FL Company Recalls Burger Patties After Distributor Repackages Them Without Inspection

New Universal Nourishment LLC, a Miami Beach, Fla. firm, is recalling approximately 368 pounds of beef burger patty products that were repackaged, relabeled and distributed without the benefit of federal [USDA] inspection.  The problem was discovered when FSIS received a complaint reporting product in commerce labeled with the mark of inspection for Est. 451B bearing labels that were not applied by the originating company. FSIS determined that the distributor repackaged and/or relabeled the beef patty products without the benefit of federal inspection and used the mark of inspection from an establishment without proper authorization.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/new-universal-nourishment-llc-recalls-beef-burger-patty-products-produced-without
New Universal Nourishment LLC Recalls Beef Burger Patty Products Produced Without Benefit of Inspection
FSIS Announcement

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2022 – New Universal Nourishment LLC, a Miami Beach, Fla. firm, is recalling approximately 368 pounds of beef burger patty products that were repackaged, relabeled and distributed without the benefit of federal inspection, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

FL Company Recalls Biscotti for Undeclared Walnut Due to Mislabeling Issue

Sotto I Trulli INC/DBA Bombolo Biscotti, is recalling its Assorted Italian Cookies, because it contains Italian Wedding Cookies with undeclared walnut ingredient.  The recall was initiated after one of the store employees discovered that Italian Wedding Cookies were incorrectly labeled as Assorted Italian Cookies in packaging that did not reveal the presence of the walnut allergen. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company's production and packaging processes.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/sotto-i-trulli-inc-dba-bombolo-biscotti-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-walnut-product
Sotto I Trulli, Inc. DBA Bombolo Biscotti Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Walnut in Product
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  October 24, 2022
FDA Publish Date:  October 25, 2022
Product Type:  Food & Beverages  Bakery Product/Mix  
Reason for Announcement:  Undeclared walnuts
Company Name:  Sotto i Trulli Inc. DBA Bombolo Biscotti
Brand Name:  Bombolo Biscotti
Product Description:  Assorted Italian Cookies

Sausage Products Recalled Due to Thin Blue Rubber Pieces

Bob Evans Farms Foods, Inc., a Xenia, Ohio establishment, is recalling approximately 7,560 pounds of Italian pork sausage products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically thin blue rubber.  The problem was discovered after the firm notified FSIS it had received consumer complaints reporting thin blue pieces of rubber in the product.  (A glove perhaps?)

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/bob-evans-farms-foods-inc--recalls-italian-pork-sausage-products-due-possible
Bob Evans Farms Foods, Inc., Recalls Italian Pork Sausage Products due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
FSIS Announcement

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2022 – Bob Evans Farms Foods, Inc., a Xenia, Ohio establishment, is recalling approximately 7,560 pounds of Italian pork sausage products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically thin blue rubber, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

CO Company Recalls Sauce Made with Tamari Due to Undeclared Soy Allergen

Seed Ranch Flavor Co. of Boulder, CO, is voluntarily recalling its 5 fl ounce bottles of "Umami Everyday Sauce" and “Everything But The Sushi & Dumplings” sauce because they contain undeclared soy.  The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the soy-containing product was distributed in packaging that did not explicitly reveal the presence of soy. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company's production and packaging processes during a label redesign. Production of the products with incorrect labels have been suspended and allergen information clearly disclosed on corrected labels.

The product contains tamari...which is a fermented soybean product.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/seed-ranch-flavor-co-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-soy-umami-everyday-sauce-and-everything-sushi
Seed Ranch Flavor Co Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Soy in "Umami Everyday Sauce" and “Everything But The Sushi & Dumplings” Sauce
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  October 23, 2022
FDA Publish Date:  October 24, 2022
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Undeclared soy
Company Name:  Seed Ranch Flavor Co.
Brand Name:  Seed Ranch Flavor Co.
Product Description:  Various sauces

Vegan Drumsticks and Nuggets Recalled for Undeclared Egg Due to Wrong Ingredient Addition

Da Cheng Vegetarian Food Inc. of El Monte, CA, is expanding its recall of Da Cheng Vegan Drumsticks and Vegan Golden Nuggets because it was found to contain the undeclared allergen of egg.

The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the egg-containing product was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of egg. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by manufacturer’s negligence on the production assembly line. Their employee used the wrong ingredient when mixing the materials together that caused this issue. The employee is no longer with the manufacturer’s company anymore.  One case of an allergic reaction to egg was reported.

