Bean Day goes bad for dozens of patrons who become infected with Salmonella

About 50 people become ill from Salmonella after attending Bean Day, an annual fundraising event in Alabama.

A number of issues were identified in the county health department's inspection report:

• Soaking the beans in a plastic-lined horse trough covered with plywood, with a water hose running water through the trough (the ADPH did not know if or how the trough, which was located at the church, had been used prior to the dinner)
• Handling food without gloves;
• Turning off the heat source for the beans and disconnecting gas lines for burners without monitoring the temperature of the food;
• Transferring the beans in outside cooking pots to a smaller iron pot on wheels to take large quantities of the beans inside the church;
• Using one sterno can per 6-inch-deep chaffing pan to maintain the holding temperature of the beans;
• Re-using chaffing pans and adding new beans to existing beans throughout the serving time. Illness sweeps

While the soaking of the beans in a plastic-line horse trough seems like the worst violation, this may be overstating its true involvement - because one, it was not currently used to water horses but was located there at the church where the fundraiser occurred;  and two, that proper cooking would have eliminated the contamination.

But looking at the sum of errors, one could see a laxness in the use of food safety procedures, indicating there may be a additional factors that may have contributed to this outbreak. 


Health Dept.: Beans soaked in horse trough Dozens taken ill after annual event
By Jean Cole jean@athensnews-courier.com
The News Courier Sun Feb 02, 2014, 02:00 AM CST

— The final report on the Bean Day salmonella outbreak that left a dozen people hospitalized and scores of people ill last October may make some Limestone County residents cringe.

 A nine-page study issued by the Alabama Department of Public Health and obtained Friday by The News Courier reveals that uncooked beans for the annual fundraiser had been soaked in a plastic-lined horse trough covered with plywood before the event and that existing bean soup was topped off with new bean soup during the event.

Those are just some of the possible ways the beans became contaminated with salmonella senftenberg, according to the report. An estimated 250 to 300 people ate food prepared for the Oct. 4 dinner hosted by the Athens-Limestone Foundation for Aging and held at First Baptist Church Family Life Center in Athens. The menu included white beans with ham, onions, vinegar-based coleslaw, cornbread, soft drinks and a variety of homemade desserts.

FDA publishes Draft Approach for the Determination of High-Risk Foods

FDA released a draft of the approach it will take in determining which foods are considered high risk. This methodology is required under Sec. 204, Enhanced Tracking and Tracing of Food and Recordkeeping, has two major requirements. In this section, FDA must establish rules for recordkeeping requirements for high risk foods to help in tracing products. The requirement is designed to enable foods to be more rapidly and effectively tracked and traced during a foodborne illness outbreak or other event. Criterion for this determination are: outbreak frequency, illness occurrence, severity of illness, the likelihood of microbial or chemical contamination, potential for the food to support pathogen growth, food consumption patterns, the probability of contamination and steps taken during manufacturing to reduce contamination.

So what are the implications?  Basically if a company's food is designated high risk, they will need to follow mandated tracking procedures...whatever those turn out to be.


Draft Methodological Approach to Identifying High-Risk Foods under Section 204(d)(2) of the FSMA

http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/ucm380210.htm?source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

FDA is required under section 204(d)(2) of FSMA to designate high-risk foods for which additional recordkeeping requirements are appropriate and necessary in order to rapidly and effectively track and trace such foods during a foodborne illness outbreak or other event. This is the first step towards meeting that requirement. FDA plans to publish a list of these high-risk foods either before or at the same time that it issues a proposed rule under section 204(d)(1) of FSMA to establish the recordkeeping requirements for the designated high-risk foods.

FDA Proposes Transportation Rule as Part of FSMA

 FDA released their proposed rule for Sanitary Transportation of Food as part of FSMA.  This rule applies, with a few exceptions, to any who transport food that will be consumed in the U.S.  Exemptions exist small companies (less than $500,000 in sales) and those who transport shelf-stable foods that are protected by a container (i.e. canned low-acid foods).

 As part of the rule, equipment will need to designed and maintained so it does not cause food contamination, measures are taken to prevent contamination of food during transport (i.e. temperature control, separation of food from non-food items), records to show temperature control and proper cleaning between loads, training of personnel engaged in the transportation of food, and maintenance of written procedures and records.

 

FDA News Release

Proposed Rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food

 

http://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm383900.htm

 

January 31, 2014

 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today proposed a rule that would require certain shippers, receivers, and carriers who transport food by motor or rail vehicles to take steps to prevent the contamination of human and animal food during transportation. Part of the implementation of the Sanitary Food Transportation Act of 2005, the proposal marks the seventh and final major rule in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) central framework aimed at systematically building preventive measures across the food system.

