Extensive Salad Products Recalled After Iceberg Lettuce Harvesting Equipment Tests Positive for Listeria Monocytogenes

Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. is voluntarily recalling from the market all Dole-branded and private label packaged salads described below processed at its Springfield, OH and Soledad, CA production facilities containing iceberg lettuce, due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes.  This voluntary recall notification is being issued after harvest equipment used in the harvesting of the raw iceberg lettuce material used in these finished products was tested by Dole and found to contain Listeria monocytogenes.

This is a massive recall affecting product shipped all across the country and into Canada.  One would expect that this finding represents a low risk scenario. First, is the species found on the equipment a transient organism or was it part of an endemic contamination on the equipment?  With that, was the species pathogenic?  What was the level and what was the likelihood it actually contaminated product?  Was the lettuce treated afterwards in a way that would have removed surface contamination?  Was this testing part of broader Listeria investigation or was it just routine testing?


https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/dole-fresh-vegetables-inc-announces-voluntary-recall-certain-salads-processed-its-springfield-oh-and
Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. Announces Voluntary Recall for Certain Salads Processed at its Springfield, OH and Soledad, CA Facilities and Containing Iceberg Lettuce Due to Possible Health Risk from Listeria monocytogenes
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  January 07, 2022
FDA Publish Date:  January 07, 2022
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes
Company Name:  Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc.
Brand Name: Dole
Product Description:  Salads

Advent Calendar for Pets Recalled Due to Choking Hazard

ALDI in cooperation with their supplier, Pet Brands Products, LLC. are recalling Pure Being Cat Advent Calendars and Pure Being Dog Advent Calendars due to a potential choking hazard.  This comes after receiving a small number of customer complaints.  (An Advent calendar is a calendar used to count the days leading to the anticipation of Christmas.)


https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/association-pet-brands-products-llc-aldi-voluntarily-recalls-pet-advent-calendars-due-potential
In Association with Pet Brands Products, LLC, ALDI Voluntarily Recalls Pet Advent Calendars Due to Potential Choking Hazard

Summary
Company Announcement Date: December 09, 2021
FDA Publish Date: January 04, 2022
Product Type: Animal & Veterinary Food & Beverages Pet Food
Reason for Announcement: Potential choking hazard
Company Name: ALDI
Brand Name: Pure Being
Product Description: Advent Calendars for Cats and Dogs
Company Announcement
Batavia, Ill. (December 9, 2021) – In cooperation with Pet Brands Products, LLC, and out of an abundance of caution, ALDI is voluntarily recalling Pure Being Cat Advent Calendars and Pure Being Dog Advent Calendars as a precautionary measure due to a potential choking hazard.

Minn Establishment Recalls Cauliflower Crust Pizza After Mistakenly Labeling Product Containing Wheat

Kettle River Products, an Askov, Minn., establishment, is recalling approximately 1,464 pounds of chicken alfredo pizza due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen - the product contains wheat, which is not declared on the product label.  The frozen, heat-treated, not fully cooked items were produced on various dates between Dec. 9, 2021 through Jan. 3, 2022. The problem was discovered when the company determined that it used labels intended for a different product that does not contain wheat and reported the issue to FSIS.

The label shown on the recall notice list a cauliflower crust (non-wheat).  And even though they have the disclaimer, "This produce is manufactured in a facility that also manufacturers that contain wheat", this does nothing.  Also important to note, that this is another 'wrong package label' recall.  In the month of December, there were 5 recalls for the same issue - putting the wrong label on a food item resulting in an allergen mismatch.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/kettle-river-products-recalls-chicken-alfredo-pizza-products-due-misbranding-and
Kettle River Products Recalls Chicken Alfredo Pizza Products Due to Misbranding and an Undeclared Allergen

FSIS Announcement

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2022 – Kettle River Products, an Askov, Minn., establishment, is recalling approximately 1,464 pounds of chicken alfredo pizza due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The product contains wheat, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label.

Oregon Meat Establishment Recalls Ground Meat After Third Party Lab Finds Pathogenic E. coli

Interstate Meat Dist. Inc., a Clackamas, Ore., establishment, is recalling approximately 28,356 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.  The raw, ground beef items were produced on Dec. 20, 2021 and were shipped to retail locations in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

"The issue was reported to FSIS after a retail package of ground beef was purchased and submitted to a third-party laboratory for microbiological analysis and the sample tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. FSIS conducted an assessment of the third-party laboratory’s accreditation and methodologies and determined the results were actionable."

