Botulism Outbreak in Ohio Linked to Home Canned Potatoes, Confirmed Cases Now 21

The source of the botulism outbreak at the Ohio church potluck is most likely the home canned potatoes used to make the potato salad.  In this outbreak, the number of confirmed cases of botulism poisoning is now 21.

While potatoes can be safely canned (if done according to the directions provided by the National Center for Home Food Preservation), it is important to use the right potatoes, the right size, and the use of a pressure canner.  While there has been no further information provided at this point related to the canning procedures used or issues seen on other containers processed that may be still in storage, potatoes can become an issue if not done correctly.  First, potatoes are low acid, so a pressure canner must be used.  Second, it is important the type and the size are correct to allow proper heat movement within the jar (convection heating).  If the size is too big or the potatoes break down during processing, the heating parameters within the jar will change, thus affecting the ability of heat to reach the cold spot of the jar. 

Another issue is the use of home canned foods for volunteer events.   Generally,  bringing home canned foods to volunteer events is discouraged.  In Penn State's Volunteer Food Safety Curriculum, Cooking for Crowds, it states in Chapter 4:

As a precaution, never accept any home-canned or home-preserved food [for volunteer events]. Life-threatening foodborne illness can occur from food that has been preserved incorrectly

 The same must be said for using canned foods as an ingredient in dishes that will be brought and served at group functions.  There are no regulations for these volunteer groups and their functions however and so it comes down to the individual groups to require training and to institute policies.

Getting home preservers to follow scientifically developed recipes is not an easy.   Cases like this are reminders that improper canning procedures can lead to deadly consequences.

CBS/AP
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/source-of-deadly-botulism-outbreak-in-ohio-identified/
Source of deadly botulism outbreak in Ohio identified

April 28, 2015, 9:46 AM

LANCASTER, Ohio -- Health officials say the likely source of the botulism outbreak that killed one person and sickened many others at an Ohio church potluck dinner was home-canned potatoes used in a potato salad.

Frozen Vegetables Recalled for Non-Contact Listeria Positive Sample

Greystone Foods is recalling frozen vegetables due to the potential for Listeria.  This recall is connected to the Inventure Foods recall.

The interesting thing about this recall, at least what was written in the FDA Recall Notice (below), is that the Listeria was found on a non-contact surface.  In this section from the notice:

"The potential for contamination was noted after we were informed by our supplier that an area of their facility where the field peas with snaps were blended tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes on a non-food contact surface."

While there is no detail on what 'non-contact surface' was tested, there is no regulatory requirement (FDA Listeria Guidance) to recall based upon a positive finding on a non-contact surface.  Listeria can and often will be found in a facility, but as long as it is in control, more specifically, prevented from getting into food, the risk should be minimal.  Especially for products that have cooking instructions listed on the package. 

This has received a lot of attention in this sector of the industry.  Was it an overly cautious move, or were there other contributing factors?  One may be that many frozen vegetables are being used without cooking, including when used in salad or juice blends.


FDA Recall Notice
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm444548.htm
Greystone Foods, LLC voluntarily recalls Today’s Harvest Field Peas with Snaps, Silver Queen Corn, and Broccoli Florets due to possible health risk.

Contact: Consumer: 1-205-945-9099

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 24, 2015 — Greystone Foods, LLC voluntarily recalls Today’s Harvest Field Peas with Snaps, Silver Queen Corn, and Broccoli Florets with the sell by date 04/21/16 shipped to Publix Supermarkets warehouse in Lakeland, FL warehouse due to possible health risk.

Nylabone Recalls Puppy Treats Due to Positive Salmonella Sample

Nylabone Products is recalling their puppy starter kit due to the fact that sample product, tested by the company, was found to be positive for Salmonella.