 

The proposed regulation would establish criteria for sanitary transportation practices, such as properly refrigerating food, adequately cleaning vehicles between loads, and properly protecting food during transportation.

Jensen brothers sentenced for selling Listeria-contaminated cantaloupes that killed 33 people

The Jensen brothers were sentenced to five years' probation, including six months in home detention and a ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution in connection with the selling Listeria-contaminated cantaloupes that killed 33 people.

 

At sentencing, cantaloupe growers apologize for deadly listeria outbreak
http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/28/justice/cantaloupe-listeria-deaths-sentencing/
By Ray Sanchez, CNN
updated 8:11 PM EST, Tue January 28, 2014

(CNN) -- A pair of Colorado farmers were sentenced Tuesday to five years' probation, including six months in home detention, for their role in a 2011 listeriosis outbreak that killed roughly three dozen Americans who consumed infected cantaloupe, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Brothers Eric and Ryan Jensen, who grew up cultivating cantaloupes on Jensen Farms, a fixture in the dry plains of southeastern Colorado since the early 1900s, also were sentenced to 100 hours of community service and ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution in connection with the deadliest food outbreak in the United States in nearly 100 years.

Each apologized in court to the victims' families.

Cat food recalled due to the Salmonella contamination

 PMI Nutrition is recalling its Red Flannel Cat Food after product tested positive for Salmonella.  The testing was conducted by FDA.

While there can be risk to the pet, the bigger risk is to the consumers who are handling the Salmonella-contaminated pet food.

This product was produced for PMI by a contract manufacturer.



FDA News Release
PMI Nutrition, LLC Recalls Red Flannel® Cat Food Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination
 http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm383066.htm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - January 25, 2014 - PMI Nutrition, LLC (PMI), Arden Hills, Minn., has initiated a voluntary recall of its 20 lb. bags of Red Flannel® Cat Formula cat food for possible Salmonella contamination. There have been no reports of illness related to this product to date. This recall is being issued out of an abundance of caution after routine testing by the FDA Detroit District Office identified possible Salmonella contamination.

FDA to update nutritional panels

 The FDA is looking to update the nutritional panel on food labels.  

Surely, the current label can use a few changes…..such as the labeling serving size. Did you ever wonder why a bottle of soda (‘pop’ for you Yinzers) has two servings? This should be corrected.

Getting rid of grams?….I guess the metric system conversion attempt is over.

Also, studies have shown that people only look at the top part of the label, primarily the calorie content, and rarely venture much further down the label.  So put the important stuff at the top, and the other stuff further down where the food geeks still get what they want.

But who is to decide what is important.  There is no doubt that there will be many opinions regarding what is important for people to know about the food they are about to purchase.  Do we let the consumers decide on what they want to see?  But do those consumers reading the label really know what is most important to look for on a product?

 Of course there are the people who want to know everything about that food....GMOs, natural versus added (unnatural) sugar,  etc.  It can easily get out of control on what certain people may want to see, while the majority of people never make it beyond calories.

Of course the processor is the one that will have to redo all the labels in order to comply with new regulations.  Whether a big company or a small establishment, the company will need to pay to redo and replace all their labels.  And they will need to pay for any added analytics that may need to be provided.

So if change has to come, hopefully it is done right.



FDA Wants to Update Food Labels
Goal is a better informed public
US News and World Report January 24, 2014
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2014/01/24/fda-wants-to-update-food-labels

By Mary Brophy Marcus
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Jan. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- America's food labels may get their first makeover in more than 20 years.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the agency is working toward publishing proposed rules to update nutrition labels and serving size information. 

The agency says its aim is "to improve consumer understanding and use of nutrition information on food labels," according to the FDA.

Norovirus outbreak on cruise ship, Over 600 people ill

A Royal Caribbean cruise ship returned to port early as an outbreak of norovirus caused 577 of the passengers (out of 3050 on board) and 49 of the crew to become ill.

Symptoms of norovirus infection include vomiting and diarrhea as well as nausea, stomach pains, headache, fever, and body pain.  The symptoms can last from one to several days.  The vomiting can often be described as acute onset vomiting, which means that as soon as you feel like you have to vomit, you vomit...and that can be anywhere you are standing or sitting, including the dinner table.  This is one reason it can be spread so easily within a captive group of people, such as on a cruise ship.  The virus can be aerosolized on the vomitus particles as it leaves the person's mouth

Another reason is that the virus is stable on surfaces unless that surface is effectively sanitized.  So it can get onto people's hands, onto food, onto dinner tables, and unless properly cleaned and sanitized, it will remain there until it is transferred to another's hands or to a food item.