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/interstate-meat-dist.-inc.-recalls-ground-beef-products-due-possible-e.-coli-o157h7
Interstate Meat Dist. Inc., Recalls Ground Beef Products Due To Possible E. Coli O157:H7 Contamination

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2022 – Interstate Meat Dist. Inc., a Clackamas, Ore., establishment, is recalling approximately 28,356 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

Reportable Food Registry Dashboard - A Powerful Tool for Analysis of Hazards in the Food Supply

 FDA published their Reportable Food Registry Data Dashboard, an interactive tool to analyze data collected by the Reportable Food Registry.   FDA first rolled out the RFR in 2010, and with that data, FDA issued annual reports on hazards identified in food and feed that were reported to the agency via the electronic portal.

The Reportable Food Registry (RFR) is “an electronic portal by which reports about instances of reportable food must be submitted to FDA within 24 hours by responsible parties and may be submitted by public health officials. These reports may be primary, the initial submission about a reportable food, or subsequent, a report by either a supplier (upstream) or a recipient (downstream) of a food or food ingredient for which a primary report has been submitted.”  "Registered Food Facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or hold food for human or animal consumption in the United States under section 415(a) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 350d) are required to report when there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, an article of food will cause serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals."

The RFR Data Dashboard allows one to access this data to analyze particular commodities, countries of origin, and specific hazards.  There are 6 primary search headings:

• RFR Primary Entries Summary - How many entries are occurring each year with the top three commodities and top three hazards.
• RFR Primary Entries by Commodity - One can select a commodity and see the number of entries per year and hazard type of those entries, and the country where those hazards originated..  By selecting a year on the graph, one can see the hazard type or country for that given year.
• Human and Animal Food RFR Primary Entries - Allows one to see entries by human food or animal food.
• RFR Primary Entries by Hazard - here one can select a specific hazard, Pathogenic E. coli for example, and see the number of reports issued each year, the commodities involved, and the country.  Once can further select a year and see the data specific for that year.  So for the Pathogenic E. coli, there were 5 entries in 2019, and each of those entries were a different commodity item.
• Top 5 Hazards Breakdown RFR Primary Entries - allows one to look the top three hazards - Allergens, Salmonella, and Listeria by year and commodity.  In 2019 there were 56 allergen reported issues with milk and egg being the two most reported allergen types.
• RFR Primary Entries by Country - This allows one to see reports for food or feed originating out of a given country.  For example, Brazil has had 2 reports in 2019 for Salmonella, both from Animal feed/pet food.

 The RFR Dash Board (https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/fda-track-agency-wide-program-performance/fda-track-reportable-food-registry-data-dashboard) is just one of the Dashboards that one can use as part of developing their Food Safety Plan.

There is the FDA Data Dashboard (https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/transparency/fda-data-dashboard)
that allows one to search a given firm to see their inspection information. (not a bad idea to check your own firm's data to make sure it is correct).

There is the FSMA Dashboard that detail PC and GMP inspection data. https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/fda-track-agency-wide-program-performance/pc-and-cgmp-measures

https://www.fda.gov/food/cfsan-constituent-updates/fdas-faster-and-easier-reportable-food-registry-process-will-lead-better-data-and-safer-food-supply
The FDA’s Faster and Easier Reportable Food Registry Process Will Lead to Better Data and a Safer Food Supply
Constituent Update
January 5, 2022

USDA AMS Regulation for Bioengineered Foods Goes Into Effect January 1, 2022

The USDA AMS rule called the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard went into effect on January 1, 2022 and requires food manufacturers, importers, and other entities that label foods for retail sale to disclose information about BE food and BE food ingredients.  There are two  labels for products both circular green with either "bioengineered" or "derived from bioengineering."*.  No usage of GMO or genetically modified.  (*There are different forms of disclosure depending on company size).

"The amended Act defines “bioengineering” with respect to a food as referring to a food “(A) that contains genetic material that has been modified through in vitro recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) techniques; and (B) for which the modification could not otherwise be obtained through conventional breeding or found in nature.”"

Note that foods in which the modified genetic material is not detectable are not bioengineered foods (ie. Records verify the food is made from a non-bioengineered food; Records verify that the food has been refined using a process validated to render the modified genetic material undetectable; or Testing records for the specific food confirm the absence of detectable modified genetic)

Foods covered by Federal Meat Inspection Act, PIA, EIPA where those foods are the primary ingredient in the food, outside of water, are not subject to the rule.

