https://www.change.org/p/restore-funding-to-penn-state-college-of-ag-sciences-research-extension-programs?recruiter=false&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
Friday, February 19, 2016
Sign Pettition to Support Penn State Extension
Please take a minute of your time to sign the petition to support Penn State Extension.
https://www.change.org/p/restore-funding-to-penn-state-college-of-ag-sciences-research-extension-programs?recruiter=false&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
https://www.change.org/p/restore-funding-to-penn-state-college-of-ag-sciences-research-extension-programs?recruiter=false&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Pecorino Cheese Wrapped in Walnut Leaves Recalled for Listeria
Whole Foods and Forever Foods are recalling Pecorino Aged Cheese wrapped in Walnut Leaves after Forever Foods completed testing and found the sample positive for Listeria.
Wood In Cheese? Not really.
A story on the web has raised an issue - wood in cheese, and this is resulting in more fear mongering than something for concern. The story states that there is wood in cheese and then uses a 2012 case of food fraud with cheese to make the point.
First, while cellulose is found in trees, it is also found in all plant tissue including fruits and vegetables. In cheese, powdered cellulose is used as an anti-clumping agent and is / should be declared on the label when used. In the end, grated cheese manufactures are not putting wood in cheese, it is powered cellulose, and this is 'generally recognized as safe' , or GRAS....but not grass (humor). Powdered cellulose is a good material for use as an anti-clumping agent in grated cheese - it provides stability of both the oil and water phases of the cheese.
According to the Bloomberg report, they tested a number of cheeses and found that some had higher levels of cellulose than the 2 to 4% that is normally used. As far as I can find, there is no established limit for powdered cellulose in cheese listed in the Code of Federal Regulations. In their investigation, some cheese samples were up to 7 or 8% cellulose. If true, that would be high, but this was not a scientific, peer reviewed study.
The 2012 case was that of a PA manufacturer of cheese who was using cheaper cheeses to make grated parmesan cheese. This is a no no. The manufacturer went out of the business in 2014 and according to reports, "Castle President Michelle Myrter is scheduled to plead guilty this month to criminal charges. She faces up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine." This cheese is no longer on the market, so no need to rifle through your refrigerator in search of fake parmesan from this company.
No doubt, food fraud is a big issue. Olive oil is the poster child for food fraud. With cheese, hopefully manufacturers are using powdered cellulose prudently, but in the end, it is just fiber (pun intended...now that is humor). But if you are worried about it, the solution is easy...grind your own cheese. You will have a better product and you will save the earth from excess packaging.
First, while cellulose is found in trees, it is also found in all plant tissue including fruits and vegetables. In cheese, powdered cellulose is used as an anti-clumping agent and is / should be declared on the label when used. In the end, grated cheese manufactures are not putting wood in cheese, it is powered cellulose, and this is 'generally recognized as safe' , or GRAS....but not grass (humor). Powdered cellulose is a good material for use as an anti-clumping agent in grated cheese - it provides stability of both the oil and water phases of the cheese.
According to the Bloomberg report, they tested a number of cheeses and found that some had higher levels of cellulose than the 2 to 4% that is normally used. As far as I can find, there is no established limit for powdered cellulose in cheese listed in the Code of Federal Regulations. In their investigation, some cheese samples were up to 7 or 8% cellulose. If true, that would be high, but this was not a scientific, peer reviewed study.
The 2012 case was that of a PA manufacturer of cheese who was using cheaper cheeses to make grated parmesan cheese. This is a no no. The manufacturer went out of the business in 2014 and according to reports, "Castle President Michelle Myrter is scheduled to plead guilty this month to criminal charges. She faces up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine." This cheese is no longer on the market, so no need to rifle through your refrigerator in search of fake parmesan from this company.