People can continue to shed the virus even after the symptoms have subsided.  So hand washing continues to be a must.

The cruise ship industry has gone to great measures to prevent such outbreaks.  Constant cleaning and quarantining sick people are standard practices.  However once the illness gets to a critical mass, it can be next to impossible to control, and that is what appears to have happened here.

This cruise ship will need to undergo extensive cleaning and sanitizing before returning to service.  Residual virus-containing vomit not cleaned can serve as the source for the next outbreak.   And with that many people reported as being ill, you can imagine the amount of yuck laying around the place.


Cruise ship heads home after illness outbreakMary Beth Marklein @mbmarklein, USA TODAY 11:35 a.m. EST January 27, 2014

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/27/illness-outbreak-on-cruise-ship/4936777/

More 600 passengers and crew have experienced gastrointestinal symptoms.

 A Royal Caribbean cruise ship is headed back to New Jersey two days early after an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness spiked over the weekend, the cruise line says.

A report posted online by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 577 of the ship's 3,050 passengers, or 18.9%, and 49 of 1,165 crew, or 4.2%, reported symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea during the voyage.

In Japan, man arrested in frozen food conatamination case; over 2800 ill

In Japan, a man was arrested for contaminating frozen food products with the pesticide malathion. The deliberate contamination resulted in over 2800 becoming ill, many of them children. The company was forced to recall over 6 million units of frozen food including frozen pizza and lasagna. It is suspected that the perpetrator added the contaminate immediately before the packaging process. 9 products are reported as having been contaminated.

It is interesting in that, according the news reports, that the company had restrictions on bringing personal items into the production area....so much so, that one person, according the news reports, was astonished that someone was able to get the chemical out on the floor. He also worked as part of a team when on the production floor - there were 4 people assigned to the crust area including the accused.

Another interesting note is that the President of the company as well as the President of the subsidiary will resign in March due to this incident. Salaries of these and other top officials will be cut for a period of time.

The accused is reported as being a contract worker, although he worked at the same facility for 8 years.

This case shows the amount of damage one person can cause through deliberately contaminating food, especially considering it occurred in what appears to be a facility with decent controls.



Arrest made over tainted frozen food
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0000973903
Japan NewsMonday, January 27, 2014

The Yomiuri Shimbun

A man in his late 40s was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of obstructing business by lacing frozen foods with a pesticide at a major food maker’s subsidiary plant in the town of Oizumi, Gunma Prefecture.

The man, Toshiki Abe, 49, is a contract employee working at the plant of AQLI Foods Corp., a subsidiary of Maruha Nichiro Holdings Inc., police said.

Investigators detected malathion on clothes he wore at the plant. He had been missing since Jan. 14, but was discovered in Saitama Prefecture on Friday.

Colorado's New Food Safety Challange - POT!

With the passing of the law to make marijuana legal , Colorado must now address issues associated with legalization including regulations impacting food safety. Food safety comes into play because THC, the psychoactive component, can be added to a number of different products including pastries, cookies, and candies. So what hazards are associated with the plant and within the process of making these products? How does one control dosage of THC? How should products be labeled?

Looking down the road, the potential exists for other states to pass legal status to marijuana. To what degree does this give Colorado companies a head start in the development, manufacture and distribution of pot and THC? By the time other states get into the game, the Colorado industry will be well developed, giving those existing companies a competitive advantage. Along with that, many of the legal food standards that are set will be established in Colorado.

Some have suggested that marijuana get the Federal okay for use, since it is considered GRAS...oops it is grass, not GRAS (generally recognized as safe).

 There was an outbreak of Salmonella associated with Marijuana in 1982 (below)

Colorado Imposes Food Safety Rules On Marijuana Industry
By Luke Runyon
http://kvnf.org/post/colorado-imposes-food-safety-rules-marijuana-industry
Fri January 24, 2014
kvnf.com

Colorado made history when it opened up licensed marijuana retail shops this year. Aside from just legalizing the purchase of smoke-able marijuana, it also means pot brownies have the potential to be big business.

Food products infused with marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient, THC, are available in stores across the state.

Marijuana, though, is still considered illegal by the federal government. The existing food safety system, which relies heavily on support from federal agencies, can’t ensure that marijuana-infused foods are safe.