List of items that may be of bioengineered material

• Alfalfa
• Apple (ArcticTM varieties)
• Canola
• Corn
• Cotton
• Eggplant (BARI Bt Begun varieties)
• Papaya (ringspot virus-resistant varieties)
• Pineapple (Pink flesh varieties)
• Potato
• Salmon (AquAdvantage®)
• Soybean
• Squash (summer)
• Sugarbeet

Exemptions

1. Threshold: Allows each ingredient to contain up to five percent of a BE substance, as long as it is 

inadvertent or technically unavoidable

2. Animals fed bioengineered feed (foods subject to Federal Meat Inspection Act, PIA, EIPA)

3. Food certified under the National Organic Program

I found this video pretty helpful - Webinar: Overview of the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard December 2020 - YouTube  It discusses additional aspects including enforcement and labeling options.

Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/01/01/usda-bioengineered-food-rules
The USDA’s new labeling for genetically modified foods goes into effect Jan. 1. Here’s what you need to know.
The agency has done away with familiar terms like ‘GMOs’ and has built in loopholes for tiny producers, and foods made with meat and eggs

GA Company Recalls Chicken Salad Sandwiches That Contain Tuna Salad

GHGA, LLC. of Conley GA, part of the Renaissance Food Group, is voluntarily recalling 266, 7.8 oz. packages of Chicken Salad Croissants due to undeclared allergen in the form of fish.  The recalled product was shipped to Kroger stores in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina on 12/30/2021.  The recall was initiated after it was discovered that packages of the product may contain tuna salad instead of chicken salad, and fish is not declared on the label.

It is pretty easy to confuse tuna salad and chicken salad, however, for allergen labeling compliance, it is pretty important.  As part of the Food Safety Plan, a preventive control must be in place to ensure proper labeling.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/ghga-llc-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-fish-chicken-salad-croissants
GHGA, LLC. Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Fish in Chicken Salad Croissants
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  January 03, 2022
FDA Publish Date:  January 03, 2022
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Due to undeclared fish
Company Name:  GHGA, LLC
Brand Name:  Renaissance Food Group
Product Description:  Chicken Salad Croissants

Class Action Lawsuits Stemming From Long-Accepted But Misleading Product Label Claims

There has been an increasing number of class action lawsuits targeting food and beverage companies. As pointed out in this piece published in Food Dive, the issues brought before the courts involve misrepresentation of products to the consumers.  That is, product labeling misleads consumers into thinking a product is something that it really isn't.  In the first example, they discuss Canada Dry Ginger Ale, which does not have ginger in it.

The article goes on to state that these cases are really not driven by consumers, but by lawyers who have become very good at finding food products that in some way misrepresent what they are.  Other examples include the claim for use of vanilla when artificial vanilla flavor is used, or cereals that state fruit on the label, but have no real fruit.

It is a good read to think about how one labels a product.

Food Dive
https://www.fooddive.com/news/why-class-action-lawsuit-food-beverage/611348/
DEEP DIVE
Why are so many class action lawsuits filed against the food industry?

In 2020, the number of court cases from consumers claiming that food and drink companies deceived them hit an all-time high, according to statistics compiled by law firm Perkins Coie.

CDC Issues Alert on Packaged Salads Linked to E. coli Outbreak

CDC issued a health alert for Simple Truth Organic Power Greens and Nature’s Basket Organic Power Greens due to link to an E. coli outbreak.  The outbreak cases occurred from late November through mid-December with 13 people infected with 4 of those hospitalized.  The "Best if Used By Date on the product in question is through December 20, 2021.

CDC Foodborne Outbreaks
https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2021/o157h7-12-21/index.html
E. coli Outbreak Linked to Packaged Salads
Posted December 30, 2021

Fast Facts
Illnesses: 13
Hospitalizations: 4
Deaths: 0
States: 6
Recall: No
Investigation status: Active

Contaminated Food
Simple Truth Organic Power Greens and Nature’s Basket Organic Power Greens
Organic Power Greens salad is a mix of organic spinach, mizuna, kale, and chard
Sold at grocery stores and supermarkets, including Fred Meyer, QFC, and Giant Eagle
“Best if used by” dates through December 20, 2021

Six people ate Simple Truth Organic Power Greens, and one sick person ate Nature’s Basket Organic Power Greens. Investigators are working to determine if additional products may be contaminated.