Supplier Issue with Listeria-Test-Positive Produce Items Leads to Numerous Recalls of Meals, Kits, and Salad Bar Items

(List Updated 10/25/17)
FDA Link to associated recalls - https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/MajorProductRecalls/default.htm

A number of recalls have been issued that are related to the recall of packaged vegetables by Mann Packing which originated when the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection agency) tested and found Listeria in retail packages of Mann Packing product.  These recalls are by retailers who purchased the prepared (washed, chopped) salad items to use in meals and kits and on salad bars.

A PA establishment is recalling to-be-cooked chicken meals after the company was notified by the supplier of the broccoli, Mann Packing, used in the dishes may contain Listeria.   While this was a not-ready-to-eat product, and it had validated cooking instructions, and the product was at end of shelf-life, the firm decided to recall out of extreme caution.

Other associated recalls:

• Randalls, Tom Thumb and Albertsons stores in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas only are voluntarily recalling Ready. Chef. Go! seafood meal bags and Cod Fillet Seafood Meal Bags.
• Meijer is announcing a recall of various packaged Meijer brand produce items
• Triple B Corporation of Seattle, Washington is voluntarily recalling salad kits and stir fry mixes 
• Triple B Corporation of Anchorage, Alaska is voluntarily recalling broccoli florette's, stir fry kit, vegie trays w/ cauliflower, and a veggie pack combos
• Whole Foods Market is voluntarily recalling some salads from ten stores in Northern California
• Albertsons, Safeway, Vons and Pak N' Save stores in eight states are voluntarily recalling certain fresh vegetable trays and cups 
• H-E-B announced today that it has issued a voluntary recall for certain H-E-B single-serving  soups made with vegetable products 
• A Portland, Ore. establishment, is issuing a public health alert for ready-to-eat (RTE) kale and broccoli slaw salad with chicken items, produced from Oct. 6, 2017 through Oct. 10, 2017.  A recall was not requested because it is believed that all products are no longer in commerce and are past their “Best by” dates.
• King Soopers said today it has recalled deli broccoli salads and coleslaw that are sold in King Soopers and City Market stores, located in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.  The deli broccoli salads and coleslaw are sold from the service case in the deli department at King Soopers and City Market. King Soopers and City Market have removed these items from store shelves and initiated their customer recall notification system that alerts customers who may have purchased recalled products through register receipt tape messages and phone calls.
• Pacific Coast Fruit Company in Portland, Oregon is voluntarily recalling multiple types of bagged processed salads 
• Paragon Wholesale Foods Corp., of Warrendale, PA, is recalling several lots of 1.7 ounce Broccoli Florets.  The recalled broccoli florets were distributed to multiple schools in the Greater Pittsburgh and Butler, PA areas between 10/9/2017 and 10/16/2017.

USDA Recall Notice
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2017/recall-114-2017-release
Fresh Foods Manufacturing Co. Recalls Chicken Products due to Possible Listeria Contamination 
Class I Recall  114-2017
Health Risk: High  Oct 20, 2017

Minimally Processed (Washed, Chopped, and Bagged) Vegetables Recalled Due to Listeria Positive Test

Mann Packing of Salinas, California is voluntarily recalling minimally processed (washed and chopped) refrigerated vegetable products because they may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes.  The recall is in response to a single positive result found during random sampling by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.  There have been no reported illnesses associated with products.  It covers "best if used by" dates from October 12 to October 20 listed on the front of the packaging.

These items are fresh, washed vegetables to include broccoli, cauliflower, veggie trays, cole slaw and other items.  The bags indicate that items like broccoli or cauliflower can be served raw or cooked.  The product is refrigerated, and if Listeria is present, this pathogen would potentially be able to grow during the shelf-life of that product.

