Recall Issued After Supplier Ships Frozen Asparagus with Listeria Issue

The Pictsweet Company has recalled 1,872 cases of Pictsweet Farms 8-ounce Steam’ables Asparagus Spears after it was notified by the manufacturer that product suspected of containing Listeria monocytogenes was inadvertently shipped to The Pictsweet Company.

It is hard to know exactly how this happened.  Perhaps a test-and-hold program that didn't hold too well?  Or a sample was taken for testing and that lot of product was not held?  The next question is whether this supplier has a larger Listeria issue extending beyond this lot.

https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm625788.htm
The Pictsweet Company Recalls 8-ounce Steam’ables Asparagus Spears due to Potential for Listeria Monocytogenes
For Immediate Release
November 13, 2018

Raw Ground Turkey Recalled After Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

Jennie-O Turkey, a Barron, Wis. establishment, is recalling approximately 91,388 pounds of raw ground turkey products after being linked to a Salmonella outbreak with 164 cases in 35 different states.   According to the USDA report, "The patient tested positive for Salmonella Reading and the sample from the ground turkey matches the outbreak strain."

The good news is that the recall does not involve whole turkeys at this point, so it should not impact Thanksgiving turkey purchases.  However, the investigation is ongoing and it seems that some people who became ill handled live turkeys.  So it is important to use proper procedures for handling and preparing whole turkey products, especially during our Thanksgiving holiday.  From the USDA report, "Patients have reported eating different types and brands of turkey products purchased from many different stores, handling raw turkey pet food and/or raw turkey, or working with live turkeys or living with someone who handled live turkeys."

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-112-2018-release
Jennie-O Turkey Store Sales, LLC Recalls Raw Ground Turkey Products due to Possible Salmonella Reading Contamination 
Class I Recall
112-2018
Health Risk: High
Nov 15, 2018

CDC Investigating Ongoing Salmonella Outbreak Associated with Raw Turkey.....Just in Time for Thanksgiving

CDC is investigating an ongoing Salmonella outbreak involving raw turkey.  There have been 135 cases in 35 different states with 63 hospitalizations and one death.  CDC has not been able to pinpoint an exact source except that it is related to raw turkey.  The strain, Salmonella Reading, is sufficiently virulent to be causing this ongoing and serious issue.

So with Thanksgiving upon us, it is especially important this year to follow proper practices.  

• Wash your hands after touching raw turkey or drippings.
• Wash all surfaces after contacting raw turkey or drippings (cutting boards, refrigerator shelves, knives, etc)
• Cook your turkey to the right temperature.  Use a thermometer to verify at least 165F.  But this year, go a few degrees more than you normally do just to be safe.

A few other important things.....

• Don't wash your turkey in the sink spraying that turkey stuff all over.
• Cook the stuffing separate from the bird.  Sure, you may like it better, but it ain't worth sitting on the pot for a week.
• Don't eat raw or undercooked turkey.  If your Aunt Mabel serves it undercooked, it is time to set her straight. 
• Don't feed your dog raw turkey dog food.

CDC Investigation Notice
https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/reading-07-18/index.html
Outbreak of Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Infections Linked to Raw Turkey Products
Posted November 8, 2018 at 11:45 AM EDT

At A Glance
Reported Cases: 164
States: 35
Hospitalizations: 63
Deaths: 1

FDA Releases Report on Sources of Foodborne Illnesses on Four Primary Pathogens

The IFSAC, a federal interagency group focused on food safety released a report on sources of foodborne illness from four pathogens - Salmonella, E. Coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobcacter.  The report year was 2016.

The full report titled "Foodborne illness source attribution estimates for 1998 to 2016 for Salmonella,

Escherichia coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter using multi-year outbreak surveillance data, United States" can be found HERE.

From that report, here are the key takeaways.  There is nothing surprising.

"Salmonella illnesses came from a wide variety of foods.

Salmonella illnesses were broadly attributed across multiple food categories. More than 75% of Salmonella illnesses were attributed to seven food categories: Seeded Vegetables (such as tomatoes), Chicken, Pork, Fruits, Other Produce (such as nuts), Eggs, and Beef."

[Salmonella is carried by so many animals and with that, comes in on raw ingredients such as meats, grains, produce, etc.  Also can survive in the processing environment for long periods of time.  Simple errors such as under-cooking, cross contamination, inadequate sanitation provides opportunity for this organism to contaminate food.]

"E.coli O157 illnesses were most often linked to Vegetable Row Crops (such as leafy greens) and Beef.
Nearly 75% of illnesses were linked to these two categories."

[This organism is associated with animal (ruminants) poop.  It gets to people either via beef, primarily ground beef, and then people don't properly cook (no thermometer) or the organism gets onto produce via contaminated water or when ruminants poop around the produce]

"Listeria monocytogenes illnesses were most often linked to Dairy products and Fruits.
More than 75% of illnesses were attributed to these two categories, but the rarity of Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks makes these estimates less reliable than those for other pathogens."

