - An Increase in Chemical Contamination Issues Associated with Cleaning Chemicals During COVID-19 Pandemic

There has been a marked increase in the number of chemical contamination issues since March 2020 due to misuse of chemical cleaners and disinfectants due in large part to consumers reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Young children represented a large percentage of the cases.  Bleaches accounted for the largest percentage increase among cleaners whereas nonalcohol disinfectants and hand sanitizers accounted for the largest percentages of the increase among disinfectants.  Inhalation represented the largest percentage increase for exposure routes.

"The daily number of calls to poison centers increased sharply at the beginning of March 2020 for exposures to both cleaners and disinfectants (Figure). The increase in total calls was seen across all age groups; however, exposures among children aged ≤5 years consistently represented a large percentage of total calls in the 3-month study period for each year (range = 39.9%– 47.3%) (Table). Further analysis of the increase in calls from 2019 to 2020 (3,137 for cleaners, 4,591 for disinfectants), showed that among all cleaner categories, bleaches accounted for the largest percentage of the increase (1,949; 62.1%), whereas nonalcohol disinfectants (1,684; 36.7%) and hand sanitizers (1,684; 36.7%) accounted for the largest percentages of the increase among disinfectant categories. Inhalation represented the largest percentage increase from 2019 to 2020 among all exposure routes, with an increase of 35.3% (from 4,713 to 6,379) for all cleaners and an increase of 108.8% (from 569 to 1,188) for all disinfectants.

The two cases used to showcase the issue:

1. "An adult woman heard on the news to clean all recently purchased groceries before consuming them. She filled a sink with a mixture of 10% bleach solution, vinegar, and hot water, and soaked her produce. While cleaning her other groceries, she noted a noxious smell described as “chlorine” in her kitchen. She developed difficulty breathing, coughing, and wheezing, and called 911." 
2. "A preschool-aged child was found unresponsive at home and transported to the ED via ambulance. A 64-ounce bottle of ethanol-based hand sanitizer was found open on the kitchen table. According to her family, she became dizzy after ingesting an unknown amount, fell and hit her head. She vomited while being transported to the ED, where she was poorly responsive. Her blood alcohol level was elevated at 273 mg/dL (most state laws define a limit of 80 mg/dL for driving under the influence); neuroimaging did not indicate traumatic injuries."

Keys:

• Do not mix chemicals
• Follow label instructions
• Keep chemcials out of the reach of children (or adults who don't read instructions).

CDC MMWR

Cleaning and Disinfectant Chemical Exposures and Temporal Associations with COVID-19 — National Poison Data System, United States, January 1, 2020– March 31, 2020

FDA Issues Warning Letters to Three Importers Due to FSVP Issues

FDA issued Warning Letters for non-compliance for the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) to three companies:

• Nassif Wholesale LLC., of Palm Springs, FL did not have a FSVP for Sesame seeds, tahini and Semolina imported from (b)(4).
• Fatima Brothers Inc. located at 5601 56th Dr. Maspeth, NY did not have a FSVP in place for Boiled Rice and Cake rusk.
• Prime Line Distributors Inc., located at 2800 SW 42nd St. Ft. Lauderdale FL did not have a FSVP for  Hazelnut Paste, Gran Padano Cheese and Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/nassif-wholesale-llc-604640-03192020
WARNING LETTER
Nassif Wholesale LLC
MARCS-CMS 604640 — March 19, 2020

FDA Warning Letter - Processor Out of Compliance with Acidified Foods Regulation.

FDA issued a Warning Letter to a New Jersey processor of acidified food and dry food mix products.  The main issue was that they did not file a process with FDA as part of the Acidified Foods regulation.  Specifically, the company must file a process "for heat processing and control of pH, salt, sugar, and preservative level, and source and date of the established process, for each acidified food in each container size, as required by 21 CFR 108.25(c)(2). However, [FDA's] inspection revealed that [the company] failed to file a scheduled process with FDA for [the] firm’s shelf-stable acidified products, including, but not limited to, Garlic in Oil; Hot Sauce; Gravy Booster & Color Sauce; Deluxe Barbecue Sauce; Sweet & Smoky BBQ Sauce; and Ranch, Italian, French, Thousand Island, Russian, Creamy Italian, and Caesar salad dressings."

Along with this, the company did not have validated systems, trained employees in Better Process Control, record keeping, and testing.  They also did not have a Preventive Control plan.

