Virginia Company Recalls Butter After Positive Listeria Test

Homestead Creamery Inc of Wirtz, VA, is recalling our unsalted butter because of the potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes,  There have been no reported illnesses.  The potential for contamination was noted after routine testing by Homestead Creamery and revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in our unsalted butter.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/homestead-creamery-recall-unsalted-butter-because-possible-health-risk
Homestead Creamery Recall “Unsalted” Butter Because of Possible Health Risk
Summary
Company Announcement Date: April 01, 2020
FDA Publish Date:  April 17, 2020
Product Type:  Food & Beverages   Butter/Butter Product
Reason for Announcement:  Foodborne Illness Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes
Company Name:  Homestead Creamery Inc.
Brand Name:  Homestead Creamery
Product Description:  Unsalted Butter

Wasted Food - Food Supply Chain Ripple Effects from COVID-19 Pandemic

While many were concerned that there may not be enough food during the pandemic, that has not been the case.  The biggest impact so far has been food going to waste or not being made due to the dramatic loss of sales through the food service sector.  The article from Bloomberg gives a glimpse at how food that would have gone to the food service sector may not get used at all.   Farmers plowing crops under, milk getting dumped, are some examples.

Why?  People normally eat out a lot, and when they eat out, they eat a lot.  The foods they eat are more varied.  At home, people eat less and stick with staples they know how to cook...potatoes for example.  And people waste less at home.  

So items like chicken wings...probably not going to make those at home.  Kids who drank milk at school, are probably not drinking milk at home.  Clam chowder....love it, but never make it at home.

Exotics like mangoes...people are not making mango drinks at home.  Stores are more concerned about carrying the staple food items like potatoes and onions, may decide not to carry mangoes at this time.  The result, mangoes are not getting harvested.

Another issue is packaging such as container size.  Processors who pack primarily or solely for the food service sector cannot simply retool their operation.  If you pack in #10 cans (1 gallon) for food service, well this is not an item for consumers.  And putting a processing line is for 16 oz cans (303 cans) is not possible without a large expenditure of many.

Finally, it is not easy to change distribution channels.  Developing efficient channels can take years.  If you have a field of fruit that you sold to a a processor who made product for the food service trade, you simply can't decide to make process grade crops into consumer-ready items.

Many will say then donate it.  Well for a plant or packing house that supplies the several state to the entire US with product, you can only donate so much to your local food bank.  There is too huge of a cost to distribute that product broadly.  With crops in the field with a limited shelf-life, that task is even more difficult.

On the other side of the chain, you have the food banks who relied to a great degree on the food service sector....not that these 'middlemen' are no longer producing product, that link between the field and the food bank is severed.  And as mentioned, the 'extra made' product in the food service sector that hopefully was making its way to the food banks, drove a lot of volume from the producers - the farms, packers, processors.

 Bloomberg

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/food-makers-get-shot-of-reality-now-that-panic-buying-has-waned/ar-BB12J4SI?ocid=spartanntp_edu
Food Makers Get Shot of Reality Now that Panic Buying Has Waned
Isis Almeida, Mike Dorning and Marvin G. Perez 10 hrs ago

Controlling Aerosols - Pennsylvania Requires Masks for Essential Workers While Working

Pennsylvania issued a directive requiring essential workers to wear masks when working.  The issue for controlling aerosols from those who may have the virus.

"A business that is authorized to maintain in-person operations, other than health care providers, pursuant to the Orders that the Governor and I issued on March 19, 2020, as subsequently amended, shall implement, as applicable, the following social distancing, mitigation, and cleaning protocols:
(10) provide masks for employees to wear during their time at the business, and make it a mandatory requirement to wear masks while on the work site, except to the extent an employee is using break time to eat or drink, in accordance with the guidance from the Department of Health and the CDC. Employers may approve masks obtained or made by employees in accordance with Department of Health guidance;

There are other requirements including cleaning, maintaining limits on people to maintain spacing, etc.

While many may question the need for this.  A study from Western details how aerosols travel through the air.   while the work was done in a chamber, there is recognition that other factors will influence speed and loft.

The study details how a cough puts aerosols into the air.  At peak velocity, aerosols are moving at 1.2 m/sec (4 ft /sec) and 10% of the particles stay suspended after 4 seconds.    So as suggested by the article, a 6 foot physical separation may not be enough in itself.

Click on the article link for viewing aerosol ejection from the mouth.

Pennsylvania Department of Health

file:///C:/Users/mwb124/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/8XX8W1BK/20200415-SOH-worker-safety-order%20(2).pdf

Order of the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health Directing Public Health Safety Measures for Businesses Permitted to Maintain In-person Operations  

 

Two Eastern PA Facilities Rocked by COVID-19

Two Pennsylvania food processing facilities rocked by COVID-19. Cargill's facility in Hazleton and JBS facility in Souderton, PA both closed after numerous cases.

Philadelphia Inquirer
https://www.inquirer.com/business/meat-plants-pennsylvania-cargill-jbs-souderton-covid-20200409.html
Hazleton meat-packaging plant closes with 130 workers testing positive for COVID-19. Union leader at Souderton plant died last Friday.
by Bob Fernandez, Updated: April 9, 2020- 5:07 PM

Cargill Meat Solutions, a 900-worker plant in Hazleton, Pa., that packages meat in plastic for supermarket shelves in Pennsylvania and surrounding states, shut down temporarily on Tuesday as 130 hourly workers have tested positive for COVID-19 and a rash of employees called out sick, a union leader said.