FDA Recall Notice
https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm581389.htm
Mann Packing Recalls Minimally Processed Vegetable Products Because of Possible Health Risk
For Immediate Release
October 19, 2017

Frozen Peas Recalled for Possible Listeria Contamination

Pinnacle Foods is recalling frozen peas for potential Listeria contamination after "testing indicted the presence of Listeria in the retail environment".   Recalls were issued by the Department of Defense, Publix, and possibly other retailers, but nothing has yet been posted on the FDA website.

The fact the contamination was found at retail would indicate that it was not found by the company.  This may be the reason for the delay as the company tries to understand the scope of the recall.  Perhaps their own internal testing has not found anything, which can be certainly possible if the contamination level is low.

More will come on this issue.

Department of Defense News Room
https://www.commissaries.com/our-agency/newsroom/news-releases/birdseye-peas-recalled-due-possible-listeria-contamination
Birdseye Peas recalled due to possible Listeria contamination
October 2, 2017

Papayas Recalled After Tests Positive for Salmonella and New Outbreak

A California produce company is recalling Maradol Papaya after product tested positive for Salmonella.  Testing appears to have been done by FDA. 

This recall comes after a large Salmonella outbreak linked to papaya occurred in August.  This recent recall however, is an example of why it is important to track issues of the same or related product.  it only makes sense that when an outbreak occurs in product, in this case papaya, then the regulatory agencies will be focused on that and similar products.

FDA Recall Notice
https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm575287.htm
Bravo Produce Inc. Recalls Maradol Papaya from Productores Y Exportadores De Carica Papaya De Tecomán Y Costa Alegre SPR of RL and Packed by Frutas Selectas De Tijuana, S. De R.L. De C.V. Because of Possible Health Risk
For Immediate Release
September 10, 2017

Sliced Produce Recalled Due to Listeria

A Florida produce operation is recalling diced produce due to the potential for Listeria.  The product, packed in clear plastic container or in Styrofoam trays overwrapped with clear plastic film, is being recalled as the result of a single routine sample taken at a retail store in Georgia which revealed that the finished product tested contained the bacteria.

The product has already passed its expiration date.  The delay was probably related to sampling / testing / reporting.

In cases like this, the source of contamination often originates in the environment of the slicing and packaging operation.  Slicing/dicing equipment is a primary culprit because of the difficulty cleaning. Packaging machinery is another potential source.

FDA Recall Notice
https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm574624.htm
Country Fresh Orlando LLC, Recalls Product Because of Possible Health Risk
For Immediate Release
September 2, 2017

Salmonella Outbreak Associated with Papayas Increase to 141 Cases

The case count for those impacted by the Salmonella outbreak associated with Maradol papayas continues to increase.  As of 8/11/17, infections have been reported in 19 states with a total of 141 cases with 45 hospitalizations and 1 death.

The Maradol papayas originated from the Carica de Campeche farm in Mexico.  FDA has issued warning for 3 brands - Caribeña, Cavi and Valery brands of Maradol papayas.  Recalls were issued for each of the brands ( Caribeña, Cavi, and Valery ).

FDA has issued an import alert.  (Import Alert 99-35)

Several types of Salmonella bacteria have been isolated, including Salmonella Agona, Salmonella Kiambu, Salmonella Gaminara, Salmonella Thompson, and Salmonella Senftenberg.

Posted 8/11/17

CDC Outbreak Notice
https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/kiambu-07-17/index.html
Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Kiambu and Salmonella Thompson Infections Linked to Imported Maradol Papayas

Papaya's Recalled After Linked to Salmonella Outbreak.

A Maryland distributor, Grande Produce, is recalling Cariberia brand of papaya maradol after it was linked to a Salmonella outbreak where there were 47 cases.   The impacted product was shipped July 10 to July 19, so it is unlikely that any of this perishable produce is still around.

While much of the product was pulled back from the distributors, the company should have issued a public recall.  This recall comes a week after Maryland Dept of Ag first issued a warning.

FDA Recall Notice
https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm568780.htm
Grande Produce Issues Voluntary Recall of Limited Quantity of Papaya “Caribeña” Due to Potential Health Risk
For Immediate Release
July 26, 2017

Salmonella Outbreak Associated with Papayas

FDA and CDC are reporting that 47 have become ill with a particular strain of Salmonella from Cariberia brand Maradol papaya.  According to the FDA report, "The FDA, CDC, MDH and other state and local officials are investigating Salmonella Kiambu and Salmonella Thompson illnesses linked to Caribeña brand Maradol papayas from Mexico distributed by Grande Produce disclaimer icon in San Juan, TX."

FDA Outbreak
https://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Outbreaks/ucm568097.htm
FDA Investigates Multiple Salmonella Outbreak Strains Linked to Papayas

CDC Reports on a 2016 Salmonella Outbreak Related to Peppers

CDC released a report detailing a 2016 Salmonella outbreak related to peppers.  This is the first time this report has been issued.  Investigators had difficulties in determining the type of pepper as well as the source of the pepper.  Because the lack of 'actionable' information, no warning was issued to consumers.

In June 2016, PulseNet identified a cluster of 16 Salmonella Anatum infections with an indistinguishable [unique] pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern from four states.  Thirty-two patients in nine states were identified with illness onsets from May 6–July 9, 2016.  The combined evidence indicated that fresh hot peppers were the likely source of infection; however, a single pepper type or source farm was not identified.  Much of this related to different foods people ate, whether specific peppers were included in salsa recipes, etc.   The only link was related to testing in in April 2016, the same PFGE pattern had been uploaded to PulseNet from an isolate obtained from an Anaheim pepper, a mild to medium hot pepper.

This demonstrates the challenges posed by our food system, especially for produce items like peppers that are used primarily as an ingredient in many different foods, such as salsa.  Cross contamination from the peppers to other items may muddy the investigation.

 
CDC MMWR
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6625a2.htm
Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Anatum Infections Linked to Imported Hot Peppers — United States, May–July 2016
Weekly / June 30, 2017 / 66(25);663–667
Rashida Hassan, MSPH1; Joshua Rounds, MPH2; Alida Sorenson, MPH3; Greg Leos, MPH4; Jeniffer Concepción-Acevedo, PhD1; Taylor Griswold, MS1; Adiam Tesfai, PhD5; Tyann Blessington, PhD5; Cerise Hardy, MPH5; Colin Basler, DVM1 (View author affiliations)

USDA ERS Publishes Food Safety Costs for Produce Operations Complying to Increased Food Safety Standards (LGMA)

The USDA Economic Research Service released a 64 page report on the costs associated with meeting safety standards established by the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA).  The costs with the LGMA should be similar to what will be required by the FSMA Produce Safety Rule.  This is based upon 7 produce operations and was conducted in 2012.

The paper acknowledged that it is difficult to assess the costs, and thus come up with average cost/farm or cost/acre for compliance.  They were able to determine where those costs went on average:

• food safety staff - 38%
• foremen food safety time - 32% 
• audits - 17%
• lost product due to animal intrusion - 11%
• water testing - 2%
• Other costs not uniformly collected included harvest worker training, glove use, raw product testing, and external record keeping management systems.

Estimated costs for foreman (based upon time allocation) ranged from 80,000 to 1,012,000 million.

Firms averaged

Table 3

Range of costs per firm for different food safety practices

                                                                        Range of costs ($) Number of observations  

                                                                        Low                High

Cost per firm:

Total field-level audits                                   27,150            305,430                 6

Raw product testing                                                0              90,000                 6

External record keeping                                          0                8,868                 7

Training                                                          19,900              71,398                 4

Protective clothing                                         12,000              52,000                  5

Total water testing                                           7,000               85,000                  7

Lost product                                                            0             304,000                 7

Equipment cleaning/sanitizing                       21,000             250,000                 4

Hired toilet/handwashing facilities                45,451              130,367                3 

and services

Note: In reporting individual costs per firm, there is a mix of costs for different-sized operations, and also a mix of costs for leafy greens and the whole produce operation. The  combination of firms reporting data for any cost also varies. As a result, the numbers in table 3 cannot be added together to get a low and a high for all costs. Source: USDA, Economic Research Service.