Having the responsible employee leave does not mean the issue is fixed.  An Allergen Preventive Control must be implemented to prevent the issue from occurring.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/da-cheng-vegetarian-food-inc-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-egg-protein-vegan-drumsticks-expansion
Da Cheng Vegetarian Food Inc Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Egg Protein in Vegan Drumsticks Expansion
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  October 19, 2022
FDA Publish Date:  October 22, 2022
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Undeclared Egg Protein
Company Name:  Da Cheng Vegetarian Food Inc.
Brand Name:  Da Cheng
Product Description:  Vegan Drumsticks and Vegan Golden Nuggets

Chicken Salad Products Recalled for Missing Allergen on Label

Albertsons Companies has voluntarily recalled ReadyMeals Chicken Salad Quad and Chicken Salad Sandwich Club Tray products prepared in store at certain Albertsons and Safeway stores, due to an undeclared allergen not listed on the ingredient statement. The products contain tree nuts (cashews), which are known allergens. The issue was discovered after a customer reported having an adverse reaction.

This is a print-and-apply label, where we can guess that someone incorrectly input the information.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/albertsons-companies-voluntarily-recalls-chicken-salad-products-due-undeclared-allergen
Albertsons Companies Voluntarily Recalls Chicken Salad Products Due to an Undeclared Allergen
Summary
Company Announcement Date:October 18, 2022
FDA Publish Date:  October 19, 2022
Product Type:  Food & Beverages  Prepared Food
Reason for Announcement:  Undeclared Tree Nuts (Cashews)
Company Name:  Albertsons Companies
Brand Name:  Ready Meals and Safeway Inc.
Product Description:  Chicken Salad Quad & Chicken Salad Sandwich Club Tray

Misleading News - Deli Meat as the Leading Agent for Listeria Infection

A recent news article "Study finds deli meat is connected to more than 90 percent of U.S. listeria cases" states that "90 percent of listeriosis cases in the U.S. come from deli meat, followed by ready-to-eat (RTE) salads at just less than 5 percent."  This article was based on a recently published research publication, "Quantitative risk assessment model to investigate the public health impact of varying Listeria monocytogenes allowable levels in different food commodities: A retrospective analysis". (,International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2022).

What is not clear in this new article is that the research that serves as the basis looks at 30 years of data using metanalysis.  Has control of Listeria improved dramatically in the last 30 years?  Absolutely.  Even the research publication mentions this.  Yes, deli meats are a risk, but there have been far less cases over the past decade with the last notable case in 2020 .  But there are items like salads and cheese that stand out.  

Doing a metanalysis over the past 30 years does not take into account the factor of time and improvement that has occurred in that period.  Secondly, the technology for identification (WGS) and tracking has improved dramatically. 

Looking that the CDC website for the listed outbreaks over the past decade:

2022

Brie and Camembert Cheese – Listeriosis

Ice Cream – Listeriosis

2021

Dole Packaged Salads – Listeriosis

Fresh Express Packaged Salads – Listeriosis

Fully Cooked Chicken – Listeriosis

Queso Fresco – Listeriosis

2020

Deli Meats – Listeriosis

Enoki Mushrooms – Listeriosis

2019

Hard-boiled Eggs – Listeriosis

Not Identified - Listeria monocytogenes Infections

Deli-Sliced Meats and Cheeses – Listeriosis

2018

Pork Products – Listeriosis

Deli Ham – Listeriosis

2017

Vulto Creamery Soft Raw Milk Cheese – Listeriosis

2016

Frozen Vegetables – Listeriosis

Raw Milk – Listeriosis

Packaged Salads – Listeriosis

2015

Soft Cheeses – Listeriosis

Ice Cream – Listeriosis

2014

Commercially Produced, Prepackaged Caramel Apples – Listeriosis

Bean Sprouts – Listeriosis

Cheese – Listeriosis

Dairy Products – Listeriosis

2013

Cheese – Listeriosis

2012

Ricotta Salata Cheese – Listeriosis

2011

Cantaloupes – Listeriosis

International Journal of Food Microbiology

Volume 383, 16 December 2022, 109932

Quantitative risk assessment model to investigate the public health impact of varying Listeria monocytogenes allowable levels in different food commodities: A retrospective analysis