No doubt, food fraud is a big issue. Olive oil is the poster child for food fraud. With cheese, hopefully manufacturers are using powdered cellulose prudently, but in the end, it is just fiber (pun intended...now that is humor). But if you are worried about it, the solution is easy...grind your own cheese. You will have a better product and you will save the earth from excess packaging.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Blue Cheese Recalled for Listeria
An Iowa cheese maker is recalling its Raw Milk Blue Cheese after the Iowa Department of Ag discovered Listeria during routine testing. The facility is recalling on lot, produced on January 6th (over one month ago). There have been no reported illnesses.
An issue that can be seen in these cases is that when one lot is contaminated with Listeria, there is always a good chance that other lots can potentially be contaminated, especially if the facility does not have good environmental controls for Listeria in place.
Newtown Daily News
http://www.newtondailynews.com/2016/02/14/maytag-dairy-farms-announces-listeria-recall/ahwo2zy/
Maytag Dairy farms announces listeria recall
Fareway of Newton had some blue cheese from lot; Hy-Vee did not
Published: Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016 9:34 p.m. CST • Updated: Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016 9:39 p.m. CST
Maytag Dairy Farms of Newton announced a voluntary recall Saturday of an 896-pound of blue cheese due to possible listeria contamination.
The foodmaker announced lot number 150481 of Maytag Raw Milk Blue Cheese could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled product was packaged on Jan. 6 and was then distributed to several locations in central Iowa.
An issue that can be seen in these cases is that when one lot is contaminated with Listeria, there is always a good chance that other lots can potentially be contaminated, especially if the facility does not have good environmental controls for Listeria in place.
http://www.newtondailynews.com/2016/02/14/maytag-dairy-farms-announces-listeria-recall/ahwo2zy/
Maytag Dairy farms announces listeria recall
Fareway of Newton had some blue cheese from lot; Hy-Vee did not
Published: Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016 9:34 p.m. CST • Updated: Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016 9:39 p.m. CST
Maytag Dairy Farms of Newton announced a voluntary recall Saturday of an 896-pound of blue cheese due to possible listeria contamination.
The foodmaker announced lot number 150481 of Maytag Raw Milk Blue Cheese could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled product was packaged on Jan. 6 and was then distributed to several locations in central Iowa.
Smoked Seafood Processor Shut Down for Insanitary Conditions
A processor of 'high end' smoked seafood products was shut down for unsanitary conditions. This came after 'a decade' of issues. This facility's product was used by a number of notable restaurants and the facility had won some awards. (Company website).
Vacuum packaged smoked salmon is a pretty risky product if not done right. First, it can be a Clostridium botulinum risk if not properly processed, which was one of the issues according to reports.. Listeria is also a risk if it contaminates the product in the time after smoking and before packaging. The facility had that issue in the past which had resulted in a recall.
This seems to be a good brand to add to the 'do not eat' list.
Portland Press Herald
http://www.pressherald.com/2016/02/14/sullivan-harbor-farm-shut-down-for-seafood-safety-violations/
Maine seafood company shut down for food safety violations
Sullivan Harbor Farm in Hancock had been warned for more than a decade that its manufacturing of smoked salmon was unsanitary, the U.S. Justice Department says.
BY BETH QUIMBY STAFF WRITER
bquimby@pressherald.com | @QuimbyBeth | 207-791-6363
A high-end Hancock seafood company has been shut down for repeated unsanitary conditions and food safety violations, including manufacturing in the presence of rodent excrement, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Portland Press Herald
http://www.pressherald.com/2016/02/14/sullivan-harbor-farm-shut-down-for-seafood-safety-violations/
Maine seafood company shut down for food safety violations
Sullivan Harbor Farm in Hancock had been warned for more than a decade that its manufacturing of smoked salmon was unsanitary, the U.S. Justice Department says.
BY BETH QUIMBY STAFF WRITER
bquimby@pressherald.com | @QuimbyBeth | 207-791-6363
A high-end Hancock seafood company has been shut down for repeated unsanitary conditions and food safety violations, including manufacturing in the presence of rodent excrement, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Canned Stew Product Recalled for Potentially Uncovered Parts form Broken Flashlight
Hormel is recalling 450 lbs of Dinty Moore Beef Stew "After discovering and recovering parts of a flashlight from the production area". While they captured most of the suspected product, 40 cases seemed to have escaped the facility. While this case will not get a lot of press, there is a lot that can be learned.
