Warning Letter Issued to Bean Manufacturer for Inadequately Handling Can Seam Issue

Bush Beans was issued a warning letter related to how they handled a can seam issue this past summer.  Although a recall was conducted, FDA cited the plant for not notifying FDA of the issue, minimizing the issue even though a container failure issue could be danger to the public, and failing to take appropriate action regarding in-process rejects.  The issue was that the firm did not take appropriate action to a supplier related can seam issue. Can seam issues for low acid canned foods can result in serious issues such as the potential for Clostridium botulinum.

The warning letter specified two major items:
1.  Failed to promptly report to FDA any instance of spoilage or potential public health significance where any such lot of food had in whole or in part entered distribution, by distributing bean products after a side seam defect was identified by plant personnel and confirmed by the can manufacturer.  The issue was identified as a weld adhesion failure on the side seams.  The company only considered a market withdrawal for cans manufactured on one day identified as having the most can seam defects, but other dates were involved. "The explanation provided to the FDA Investigators was that your Quality Assurance Department identified this as a food quality issue and not a food safety issue."  Additionally, the firm did not conduct any microbiological tests on the questionable lots at the time of the inspection, and, was not able to give assurance that those products would pose no significant health risks to consumers due to potential post-process contamination based on the observed side seam defect.  The firm did not routinely do microbiological analysis of the cooling water, which while not expressly required, it is important to show control.

2.  Failed to perform and record defects of containers, and perform a corrective action when cans were identified as losing their hermetic seal.  Basically, the firm had an inline dud detector to determine which cans had lost vacuum, but the record keeping was poor and there was no follow-up to cans that were rejected.

The Low Acid Canned Food regulations (LACF) are in place for all those who package low acid canned foods where Clostridium botulinum can be an issue. 


https://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2017/ucm578558.htm
September 29, 2017
Warning letter 535494

Imported Canned Olives Recalled Due to 'Quality Issue' that Could Be a Safety Issue

A New York company is recalling canned olives that were manufactured in Spain due to quality issues that could result in a health issue.  While the notice comes short  of saying the issue, a likely reason would be swollen cans.  Swollen cans can be the result of under-processing or storing cans at an elevated temperature (and thus supporting the growth of thermophilic sporeformers that survived the thermal process).

FDA Recall Notice
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm534829.htm
American Roland Food Corp. Initiates A Recall Of Roland® Manzanilla Olives Stuffed With Anchovies Due To Product Quality Issue
For Immediate Release - December 27, 2016

Small Firm Recalls Vegetable Soup Due to Improper Processing

A small Lancaster, PA firm is recalling jars of vegetable soup because it was determined they were not following regulations for processing this type of product.

Vegetable soup is normally a low acid product, (finished equilibrium pH greater than 4.6 and a water activity greater than 0.85).  To make this product, a manufacturer must follow the Low Acid Canned Food Regulations (LACF) which requires that a firm have an established process and that process is filed.  Generally, small firms are limited to canning high acid foods or acidified foods that have a pH of 4.6 or less.    
In this case, the product was close to the pH of 4.6 so perhaps their goal was having an acidified food where the acid portion, perhaps a tomato base and some added acid, was expected to reduce the pH below 4.6.  However, this was not being achieved.  Another important element is that it is the particulates in the soup that must also reach an equilibrium pH of less than 4.6....not just the broth.  (Hard to tell what was actually being measured from the report).

It is important for small firms to understand canning regulations.  This is not the first instance of a company producing low acid foods - whether they did not know the regulations, or the process they used did not achieve the pH they wanted.  This can be an issue with small firms who want to make products for sale at farmers' markets.


FDA Recall Notice
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm496909.htm
Mary's Home Canning Recalls Mary's Home Made Vegetable Soup Because of Possible Health Risk
For Immediate Release
April 15, 2016

Canned tuna recalled due to under-processing issue

Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea 5oz canned tuna are both being recalled due to improper processing. The specific lot codes for each brand were produced in the same facility in Georgia.  The situation may have resulted in under-processing thus leading to spoilage or pathogen growth, namely Clostridium botulinum, the causative agent of botulism.  The issue was discovered during routine inspection.





FDA Recall Notice
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm491206.htm
Tri-Union Seafoods LLC Issues Precautionary, Voluntary Recall on Select 5 oz. Canned Chunk Light Tuna in Oil and 5 oz. Canned Chuck Light Tuna in Water
For Immediate Release
March 17, 2016

Oregon Cannery Documentation Issue Leads to Cascading Recall

 Skipanon Brands, also known as the Oregon Ocean Seafood processing plant, issued a recall for their canned foods due to lack of documentation and possible under-processed products discovered during an FDA audit.  There were no reported illnesses.

The plant, identified on their own website as a micro-cannery, packed product for many other labels. The initial recall on October 9th caused a cascade of recalls by companies who used Skipanon as a co-packer to pack their branded product.
A few things to note"
A co-packer issue can impact a number of brands.  So it important to make sure the company co-packing product is compliant with standards, especially FDA Low Acid Canned Food Regulations.

With the first recall issued on the 9th, it took close to 2 weeks for companies to issue recalls.  Had there been illnesses, this delay could have had resulted in a much bigger disaster, especially if it had been a Clostridium botulinum issue.

The list of recalls follows: