Onion Recall Cascades as Customers Recall Products Made with Suspect Onions

The Gill Onion recall is cascading as a number of retail chains are recalling products made with the recalled onions. To date, there have been a dozen or so companies recalling products made with the recalled onions. Here, like so many past recalls, we can see the impact of upstream suppliers on their customers. Traceability is key in that you know who your suppliers are, and where their product is being used.

The best news is that there have been no illnesses to date. In such a big recall, you might expect to have some illnesses associated with the product. So what are some reasons. Certainly luck may be a part of it, but there may be a few others that impact this:
- Low level of contamination.
- The Listeria monocytogenes serotype involved – As per Dr. Steve Knabel ‘of the 13 serotypes, there are 4 that account for the vast majority of cases of human illness.’ There are serotypes of L. monocytogenes that do not have the necessary genes to cause disease. While it is unknown at this point if this is the case, we can’t assume that it is. Further, if the conditions in the processing facility supported one serotype of L. monocytogenes, then it often assumed that those conditions can support the more virulent strains.


Gills recall sparks dozens of related product recalls
08/02/2012 3:06:26 PM
Coral Beachhttp://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/Gills-recall-sparks-dozens-of-product-recalls-164791766.html

A recall of one day’s production from a Gills Onions plant — that was expanded a week later to an “undeterminable” volume — caused a cascade effect as retailers and processors recalled more than 150 fresh products.

As of Aug. 2, fears of listeria contamination spurred five retail chains and seven fresh food producers to voluntarily recall products because they included recalled Gills onions.
No illnesses have been linked to any of the recalled produce or fresh products, according to multiple FDA recall notices at http://tinyurl.com/FDA-recalls.

Gills, Oxnard, Calif., initially recalled about 6,000 pounds of fresh-cut onions and celery July 18 after a random sample taken at retail by the Food and Drug Administration tested positive for listeria.

The company expanded the recall July 26 to include an unknown volume of whole onions and other chopped onions because investigators found listeria at one of Gills’ two Oxnard fresh-cut facilities. That facility has been closed since July 17 when FDA officials notified Gills of the positive test at retail, according to Gills spokeswoman Amy Philpott.

“Because the July 25 expanded recall does not include a beginning use-by-date, but rather included recalled products with use-by dates on or before Aug. 3, the number of recalled pounds is undeterminable,” according to a Gills onion statement.

“In the interest of public health, the company simply included all recalled products in the marketplace,” according to the release.

Philpott said the facility will remain closed until the listeria contamination problem is resolved. Gills continues to operate another processing facility in a separate building.
“They are running extra shifts, but orders are a bit behind,” Philpott said, adding that some retail and specialty product orders probably will not be met.

“Steve Gill has said it will take as long as it takes to resolve the problem.”

Gill has not been available for interviews, but he did include a statement in the recall notice: “We’ve identified the problem, and we are taking aggressive actions to prevent this from happening again.”

The actions include forming a panel of food safety experts and microbiologists with expertise in listeria control, expanding required microbial surveillance and sanitation programs, and continued testing.

“They also have a team looking at possibly redesigning the facility,” Philpott said.

In late May Gills recalled 2,360 pounds of diced red onions in the U.S. and Canada after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency did a random sample and got a positive result for listeria.

Gills built both of the facilities in Oxnard in the late 90s, Philpott said, and both were built specifically for onion processing. Gills started producing in the facility that is now shut down 15 years ago. The other facility, which is larger, opened 12 years ago.

As of the Aug 2, FDA’s recall Web page showed the following recalls related to the recalled Gills onions:

Simmering Soup Inc., Atlanta, recalled Trader Joe’s brand salsas and balela;
Whole Foods Markets recalled about 35 fresh food products in Florida stores;
Cool Creations LLC, North Kansas City, Mo., recalled about 20 fresh food products;
Wegmans Food Markets Inc. recalled six fresh food products;
GH Foods CA LLC recalled almost 90 fresh food products under a variety of store and specialty brands, including: Delish, Albertsons generic label, Garden Highway, Marketside, Natural Directions, Pacific Coast, Raley’s, Safeway Farms, Signature Cafe, Sprouts and Trader Joe’s;
Huxtable’s Kitchen, recalled Trader Joe’s brand roasted butternut squash, red quinoa and wheatberry salad;
Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. LLC recalled Costa Fruit & Produce brand calico bean salad from salad bars;
Spartan Stores, Grand Rapids, Mich., recalled Spartan Fresh Selections three bean salad and broccoli stir fry products;
Publix Super Markets recalled custom sub sandwiches that contain onions;
Ken’s Foods Inc. recalled cole slaw sauce, baked bean sauce and three brands of tartar sauce;
Garden Fresh Foods Inc. recalled ready-to-eat salads, slaw, salsa, bean and dip products; and
San Miguel Produce Inc., Oxnard, recalled packaged salad kits under the Cut ‘N Clean brand.