How solid are these costs?  Good question.  They are based upon interviews...so if you ask someone what they are spending on mandated oversight....there may be a tendency to look at worst case scenario. Plus were there savings from improved practices?...hard to say.  I believe these costs increases are there, especially compared to processing facilities that already have much of the infrastructure in place.

Economic Information Bulletin Number 173
https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/83771/eib-173.pdf?v=42893
Food Safety Practices and Costs Under the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement
Linda Calvin, Helen Jensen, Karen Klonsky, and Roberta Cook
June 2017

Club Chef Recalls Produce Items Due to the Potential To Contain Listeria

Club Chef is recalling its snack kits and salad items.     The kits are retail items sold under the Kroger and Club Chef brand.  Club Chef is also recalling onions sold as a part of numerous foodservice items distributed through US Foods.

The recall notice on the  kit items stated that it comes after the company's own internal environmental testing found Listeria in the processing environment.

The US Foods recall impacted our local school district, so it probably impacted a number of foodservice operations across the country.


FDA Recall Notice
https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm562590.htm
Club Chef LLC Announces Recall of Limited Number of Snack Kits
For Immediate Release
June 8, 2017

FDA Delays Compliance Dates for Agricultural Water as Part of FSMA Produce Safety Rule

The FDA announced that it is planning to extend the deadline for compliance to agricultural water standards used in irrigation as part of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule .  Irrigation water can be a source of pathogens, but it is not an easy to control, especially when that water comes from surface waters.  Work done here at Penn State by Luke LaBorde etal (ref below) found that it was hard to make a connection between water standards and pathogen levels.  So testing water to see if it meets standards that may not mean much in terms of the pathogens present.  It is easy to see how environmental factors will constantly change...whether that be the occasional presence of animals, the amount of rainfall, the amount of sunshine, etc.

For more information on irrigation water, visit the Penn State Extension Website -http://extension.psu.edu/food/safety/farm/gaps/safe-uses-of-agricultural-water

Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Updates
FDA Intends to Extend Compliance Dates for Agricultural Water Standards

Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it is exploring ways to simplify the agricultural water standards established by the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) produce safety rule (PSR) after receiving feedback from stakeholders that some of the requirements are too complex to understand and implement.

Packaged Salad Items Recalled Due to Metal Pieces from Construction

A NY based produce company is recalling salad products due to the potential for metal pieces.  The metal was said to be generated from construction activities. 

Many facilities carryout construction activities while they are producing products.  However, it is critical to protect product from contamination.  Metal pieces can easily be shot over wide areas during construction activities such as grinding and wielding.

BrightFarms is an interesting company.   Based in NY, the company is building huge hydroponic greenhouses in various market areas in order to grow produce locally to supply those markets.  [Story below].

FDA Recall Notice
https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm559445.htm
Brightfarms Announces Voluntary Regional Recall of Produce Due to Potential Presence of Metal Pieces From Construction
For Immediate Release
May 18, 2017

Frozen Peas Recalled After Sample Tests Positive for Listeria

A Wisconsin frozen food company is recalling frozen peas after product was tested by the State of Florida and found to contain Listeria.

While we would expect that someone would cook frozen peas, which if done according to instructions, would eliminate Listeria, people may not always do that.  Or they may use them as raw in specific applications such as pea salad or in a smoothie.

FDA Recall Notice
https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/default.htm
Lakeside Foods, Inc. Recalls Season's Choice Frozen Sweet Peas Because of Possible Health RiskFor Immediate Release
April 11, 2017

Annual USDA Pesticide Analysis Report for Produce

Each year USDA releases their Pesticide Data Program report where they release findings of their sampling/testing program for pesticides in produce.  The overwhelming majority of samples were within EPA tolerances.  A very small percentage, 0.53%, had levels above that. 