FDA Warning Letter
https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/allied-food-products-inc-606511-04142020
Allied Food Products Inc
MARCS-CMS 606511 — April 14, 2020

This Week in Mislabeled Product for Week Ending April 18, 2020

The Whole Foods Market store located at 7111 E Mayo Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85054 is voluntarily recalling Queso Sauce because it may contain cashews (a tree nut).  The issue was discovered after a customer reported a reaction. One reaction has been reported to date.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/allergy-alert-issued-undeclared-cashews-queso-sauce-sold-single-whole-foods-market-store-phoenix
Allergy Alert Issued for Undeclared Cashews in Queso Sauce Sold at a Single Whole Foods Market Store in Phoenix, Arizona
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  April 16, 2020
FDA Publish Date:  April 16, 2020
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Undeclared cashews
Company Name:  Whole Foods Market
Brand Name:  Whole Foods Market
Product Description:  Queso Sauce

Virginia Company Recalls Butter After Positive Listeria Test

Homestead Creamery Inc of Wirtz, VA, is recalling our unsalted butter because of the potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes,  There have been no reported illnesses.  The potential for contamination was noted after routine testing by Homestead Creamery and revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in our unsalted butter.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/homestead-creamery-recall-unsalted-butter-because-possible-health-risk
Homestead Creamery Recall “Unsalted” Butter Because of Possible Health Risk
Summary
Company Announcement Date: April 01, 2020
FDA Publish Date:  April 17, 2020
Product Type:  Food & Beverages   Butter/Butter Product
Reason for Announcement:  Foodborne Illness Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes
Company Name:  Homestead Creamery Inc.
Brand Name:  Homestead Creamery
Product Description:  Unsalted Butter

Wasted Food - Food Supply Chain Ripple Effects from COVID-19 Pandemic

While many were concerned that there may not be enough food during the pandemic, that has not been the case.  The biggest impact so far has been food going to waste or not being made due to the dramatic loss of sales through the food service sector.  The article from Bloomberg gives a glimpse at how food that would have gone to the food service sector may not get used at all.   Farmers plowing crops under, milk getting dumped, are some examples.

Why?  People normally eat out a lot, and when they eat out, they eat a lot.  The foods they eat are more varied.  At home, people eat less and stick with staples they know how to cook...potatoes for example.  And people waste less at home.  

So items like chicken wings...probably not going to make those at home.  Kids who drank milk at school, are probably not drinking milk at home.  Clam chowder....love it, but never make it at home.

Exotics like mangoes...people are not making mango drinks at home.  Stores are more concerned about carrying the staple food items like potatoes and onions, may decide not to carry mangoes at this time.  The result, mangoes are not getting harvested.

Another issue is packaging such as container size.  Processors who pack primarily or solely for the food service sector cannot simply retool their operation.  If you pack in #10 cans (1 gallon) for food service, well this is not an item for consumers.  And putting a processing line is for 16 oz cans (303 cans) is not possible without a large expenditure of many.

Finally, it is not easy to change distribution channels.  Developing efficient channels can take years.  If you have a field of fruit that you sold to a a processor who made product for the food service trade, you simply can't decide to make process grade crops into consumer-ready items.

Many will say then donate it.  Well for a plant or packing house that supplies the several state to the entire US with product, you can only donate so much to your local food bank.  There is too huge of a cost to distribute that product broadly.  With crops in the field with a limited shelf-life, that task is even more difficult.

On the other side of the chain, you have the food banks who relied to a great degree on the food service sector....not that these 'middlemen' are no longer producing product, that link between the field and the food bank is severed.  And as mentioned, the 'extra made' product in the food service sector that hopefully was making its way to the food banks, drove a lot of volume from the producers - the farms, packers, processors.

 Bloomberg

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/food-makers-get-shot-of-reality-now-that-panic-buying-has-waned/ar-BB12J4SI?ocid=spartanntp_edu
Food Makers Get Shot of Reality Now that Panic Buying Has Waned
Isis Almeida, Mike Dorning and Marvin G. Perez 10 hrs ago

Controlling Aerosols - Pennsylvania Requires Masks for Essential Workers While Working

Pennsylvania issued a directive requiring essential workers to wear masks when working.  The issue for controlling aerosols from those who may have the virus.