Gill Onions expands recall of fresh cut onions and celery due to Listeria

Gill Onions of Oxnard CA is expanding its recall due to fact product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.  According to the FDA release, the expanded product list includes diced, slivered and whole peeled onions and diced onion/celery mix with use-by-dates on or before August 3.  http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm313399.htm

This recall expands upon the initial recall that was issued on July 18th. http://pennstatefoodsafety.blogspot.com/2012/07/fresh-cut-onions-and-celery-recalled.html

How can this happen.? While the initial recall was based upon a product from retail testing positive, the expanded recall occurred when in-plant testing found more positive Listeria tests.  (http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/Gills-expands-onion-celery-recall-listeria-found-at-plant-163863626.html).  Finding Listeria in the plant environment led officials to believe that the Listeria issue was not a single lot issue, but was wider spread within the facility and thus implicated product over multiple lots.

After the cantaloupe recall earlier this year, there has been increasing attention to RTE produce, primarily products like this that have been further processed in some way.  Products like these onions which were sliced, can get contaminated during processing if that process and the environment has not been maintained to the level needed to control Listeria monocytogenes.  In order to do this, processing facilities must have adequate controls including stout sanitation program  but then must also verify that Listeria is not present through an environmental monitoring program. 

As indicated in the Packer article, the facility may need to be redesigned.  This is certainly an issue in older plants find that find they need to make changes in order to meet this increased standard of Listeria free.

Ground meat recalled after linked to salmonellosis cases

Upadate 8/6/12:  CDC updated the number of illnesses to 40.
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/enteritidis-07-12/index.html


Cargill is recalling approximately 29339 lbs of ground beef after the product was linked to Salmonella enteritidis infections. The recalled product was produced on May 25, 2012 and although the product would be past the expiration date, there is concern that some may still have this meat in thier freezer.

The strain that was responsible for this illness, Salmonella enteritidis or SE, is more often associated with poultry. According to the CDC - "Eggs have been the most common food source linked to SE infections.....Since the early 2000s, poultry has also been found to be a common food source for SE infections. Multiple other, less frequently identified sources include raw milk, pork, beef, sprouts, and raw almonds."

Cargill sells chubs of meat to retailers who then repackage this product into retail sized packages. These packages will have the store brand on the label, but will show the same USDA establishment number 9400.

This is an interesting recall from the standpoint that this strain is not an antibiotic resistant strain of Salmonella and it was in raw meat, not a RTE product. Unlike E. coli STEC strains which are considered an adulterant in ground beef, Salmella is not. Cargill had recalled ground turkey for Salmonella, but those strains were antibiotic resistant and thus more difficult to treat. Well if we can expect that ground beef may have Salmonella present, then why recall? Since this strain in this product has been linked to at least 5 illnesses, USDA and Cargill decided it was in the best interest of the public. However, are we getting to a point when raw meat products will be expected to have no pathogens?

2nd recall for processor of RTE meat products due to Listeria

Buona Vita, a NJ meat processor, is issuing its 2nd recall this month for Listeria. In the last recall, products from a number of production dates in May were recalled. In this recall, products made on June 26th were recalled. According to the FSIS Release (below), the product was tested by a third party and found to be positive.

(Earlier recall http://pennstatefoodsafety.blogspot.com/2012/07/nj-firm-recalling-frozen-meat-product.html)

Bridgeton meat company issues second voluntary recall in July
Published: Thursday, July 19, 2012, 8:25 PM Updated: Thursday, July 19, 2012, 8:48 PM
By Jason Laday/The News of Cumberland County
http://www.nj.com/cumberland/index.ssf/2012/07/bridgeton_meat_company_issues.html

BRIDGETON — Buona Vita, Inc. is recalling an additional 72,510 pounds of frozen meat and poultry products due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

In an announcement released Thursday evening, officials from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) stated 15 more products made by the Bridgeton-based meat company are being voluntarily recalled, and pose a “high” health risk.

Fresh Cut Onions and Celery Recalled Due to Presense of Listeria

Gills Onions is recalling fresh cut onions and cut celery after random FDA testing yielded a positive result for Listeria. The 6000 pounds of the retail product was shipped to 8 different states and Canada. There have been no reported illnesses. (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm312707.htm).