[This contamination is primarily a processing environmental contaminate.  In facilities where equipment sanitation is not as good as it should be, the organism establishes itself and then the food.  The meat industry has it pretty much figured out...there are no silver bullets, just solid procedures and constant vigilance]

"Non-Dairy Campylobacter illnesses were most often linked to Chicken.
Over 80% of non-Dairy foodborne illnesses were attributed to Chicken, Other Seafood (such as shellfish), Turkey, Other Meat/Poultry (such as lamb or duck), and Vegetable Row Crops, with Campylobacter illnesses most often linked to Chicken. An attribution percentage for Dairy is not included because, among other reasons, most foodborne Campylobacter outbreaks were associated with unpasteurized milk, which is not widely consumed, and we think these over-represent Dairy as a source of illness caused by Campylobacter. Removing Dairy illnesses from the calculations highlights important sources of illness from widely consumed foods, such as Chicken."

[The food with the highest incidence rate is raw milk, but since most people don't consume raw milk, the number is not as high as it would be if we all started to drink it.  Outside of that, it is poultry.  With Thanksgiving coming up, that is something to keep in mind.]

FDA Constituent Updates

https://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm625291.htm
Release of a New Report on the Sources of Foodborne Illnesses for 2016 from the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration
November 9, 2018

This Week in Mislabeled Products - Week Ending November 10, 2018

Mislabeled Burrito - NuVue Foods, a Hamtramck, Mich. establishment, is recalling approximately 268 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken burrito products due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen, -the products contain egg which was not declared on the product label.  The problem was discovered on November 9, 2018 after the firm received a consumer complaint. The establishment produced “18th Street Deli Farmers Burritos,” containing eggs, which were mistakenly labeled as “18th Street Deli Chicken Burrito”.

FDA Sampling Finds Milk in Chocolate - Recchiuti Confections (San Francisco, CA) discovered two batches of their Bittersweet Chocolate Bar and two batches of their Feve Chocolate Bar contain high levels of milk protein after FDA sampling.

Supplied Ingredient Has Allergen Not on Labeled - Wegmans has initiated a voluntary recall of the pumpkin loaf and coffee cake because they may contain milk not declared on the label.  The recall was initiated when it was learned that one of the ingredients (a streusel topping supplied by Bake'n Joy Foods of Andover, MA) contained milk that had not been declared on the finished product label.

NuVue Foods Recalls Burrito Products due to Misbranding and an Undeclared Allergen
Class I Recall  110-2018 
Health Risk: High 
Nov 9, 2018 

Australia - Woman Charged in the Needle-in-Strawberry Case

A 50 year old Queensland woman have been charged with the needle-in-strawberry contamination case in Australia.  The issue resulted in stores removing strawberries from shelves and having a huge impact the half billion dollar industry.  While a motive has not been yet listed, it was stated that the woman could receive 3, perhaps a 10 year sentence.  Doesn't seem nearly long enough.

news.com.au
https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/police-arrest-woman-over-strawberry-contamination/news-story/fbe4e890572060b129c6c100a2fcca62#.yfmcm
Police arrest woman over strawberry contamination
A 50-year-old Queensland woman has been charged over a strawberry needle contamination that sparked a nationwide crisis.

November 11, 20189:47pm
Shireen Khalil

Summary of FDA's Report on Risk Factors in Food Service Establishments

FDA compiled analysis of inspection reports of different foodservice establishments over 2013/2014 as part of a 10 year study.    The whole report can be found here, but we have summarized the most important findings:

• Most establishments had 3 or more food safety issues.
• It helps to have a Certified Food Safety Manager onsite.  Many jurisdictions do not require it.
• It is beneficial to have an established food safety management system.  Most have no system to a rudimentary system.
• While people generally cook food correctly and handle raw meats properly, handwashing and keeping TCS foods out of the temperature danger zone are the biggest issues.

NY Artisan Cheese Processor Recalls Product Tests Positive for Listeria

Sprout Creek Farm of Poughkeepsie, New York is recalling 132 wheels of their "Margie" cheese, a soft, white rind, cow's milk cheese, because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.  The product is being recalled after an FDA inspection found Listeria monocytogenes in products that they sampled.

A few items of concern...if this product was tested and found to be positive, other products may be implicated.  Also, it is likely that FDA will see if the organism found here matches any cases of illness.

https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm625254.htm
Sprout Creek Farm Recalls "Margie" Cheese Due to Listeria Monocytogenes
For Immediate Release
November 6, 2018

Duncan Hines Cake Mix Recalled after Outbreak Strain Found in Product

Conagra Brands is recalling Duncan Hines cake mixes after being connected "with a positive finding of Salmonella in a retail sample of Duncan Hines Classic White cake mix that may be linked to a Salmonella outbreak", where five people have become infected.  The Salmonella strain, Salmonella Agbeni, matched the organism collected from ill persons as determined through the use of Whole Genome Sequencing.  "While it has not been definitively concluded that this product is linked to the outbreak and the investigation is still ongoing."

The baking process, if properly followed, will eliminate the organism,  However, people do eat raw batter and there is the issue of cross contamination that can occur in the kitchen when the powder mix gets onto food contact surfaces as well as other food.

Has this been an issue in the past?  Salmonella as well as STEC E. coli have been involved in flour related outbreaks and recalls (1, 2, 3 4, 5 ).  Improved techniques for tracking outbreaks and for identifying specific organisms using Whole Genome Sequencing have given a truer look at sources that may not have identified in the past.

https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm625144.htm

Duncan Hines Classic White, Classic Butter Golden, Signature Confetti and Classic Yellow Cake Mixes Recalled Due to Potential Presence of Salmonella

For Immediate Release

November 5, 2018