• In 2015, over 99 percent of the samples tested had residues well below the tolerances established by the EPA with 15 percent having no detectable pesticide residue.
• Residues exceeding the established tolerance were detected in 0.53 percent (54 samples) of the total samples tested (10,187 samples). Of these 54 samples, 18 were imported (33 percent) and 36 were domestic (67 percent).
• The samples containing pesticides that exceeded established tolerances included: 1 sample of fresh cherries, 4 samples of cucumbers, 3 grape samples, 3 samples of green beans, 1 peach sample, 1 pear sample, 8 samples of spinach, 25 samples of strawberries, 2 tomato samples, and 6 samples of watermelon. (Appendix I of the report has the levels).

One of the interesting lines from the study - "Prior to testing, PDP analysts washed samples for 15-20 seconds with gently running cold water as a consumer would do; no chemicals, soap, or any special wash was used."  There has been a lot of discussion around the washing of produce before consumption when that produce item is considered a raw agricultural commodity.  But does the consumer know that as a fact that they should always wash produce before consuming, not only for residual chemicals, but also for microbiological contamination.

 

 USDA - Pesticide Data Program

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/2015PDPAnnualSummary.pdf

Executive Summary

PA Distributor Recalls Frozen Green Beans Due to Listeria

A Pennsylvania distributor of frozen foods is recalling frozen green beans for Listeria.  The recall was issued after their customer, a manufacturing company, tested and found Listeria in the product. It appears that JBL is just a distributor, so there may be a bigger supply chain involved going back to the company that produced and/or packaged the product.  It appears from the expiration date that this product was packed last year, so could be linked to the CRF recall?

FDA Recall Notice
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm515115.htm
JML Ingredients Recalls IQF Cut Green Beans Because Of Possible Health Risk
For Immediate Release
July 22, 2016

Recall Cascade Continues for Frozen Produce, Walnuts, and Sunflower Seed Due to Listeria

The cascade of recalls continues...for Listeria in frozen produce, for Listeria in sunflower seeds, and Listeria in Walnuts.

LISTERIA IN FROZEN PRODUCE

Updated: Ajinomoto Windsor Recall of Products Related to CRF Frozen Vegetable Recallhttp://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm499858.htm
Ajinomoto Windsor, Inc. is voluntarily recalling various Not-Ready-To Eat frozen food items due to the potential for these products to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. This voluntary action is being undertaken in cooperation with the US Food and Drug Administration because the recalled products contain vegetables that are part of the recent CRF Frozen Foods recall.

Updated: Stahlbush Island Farms, Inc. Recalls IQF Green Beans Because of Possible Health Riskhttp://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm499775.htm
Stahlbush Island Farms, Inc. (SIFI) of Corvallis, Ore., is voluntarily recalling 10 oz. Stahlbush® IQF Green Bean retail packages because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

Hy-Vee Voluntarily Recalls Frozen Hy-Vee Vegetable Fried Rice and Frozen Hy-Vee Chicken Fried Rice Due to Possible Health Risk
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm501017.htm
Hy-Vee, Inc., based in West Des Moines, Iowa, is voluntarily recalling its frozen Hy-Vee Vegetable Fried Rice and frozen Hy-Vee Chicken Fried Rice products across its eight-state region due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
The potential for contamination was discovered after Ajinomoto Windsor, Hy-Vee’s supplier, announced they were recalling specific frozen foods due to the potential for Listeria monocytogenes.

Dr. Praeger's Sensible Foods, Inc. Announces Voluntary Recall of Various Dr. Praeger's and Ungar's Products Related to CRF Frozen Vegetable Recall for Possible Health Risk
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm501243.htm
Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods, Inc. is voluntarily recalling various not-ready-to-eat frozen food items due to the potential for these products to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. This voluntary action is being undertaken in cooperation with the US Food and Drug Administration because the recalled products contain vegetables that are part of the recent CRF Frozen Foods recall.