First is escalation of bad luck - bad enough to have a flashlight break and potentially get into product, but then, the failure to capture all the product so it does not get into commerce. Are you thinking someone went back to count the cases a few weeks latter and discovered that they were a little short? If it had been shipped the day the issue was discovered, wouldn't the recall have been made the same day.
Control of tools - not sure if this is a maintenance flashlight or one that belongs to quality, but most probably not someone working in production. It is important that these support groups understand the importance of accounting for tools as they work. That includes keeping control of them as they work, and ensuring that they have collected them at the end.
Control of held product - During a corrective action procedure, reconciliation of held product is critical. That is, the actual amount of tagged in the hold area is consistent with the amount that was supposed to be held? Interesting to note that two weeks passed from the day of the incident, so was this the first verification?
Escalation of cost - the longer it takes for corrective action, the higher the cost. We will make some assumptions to demonstrate this point, costs based upon product cost at retail and can weight.
FSIS Recall Notice
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2016/recall-015-2016-release
Hormel Foods Corporation Recalls Beef Products Due To Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
Class II Recall015-2016
Health Risk: LowFeb 9, 2016
En Español
Congressional and Public Affairs Maria Machuca (202) 720-9113 Press@fsis.usda.gov
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2016 – Hormel Foods Corporation, a Tucker, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 450 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The Dinty Moore Beef Stew items were produced on Jan. 26, 2016. The following product is subject to recall: [View Labels (PDF Only)]
15-oz. cans of “Dinty Moore Hearty Meals No Preservatives Beef Stew” with Best By date Feb. 2019 and production date T01266.
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 199G” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to Kroger locations in Texas and Louisiana. Product was available for sale after Feb. 1, 2016.
The problem was discovered during the plant’s routine inspection activities. After discovering and recovering parts of a flashlight from the production area, the company placed all product produced during this timeframe on hold. However, 40 cases had already been shipped into commerce.
First is escalation of bad luck - bad enough to have a flashlight break and potentially get into product, but then, the failure to capture all the product so it does not get into commerce. Are you thinking someone went back to count the cases a few weeks latter and discovered that they were a little short? If it had been shipped the day the issue was discovered, wouldn't the recall have been made the same day.
Control of tools - not sure if this is a maintenance flashlight or one that belongs to quality, but most probably not someone working in production. It is important that these support groups understand the importance of accounting for tools as they work. That includes keeping control of them as they work, and ensuring that they have collected them at the end.
Control of held product - During a corrective action procedure, reconciliation of held product is critical. That is, the actual amount of tagged in the hold area is consistent with the amount that was supposed to be held? Interesting to note that two weeks passed from the day of the incident, so was this the first verification?
Escalation of cost - the longer it takes for corrective action, the higher the cost. We will make some assumptions to demonstrate this point, costs based upon product cost at retail and can weight.
- Breaking a flashlight - less than $10
- Breaking a flashlight and stopping the line before it gets into the can - assuming 500 lbs of product at $0.30/lb for in-process product = $150. There would be costs associated with shutting the line done for clean up as well.
- Breaking a flashlight and not discovering it until product is in the can - assuming that there were 10 pallets of finished product (60 cases per pallet) at a manufacturing cost of $0.65 per can = $4680. There would be a disposal cost to include as well.
- Shipping 40 cases of that product by accident = So there is the $4368 for the product that was not shipped, but now there are charges for that shipped product at store level. With a price of $2.08 per can (which the store will charge the company) plus 20% handling fee assessed by the store, and it is unlikely that the store chain will only recover just that particular code once it hits the shelf, so the store will likely remove 3X the amount..so this will cost 3600 on top of the $4368 or a total of $7968. This does not include any fines the store may charge back to the facility.
