African Swine Fever - Impact on Meat Supply

In Asia, a deadly pig virus has devastated East Asian farms with loses over a million hogs.    With a 30% reduction in pork in the largest pork producing country, China, there will be an increased demand to fill this gap pushing worldwide meat prices higher .

African Swine Virus does not affect humans, but can be very deadly for hogs.  There have not been any cases in the US and the USDA has been working to prevent introduction of the virus by the way of trade into the US. In March,  USDA-trained detector dogs played a major role in the seizure of smuggled pork from China.

The viruses are in the Asfarviridae family of viruses which are all enveloped and have double-stranded DNA genomes.  It was identified in the early 1900s.  The virus is found in warthogs and bushpigs with no ill effect, but causes a haemorrhagic fever with high mortality rates in domestic pigs.  The acute form of the virus can kill a pig within days.  Wild bores are thought to be an important vector for spreading the disease.

Bloomberg
Markets
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-11/meat-prices-seen-rising-as-deadly-virus-wipes-out-chinese-hogs
Meat Prices Seen Rising as Deadly Virus Wipes Out Chinese Hogs
By Irene Garcia Perez
April 11, 2019, 11:24 AM EDT

Feds Seek Injunction Against Lancaster, PA Farm for Selling Unregulated Meat

The US Department of Justice is seeking to stop a Lancaster, PA farm from selling meat without inspection.  The farm had been selling the un-inspected meat as part of an exclusive membership club as a way to get around Federal regulations.

Lancaster Online
Full Story - https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/department-of-justice-sues-lancaster-county-farm-to-enforce-food/article_1c959144-5ba0-11e9-ac71-3bc66931701c.html
Department of Justice sues Lancaster County farm 'to enforce food safety laws'
 HEATHER STAUFFER | Staff Writer  Apr 10, 2019 Updated Apr 10, 2019

This Week in Mislabeled Product for Week Ending April 13, 2019

Forgot to Add Pork to the Venison Sausage Label - Yoakum Packing Co., a Yoakum, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 12,388 pounds of smoked venison sausage that contains pork products that were not represented on the label.  The problem was discovered during routine labeling verification by FSIS on April 10, 2019.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-045-2019-release
Yoakum Packing Co. Recalls Venison Sausage Products Due to Mislabeling
Class II Recall 045-2019
Health Risk: Low
Apr 10, 2019

TX 'Marketing' Company Recalls Sandwiches After FDA Tests Positive for Listeria

Great American Marketing Company of Houston, Texas is recalling Ready to Eat Sandwiches, Wraps and Salads after FDA tested and found Listeria monocytogenes on the processing equipment.  Recalls were released on both FDA and USDA websites since this was a dual jurisdiction facility.

These sandwiches appear to be sporting a shelf-life of at least 10 to 12 days based upon the date of recall to the last day that product was shipped.  This would provide sufficient time for Listeria growth at refrigeration temperatures.  (You wonder if people know they are buying / eating a 10 day old sandwich....perhaps the manufacturer is a great marketing company.)

Great American Marketing Company Recalls Ready To Eat Products Because of Possible Health Risk
For Immediate Release
April 9, 2019

Salmonella Outbreak Associated with Pre-cut Melons

CDC is investigating a Salmonella outbreak that has been linked to precut melons - watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe - produced by Cato Foods, LLC.  To date, there have been 93 reported cases of Salmonella infection associated with this product.

Caito Foods recalled the fresh cut watermelon, fresh cut honeydew melon, fresh cut cantaloupe and fresh cut mixed fruit containing one of these melons, produced at the Caito Foods facility in Indianapolis.  The products were packaged in clear, plastic clamshell containers and distributed in sixteen states including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Caito Foods had a similar situation last summer where melon product was the source of Salmonella that caused 77 cases of illness.    Facilities packing fresh cut melon product have to have tight controls on washing process.  Facilities also have to work with suppliers.to ensure that bacterial pathogens are minimized through the use of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and adhere to the FSMA Produce Rule  In this case, the melons were imported, so these foreign suppliers must be working to meet US standards.  With as much produce as this company is processing, based on extent of distribution, if melons coming in have sufficient contamination and the internal washing systems do not remove the contaminate, that contamination will be passed to the consumer.