Nylabones are those dog treats that seem to last forever.  They come in edible and inedible  (basically plastic) types.  In the Puppy Starter Kit package, there were both the edible and inedible types of bone.  So it can be assumed that the edible one was the one found to be positive for Salmonella. 
Here are the ingredients for the Bacon edible:

Bacon: Wheat starch, glycerin, cellulose, lecithin, potato starch, chicken powder, roast beef flavor, natural bacon flavor, natural flavor, oat fiber, calcium carbonate, soy flour and rosemary oil.
Vitamins: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B-6, Folic Acid, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Biotin, Choline, Inositol and PABA.
Minerals: Calcium Carbonate, Ferrous Carbonate, Magnesium Oxide, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Chloride, Zinc Oxide, Copper Oxide, Manganese Oxide and Sodium Molybdate.

As we have seen with other recalls involving Salmonella in dry product, rarely is the recall  limited to one lot.  Rather, Salmonella as an environmental contaminate, can survive in these dry facilities for long periods of time and thus contaminate product over that period.  As an environmental contaminate,  Salmonella gets onto the product after the process rather than being present in the ingredients and surviving the process.  If this is the case, than other lots should be checked. (If instead, it is a processing issue and Salmonella from the ingredients survived the process, then this means a process deviation was missed).

 

FDA Recall Notice

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm444560.htm
TFH Publications, Inc./Nylabone Products Recalls Puppy Starter Kit Due To Possible Salmonella Health Risk

Contact: Consumer: 1-877-273-7527

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 22, 2015 - TFH Publications, Inc./Nylabone Products, of Neptune, NJ is recalling one lot of its 1.69 oz. package of the Puppy Starter Kit dog chews, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals ingesting the product and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Fruit and Vegetable Juice Blends - Reviewing the Risks and Their Control

Juice blends, the mixing of juice from different fruits and vegetables, are growing in demand. But some processors may not realize there can be a risk of foodborne pathogens if that juice operation does not handle and process the fruits and vegetables properly. This goes for both when serving juice fresh without any processing treatment, or fresh juice receiving a processing treatment that serves to reduce/eliminate pathogenic microorganisms (a 5 log reduction). According to the Food Code, if a processor does not use a microbial reduction process, that product must be labeled as such. (Consumers should know the difference between these two, because the non treated juice does have a higher risk for foodborne illness, especially when that juice is low acid, and/or stored for any time rather than consumed immediately).

Low acid / high pH juices are the result of using a high proportion of low acid produce such vegetables, including spinach or kale, in the blend These low acid juices, as compared to the higher acid juices, are a bigger concern in that they better able to support the growth of pathogenic bacteria if present (as compared to more acidic juices like apple juice.) When these low acid receive a processing treatment, such as those processed by ultraviolet light (UV) or by high pressure processing, Clostridium botulinum is a risk.

What are the concerns related to juice:

Inventure is Recalling Frozen Vegetables and Juice Blends Due to Potential for Listeria Contamination

Inventure's Georgia facility is recalling fresh frozen vegetables and  smoothie kits after the company discovered Listeria in that Georgia processing facility.  There have been no reported illnesses to date.

While Listeria in smoothies can be a risk, specifically since the product is considered ready-to-eat.  The vegetables on the other hand, do have cooking instructions.  However, there is a risk if the consumer undercooks the product or if they use it in the preparation of vegetable juice blends.

The other interesting point is that this action is being taken for positive environmental sample, not a product sample testing positive.  There is no indication as to the location in the environment of the positive sample or whether product was actually tested.  Since two product lines were recalled, either these lines shared the same pieces of equipment, or there were more than one positive samples.

NY Company Recalls Fresh Cheese Due to High S. aureus Levels

 A New York Company is recalling a Queso Fresco or Fresh Cheese after the NY State Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services tested and found the product to have a high level of Staphylococcus aureus in the product.  While Staph aureus may be naturally present on our skin and in our nasal passages, it is can be an issue when in high levels in food products.  When S. aureus reaches high levels, it produces an enterotoxin that can cause serious vomiting.

How high is high?  Generally we don't expect to see any, but may see low levels, 10 cfu or less per gram, and up to 100/gram may be acceptable on fresh cheese.  So if one had to guess, the numbers here would probably be above this level.