Voluntary Recall on Piggly Wiggly Brand Yellow Cut Corn
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm500859.htm
As part of the CRF Frozen Foods recall, McCall Farms Incorporated is notifying consumers that it is recalling Piggly Wiggly brand frozen Yellow Cut Corn due to the potential risk that it may contain Listeria monocytogenes. McCall Farms was notified by its supplier, CRF Frozen Foods, of this potential contamination. No other McCall Farms products have been affected by this recall.

LISTERIA IN WALNUTS

HMSHost Recalls Multiple Brands of Cape Cod Cranberry Trail Mix Because of Possible Health Riskhttp://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm501041.htm
HMSHost of Bethesda, Maryland is recalling multiple brands of trail mix, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. HMSHost was recently notified by one of its snack manufacturers, Woodstock Farms Manufacturing, that during their routine testing, the presence of Listeria monocytogenes was revealed in two lots of walnuts used in one of its trail mixes

 LISTERIA IN SUNFLOWER SEEDS

The Quaker Oats Company Issues Voluntary Recall of Quaker Quinoa Granola Bars Due to Possible Health Risk
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm501248.htm
The Quaker Oats Company, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, Inc., today announced a voluntary recall of a small quantity of Quaker Quinoa Granola Bars after an ingredient supplier was found to have distributed sunflower kernels that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes (L.mono).

Related Frozen Foods Recalls Point to Weakness in Supply Chain Controls - Only as Good as Your Supplier's Supplier

Two recalls for Listeria have been announced in wake of the CRF frozen produce recall, with probably more to come,   One is from ConAgra Foods for organic frozen corn and peas sold under the Trader Joe's and Watts Brother labels.  The other issued recall was by a Texas firm that is recalling fresh corn relish and bean salad.  There will no doubt be more recalls to come as companies evaluate their supply chain.

At the heart of this is a very complex supply chain. CRF and Oregon Potato, two frozen food companies based in the Northwest are ground zero.  The problem is that these companies produce product not only for retailers, but also for other manufactures through sales of bulk frozen product.  What happens is this...as these seasonal produce items are harvested, much of it goes into bulk.  Bulk allows manufacturers to repack product as needed to meet customer demand throughout the year. Within a given season, one company may pack more corn than they have sales for, so they sell bulk product to someone else who needs that product to fill their own orders.  These transfers occur throughout the year and allow companies to be efficient in meeting the demand of their customers.  That is the good part.

The problem arises when one of the companies has an issue, say Listeria, that then affects the whole chain.   For example, Company A is repacking some mixed vegetable product and needs to purchase bulk peas or onions form Supplier B to help fill the order..  Now Company A, who has a great internal Listeria program, purchases Supplier B who may or may not have a good Listeria Program.. Supplier B provides a COA showing that lot was good (Listeria negative).  But FDA makes a visit to Supplier B and in conducting environmental testing, they find Listeria in Supplier B's facility..  It could even be that Supplier B sold product to another company who is then implicated in an outbreak that traces back to Supplier B.  In these cases, Company A must conduct a recall.

This can even go further back.  Supplier B was a little short on onions and purchased onions from Supplier C to help fill their order to Company A. And it is found that Supplier C has an issue.  That issue now becomes a problem for Supplier B as well as Company A.  And if Company A is producing product for 10 different retailers, now you have a whole lot of retailers having to recall product.  And if Supplier C was also selling bulk product to two other repacking companies who were producing product for a dozen more retailers, we can easily see how this can expand.