"A business that is authorized to maintain in-person operations, other than health care providers, pursuant to the Orders that the Governor and I issued on March 19, 2020, as subsequently amended, shall implement, as applicable, the following social distancing, mitigation, and cleaning protocols:
(10) provide masks for employees to wear during their time at the business, and make it a mandatory requirement to wear masks while on the work site, except to the extent an employee is using break time to eat or drink, in accordance with the guidance from the Department of Health and the CDC. Employers may approve masks obtained or made by employees in accordance with Department of Health guidance;

There are other requirements including cleaning, maintaining limits on people to maintain spacing, etc.

While many may question the need for this.  A study from Western details how aerosols travel through the air.   while the work was done in a chamber, there is recognition that other factors will influence speed and loft.

The study details how a cough puts aerosols into the air.  At peak velocity, aerosols are moving at 1.2 m/sec (4 ft /sec) and 10% of the particles stay suspended after 4 seconds.    So as suggested by the article, a 6 foot physical separation may not be enough in itself.

Click on the article link for viewing aerosol ejection from the mouth.

Pennsylvania Department of Health

file:///C:/Users/mwb124/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/8XX8W1BK/20200415-SOH-worker-safety-order%20(2).pdf

Order of the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health Directing Public Health Safety Measures for Businesses Permitted to Maintain In-person Operations  

 

Two Eastern PA Facilities Rocked by COVID-19

Two Pennsylvania food processing facilities rocked by COVID-19. Cargill's facility in Hazleton and JBS facility in Souderton, PA both closed after numerous cases.

Philadelphia Inquirer
https://www.inquirer.com/business/meat-plants-pennsylvania-cargill-jbs-souderton-covid-20200409.html
Hazleton meat-packaging plant closes with 130 workers testing positive for COVID-19. Union leader at Souderton plant died last Friday.
by Bob Fernandez, Updated: April 9, 2020- 5:07 PM

Cargill Meat Solutions, a 900-worker plant in Hazleton, Pa., that packages meat in plastic for supermarket shelves in Pennsylvania and surrounding states, shut down temporarily on Tuesday as 130 hourly workers have tested positive for COVID-19 and a rash of employees called out sick, a union leader said.

FDA Warning Letter - Bakery with Listeria Issues

FDA issued a warning letter to an Indiana bakery after "investigators found serious violations of the [GMPs and Preventive Controls Regulations]. Additionally, FDA collected environmental samples (i.e., swabs) from various areas in [the] processing facility. FDA laboratory analysis of the environmental swabs found the presence of Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes), a human pathogen, in your facility, including the same strains found during FDA inspections in 2018 and 2016"

The facility was producing croissants, and not that those have a history as a vehicle of Listeria, never the less, the organism had been found in the facility in subsequent inspections as well as the current.  It appears that the cleaning of the facility was not very good, thus allowing the Listeria to persist over time.

https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/cafe-valley-bakery-llc-603875-03182020
WARNING LETTER
Cafe Valley Bakery, LLC
MARCS-CMS 603875 — March 18, 2020

FDA Provides Best Practice for Retail Including Retail at Food Service and Delivery

FDA provided best practices for food workers....many  of which also work for food operations.  There are a lot of good links that cover various topics. 

Included here is also CDC's Interim Guidance for Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19.

https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/best-practices-retail-food-stores-restaurants-and-food-pick-updelivery-services-during-covid-19
Best Practices for Retail Food Stores, Restaurants, and Food Pick-Up/Delivery Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic

FDA is sharing information about best practices to operate retail food stores, restaurants, and associated pick-up and delivery services during the COVID-19 pandemic to safeguard workers and consumers.

FDA Continues to Investigate Enoki Mushrooms as More Enoki Mushrooms from Korea Recalled Due to Listeria

H&C Food Inc. of Brooklyn, NY is recalling 7.05OZ (200G) Enoki mushrooms imported from Green Co. located in Korea, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes,  The recall was the result of FDA evidence of potential contamination of Enoki Mushrooms from Green Co. Ltd. H&C Food Inc. has ceased the distribution of the product as FDA and the company continue their investigation as to what caused the problem.

Clearly an issue with enoki mushrooms from Korea.  This last recall follow two previous recalls last month (Sun Hung Foods and Guan Foods).  To this point, there have been 36 cases with 30 hospitalizations and 4 deaths.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/hc-food-inc-recalls-enoki-mushroom-because-possible-health-risk
H&C Food Inc. Recalls Enoki Mushroom Because of Possible Health Risk
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  April 07, 2020
FDA Publish Date: April 07, 2020
Product Type: Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement: Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes
Company Name: H&C Food Inc.
Brand Name: H&C Food Inc.
Product Description: Enoki mushrooms

FDA and CDC Recommend the Use of Face Coverings for Workers in Retail and Food Production

This change comes about as the understanding of pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic infected people with the virus can spread the virus and this spread can come through simple speech.  From a study out of UC Davis, "Normal speech by individuals who are asymptomatic but infected with coronavirus may produce enough aerosolized particles to transmit the infection.."

State governments such as Pennsylvania also recommend that people wear face coverings when in public venues.

This is not a contradiction, or a flip flop, but rather an understanding of how the situation has changed with a growing number of cases in the US.  As more become infected, this increases the likelihood of asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic people in settings where they can spread the virus through aerosolization.    By wearing a face covering, it reduces the risk that the wearer will spew out significant aerosols.

These are the cloth or homemade masks, not the surgical or N-95 masks which should be reserved for those working in the medical field or other high risk operations.

FDA COVID-19 FAQs
https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/food-safety-and-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19
Should employees in retail food and food production settings wear face coverings to prevent exposure to COVID-19? (Posted April 4, 2020)
On April 3, the CDC released an updated recommendation regarding the use of cloth face coverings to help slow the spread of COVID-19.  CDC recommends the use of simple cloth face coverings as a voluntary public health measure in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies).
For workers on farms, and in food production, processing, and retail settings who do not typically wear masks as part of their jobs, consider the following if you choose to use a cloth face covering to slow the spread of COVID-19:

• Maintain face coverings in accordance with parameters in FDA’s Model Food Code sections 4-801.11 Clean Linens and 4.802.11 Specifications.
• Launder reusable face coverings before each daily use.
• CDC also has additional information on the use of face coverings, including washing instructions and information on how to make homemade face covers.

NOTE:  The cloth face coverings recommended by CDC are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators.  Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.

CDC New Release
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html
Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings, Especially in Areas of Significant Community-Based Transmission

Industry Guidance on Social Distancing Procedures for Food Operations

The Food And Beverage Issue Alliance, a consortium of industry associations, has put together a listing of preventive measures that a company can put in place to achieve social distancing within their operation.  As stated, this guidance  is intended to assist in developing more site-specific plans.  There are some great ideas for consideration within your operation.

Emergency Prevention Measures to Achieve Physical (Social) Distancing in Food Manufacturing Facilities as Related to COVID-19 March 31, 2020 Version 2.11
Preface
In order to manage COVID-19 risks to employees it is critical for food manufacturing facilities to closely review current policies and procedures relative to current knowledge of the risks. The following guidance is based on our current knowledge of the virus and designed to help companies review and amend current policies.

How to Handle COVID-19 Positive Person in a Food Facility - Industry Guidance Updated 4/2/20

A consortium of food related associations have come together  and developed a guidance document for handling a situation where a worker tests positive for COVID-19.  It is important to understand who has come in close contact with the positive person and then handle those individuals.   Product does not need to be put on hold.

Other guidance documents for the Food and Beverage Issue Alliance include

• Screening Food Industry Employees for COVID-19 Symptoms or Exposure  3/30/2020 Version 1.0 
• Emergency Prevention Measures to Achieve Physical (Social) Distancing in Food Manufacturing Facilities as Related to COVID-19 March 31, 2020  Version 2.11  

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e7d1107dac60a6b3e3f098d/t/5e8664c27e5db072ad336918/1585865924826/FBIA+COVID19%2BCase+Recommended+Protocols_2April20+Version+4.pdf
Food Industry Recommended Protocols When Employee/Visitor/Customer Tests Positive for COVID-19 As of April 2 , 2020 (Version 4 )

Contents:

I. Background 

II. Steps To Be Taken When An Employee Tests Positive For COVID-19 Or Has Symptoms Associated With COVID-19 

III. Steps To Be Taken When An Employee/Visitor/Customer Is Exposed (In Close Contact) With An Individual Who Is Positive For COVID-19 

IV. Cleaning and Disinfection Guidelines 

V. Disposition of Food

I. Background

Food production facilities, distributors, retailers and wholesalers are part of our nation’s “critical infrastructure” and must remain operational to feed the country. Inconsistent approaches to reacting to an individual, particularly manufacturing personnel, who test positive for COVID-19, have the potential to jeopardize our food system. This document recommends a consistent approach in how a company can continue operations in the event an individual has tested positive or is potentially exposed, given the global COVID-19 pandemic and high transmissibility of this respiratory virus from person to person. This guidance is not intended to replace or supersede federal, state, or local guidance or authority. It highlights key recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on:

Workers Petition PA Fulfillment Center as COVID-19 Cases Increase

An Amazon fulfillment center in Hazlton PA was petitioned by workers after 9 workers in the facility were diagnosed with COVID-19.   The petition aims at a shutdown and deep cleaning.   It is interesting to note that the COVID-19 positive cases in Hazleton spiked to 300 in the last few days, which for a city of 25,000, is very high, roughly 1.2% (as of yesterday, Pennsylvania was about 0.06%).

