Earth Day - Reducing Food Waste and the Challenge for Food Safety

One of the challenges that will increasingly challenge food safety professionals is the increased pressure on becoming more sustainable, especially on reducing food waste.  As people are told to reduce their food waste, there will be more pressure to keep food longer than it should be, or to use food that may not be as good as it should be (trying to rescue decaying fruit for example).  Throw in the fact that there are more agricultural commodities coming from organic practices which can have higher rates of product deterioration.

Much of this will come down to improving our systems from farm to table.  Culling systems that can remove real spoilage issues at the farm and packing house.  Improved logistics to move product quickly and under the right conditions to the point of sale or processing.  An understanding by consumers of what is actually bad versus not pretty but okay to eat.  Planning by the consumer is another important control....that is, don't buy so much or make too much of something that you get to the spot when you have to decide if it is still good because of shelf-life.  We answer so many questions from people who are worried about a chicken dish they made days ago or a jar of pickles that is two months past the shelf-life.  The key is to manage what you have so you never get to that point.

Then there are some who insist that the issue is the shelf-life dates used by manufacturers.  Correct, these dates are mainly based on quality, not safety.  However, increasing the date could mean that you get a lower quality product.  Did you ever taste a shelf-stable juice product in a plastic container past the shelf-life...it may be safe, but it tastes...well, it doesn't taste...no flavor.


USDA News Release
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/news-releases-statements-transcripts/news-release-archives-by-year/archive/2016/nr-041816-01

USDA Tips for Reducing Food Waste and Preventing Illness

 

Small Firm Recalls Vegetable Soup Due to Improper Processing

A small Lancaster, PA firm is recalling jars of vegetable soup because it was determined they were not following regulations for processing this type of product.

Vegetable soup is normally a low acid product, (finished equilibrium pH greater than 4.6 and a water activity greater than 0.85).  To make this product, a manufacturer must follow the Low Acid Canned Food Regulations (LACF) which requires that a firm have an established process and that process is filed.  Generally, small firms are limited to canning high acid foods or acidified foods that have a pH of 4.6 or less.    
In this case, the product was close to the pH of 4.6 so perhaps their goal was having an acidified food where the acid portion, perhaps a tomato base and some added acid, was expected to reduce the pH below 4.6.  However, this was not being achieved.  Another important element is that it is the particulates in the soup that must also reach an equilibrium pH of less than 4.6....not just the broth.  (Hard to tell what was actually being measured from the report).

It is important for small firms to understand canning regulations.  This is not the first instance of a company producing low acid foods - whether they did not know the regulations, or the process they used did not achieve the pH they wanted.  This can be an issue with small firms who want to make products for sale at farmers' markets.


FDA Recall Notice
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm496909.htm
Mary's Home Canning Recalls Mary's Home Made Vegetable Soup Because of Possible Health Risk
For Immediate Release
April 15, 2016

Hepatitis A Outbreak Linked to Frozen Berries - Canada

An outbreak of Hepatitis A in Canada has been linked to bags of mixed frozen berries.  From the label on the package, it appears that the berries are, at least in part, imported berries.

How does this occur?  Most likely an infected worker handling the fruit, probably at the point of harvest or initial processing, would have contaminated the fruit.  Because the fruit is often used without any further processing, there is no point for reduction of the virus. 

How can it be prevented?  This is a RTE product.  So strategic sourcing is critical.  Have the farms implemented GAP procedures, especially those controls for farm employee health and exclusion of ill employees?  This can be a more difficult issue with Hepatitis A where an employee can be contagious and not yet show signs of illness. 

This has not been the first issue associated with frozen fruit products, so this indicates that there is more work to do with sourcing fruit from farms with good practices.

What is the impact?  Hepatitis A is highly infectious.  There is a period of time, about two weeks, from when a person is exposed where a vaccination can be helpful.  The challenge is getting word out to those who purchased product.  Once infected, the symptoms can vary from fever, low appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, to jaundice.  Long term liver damage can be a risk for those high risk individuals.
 
The Star (Canada)
 http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/04/19/recalled-costco-frozen-berries-linked-to-13-cases-of-hepatitis-a.html
Recalled Costco frozen berries linked to 13 cases of Hepatitis A
Store is offering vaccinations to those who may have eaten its Nature’s Touch Organic Berry Cherry Blend that was recalled Saturday by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

By: The Canadian Press, Published on Tue Apr 19 2016

Listeria Control - What Will the FDA Guidance Look Like

Jennifer McEntire and Clay Detlefsen have written a nice article on Listeria monocytogenes control in food operations, comparing FSIS and FDA approaches to this point in time and suggesting what is to come with FDA guidance.

As we have seen with a number of recent recalls where product is recalled after test results come back positive, these facilities do not have good controls in place.  One can bet that FDA might be playing a heavier hand with facilities in light of these recall issues.

  

Quality Assurance and Food Safety

 http://www.qualityassurancemag.com/article/the-perplexing-challenge-of-lm-control/

The Perplexing Challenge of Lm Control

GMA Update - GMA Update

 

Are we heading toward a unified approach?

Starting a Food Business Begins with Understanding Food Safety

Nice article in QA&FS on starting a food business and the need to understand food safety parameters.  The information presented mirrors what we have found - when people understand the food safety elements, they are better able to design their process and product. 

Too many new processors develop their process and then have to redo their concept after discovering that they have created opportunities for spoilage or pathogen contamination.  Understanding HACCP principles, which is really a risk analysis, helps the new processor evaluate the process and identify the needed controls.  They learn about proper process flow to prevent cross contamination, processing parameters to eliminate pathogens, and sanitation to remove hazards such as allergens.