FDA Recall Notice
https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm635948.htm
Caito Foods, LLC Voluntarily Recalls Fresh Cut Melon Product Because of Possible Health Risk
For Immediate Release
April 12, 2019

CDC's Preliminary Investigation Links E. coli Outbreak to Ground Beef

CDC issued a preliminary investigative report that is linking ground beef to the ongoing E. coli outbreak.  In this outbreak, there are now 109 cases with 17 hospitalizations. There have been no cases of HUS.   The last linked illness case started on March 26, 2019

There were no specific supplier, retailer, or brand of ground beef identified at this point.

As we know, there are many out there who undercook ground beef or do not use a valid method to verify cooking (yeah, a thermometer).

CDC - Investigation Notice
https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2019/o103-04-19/index.html
Outbreak of E. coli O103
Illustration with a microscope and text reading Investigation Notice
Posted April 12, 2019 at 3:15 PM ET

FDA Issues Final Rule on Antimicrobial Hand Sanitizers

FDA released a final rule on hand sanitizers for assurance of effectiveness and safety.  Basically, they listed three benzalkonium chloride, ethyl alcohol (60 to 95 percent), and isopropyl alcohol (70 to 91.3 percent) that can be submitted for evaluation of safety and effectiveness data necessary "to make a determination regarding whether these active ingredients are generally recognized as safe and effective for use in OTC consumer antiseptic rub products." At this time, the FDA does not intend to take action to remove hand sanitizers containing these three active ingredients from the market - "less than 3% of the marketplace will be affected by the issuance of this final rule, as most OTC consumer antiseptic rubs use ethyl alcohol as the active ingredient."

"The following list includes those active ingredients addressed in the 1994 TFM for use in antiseptic hand washes or healthcare personnel hand washes and identified in the 2016 Consumer Antiseptic Rub proposed rule as having inadequate evidence of eligibility for evaluation under the OTC Drug Review for use in an OTC consumer antiseptic rub:

• Benzethonium chloride
• Chloroxylenol
• Chlorhexidine gluconate [2]  
• Cloflucarban
• Fluorosalan
• Hexachlorophene
• Hexylresorcinol
• Iodine complex (ammonium ether sulfate and polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate)
• Iodine complex (phosphate ester of alkylaryloxy polyethylene glycol)
• Methylbenzethonium chloride
• Nonylphenoxypoly (ethyleneoxy) ethanoliodine
• Phenol (equal to or less than 1.5 percent or greater than 1.5 percent)
• Poloxamer iodine complex
• Povidone-iodine 5 to 10 percent
• Secondary amyltricresols
• Sodium oxychlorosene
• Tribromsalan
• Triclocarban
• Triclosan
• Triple dye
• Undecoylium chloride iodine complex"

DA News Release
https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm635793.htm
FDA issues final rule on safety and effectiveness of consumer hand sanitizers
Action completes a series of actions on the FDA’s review of OTC antiseptic active ingredients
For Immediate Release
April 11, 2019

USDA Posts Guide to Food Product Date Coding

USDA posted a guide for food code dating. With a push to curb food waste, uniformity in how products are coded will help consumers.

The guide can be found here
(https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/19013cb7-8a4d-474c-8bd7-bda76b9defb3/Food-Product-Dating.pdf ) and is copied below.

A few key points:

• Code dating is not required by federal regulations except for infant formula.  (the USDA does require a "pack date" for poultry products and thermally processed, commercially sterile products to help identify product lots and facilitate trace-back activities in the event of an outbreak of foodborne illness)
• FSIS recommends that food manufacturers and retailers that apply product dating use a “Best if Used By” date
• Best By dates are based on quality not safety.

USDA FSIS

Food Product Dating

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/19013cb7-8a4d-474c-8bd7-bda76b9defb3/Food-Product-Dating.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

Food Product Dating
"Best if Used By" is a type of date you might find on a meat, poultry, or egg product label. Are dates required on these food products? Does it mean the product will be unsafe to use after that date? Here is some background information answering these and other questions about product dating.

Ground Beef Recalled After Two Complaints of Hard Plastic

JBS Plainwell, Inc., a Plainwell, Mich. establishment, is recalling approximately 43,292 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically, pieces of hard plastic.  The problem was discovered when the establishment received two complaints of green hard plastic in the ground beef products. FSIS was notified on April 5, 2019.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-043-2019-release
JBS Plainwell, Inc. Recalls Ground Beef Products Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination 
Class II
Recall  043-2019 
Health Risk:Low
Apr 8, 2019