CDC Reports Increasing Number of Hepatitis A Cases Across Country

Hepatitis A viral infection has been on the upswing across the country.  Since March of 2016, there have been 24,280 cases reported with 14525 hospitalizations and 236 deaths.  The numbers have been especially high in those who are homeless/have unstable housing or those using drugs.  Pennsylvania has had 376 of those cases while Ohio has had 3244 cases.

This increased level can put a lot of pressure on the foodservice sector, especially in the larger cities where establishments may be more likely to hire those those considered high risk for contracting the illness or have more interaction.

https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/outbreaks/2017March-HepatitisA.htm
Widespread outbreaks of hepatitis A across the United States
Since March 2017, CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH) has been assisting multiple state and local health departments with hepatitis A outbreaks, spread through person-to-person contact.

At a Glance
Since the outbreaks were first identified in 2016, 29 states have publicly reported the following as of August 16, 2019

• Cases: 24,280
• Hospitalizations: 14,525 (60%)
• Deaths: 236

This Week in Allergen Related Recalls for Week Ending August 24, 2019

Reaction Leads to Recall of Cookies Due to Undeclared Egg - Whole Foods is recalling "Decorated Red Apple Cookies” are being recalled because they may contain undeclared egg.  One allergic reaction has been reported to date; the recall was initiated after a customer notified the store. All affected product has been removed from store shelves.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/allergy-alert-undeclared-egg-decorated-red-apple-cookies-issued-southern-pacific-whole-foods-market
Allergy Alert for Undeclared Egg in “Decorated Red Apple Cookies” Issued by Southern Pacific Whole Foods Market Stores
Summary
Company Announcement Date: August 22, 2019
FDA Publish Date: August 22, 2019
Product Type:Food & Beverages  Bakery Product/Mix
Reason for Announcement: Undeclared Egg
Company Name:Whole Foods Market Stores
Brand Name: Whole Foods Market
Product Description:  Iced Sugar Cookies

GA Establishment Recalls RTE Diced Chicken Linked to Listeria Outbreak in Canada

Tip Top Poultry, Inc., a Rockmart, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 135,810 pounds of fully cooked  frozen, diced, and mechanically separated ready-to-eat chicken products after it was s discovered on August 17, 2019, by Canadian Food Inspection Agency that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes.  The Canadian buyer recalled their Rosemount branded product on August 19th.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-085-2019-release
Tip Top Poultry, Inc. Recalls Fully Cooked Poultry Products due to Possible Listeria Contamination 
Class I Recall 
085-2019 
Health Risk:High 
Aug 20, 2019

Caviar Processor Expands Recall

A Washington State firm is expanding its recall of canned caviar after Canadian authorities found additional lot samples were low in salt.  The original recall was posted on August 15th.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/voluntarily-recalls-grained-salmon-caviar-95g-because-possible-health-risk
Voluntarily Recalls Grained Salmon Caviar 95g Because of Possible Health Risk

Summary

Company Announcement Date: August 21, 2019

FDA Publish Date:August 21, 2019 

Product Type:Food & Beverages 

Reason for Announcement: Potential Clostridium botulinum contamination

Company Name: AWERS, Inc.

Brand Name: AWERS

Product Description: Grained Salmon Caviar

CT Meat Processor Fakes E. coli Testing and Now Faces Five Years in Prison

The owner of a CT meat processing facility is facing five years in prison after falsifying E. coli test results required by USDA for beef carcasses.  According to authorities,"the company must perform one generic E. coli test swab for every 300 animals slaughtered, and to collect ground-beef samples for testing"...which is not a huge burden compared to the sentence he is facing.

Hartford Business
https://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/feds-ct-meat-packer-faked-e-coli-tests
Feds: CT meat packer faked E. coli tests

August 21, 2019 

Wisconsin Brewery Recalls Beer Due to Potential for Exploding Bottles

A Wisconsin brewery is recalling its sour cherry infused beer, My Turn Junk because of the potential for exploding bottles due to wild yeast associated with the cherry.   These yeast may continue fermenting in the bottle, creating excessive gas and with that pressure, causing the bottles to explode, or the caps to come off.  With exploding bottles, glass can be a hazard, or at the least, having beer all over your house.