Supplier control is another important concept for the entrepreneur, especially if that person is considering having another group co-pack the product.  While it is the co-packer who will be tasked with control, it helps if the entrepreneur has an understanding of what the co-packer should be doing.  Ultimately, it is the entrepreneurs label that goes on the product.

For more resources on Starting a Food Business, visit this Penn State website:
http://extension.psu.edu/food/entrepreneurs/starting-a-business

Quality Assurance and Food Safety
http://www.qualityassurancemag.com/article/small-business-success/
Small Business Success
Features - Plant Management
Overcoming the Challenges of Limited Funds and Resources
April 8, 2016
Lisa Lupo

Salad Items Recalled after Supplier Notification of Listeria Positive Ingredient

Reser's Fine Foods of Oregon is recalling refrigerated salad items (egg salad, potato salad, macaroni salad) of various sizes (3.5oz to 8lb tubs) and various brands (Sysco, Safeway, Walmart, and Resser's) after their supplier that the onions supplied to Resser's tested positive for Listeria.
This is one of those cases where the supplier must be shipping product before they have results back, or perhaps where another customer tested the incoming onions and found that they were positive.  Regardless, the work now falls on the manufacturer to recall the product.

Unfortunately, there have been too many issues with Listeria in produce operations.  Supplier control, especially when those items are used in RTE applications, must focus on how the supplier is controlling Listeria in their processing environment.  Is the environment cleanable to the microbiological level?  Are they monitoring the environment for Listeria?

Reser's Recall Notice
https://www.resers.com/images/uploads/news/Press_Release_FINAL.pdf
 RESER’S FINE FOODS, INC. RECALLS REFRIGERATED SALADS BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE HEALTH RISK DUE TO ONION SUPPLIER RECALL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 10, 2016 

MEDIA CONTACT: LINDA RIEDMAN 503-267-8373 

Reser’s Fine Foods, Inc. of Beaverton, Oregon is recalling nineteen refrigerated salad items due to notification from one of our ingredient suppliers that Listeria monocytogenes may be present in one lot of onions that was used in the manufacture of these salads. Listeria monocytogenes is an organism which can cause serious and sometime fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and individuals with weakened immune systems. Healthy people may suffer only short term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant woman.

Sliced Apples Recalled in Texas Due to Listeria Positive Samples

A Texas food company, Fresh From Texas, is recalling products containing sliced apples after its own testing found two Listeria monocytogenes-positive samples.  The product was sold through the food retailer HEB.  The product was sold in bags and trays, also as part of multiple fruit trays.
No illnesses have been reported.

FDA Recall Notice
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm494345.htm
Fresh From Texas Recalls Apple Product Because Of Possible Health Risk
For Immediate Release
April 5, 2016

Lab Error Blamed for 2012 Case of Chocolate Recalled for Salmonella

In 2012, chocolate bars from Belgium were rejected for import into the US after a Belgium laboratory reported the product as Salmonella positive.  The product was destroyed.   After an investigation, the Salmonella strain identified was the same strain found by the laboratory in fish meal.  Cross contamination in the laboratory?  That is what is believed.  Unfortunately, a few years back, there were not the whole genomic sequencing tools readily available as we do today.

This puts a light on laboratories and the impact of poor practices can have on a company's product.  Tight controls need to be in place to prevent cross contamination.  Companies need to question results that seem unlikely.  Today, further investigation can be completed using whole genome sequencing to rule out laboratory error, including excluding the laboratory's positive control sample.

BioMed Centralhttp://bmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13104-016-1969-7
Case report of Salmonella cross-contamination in a food laboratory

FSMA Rule for Sanitary Transport of Food - Summary

FDA issued the final rule for the sanitary transport of food.  The final rule applies to shippers, receivers, loaders and carriers who transport food in the United States by motor or rail vehicle.
It is important that companies evaluate their own shipping, and if using third party shippers, that those trucking companies are in compliance.  This will apply to USDA product.

Key Provisions:

1. The design and maintenance of vehicles and transportation equipment to ensure that it does not cause the food that it transports to become unsafe.
2. Measures taken during transportation to ensure food safety -
   Including adequate
• temperature controls,
• preventing contamination of ready to eat food from touching raw food,
• protection of food from contamination by non-food items in the same load or previous load, and protection of food from cross-contact (including the unintentional incorporation of a food allergen.)
3. Training of carrier personnel in sanitary transportation practices and documentation of the training when the carrier is responsible for sanitary conditions during transport.  (FDA plans to have an on-line training program).
4. Maintenance of records of written procedures, agreements and training (required of carriers). The required retention time for these records not exceed 12 months (depending on the type of record.

Key Exemptions:

• Shippers, receivers, or carriers engaged in food transportation operations that have less than $500,000 in average annual revenue
• Transportation activities performed by a farm
•  Transportation of food that is completely enclosed by a container except a food that requires temperature control for safety
• Food shipped through the US but not consumed in US.

Compliance - one year, for small companies, two years.

   

 

FDA - FSMA

Fact Sheet

http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/ucm383763.htm

FSMA Final Rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food

 

Complete Rule in PDF

 https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2016-07330.pdf

    

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food is now final, advancing FDA’s efforts to protect foods from farm to table by keeping them safe from contamination during transportation. The earliest compliance dates for some firms begin one year after publication of the final rule in the Federal Register.