Frozen Pizza with Meat Recalled After Listeria Positive Test Results

A California establishment is recalling frozen, supreme-style pizza after the company's testing confirmed Listeria contamination.

While the product is frozen, which would prevent growth, and it has directions for cooking, which if done properly would eliminate the pathogen, one can never know how the product will be handled b the store and prepared by the consumer.  If similar to those sold here, they are sold refrigerated.


USDA News Release
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2017/recall-025-2017-release
News Release
RBR Meat Company, Inc. Recalls Frozen Pizza Product Due to Possible Listeria Contamination
Class I Recall 025-2017
Health Risk: High Mar 15, 2017

Frozen Dinners and Pizza Products Recalled for Potential Contamination with Glass Pieces

Nestle is recalling frozen dinners and pizza products that spinach because that spinach may have had glass pieces.  The products are under the DiGiorno®, Lean Cuisine®, and Stouffer’s® brands.

 

This appears to be a supplier related issue.  Unfortunately, so many national brands were affected.  This is a great example of how a single supplier source of a somewhat minor ingredient can a huge impact. 

   

FDA News Release

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm490200.htm

Nestlé USA Announces Voluntary Recall of a Limited Number of DiGiorno® Pizzas, Lean Cuisine® and Stouffer’s® Products Due to the Potential Presence of Foreign Material

 

Man Requires Surgery After Consuming Pizza Contaminated With Wire Bristles

As reported on the Marler Blog, a man required surgery to remove two small pieces of wire that had become lodged in his intestines, one of them piercing the intestinal wall.  The wire pieces came from a pizza he ate, originating from a wire brush that was used by the pizza shop. 

As sited in the article, investigators inspected the shop and  “Observed a wire brush with food debris between the wires. Wires on the brush were bent and pointing in different directions and did not maintain its original design. Employee stated they had another brush that was used to clean the oven but was discarded last week. Person in charge stated the outside of the oven is cleaned every night and the inside of the oven is cleaned once a month using the brush.”

This is not the first issue involving wire bristles from an overused wire brush.  In another recent case, a man required surgery when a wire bristle was inadvertently consumed via a steak from the grill. (http://pennstatefoodsafety.blogspot.com/2012/05/metal-bristle-from-grill-brush-example.html).

Operations must consider the risks of using metal bristled brushes, and where possible, look for alternatives.  If they are used, care must be taken to ensure that bristles are not shed onto the equipment surface and that those brushes are replaced regularly, certainly if it is expected that the wires can become dislodged.



Wire Brush and Pizza – Not a Good Mix Posted

By Bill Marler on November 13, 2014
http://www.marlerblog.com/legal-cases/wire-brushes-and-pizza-not-a-good-mix/#.VGYOj010yUl

 On the evening of Friday, September 19, 2014 Diane Norman bought pizzas at Domino’s Pizza located at 2800 Milton Way in Milton, Washington. She took the pizzas home for her family to consume. Michael Norman chose two slices of Canadian bacon and pineapple pizza and took a bite of one slice. He swallowed and immediately felt something sharp in his throat. He started to choke and dashed to the sink to drink water to help clear his throat. At this point he felt a sharp tearing at his throat and drank a glass of cranberry juice. His throat felt scratched and to relieve his pain he ate a slice of bread. Although this action eliminated the feeling that food was lodged in his throat, Michael felt a dull pain in his stomach. Since he was no longer felt hungry, he did not eat any more pizza. Diane Norman froze the remaining leftover pizza. Sometime later she examined the frozen pizza slices and found a wire in a piece of the pizza she had saved.

Pizza worker diagnosed with Hepatitis A potentially exposes thousands to the virus

A North Carolina Papa John's foodservice worker was diagnosed with Hepatitis A, this after he worked for about 2 weeks.  During that time, some 2,400 orders were placed (at 4 people per pie, and each order was at least one pie, that could potentially mean about 10,000 people have been exposed).

There is a long delay from the time someone who is exposed with Hepatitis A until they see symptoms.  And in this case, it took even longer from the time he had symptoms until the time he was diagnosed.

This worker had traveled overseas and probably contracted the disease during that trip.

It is important for those who have been exposed to get vaccinated, especially those who are more susceptible.

A few interesting notes form the CDC website.

• Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that results from infection with the Hepatitis A virus. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. Hepatitis A is usually spread when a person ingests fecal matter — even in microscopic amounts — from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by the feces, or stool, of an infected person.
• If you were recently exposed to Hepatitis A virus and have not been vaccinated against Hepatitis A, you might benefit from an injection of either immune globulin or Hepatitis A vaccine. However, the vaccine or immune globulin must be given within the first 2 weeks after exposure to be effective.
• The Hepatitis A virus is extremely hearty. It is able to survive the body’s highly acidic digestive tract and can live outside the body for months. High temperatures, such as boiling or cooking food or liquids for at least 1 minute at 185°F (85°C), kill the virus, although freezing temperatures do not.
• Some people get Hepatitis A and have no symptoms of the disease. Adults are more likely to have symptoms than children.   If symptoms occur, they usually appear anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks after exposure.  Symptoms usually develop over a period of several days. Symptoms usually last less than 2 months, although some people can be ill for as long as 6 months.
• Almost all people who get Hepatitis A recover completely and do not have any lasting liver damage, although they may feel sick for months. Hepatitis A can sometimes cause liver failure and death, although this is rare and occurs more commonly in persons 50 years of age or older and persons with other liver diseases, such as Hepatitis B or C.
• There are no special treatments for Hepatitis A. Most people with Hepatitis A will feel sick for a few months before they begin to feel better. A few people will need to be hospitalized. During this time, doctors usually recommend rest, adequate nutrition, and fluids.  Alcohol [unfortunately] should be avoided.
• Anyone traveling to or working in countries with high rates of Hepatitis A should talk to a health professional about getting vaccinated. Hepatitis A vaccine is highly effective in preventing Hepatitis A virus infection. Protection begins approximately 2 to 4 weeks after the first injection. A second injection results in long-term protection.

Charlotte Observer
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/04/10/4832499/officials-papa-johns-worker-contracted.html#.U0fpe6PD99A

Officials: Mecklenburg Papa John’s worker contracted hepatitis A
By Karen Garloch The Charlotte Observer
Posted: Thursday, Apr. 10, 2014
Modified: Thursday, Apr. 10, 2014

Mecklenburg County health officials are urging customers who ate food from a Papa John’s restaurant in the northeast part of the county from March 28 to April 7 to get a hepatitis A vaccine.

A worker at the restaurant, at 8016 Cambridge Commons Drive, became ill March 24 but wasn’t diagnosed until April 7 after he was hospitalized. The Health Department learned of his illness Wednesday, according to Health Director Dr. Marcus Plescia.