Chicken Soup Recalled Due to Foreign Material - Plastic Pieces

Blount Fine Foods, a McKinney, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 6,690 pounds of soup with chicken products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically plastic. 
The problem was discovered when the recalling firm notified FSIS of consumer complaints.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these product.


https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-058-2019-release
Blount Fine Foods Recalls Soup with Chicken Products Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination

Class II Recall 

058-2019

Health Risk: Low 

May 23, 2019

Narcotics Hidden in Produce Shipments Are Seized at Border

In the last few days, Federal authorities have seized an enormous amount of drugs at the border which were being smuggled in produce trailers.  One shipment was 930 lbs of meth (methamphetamine) worth $18.5 million.  The other was  242 pounds of cocaine (value - $2.1 million) comingled with a shipment of Bell peppers.

Newsweek - U.S. 
https://www.newsweek.com/methamphetamine-bust-us-customs-and-border-protection-pharr-international-1432404
'Huge' Load of Meth worth $18.5 Million Found in Trailer Carrying Fresh Carrots
By Dan Cancian On 5/22/19 at 7:13 AM EDT

Illinois Establishment Recalls Ground Beef After USDA Testing Finds E.coli O157:H7

Aurora Packing Company, Inc., a North Aurora, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 62,112 pounds of raw beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.  The problem was discovered during traceback activities in response to random sample testing by FSIS.   Three have been no reported illnesses.

Aurora Packing Company, Inc. Recalls Beef Products Due to Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination 
Class I Recall
057-2019
Health Risk:High
May 22, 2019

FDA Issues Warning Letter to Ice Cream Facility for Inadequate Listeria Control

FDA issued a warning letter to an Ohio ice cream facility after finding Listeria monocytognes on consecutive inpections still in the facility.  From FDA's perspective, the facility had not done sufficient corrective action to reduce this environmental bacterial pathogen.

FDA stated "Nine environmental swabs collected by FDA during our most recent inspection were positive for L. monocytogenes. Furthermore, environmental swabs collected during our 2018 inspection revealed L. monocytogenes in nine swabs within your facility and environmental swabs collected during our 2017 inspection revealed L. monocytogenes in three swabs within your facility."  Further,  "FDA laboratory analysis of the environmental swabs found the presence of Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes),...... including the same strain found during FDA’s 2018 inspection."

The facility conducted had their own testing and from their results,  "Listeria spp. [was found] in your environment seven times on surfaces adjacent to Zone 1 locations and other non-food contact surface locations within your processing environment including areas within your RTE room. Review of your records finds that your written corrective action procedures were followed each time a positive swab was found in your facility; however, these repeated findings of Listeria in your environment are further evidence that additional measures may be needed in your facility to address Listeria."

Along with this, the inspection noted items of risk including improper use of high pressure hoses which can cross contaminate back onto food surfaces.  "[FDA] investigators observed an employee using a high-pressure hose to spray the floor with water while performing sanitation operations. They observed overspray from the floor onto equipment reported as having been cleaned and from the floor onto unopened buckets of ingredients that were going to be used to produce ice cream the next day."

The other issue was poor drainage from the processing floor - "the design of the production floor does not allow for the proper drainage of water. Water used in the cleaning of equipment pools in various locations throughout the production area of your facility, which can provide harborage areas for pathogenic bacteria such as Listeria."

Once Listeria becomes established in a facility, it can become difficult to eliminate.  The level of positive Listeria swabs are clear indication that corrective actions were not sufficient. The Blue Bell Listeria contamination issue where corrective action to Listeria positive findings were also inadequate. .


FDA WARNING LETTER
Velvet Ice Cream Company 
MARCS-CMS 575444 — 06/05/2019
  Delivery Method:VIA UPSProduct:Food & Beverages
Dairy
Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) 

Vegetable Trays Removed from C-Store After Linked to Salmonella Cases

Vegetable trays made by Del Monte and sold through Kwik Trip convenience stores were removed from sale after being linked to Salmonella cases, 3 in WI and 1 in Minnesota.  The same product sold at Kwik Trip stores last June was linked to a Cyclospora outbreak.  FDA is inspecting the Del Monte facility that produced vegetable trays

FDA Outbreak Investigation
https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-infantis-linked-del-monte-vegetable-trays-spring-2019
Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella Infantis Linked to Del Monte Vegetable Trays, Spring 2019

FDA inspects Del Monte processing facility, joining state authorities from Wisconsin and Minnesota in an outbreak investigation
 May 22, 2019

A More Independent FDA?