It is difficult to ensure that suppliers are adequately controlling risk, it can even be harder to make sure that the supplier's supplier is adequately controlling risk.  Unfortunately, as logistics / purchasing people look to take advantage of co-packing opportunities, the true cost of risk control may not be considered.  These costs can include extensive product testing, on-site visits, insistence that supplier institute aggressive Listeria control programs, etc.  To be fair, Listeria control was probably not on many people mind when these deals were made.  However, moving forward, it must become a part of the picture.


FDA Recall Notices
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm499623.htm
Company Announcement
When a company announces a recall, market withdrawal, or safety alert, the FDA posts the company's announcement as a public service. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.
Watts Brothers Farms Organic Mixed Vegetables, Organic Super Sweet Corn, And Organic Peas And Trader Joe's Organic Super Sweet Corn Recalled Because Of Possible Health RiskFor Immediate Release

Massive Recall of Frozen Vegetables Follows Linkage to Listeria Outbreak

A Washington state frozen food manufacturer is recalling frozen vegetable products affecting approximately 2 years of production, 358 consumer products sold under 42 separate brands

This was an expansion of a recall that was issued on April 23rd after the Ohio state health officials reported the finding.  Since that time, it had been linked to 8 cases.  (2 deaths are listed on the CDC website, but they state it was not due to Listeria.  Complications from Listeria?).  CRF had suspended operations after the first recall in April and had not resumed production.  FDA did isolate Listeria monocytogenes from the facility and "...... were found to be closely related genetically to seven of the isolates of ill people associated with this outbreak."

In the CDC report [below], a linkage was made after the Ohio state isolated the organism from frozen product.  It does not appear this product was sampled because of linkage to the outbreak in that the report states there were no reported illnesses.   It is also important to not that while 2 cases were from 2016, the other cases were said to have been done in a 'retrospective analysis' where the DNA from the isolated organism was matched against past outbreak cases.


According to the CDC Report, "Whole genome sequencing showed that the Listeria isolate from the frozen corn was closely related genetically to seven bacterial isolates from ill people, and the Listeria isolate from the frozen peas was closely related genetically to one isolate from an ill person.  The way his case has unfolded looks very similar to the Blue Bell outbreak/recall.

The products include organic and non-organic broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, cauliflower, corn, edamame, green beans, Italian beans, kale, leeks, lima beans, onions, peas, pepper strips, potatoes, potato medley, root medley, spinach, sweet potatoes, various vegetable medleys, blends, and stir fry packages, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, peaches, raspberries, and strawberries.  Brands include Trader Joes, Kirkland, and Great Value as well as others.

There are some things that would be good to know.
1)  The products in question required cooking....were they cooked by the consumers who became ill?
2)  The report states that he Listeria isolated from product and in the outbreak cases were closely related.  How close is close?
3) What type of Listeria Control Program did the facility have?



FDA News Release
http://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Outbreaks/ucm499157.htm
FDA Investigates Listeria Outbreak Linked to Frozen Vegetables

May 4, 2016

What is the Problem and What is Being Done About It?

The FDA, CDC and state and local officials are investigating a multi-state outbreak of listeriosis identified in March 2016.

FDA Inspection Report from Salad Facility Responsible for Listieria Outbreak

Earlier this year, bagged salads produced by Dole in their Ohio facility, were involved in a Listeria outbreak.  According to the CDC Final Report, issued March 31 2016, 19 people became infected and there was 1 death.  In Canada, the CFIA reported 14 cases  and 3 deaths, although stated that the deaths may or may not be related to Listeria monocytogenes (LM).

FDA conducted an investigation of the facility and during that investigation, completed environmental sampling.   A 483 report was issued, and thanks to the Marler Blog, that report was posted (a 2014 report was also included there, but was not included here).  In reviewing this 483 report, there were some important findings.   A summary of those below as well as reports.
(An FDA 483 Report 'lists observations made by the FDA representative(s) during the inspection of your facility. They are inspectional observations, and do not represent a final Agency determination regarding your compliance')

OBSERVATION 1
Failure to perform microbial testing where necessary to identify sanitation failures and possible food contamination.