We get many questions on people wanting to add ingredients or change formulation for traditional fermentation processes..whether that is alcoholic beverages such as beer or wine or with items like kombucha (fermented tea).  The problem is that we never know that the formulation change will do to the traditional fermentation process.  Some ingredients may bring other microorganisms into the reaction, they may bring added sugars which can result in extra gas, or it can impact pH, which may resulting in growth of unwanted bacteria including pathogens. 

We have had some people want to leave the salt out of sauerkraut fermentation to reduce sodium in the product...well, that salt helps to select the right organisms and thus the correct fermentation, and leaving the salt out opens the door to other microorganisms growing.

ABC WISN 12

MILWAUKEE —

Brewery recalls beer because bottles may explode

Lakefront said the "My Turn Junk" kettle sour cherry beer was "deemed too volatile."

WISN 

Updated: 1:48 PM CDT Aug 15, 2019

Organic Food Fraud - Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison, Farmers Also Sentenced

From a Washington Post article, a man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for organic food fraud.  He worked with a few farmers to take conventionally grown food and call it organic.  "The farmers grew traditional corn and soybeans, mixed them with a small amount of certified organic grains, and falsely marketed them all as certified organic by the U.S. Department of  Agriculture. Most of the grains were sold as animal feed to companies that marketed organic meat and meat products."

Of course because they were labeled as organic, they were able to charge much more for the crop items and thus incurred a higher return.  "The farmers reaped more than $120 million in proceeds from sales of the tainted grain. The  scheme may have involved up to 7 percent of organic corn grown in the U.S. in 2016 and 8 percent of the organic soybeans, prosecutors said."

The farmers were also sentenced with up to 2 years in prison.

Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/farmers-to-be-sentenced-in-largest-us-organic-fraud-case/2019/08/16/ef533078-c031-11e9-a8b0-7ed8a0d5dc5d_story.html
Leader of largest US organic food fraud gets 10-year term
By Ryan J. Foley | AP
August 16

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A judge on Friday sentenced the mastermind of the largest known organic food fraud scheme in U.S. history to 10 years in prison, saying he cheated thousands of customers into buying products they didn’t want.

Canada - Listeria Outbreak Linked to Frozen Cooked Diced Chicken, Seven Cases of Illness

Canadian authorities are investigating a Listeria outbreak linked to Rosemount brand cooked diced chicken. Rosemount cooked diced chicken was supplied to institutions (including cafeterias, hospitals and nursing homes - higher risk populations).

"As of August 18, 2019, there have been 7 confirmed cases of Listeria monocytogenes illness in three provinces: British Columbia (1), Manitoba (1) and Ontario (5). Individuals became sick between November 2017 and June 2019. Six individuals have been hospitalized. Individuals who became ill are between 51 and 97 years of age. The majority of cases (86%) are female."

In November of 2017, there were 2 cases, and then starting in April of 2019 through June, there were 5 more cases.

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/public-health-notice-outbreak-of-listeria-infections-linked-to-rosemount-brand-cooked-diced-chicken-835486323.html
Public Health Notice - Outbreak of Listeria infections linked to Rosemount brand cooked diced chicken Français
News provided by
Public Health Agency of Canada
Aug 19, 2019, 12:27 ET

Study Indicates Potential for Increasing Mercury Levels in Seafood Due to Overfishing and Global Warming

A study published in Nature indicates that the level of methylmecury (MeHg, a potent neurotoxic substance) in predatory fish that we eat (including tuna, cod and swordfish) may be increasing due to global warming and overfishing.  Basically there is a change in the dietary patterns of these fish where the fish are eating organisms such as  squid and other cephalopods which exhibit higher MeHg concentrations than many other prey fish.

Inorganic mercury (Hg) is emitted to the atmosphere from both natural and human sources and this is deposited in the ocean where some is converted by microorganisms to MeHg.  This MeHg accumulates in small organisms but concentrations are amplified in the flesh of predatory fish as they eat the smaller organisms.  

Darn that global warming.

Nature

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1468-9
Climate change and overfishing increase neurotoxicant in marine predators
Amina T. Schartup, Colin P. Thackray, Asif Qureshi, Clifton Dassuncao, Kyle Gillespie, Alex Hanke & Elsie M. Sunderland
Published: 07 August 2019