This Week in Mislabeled Products for Week Ending February 23, 2019

Over the past three weeks, 2/3 of the recalls for allergen issues have been related to improperly designed labels....so this design and review process should be an important area of focus.  This includes understanding the allergens that may be present within ingredients.

Milk Not Listed - Incorrect Label on Sausage - J Bar B Foods, a Weimar, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 51,188 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) cheddar smoked sausage products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, - the product contains milk, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label.   The problem was discovered when a retail store notified the company of an incorrect label. The establishment investigated and determined that the incorrect label was applied to the product.

Soy Missing on Label - Meijer is announcing a voluntary recall of its Meijer brand Ultimate Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies because soy it is not properly declared on the label.  Meijer initiated the recall after a routine inspection determined that the product had been distributed without proper allergen labelling for soy.

Milk Not Listed on Label - Pound Cake - Gilda Industries, Inc voluntarily recalls select code dates and manufacturing lot numbers of Panque – Butter pound cake because they may contain undeclared milk.  Milk was not declared on the label.

Milk Not Listed on Label - Seasoning Mix - Concord Foods, LLC of Brockton, Massachusetts is recalling Concord Fresh Success Mild Salsa Seasoning Mix because it may contain undeclared milk allergen.  The recall was initiated after the company discovered that product containing the milk allergen was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of the milk allergen.

Milk Not Listed on Label - Chocolate Covered Cherries - Chukar Cherries of Prosser, WA is recalling 7.5oz Amaretto Rainier Ultra Dark Chocolate Cherries because they may contain undeclared milk.  The recall was initiated after it was discovered that Amaretto Rainier Ultra Dark Chocolate Cherries containing milk was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of milk.


https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-017-2019-release
J Bar B Foods Recalls Ready-To-Eat Smoked Sausage Products due to Misbranding and Undeclared Allergens 
Class I Recall
017-2019
Health Risk: High
Feb 21, 2019

CDC Report: Foodborne Illness Outbreaks at Retail Establishments 2014-2016

CDC issued a report titled "Foodborne Illness Outbreaks at Retail Establishments".  The report provided information on outbreak investigations from 16 states over a three year period, 2014 to 2016.

One of the biggest issues is ill workers passing pathogens, primarily norovirus, to customers, although more than half of these establishments have written policies.

Key items from the report:

• During 2014–2016, a total of 16 state and local public health departments reported data to NEARS on 404 foodborne illness outbreaks at retail establishments. 
• Investigations identified an agent in 311 (77.0%) outbreaks (Table 1). Of these agents, 31.8% were suspected and 68.2% were confirmed. Most identified agents were viral (61.7%), followed by bacterial (34.4%) and toxic, chemical, or other (3.9%).
• The majority of outbreaks with a suspected or confirmed agent were caused by norovirus (61.1%). 
• The majority of outbreaks with identified contributing factors had at least one factor associated with food contamination by a worker who was ill or infectious (58.6%). 
• Almost half (47.4%) of establishments with outbreaks had a written policy excluding ill workers from handling food or working. 
• Approximately one third (27.7%) had a written disposable glove use policy. Paid sick leave was available for at least one worker in 38.3% of establishments.
• The second most common agent was Salmonella, accounting for 16.1% of outbreaks with an identified agent.
• Investigators identified at least one contributing factor in 251 (62.1%) outbreaks. The top three contributing factors were related to food contamination by an ill worker; 
• The most common contributing factor (27.9%) was bare-hand contact by a food worker suspected to have an infectious illness, 
• followed by contamination through a method other than hand contact by a food worker suspected to have an infectious illness (23.1%) 
• and glove-hand contact by a food worker suspected to have an infectious illness (15.5%) 
• More than half of establishments with outbreaks (56.3%, 179 of 318) had a written policy and 36.2% (115) had a verbal policy requiring food workers to notify their manager when they were ill
• Most establishments with outbreaks were independently owned (72.9%, 237 of 325), were restaurants (80.2%, 333 of 415), and served complex food items (i.e., a food item required a kill step, which is a process, such as cooking, that reduces or eliminates foodborne illness pathogens, and other food preparation processes, such as cooling and reheating)

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/ss/pdfs/ss6801a1-H.pdf

Foodborne Illness Outbreaks at Retail Establishments — National Environmental Assessment Reporting System, 16 State and Local Health Departments, 2014–2016
Surveillance Summaries / February 22, 2019 / 68(1);1–20

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