Gills, one of the nation’s largest family-owned onions growers operates one of the largest, most innovative and sustainable fresh cut onion plants in the world (quoted from their website -http://www.gillsonions.com/). However for Gills, this is their second recall due to Listeria within the last 3 months. On May 19, 2012, Gills Onions initiated a voluntary recall, 2,360 pounds of diced red onions as a result of a routine and random test directed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm304732.htm)

A study published in JFP indicates that Listeria monocytogenes populations will remain constant on fresh cut onions at 4ºC, but will grow slowly at 10ºC (Farber, etal JFP 1997). Certainly, higher temperatures or adding cut onions to a salad or a sandwich and then holding that at an elevated temperature would likely enhance growth potential.


Gills recalls fresh-cut onions, celery in U.S., Canada
The Packer
http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/fresh-produce-retail/Gills-recalls-fresh-cut-onions-celery-163045406.html
07/19/2012 11:06:21 AM
Coral Beach

Possible listeria contamination spurred Gills Onions LLC to voluntarily recall 6,000 pounds — an entire day’s production — of diced and slivered red and yellow onions and diced onion-celery mix.

No illnesses had been reported at the time the recall was issued on the evening of July 18, according to Amy Philpott, a company spokeswoman.

The Oxnard, Calif., produce company shipped the onions July 2-4 directly to retailers in Canada and in California, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Washington. There are nine different products in the recall, and they all have July 20 use-by dates.

Employee Fired after Posting a Photo of Himself Standing on Food

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Concern with Dietary Suppliments Increases as Dietary Ingredient Recalled Due to Salmonella

An Illinois company is recalling its dietary ingredient after ‘several’ lots tested positive for Salmonella. This ingredient, made by a subsidiary’s plant in South Korean subsidiary, had already been used in a number of products including a children’s product - which was also recalled (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm311050.htm). The ingredient is an undigestable fiber made from milk and is marketed as an aid for the health of the immune and digestive systems.

There has been a growing concern with dietary supplements. Most of this concern has related to medical claims that are made. Some substances do not live up to the claims, while others may actually have adverse effects (http://health.wolterskluwerlb.com/2012/01/dietary-supplement-concerns-in-2012/ and http://www.fda.gov/Food/DietarySupplements/Alerts/default.htm).

There has also been issue with how some of these are processed. A Chicago Tribune article (below) reported that half of the 450 firms inspected had violations. In the UK, it was just reported that 40% of dietary supplements were irradiated illegally (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-121486/Concerns-dietary-supplements.html).  

Sales of dietary supplements continues to increase. Consumers view dietary supplements as a way to prevent health issues. Some see herbal supplements as more natural. In many cases, supplements are less expensive than over-the-counter drugs. Without the pharmaceuticals industry’s requirements for scientific research to back label claims, an increasing number of companies have entered this market, including pharmaceutical and food companies. 

Westchester firm recalls salmonella-contaminated supplements
No illnesses have been reported; FDA investigating
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-salmonella-supplements-20120719,0,6096142.story

By Trine Tsouderos, Chicago Tribune reporter
July 19, 2012

 Concern over salmonella contamination has prompted a Chicago-area firm to recall nearly 40,000 pounds of a dietary ingredient, a move that in turn prompted several recalls of supplements containing the suspect material.

U.S. Food and Drug Administrationofficials said they are investigating whether the ingredient, sold by Westchester-based Ingredion and made in a subsidiary's plant in South Korea, wound up in other dietary supplements sold to consumers and whether more recalls are necessary.

Case of Bubonic Plague in Oregon

Here is a general interest story that we found….interesting. A man in Oregon contracted bubonic plague after trying to take a rat out of a stray cat’s mouth. Near death, he spent a month on life support. Now, he will need to have his hands and toes removed. (picture below gives meaning to the Black Death).

As you know, the bubonic plague or Black Death has had a large impact on the history of mankind. Through a series of major pandemics (6th to 7th century in the Mediterranean, 1300 to 1650 in Europe, and 19th and early 20th century in Asia and ports around the world), the plague wiped out some 200 million people (close to a third of Europe in the dark ages). The responsible organism, Yersinia pestis, is spread by fleas carried on rats. The disease was mostly eradicated by improved sanitary practices. While considered an ancient disease, there are still cases that pop up from time to time. There have been a reported 11 cases in the US since 1976, most all cases were in western US. (People living and working in areas with natural environment where there is a higher prevalence of woodrats).

Yersinia pestis, a gram negative organism, is one of the most pathogenic organisms known. It can infect through lesions in the skin (such as a flea bite) where it infects the lymphnodes and then invades other organs where it causes massive tissue destruction. Gangrene often sets in on the dead tissue. It can also spread through inhalation of infective respiratory particles (pneumonia). Disease is initially characterized by development of one or more inflamed, swollen lymph nodes (buboes), and then chills and fever, lethargy and confusion. Historically, the fatality rate was greater than 50%, but now with antibiotics, it is now about 5%. But still, who wants to be this guy.

