NC Establishment Recalls Ham Product after Linked to Listeria Outbreak, One Death

Johnston County Hams, a Smithfield, N.C. establishment, is recalling approximately 89,096 pounds of ready-to-eat ham products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes,  The recall was initiated after "FSIS was notified that a person ill with listeriosis reported consuming a ham product produced at Johnston County Hams. Working in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state public health and agriculture partners, FSIS determined that there is a link between the Listeria monocytogenes illnesses and ham products produced at Johnston County Hams. The epidemiologic investigation identified a total of four listeriosis confirmed illnesses, including one death, between July 8, 2017 and August 11, 2018. FSIS collected two deli ham product samples from the Johnston County Hams, Inc. facility in 2016 and in early 2018. Whole genome sequencing results showed that Listeria monocytogenes identified in deli ham both years was closely related genetically to Listeria monocytogenes from ill people." 

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-084-2018-release
Johnston County Hams Recalls Ready-To-Eat Ham Products Due to Possible Listeria Contamination
Class I Recall 

084-2018
Health Risk: High 

Oct 3, 2018

Pennsylvania Expands Disease Management Areas (DMA) for CWD in White Tailed Deer

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an infectious neurodegenerative disease that affects captive and free-ranging deer, elk, and moose that causes death in the animal within a year or two after infection.  It is caused by a prion, a misfolded protein that is able to induce abnormal folding of specific normal cellular proteins most often in the brain.  While there has been no known transmission to humans, there is a similar disease in humans called Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease, and mad cow disease in cattle.

Like in other parts of the country, the issue is becoming bigger in states like Pennsylvania where deer hunting is a 1.6 billion dollar industry with nearly 1 million hunters taking to the woods each fall.  "It's been confirmed in 177 free-ranging deer in Pennsylvania since 2012, including 78 in 2017 and 26 through June 2018."

Transmission can be passed from deer to deer or from the deer to soil to deer.  The prion has been found to be active 2 years in the soil where an infected animal died.  This creates a huge challenge in terms of eradication.

Pennsylvania has set up 4 disease management areas (DMA) to enact restrictions on hunters to prevent potential movement of CWD and free testing of deer heads for the prion.  Hunters are requested not to consume high-risk parts, properly bone out a carcass to remove brain and spinal cord material as well as cutting away all fatty tissue will remove remaining lymph nodes.

Source (2012) Occurrence, Transmission, and Zoonotic Potential of Chronic Wasting Disease, Emerging Infectious Diseases

NBC 10
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Pennsylvania-Sounding-the-Alarm-On-Deer-Disease-494419521.html
Pennsylvania Sounding the Alarm on Chronic Wasting Disease Among Deer
By Kurt Bresswein

This Week in Mislabeled Products - Week Ending Sept 29. 2018

Improper Line Clean-out in Snack Process - Whole Foods Market is voluntarily recalling 365 Everyday Value White Corn Tortilla Chips because the product may contain undeclared milk that was not listed on the product label.  The issue was discovered after a customer notified Whole Foods Market that the tortilla chip bag also contained other snack mix products.

Improper Line Clean-Out in Dairy Process - Harris Teeter is notifying shoppers of a voluntarily recall of Harris Teeter Low Fat Frozen Yogurt Cookies & Cream due to undeclared peanut product.  The firm was notified of the problem via a consumer comment of finding peanut butter cups in the product. Subsequent investigation indicated that the problem was caused by a mix-up of the cartons.

https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm621665.htm
Allergy Alert Issued in Whole Foods Market Stores Nationwide for Undeclared Milk in 365 Everyday Value White Corn Tortilla Chips
For Immediate Release
September 25, 2018

Fewer Teens Working in Foodservice Puts Cost Pressure with Low Skilled Labor Force

An interesting read in Nation's Restaurant News regarding the decrease of teens working in foodservice. We have all seen the Help Wanted signs in nearly every restaurant we visit. This continued trend of less teens working in foodservice jobs puts cost pressure on all who hire low skill-level workers, including food processing.

"Participation has declined over the years, but even as recently as 2000, over 50 percent of teens participated in the workforce. Today that number is around 30 percent. The BLS [Bureau of Labor Statistics] expects the downward trend to continue."

To fill their needs, foodservice is turning to older workers. The "average age of a fast-food employee is 24 years old." "At this point, only 18 percent of restaurant-level employees at limited-service brands are younger than 18 years old, according to Tdn2K. At full-service brands, only 5 percent."

This puts costing pressure on not just foodservice, but any companies that are hiring low skilled workers. "As employees became more mature, Service Employees International Union and the Fight for $15 stepped in to organize employees and work toward higher wages. So far, they’ve seen a fair share of successes. Wages for fast-food workers are on their way to $15 an hour in New York, California, Seattle, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C."

Hiring is not the only concern, so is retention.  "According to restaurant analytics firm TDn2K, the latest turnover numbers for the restaurant-level employees is 124 percent for limited-service brands and 100 percent for full-service."

Nation's Restaurant News

https://www.nrn.com/workforce/loving-and-losing-teen-labor?NL=NRN-02_
On loving and losing teen labor
How teens helped define fast food, and where the industry is without them
Gloria Dawson | Sep 28, 2018

FDA and CDC Close Investigation on Sugar Smacks Cereal

FDA and CDC announced that the investigation and recall with the Salmonella Outbreak associated with Sugar Smacks cereal is completed.  At the closure point, there were 135 cases with 34 hospitalizations. A concern is that people may still have the recalled product on their shelf.

The product was packed by a co-manufacturing facility owned by Kerry Inc.  The Kerry facility was issued a Warning Letter in July.  This facility was found to have a Salmonella issue.
From that warning letter, "Between September 29, 2016 and May 16, 2018, you repeatedly found Salmonella throughout your facility, including in cereal production rooms. During this time period, you had 81 positive Salmonella environmental samples and 32 positive Salmonella vector samples (samples taken in response to finding a positive on routine testing), including four Salmonella (b)(4) samples in the cereal coating room (Line (b)(4)) and one Salmonella (b)(4) sample in the cereal (b)(4) room (Line (b)(4)). Further, you had repeated findings of other Salmonella species in some production lines and rooms used for the manufacture of cereal. These repeated findings of Salmonella in your environment should have resulted in a reanalysis of your food safety plan". 

So in this case, why was Kellogg still packing RTE cereal in that plant if these issues were identified in the co-manufacturer's own records?  Did their audit analysis find these issues?

(Reading the Warning Letter at the time it was issued, it was easy to assume it was an ingredient rather than a finished RTE product because of the prevalence of Salmonella found by FDA as well as the company's own internal testing. Seeing that the company was packing RTE cereal is concerning, based on what is in the FDA Warning Letter).

https://www.fda.gov/food/recallsoutbreaksemergencies/outbreaks/ucm610827.htm
FDA Investigated Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Mbandaka Infections Linked to Kellogg’s Honey Smacks Cereal

Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Company Recalls Product After Well Water Tests Positive for E. coli

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation is voluntarily recalling all of its products produced at the Keaau facility between Sept. 6 - 21, 2018 due to a potential contamination of Escherichia coli (E. coli). The recall was initiated due to E.coli being detected in the well water and distribution system that supplies the firm’s operations.  No illnesses related to the water have been reported to the state.

"On Sept. 21, 2018 DOH notified Mauna Loa that a water sample in their distribution system was positive for E. coli. It was thought that a possible reason for contamination was the result of a disinfection system malfunction.  Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation took immediate action to notify employees and the public.  Subsequent test samples remained positive for E.coli and the State DOH has advised Mauna Loa to recall its products as an additional safety measure. The firm has been closed since Sept. 21, 2018 and will remain closed until the water clears State DOH drinking water standards."

https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm621806.htm
Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation Voluntarily Recalls
For Immediate Release
September 24, 2018

FDA and CDC Announce Vibrio Outbreak Associated with Venezuela Crab Meat Over

FDA and CDC released an announcement saying that the Vibrio parahaemolyticus outbreak associated with Venezuela crab meat is over.  CDC and FDA had issued a warning in July when the outbreak was identified.  At the end of this, there is a total of 26 illness and 9 hospitalizations.

"Vibrio bacteria naturally live in certain coastal waters and are present in higher concentrations between May and October when water temperatures are warmer. About a dozen Vibrio species can cause human illness, known as vibriosis. Vibrio parahaemolyticus is one of the most common species causing human illness in the United States." 

Vibrio will be eliminated through cooking, however, "the product under investigation was a fresh, pre-cooked product that may be served chilled or lightly re-heated in various dishes".

"Most people infected with Vibrio parahaemolyticus develop diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, nausea, fever and stomach pain. Diarrhea tends to be watery and occasionally bloody. "

https://www.fda.gov/food/recallsoutbreaksemergencies/outbreaks/ucm613500.htm
FDA Investigated Multistate Outbreak of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Linked to Fresh Crab Meat Imported from Venezuela

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local partners, investigated a multi-state outbreak of Vibrio parahaemolyticus illnesses that was linked to fresh crab meat.

Update – September 27, 2018

$18 Million in Smuggled Drugs Found in Shipment of Bananas

In Texas, a shipment of bananas was found to be carrying a hidden load of cocaine..540 packages.....18 million dollars worth.

The Produce News
http://theproducenews.com/the-produce-news-today-s-headlines/25022-this-18-million-drug-bust-is-bananas
This $18 million drug bust is bananas
September 24, 2018

CDC Report on Campylobacter Outbreak Associated with Puppies

CDC issued a report on an investigation into last year's Campylobacter outbreak associated with pupplies sold through pet stores.  "By February 28, 2018, a total of 118 persons meeting the case definition for Campylobacter infection, including 29 pet store employees, were reported from 18 states."

"Practices identified during records review indicated that pet store puppies travel from breeders to distributors to stores by third-party transport companies. Information collected for eight puppies owned by infected persons and 20 puppies with fecal samples that were positive for Campylobacter jejuni traced back to 25 breeders and eight distributors. No single breeder, distributor, or transporter was identified as the infection source. However, potential for Campylobacter transmission among puppies exists because puppies from different breeders were commingled at distributors, during transport, and in stores."

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6737a3.htm?s_cid=mm6737a3_e
Multidrug-Resistant Campylobacter jejuni Outbreak Linked to Puppy Exposure — United States, 2016–2018
Weekly / September 21, 2018 / 67(37);1032–1035