An interesting article in Science on giving the FDA more independence citing political wrangling that slows FDA actions.  They cite 7 former commissioners who are "recommending the recasting of the FDA as an independent federal agency apart and distinct from the DHHS . Essential pillars of independence to be embodied in the “new” FDA are to comprise rule-making authority subject to selective Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)–OMB oversight of important regulations, and more independence in its ability to manage litigation (in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice)".

The problem with this....potential impact of activist commissioners.  While FDA may be slow...much of that is that there needs to be strong scientific support before rules can be enacted, and with questions of morality, there needs to be the influence of politics where the majority has an influence on decisions.

Science
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/364/6441/628
When science and politics collide: Enhancing the FDA
Eli Y. Adashi1,   Rohit S. Rajan2,   I. Glenn Cohen2,3
+ See all authors and affiliations
Science  17 May 2019:
Vol. 364, Issue 6441, pp. 628-631
DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw8093

This Week in Mislabeled Products for Week Ending May 18, 2019

Salad with Chicken with Undeclared Soy - Caito Foods LLC., an Indianapolis, Ind. establishment, is recalling approximately 1,767 pounds of salad with chicken products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The products contain soy, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label.

NY State Finds Product Label Missing Sulfites - US TRADING COMPANY is warning consumers not to consume GLOBAL PRIDE RATTAN SHOOT IN BRINE. The product is being recalled because the product contains Sulfites which is not declared on the labeling. The recall was initiated after routine sampling by New York Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors. After analysis, 555.0 ppm of sulfite was detected in the Global Pride Rattan Shoot in Brine 24 ounce glass jar which were not declared on the label.

Milk in Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert - Coolhaus is voluntarily recalling its Dairy Free Horchata Frozen Dessert Sandwich because it may contain milk.  Only one consumer complaint has been reported to date.

The Mayonnaise Has Soy GHSW, LLC is voluntarily recalling select salads, wraps and salad bar trays sold two Whole Foods Markets 365 in Texas and at Whole Foods Markets in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas because the product labels fail to declare soy as a sub-ingredient of the mayonnaise used to manufacture the products.  Some of the labels, however state that the products "may contain soy."   The recall was initiated after it was discovered during a label review that mayonnaise containing soy was used in these products and that the packaging did not properly declare the presence of soy.

Missed the Anchovies - MIBO Fresh Foods LLC, a Fort Worth, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 1,460 pounds of salad with meat products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the product contains anchovies which was not declared on the label.  The problem was discovered by a retail store when the mislabeled products were being unboxed to be placed on the retail store shelves.

Missed the Anchovies - Taylor Farms Texas Inc., a Dallas, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 1,079 pounds of Caesar salad with chicken products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the product contains anchovies (fish allergen) which is not declared on the product label. The problem was discovered by a retail store when the mislabeled products were being unpackaged to be placed on the retail store shelves.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-054-2019-release
Caito Foods LLC. Recalls Salads with Chicken Products due to Misbranding and Undeclared Allergens 
Class I
Recall  054-2019
Health Risk:High
May 17, 2019

IL Establishment Recalls Frankfurters for Foreign Material (Metal)

Vienna Beef Ltd., a Chicago, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 2,030 pounds of beef frank links products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically metal.  These items were shipped to food service locations in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. The problem was discovered by the establishment and reported to FSIS.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-055-2019-release
Vienna Beef Ltd. Recalls Beef Products due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
Class I

Recall 055-2019
Health Risk:High 

May 18, 2019

EU - Report on Chemical Residues in Animals and Animal Products

The EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) released their 2017 report on the presence of residues of  veterinary medicinal products and certain substances in live animals and animal products in the 

European Union (EU).  The study look at pharmaceutical compounds, antimicrobials, and environmental contaminants such as mycotoxins.   The results showed good compliance with regulations.  Overall in 2017, the percentage of non-compliant targeted samples (0.35%) was comparable to the previous 10 years (0.25%–0.37%).

This may serve as a good reference if importing animal products from the EU.

EFSA Technical Report
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/sp.efsa.2019.EN-1578
Report for 2017 on the results from the monitoring of veterinary medicinal product residues and other substances in live animals and animal products

APPROVED: 8 February 2019