Plague infects Oregon man who tried to get rodent from stray cat
An Oregon man who was bitten by a stray cat has contracted the plague — the fifth case of the disease in Oregon since 1995.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018446561_plague16.html
By Nigel Duara and Steven Duboist
The Associated Press

PORTLAND — Health officials have confirmed an Oregon man has the plague after he was bitten while trying to take a dead rodent from the mouth of a stray cat.
The unidentified Prineville, Ore., man was in critical condition on Friday. He is suffering from a blood-borne version of the disease, not the bubonic plague, which wiped out at least one-third of Europe in the 14th century. The bubonic plague affects the lymph nodes.

There is an average of seven human plague cases in the U.S. each year. A map maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows most cases since the 1970s have been in the West, primarily the southwest.

The last reported case of plague in Washington state occurred in 1984 when an animal trapper in Yakima became infected while skinning a bobcat. In 2010, a Washington laboratory technician was treated to prevent plague infection after working with a specimen from one of the two reported cases in Oregon at the time.

The plague bacteria cycles through rodent populations without killing them off; in urban areas, it's transmitted back and forth from rats to fleas. There's even a name for it, the "enzootic cycle."

The bacteria thrive in forests, semiarid areas and grasslands, which plague-carrying rodents from wood rats to rock squirrels call home.

Once a coin flip with death, the plague is now easier to handle for humans in the U.S. The national mortality rate stood at 66 percent before World War II, but advances in antibiotics dropped that rate to its present 16 percent.

Central Oregon health officials don't blame the cat.

"The reality is that, in rural areas, part of the role of cats is to keep the rodent population controlled around our homes and barns" said Karen Yeargain of the Crook County Health Department.
 The Prineville man, who is in his 50s, remained in critical condition Friday at a Bend hospital. His illness marks the fifth case of plague in Oregon since 1995.

State public health veterinarian Dr. Emilio DeBess said the man was infected when he was bitten by the stray his family befriended. The cat died and its body is being sent to the CDC for testing.

DeBess has collected blood samples from two dogs and another cat that lives with the man's family. DeBess also collected blood samples from neighbors' pets and from animals in the local shelter to determine whether the area has a plague problem.

More than a dozen people who were in contact with the sick man have been notified and are receiving preventive antibiotics.

 

Reward outweighs risk when it comes to summer's fresh produce

Thursday, July 12, 2012
http://live.psu.edu/story/60347

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- With what seems to be an ongoing wave of news reports linking foodborne illness to fresh produce, many consumers are questioning whether it is worth the risk.
But Martin Bucknavage, extension food-safety specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, emphasizes that the benefits far outweigh the risks when it comes to consuming fresh fruits and vegetables.

According to Bucknavage, consumers should appreciate that they can take advantage of the wide selection of fresh produce available during the summer, instead of worrying about the remote possibility of foodborne illness.

"While there have been cases of illnesses reported from time to time that come as a result of contaminated produce," he said, "the risks are quite low when you consider the amount of produce consumed in the United States."

But it is important that consumers take specific steps to help ensure the safety of the produce they purchase, Bucknavage advised.

"Fruits and vegetables must always be washed before being sliced or eaten and must be refrigerated once they have been cut," he said.

Bucknavage also cautioned that certain items, such as cantaloupes, have surfaces that are more difficult to clean, so consumers must be particularly vigilant about washing them.

He explained that it is important to follow these precautions regardless of whether the produce is purchased from a large supermarket or a small farmer's market, but he emphasized that there are many advantages to buying food locally.

"Locally grown produce normally reaches the consumer within a day or so of when it is harvested, so it is fresher," he said. "And it also is harvested closer to the time it ripens, which often results in a better tasting, more nutritious product."

When shopping at farmer's markets, he encourages buyers to follow a few simple guidelines to ensure the safety of their purchases.

"Make sure that produce is fresh looking -- it should have proper color and firmness," Bucknavage said. "Also, avoid fruits and vegetables with decay or excessive bruising, regardless of the price. Damaged produce is more likely to harbor harmful bacteria."

Consumers need to learn about what is grown in their local area and the optimal time for harvest. "People should take advantage of all the different types of fruits and vegetables grown around them," he said. "It is fun to find new recipes that maximize the taste and healthfulness of those items."

Bucknavage noted that freezing and canning can preserve the local bounty for later use. "However, we should never purchase more than we can handle in a day or so," he said. "And it is important to use only approved procedures for canning and freezing, such as those listed on the USDA website."

Don't get discouraged with fresh produce, he urged.

"We get jaded by all the stories we hear on the news, but really, there is minimal risk," Bucknavage said. "Rather, I encourage folks to try all types of local fresh fruits and vegetables and not worry about the possibility of contracting foodborne illness."