Canada - Salad Bag Kits Recalled After Government Sampling Finds Listeria

For a second time, the Eat Smart Brand of bagged Sweet Kale salads is being recalled for Listeria.   "This recall was triggered by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) test results. The CFIA is conducting a food safety investigation"

The last recall came in December, again after CFIA testing.  The Eat Smart brand is produced by Curation Foods, formally Apio Inc. of Guadalupe, California.  They are a division of Landec Corporation.

With subsequent recalls coming from same facility, it would appear that there are Listeria control issues.  In cases like this, it is often expected that the recall will be expanded as the corrective action investigative  begins.

Food Recall Warning - Eat Smart brand 340 G (12 OZ) Sweet Kale Vegetable Salad Bag Kit recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes
Recall date: February 17, 2019

Florida Establishment Recalls Chicken Salad Products After Listeria Positive Test Result

"Lean Culinary Services, LLC, a Hollywood, Fla. establishment, is recalling approximately 223 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken salad products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes....... The problem was discovered on February 18, 2019 when FSIS inspection program personnel verified the status of product that had tested positive for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes."

Commercially made chicken salad is one of those products that screams for tight Listeria control.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-016-2019-release
Lean Culinary Services, LLC Recalls Ready To Eat Chicken Salad Products due to Possible Listeria Contamination
Class I Recall 016-2019
Health Risk: High 

Feb 19, 2019

Canned Salmon Recalled After Audit Finds Thermal Process Deviation

An Alaskan seafood canner is recalling jars and cans of smoked salmon after an audit discovered a thermal process deviation for underprocessing could have resulted in the survival of Clostridium botulinum.  The distribution of product was limited to Alaska.

https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm631531.htm
Smoked Alaska Seafoods, Inc. Recalls 6.5 oz Jars & Cans of Smoked Silver Salmon Because of Possible Health Risk
For Immediate Release
February 15, 2019

Ongoing Salmonella Outbreak Associated with Raw Turkey Products

There is an ongoing Salmonella outbreak linked to raw turkey products.  Going back to November of 2018, there are now 279 cases reported with 107 hospitalizations and one death associated with the outbreak strain , Salmonella Reading.   There have been 4 recalls - 2 for ground turkey and 2 for raw pet food.   A single, common supplier of raw turkey products or of live turkeys has not been identified so it is thought that it might be widespread in the turkey industry.

CDC Investigation Report
https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/reading-07-18/index.html
Outbreak of Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Infections Linked to Raw Turkey Products
Español (Spanish)
Posted February 15, 2019 at 3:00 PM EDT

This Week in Mislabeled Product for Week Ending February 16, 2019

Cereal for Kids has Cross Contract in Production - Nature’s Path Foods announced a voluntary recall of a specific production run of EnviroKidz Choco Chimps, Gorilla Munch and Jungle Munch cereals for they may contain undeclared gluten (wheat and barley).  The error was isolated to one facility and due to air contamination as a result of incorrect production scheduling

Expanded Recall on Packaging Missing Egg Allergen - Ottogi America, Inc. is expanding a recall to include the two items below due to a possibility of containing egg ingredient undeclared on the packages.

https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm631510.htm
Nature’s Path Foods Recalls A Specific Production Run Of Envirokidz Choco Chimps, Gorilla Munch And Jungle Munch Cereals Due To Undeclared Gluten
For Immediate Release
February 15, 2019

Food Company Goes Pro-GMO for Selling Chocolate Products

In what is being claimed as a first, a food company is touting its GMO product.  This company, Ethos Chocolates, is selling four items that have plant materials altered by genetic engineering.

Food Processing Magazine
https://www.foodprocessing.com/industrynews/2019/ethos-pro-gmo-chocolate/
Ethos Chocolates – the First Pro-GMO Food Product?
By Dave Fusaro, Editor in Chief
Feb 05, 2019

Canada - Baby Food Recalled for Clostridium botulinum Concern

In Canada, Vivi and Tom, a small entrepreneurial baby food company is recalling a number of food items due to the the potential of Clostridium botulinum.  The product has no packaging codes.

According to the the Vivi and Tom Instagram page, the company was started by two mothers and formulated by a holistic nutritionist (which is probably one or both of them)  The product is sold with the 'local, seasonal, organic" marketing words that people love to hear, but was produced like they were making it for thier own kitchen....which is fine for them, but when you start to sell products to others, one has got to learn about the safe production of food.  When you start selling product for infants, it is even more important.

Clostridium botulinum for infants is a big deal.  While preformed toxin from Clostridium botulinum is bad, so is the presence of the organisms in the food where the organism has the opportunity to colonize the baby's intestinal tract...thus the reason we don't feed honey to babies.  With Canadian recall notices, we do not get a lot of information, so it is difficult to say what the exact reason was.

Food Recall Warning - Vivi and Tom Baby Food brand baby and toddler foods recalled due to potential presence of dangerous bacteria
Recall date:  February 14, 2019
Reason for recall:  Microbiological - Clostridium botulinum
Hazard classification: Class 1
Company / Firm: Vivi and Tom Baby Food
Distribution: Ontario
Extent of the distribution: Retail

CDC Update on 2018/2019 Flu Season - Less Severe

In two reports issued by the CDC on influenza in 2018/2018, the flu season started off slow, but has elevated in December and has remained high, but is being characterized as 'low severity' with less people being treated. The primary strain is A(H1N1)pdm09 and has shown some ability considerable genetic diversity indicating continual evolution of antigen segments, which will affect vaccine efficacy.

The efficacy against the virus is reported as 47% which falls in the general range of efficacy (30% to 60%).  But as CDC points out, it is still important to get vaccinated - "During the 2017–18 season, vaccination averted an estimated 7.1 million illnesses, 3.7 million medical visits, 109,000 influenza-associated hospitalizations, and 8,000 influenza-associated deaths (7). In addition, influenza vaccination has been found to reduce deaths, intensive care unit admissions and length of stay, and overall duration of hospitalization among hospitalized influenza patients (8)."

It is important to note that the "severity of the 2017–2018 influenza season in the U.S. was high with influenza A(H3N2) viruses predominating." (Clinical Infectious Diseases - 2019)

Items from report of note:

Texas Meat Processor Recalls 59lbs of Sausage for Process Deviation

A Texas based meat processor is recalling 59 pounds of sausage after USDA discovered a processing deviation during an inspection.  This process deviation may have led to the product being underprocessed.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-015-2019-release
News Release
Panola County Processing, LLC Recalls Sausage Products Due to Possible Processing Deviation 
Class I Recall
015-2019
Health Risk: High
Feb 11, 2019