FDA News Release
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm443851.htm
CONSUMER ALERT: STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS IN QUESO FRESCO CHEESE
Contact:  Joe Morrissey 548-457-0752 Joe.Morrissey@agriculture.ny.gov
Dave Bullard 315-487-7711 x 1377 Dave.Bullard@agriculture.ny.gov


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 20, 2015 — State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today warned consumers not to consume La Clarita Queseria Queso Fresco “Fresh Cheese” made by Queseria La Poblanita, Inc., 216 E. 117th St., New York, NY, 10035, due to possible Staphylococcus aureus contamination. To date, no illnesses are known by the Department of Agriculture and Markets to be associated with this product.

Spinach Recalled after Sample Tests Positive by Michigan Dept of Ag

Taylor Farms of Salinas CA is recalling institutional sized units of fresh spinach after the Michigan Department of Ag had a positive Salmonella result in a sample they tested.  No illnesses have been reported.

 Schnuck's issued a recall notice for their pasta salad because they used that spinach.



The Produce News
http://theproducenews.com/news-dep-menu/test-featured/15640-taylor-farms-recalls-foodservice-spinach-in-response-to-michigan-testing
Taylor Farms recalls foodservice spinach in response to Michigan testing
by Joan Murphy | April 22, 2015

Salinas, CA-based Taylor Farms has notified foodservice companies of a spinach recall after Michigan inspectors detected pathogens in foodservice product during routine testing.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development’s Geagley Laboratory tested spinach that was pre-packaged and ready for institutional use and stored in a food warehouse facility as part of the state’s routine food-safety assurance program.

Over 20 Cases of Botulism with one death from Food at Church Potluck

One death and 23cases of botulism are being reported after the individuals ate at a church potluck in Lancaster. Ohio.

Antitoxin has been administered to the victims, which can reduce severity of the illness. 

The food has not yet been identified.

Botulism is the disease caused when the toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum is ingested.   The toxin is produced by the organism as it grows in a food. Generally we do not see many cases of this deadly disease, but it can be a risk when certain foods are not properly prepared. 

• Improperly processed low acid canned foods like green beans that are not properly pressure canned and then those cans are stored on the shelf..  
• Heated foods likes soups and stews when those foods are not properly cooled or are stored at the elevated temperatures (not refrigerated).
• Vacuum packaged cooked foods that are not stored at the right temperature.

 Clostridium botulinum is a spore-forming organism, and these spores can survive normal cooking.  If conditions are right, then the spores germinate and the organism grows in the food.  Conditions include a notorious food, warm to high temperatures, non-acidic pH, and low oxygen level.

The toxin is a neurotoxin and stops vital functions including breathing.

 

Columbus Dispatch

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/04/21/botulism-lancaster.html

Botulism death tied to Lancaster church potluck

 

Wednesday April 22, 2015 9:33 AM 

 

One person has died and at least 20 others were hospitalized as of late last night with suspected botulism that health officials are linking to a potluck on Sunday at a Lancaster church.

 

Cooked Chicken Sausage Product Recalled Because of Plastic Pieces

A Massachusetts company is recalled cooked chicken sausage due to the potential to have small plastic pieces.  The recall was done after two consumer complaints were  received about small pieces of plastic.

Product was sold at Trader Joe's.

Surprisingly, this was labeled a Class 2 recall (This is a health hazard situation where there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product), versus a Class 3(This is a situation where the use of the product will not cause adverse health consequences).  Complaints of injury may be the reason, although not stated in the USDA release.  Perhaps this explains the reason for the necessity of a recall on such a few complaints.

 

  

USDA Recall Notice

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2015/recall-066-2015-release

Kayem Foods Recalls Sausage Products Due To Possible Foreign Matter Contamination

Class II Recall 066-2015

Health Risk: Low Apr 20, 2015

 

Congressional and Public Affairs  Alexandra Tarrant   (202) 720-9113

 

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2015 – Kayem Foods, a Chelsea, Mass., establishment, is recalling approximately 59,203 pounds of fully cooked chicken sausage products that may be contaminated with pieces of plastic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.