- So this went from a couple hundred dollars to eight thousand dollars or so, and this could very well be an underestimate.
- If the broken flashlight went unnoticed, or no notification was made, and USDA had complaints about foreign objects in canned product - that would result in a recall of at least a day's production. which at that point, would mean that product would all be at store level in terms of distribution. Costs at this point could range widely, perhaps up to 50K. Add any costs associated with injury to a person and the legal fees. Punitive damages could also be assessed especially if the incident was found to be concealed by plant personnel.
FSIS Recall Notice
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2016/recall-015-2016-release
Hormel Foods Corporation Recalls Beef Products Due To Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
Class II Recall015-2016
Health Risk: LowFeb 9, 2016
En Español
Congressional and Public Affairs Maria Machuca (202) 720-9113 Press@fsis.usda.gov
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2016 – Hormel Foods Corporation, a Tucker, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 450 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The Dinty Moore Beef Stew items were produced on Jan. 26, 2016. The following product is subject to recall: [View Labels (PDF Only)]
15-oz. cans of “Dinty Moore Hearty Meals No Preservatives Beef Stew” with Best By date Feb. 2019 and production date T01266.
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 199G” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to Kroger locations in Texas and Louisiana. Product was available for sale after Feb. 1, 2016.
The problem was discovered during the plant’s routine inspection activities. After discovering and recovering parts of a flashlight from the production area, the company placed all product produced during this timeframe on hold. However, 40 cases had already been shipped into commerce.
Bacon Fritters Recalled After One Complaint for Extraneous Plastic Piece
An Illinois company is recalling 25,000 lbs of bacon fritters due to a consumer complaint for a piece of plastic. There have been no injuries and it seems to be one complaint.
Hopefully the piece of plastic was verified as coming from the plant and an investigation led to the conclusion that there is a good probability of more plastic being in product. Otherwise, a knee-jerk reaction by an inspector can be costly.
FSIS Recall Notice
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2016/recall-016-2016-release
McCain Foods USA, Inc. Recalls Pork Products Due To Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
Class I Recall016-2016
Health Risk: HighFeb 12, 2016
Congressional and Public Affairs Benjamin Bell (202) 720-9113 Press@fsis.usda.gov
WASHINGTON, Feb.12, 2016 – McCain Foods USA, Inc., a Lisle, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 25,215 pounds of bacon fritters that may be contaminated with extraneous plastic materials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The potato, egg, cheese, and bacon fritters were produced on Nov. 11, 2015. The following products are subject to recall:
1,681 cases bearing a batch code 1001487402 containing four 3.75-lb. plastic vacuum-packed packages containing “McCain EARLY RISERS Potato, Egg, Cheese & Bacon Fritters.”
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 18846” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to food service distributors in Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Oklahoma, Ohio, Texas, Tennessee, and Utah.
The problem was discovered after the firm received a consumer complaint and subsequently notified an in-plant FSIS inspector.
FSIS Recall Notice
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2016/recall-016-2016-release
McCain Foods USA, Inc. Recalls Pork Products Due To Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
Class I Recall016-2016
Health Risk: HighFeb 12, 2016
Congressional and Public Affairs Benjamin Bell (202) 720-9113 Press@fsis.usda.gov
WASHINGTON, Feb.12, 2016 – McCain Foods USA, Inc., a Lisle, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 25,215 pounds of bacon fritters that may be contaminated with extraneous plastic materials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The potato, egg, cheese, and bacon fritters were produced on Nov. 11, 2015. The following products are subject to recall:
1,681 cases bearing a batch code 1001487402 containing four 3.75-lb. plastic vacuum-packed packages containing “McCain EARLY RISERS Potato, Egg, Cheese & Bacon Fritters.”
The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 18846” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to food service distributors in Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Oklahoma, Ohio, Texas, Tennessee, and Utah.
The problem was discovered after the firm received a consumer complaint and subsequently notified an in-plant FSIS inspector.
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