FDA Warning Letter - Bakery with Listeria Issues

FDA issued a warning letter to an Indiana bakery after "investigators found serious violations of the [GMPs and Preventive Controls Regulations]. Additionally, FDA collected environmental samples (i.e., swabs) from various areas in [the] processing facility. FDA laboratory analysis of the environmental swabs found the presence of Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes), a human pathogen, in your facility, including the same strains found during FDA inspections in 2018 and 2016"

The facility was producing croissants, and not that those have a history as a vehicle of Listeria, never the less, the organism had been found in the facility in subsequent inspections as well as the current.  It appears that the cleaning of the facility was not very good, thus allowing the Listeria to persist over time.

https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/cafe-valley-bakery-llc-603875-03182020
WARNING LETTER
Cafe Valley Bakery, LLC
MARCS-CMS 603875 — March 18, 2020

FDA Provides Best Practice for Retail Including Retail at Food Service and Delivery

FDA provided best practices for food workers....many  of which also work for food operations.  There are a lot of good links that cover various topics. 

Included here is also CDC's Interim Guidance for Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19.

https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/best-practices-retail-food-stores-restaurants-and-food-pick-updelivery-services-during-covid-19
Best Practices for Retail Food Stores, Restaurants, and Food Pick-Up/Delivery Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic

FDA is sharing information about best practices to operate retail food stores, restaurants, and associated pick-up and delivery services during the COVID-19 pandemic to safeguard workers and consumers.

FDA Continues to Investigate Enoki Mushrooms as More Enoki Mushrooms from Korea Recalled Due to Listeria

H&C Food Inc. of Brooklyn, NY is recalling 7.05OZ (200G) Enoki mushrooms imported from Green Co. located in Korea, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes,  The recall was the result of FDA evidence of potential contamination of Enoki Mushrooms from Green Co. Ltd. H&C Food Inc. has ceased the distribution of the product as FDA and the company continue their investigation as to what caused the problem.

Clearly an issue with enoki mushrooms from Korea.  This last recall follow two previous recalls last month (Sun Hung Foods and Guan Foods).  To this point, there have been 36 cases with 30 hospitalizations and 4 deaths.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/hc-food-inc-recalls-enoki-mushroom-because-possible-health-risk
H&C Food Inc. Recalls Enoki Mushroom Because of Possible Health Risk
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  April 07, 2020
FDA Publish Date: April 07, 2020
Product Type: Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement: Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes
Company Name: H&C Food Inc.
Brand Name: H&C Food Inc.
Product Description: Enoki mushrooms

FDA and CDC Recommend the Use of Face Coverings for Workers in Retail and Food Production

This change comes about as the understanding of pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic infected people with the virus can spread the virus and this spread can come through simple speech.  From a study out of UC Davis, "Normal speech by individuals who are asymptomatic but infected with coronavirus may produce enough aerosolized particles to transmit the infection.."

State governments such as Pennsylvania also recommend that people wear face coverings when in public venues.

This is not a contradiction, or a flip flop, but rather an understanding of how the situation has changed with a growing number of cases in the US.  As more become infected, this increases the likelihood of asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic people in settings where they can spread the virus through aerosolization.    By wearing a face covering, it reduces the risk that the wearer will spew out significant aerosols.

These are the cloth or homemade masks, not the surgical or N-95 masks which should be reserved for those working in the medical field or other high risk operations.

FDA COVID-19 FAQs
https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/food-safety-and-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19
Should employees in retail food and food production settings wear face coverings to prevent exposure to COVID-19? (Posted April 4, 2020)
On April 3, the CDC released an updated recommendation regarding the use of cloth face coverings to help slow the spread of COVID-19.  CDC recommends the use of simple cloth face coverings as a voluntary public health measure in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies).
For workers on farms, and in food production, processing, and retail settings who do not typically wear masks as part of their jobs, consider the following if you choose to use a cloth face covering to slow the spread of COVID-19:

• Maintain face coverings in accordance with parameters in FDA’s Model Food Code sections 4-801.11 Clean Linens and 4.802.11 Specifications.
• Launder reusable face coverings before each daily use.
• CDC also has additional information on the use of face coverings, including washing instructions and information on how to make homemade face covers.

NOTE:  The cloth face coverings recommended by CDC are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators.  Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.

CDC New Release
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html
Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings, Especially in Areas of Significant Community-Based Transmission

Industry Guidance on Social Distancing Procedures for Food Operations

The Food And Beverage Issue Alliance, a consortium of industry associations, has put together a listing of preventive measures that a company can put in place to achieve social distancing within their operation.  As stated, this guidance  is intended to assist in developing more site-specific plans.  There are some great ideas for consideration within your operation.

Emergency Prevention Measures to Achieve Physical (Social) Distancing in Food Manufacturing Facilities as Related to COVID-19 March 31, 2020 Version 2.11
Preface
In order to manage COVID-19 risks to employees it is critical for food manufacturing facilities to closely review current policies and procedures relative to current knowledge of the risks. The following guidance is based on our current knowledge of the virus and designed to help companies review and amend current policies.