This where it becomes so important for facilities to manage COVID-19 within the facility.  With a high pressure of positives from the local community, there is increasing risk within the facility of wide-spread infection.

Citizens Voice
https://www.citizensvoice.com/news/workers-say-amazon-must-clean-hazleton-facility-1.2613885
Workers say Amazon must clean Hazleton facility

Pew - A Guide for Conducting a Food Safety Root Cause Analysis

Pew Charitable Trusts published a guide to conduct a root cause analysis.  This type of analysis would be used by a food operation to solve issues that lead to a recall or even a deviation from a CCP/preventive control parameter.  "The guide describes practices for effective RCA that, if used routinely, would help identify lessons learned from food safety failures and ultimately prevent foodborne illnesses. The guide provides approaches and rationales for how stakeholders can prepare for and conduct an RCA, report findings and conclusions, and apply lessons learned to prevent recurrence."

So it is a good reference source for corrective action procedures.

Pew Trusts
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2020/03/a-guide-for-conducting-a-food-safety-root-cause-analysis
A Guide for Conducting a Food Safety Root Cause Analysis
Approaches for investigating contamination incidents and preventing recurrence
REPORT
March 24, 2020
Topics: Food & Drug Safety & U.S. Policy Projects: Safe Food Read time: 53 min

PA Woman Arrested After Coughing on Grocery Food, Store Disposes of Food

In what has become a national story coming from northeastern PA, a woman was arrested after coughing on exposed food in a grocery store and claiming to be sick with COVID-19.  In response, the store ended up disposing of $35,000 worth of groceries.  She was charged with two felony counts of terroristic threats using a biological agent as well counts of criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, and attempted retail theft.

The Hill
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/489981-woman-accused-of-coughing-on-stores-food-jailed-charged-with-terrorist-threats
Woman accused of coughing on store's food jailed, charged with terroristic threats
BY KAELAN DEESE - 03/28/20 11:30 AM EDT

FDA Warning Letter - HACCP Issues for NY Seafood Processor

FDA issued a Warning Letter to a NY seafood processor for issues associated with HACCP compliance for their operation.   The company had four common issues noted.

1) Temperature monitoring of a cooling step did not take worse-case scenario for product characteristics as well as did not have an adequate frequency.

"FDA recommends when selecting samples to consider the variables that affect the rate of cooling and represent “worst case” conditions. This can include overlapped or closely placed units, the position of the units in the tray and on the (b)(4) where heat may be retained (e.g., the units in the center of the trays in the middle of the (b)(4)), and the distribution of cold air in the cooling room. In addition, your listed frequency, “at least every (b)(4),” is inadequate to show that your critical limit of “…no more than (b)(4) of those (b)(4) is above (b)(4)” is not exceeded."

2) The company was missing monitoring records.

"...firm did not have post cooking process cooling monitoring records documenting times and temperatures of products that were cooled after cooking between January 3 and January 14, 2019. Review of your firm's Cooking CCP monitoring records during this period revealed that your firm was manufacturing and cooking fish products during this time."

3) The company did not have corrective action records for certain process deviations. 

"a review of your Post Cooking Process Cooling monitoring records revealed that at least on one occasion products were not cooled below the listed critical limit......Your firm’s response dated December 4, 2019 stated that a corrective action was performed at the time of the deviation even though a record was not created."

4) The firm did not take appropriate corrective action in response to certain deviations.

"...firm’s “Cooking” critical control point monitoring records identified deviations from your temperature critical limit on multiple production days. However, you determined these deviations were the result of the improper use of (b)(4) temperature recording devices by employees. You firm did not perform or document any corrective actions."

FDA Warning Letter

https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/shung-kee-food-co-ltd-598630-03202020
Shung Kee Food Co., Ltd.
MARCS-CMS 598630 — March 20, 2020