Abstract

Invasive listeriosis is a potentially fatal foodborne disease that according to this study may affect up to 32.9 % of the US population considered as increased risk and including people with underlying conditions and co-morbidities. Listeria monocytogenes has been scrutinized in research and surveillance programs worldwide in Ready-to-Eat (RTE) food commodities (RTE salads, deli meats, soft/semi-soft cheese, seafood) and frozen vegetables in the last 30 years with an estimated overall prevalence of 1.4–9.9 % worldwide (WD) and 0.5–3.8 % in the United States (US). Current L. monocytogenes control efforts have led to a prevalence reduction in the last 5 years of 4.9–62.9 % (WD) and 12.4–92.7 % (US). A quantitative risk assessment model was developed, estimating the probability of infection in the US susceptible population to be 10–10,000× higher than general population and the total number of estimated cases in the US was 1044 and 2089 cases by using the FAO/WHO and Pouillot dose-response models. Most cases were attributed to deli meats (>90 % of cases) followed by RTE salads (3.9–4.5 %), soft and semi-soft cheese and RTE seafood (0.5–1.0 %) and frozen vegetables (0.2–0.3 %). Cases attributed to the increased risk population corresponded to 96.6–98.0 % of the total cases with the highly susceptible population responsible for 46.9–80.1 % of the cases. Removing product lots with a concentration higher than 1 CFU/g reduced the prevalence of contamination by 15.7–88.3 % and number of cases by 55.9–100 %. Introducing lot-by-lot testing and defining allowable quantitative regulatory limits for low-risk RTE commodities may reduce the public health impact of L. monocytogenes and improve the availability of enumeration data.

Current Investigation of Salmonella Outbreak Associated with Salmon Used in Sushi Type Foods

The FDA, along with CDC and state and local partners, is investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Litchfield infections linked to fresh, raw salmon supplied to restaurants in California and Arizona by Mariscos Bahia, Inc.  To this point, there have been 33 total illnesses with 13 hospitalizations.

"...FDA collected an environmental sample that included multiple swabs at Mariscos Bahia, Inc. (Pico Rivera, CA). Multiple environmental swabs collected at the facility are positive for Salmonella and subsequent Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis is ongoing. The WGS completed to date indicates the Salmonella detected in at least one of the swabs from the facility matches the outbreak strain. While epidemiological evidence indicates that ill people consumed fresh, raw salmon processed at this firm, the presence of Salmonella in the processing environment indicates that additional types of fish processed in the same area of the facility could also be contaminated which includes fresh, raw halibut, Chilean seabass, tuna, and swordfish. Salmon, halibut, Chilean seabass, tuna, and swordfish processed in Marisco Bahia Inc.’s Pico Rivera, CA, facility could have also been sent to the Mariscos Bahia, Inc. facilities in Phoenix, AZ and then sent to restaurants."

https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-seafood-october-2022
Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella: Seafood (October 2022)
Restaurants should not sell, or serve multiple types of seafood from Mariscos Bahia, Inc. FDA's investigation is ongoing.

Case Counts
Total Illnesses: 33
Hospitalizations: 13
Deaths: 0
Last illness onset: September 18, 2022
States with Cases: AZ (11), CA (21), IL (1)
Product Distribution*: AZ, CA

Cross Contamination in the Kitchen - Remember to Clean the Spice Containers

A study published in Journal of Food Protection tackles the question, can spice containers be the source of cross contamination. Yep, as you probably could have guessed, the spice containers can be the source of cross contamination.  The study looked at a number of surfaces, and these surfaces all could be the source of cross contamination, but the spice containers where found to be more likely a source.  A good reminder to clean as you prepare meals, including washing hands after handling raw product and before touching items like spice containers, and then to sanitize surfaces of spice containers.

https://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-abstract/doi/10.4315/JFP-22-060/486035/Cross-Contamination-to-Surfaces-in-Consumer?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Cross-Contamination to Surfaces in Consumer Kitchens Using MS2 as a Tracer Organism in Ground Turkey Patties
Margaret Kirchner; Rebecca Goulter; Savana Everhart; Lindsey Doring; Caitlin Smits; Jeremy Faircloth; Minh Duong; Lydia Goodson; Lisa Shelley; Ellen Thomas Shumaker; Sheryl Cates; Christopher Bernstein; Aaron Lavallee; Lee-Ann Jaykus; Benjamin Chapman; Don Schaffner
J Food Prot (2022)
https://doi.org/10.4315/JFP-22-060