Outbreak of Cyclospora May Be Linked to Imported Broccoli

An outbreak of cyclosporiasis in the US has resulted in 210 cases reported as of June 22, 2023.  While the source has not been definitively determined at this point, "FDA and state and local partners conducted traceback investigations and determined that the broccoli was imported. However, FDA investigators were unable to confirm the specific type or producer of the imported broccoli as the source of the outbreak. This outbreak appears to be over and there is no indication at this time that broccoli continues to be a source of illness for other cases of cyclosporiasis being reported in the United States."

One of the main issues for determining the source is the long time between consumption and symptoms, which can range from one to two weeks. 

Cyclospora is an issue in fresh produce.  "C. cayetanensis is a parasite that must live inside a human host for part of its life cycle, as well as living outside the host during an environmental phase. Although there are many species of Cyclospora, only C. cayetanensis has been known to cause illness in humans, an infection called cyclosporiasis. A person can become infected after ingesting food or water contaminated with the parasite."

Will heating destroy Cyclospora, such as with blanching?  These does not seem to be any history for survival at elevated temperatures, but there are limited studies.

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/cyclosporiasis/outbreaks/2023/index.html
Cyclosporiasis Illnesses in the United States, 2023
LAST UPDATED JUNE 22, 2023

Fast Facts
Illnesses: 210
Hospitalizations: 30
Deaths: 0
States reporting cases: 22

Imported RTE Pork Rinds from Guatemala Recalled After Inspectors Find the Non-USDA Inspected Product at Store Level

Distribuidora El Paisano Import, LLC, a distributor and the importer of record located in Providence, R.I., is recalling approximately 1,715 pounds of imported ready-to-eat pork rind product that was imported from Guatemala.  The product subject to recall does not bear an establishment number nor a USDA mark of inspection. This item was shipped to retail locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island.  The problem was discovered during a routine FSIS surveillance activity at a retail store where the agency found the pork rind product from Guatemala. Guatemala is not eligible to import meat products into the U.S.


https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/distribuidora-el-paisano-import-llc-recalls-ineligible-ready-eat-pork-rind-product
Distribuidora El Paisano Import, LLC, Recalls Ineligible Ready-To-Eat Pork Rind Product Imported from Guatemala

FSIS Announcement

WASHINGTON, June 20, 2023 - Distribuidora El Paisano Import, LLC, a distributor and the importer of record located in Providence, R.I., is recalling approximately 1,715 pounds of imported ready-to-eat pork rind product that was imported from Guatemala, a country ineligible to export meat products to the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

Imported Soup from Canada Recalled After Discovery of Non-Compliance with USDA Inspection Rules for Imported Goods

BCI Foods Inc., the importer of record located in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada, is recalling approximately 13,561 pounds of chicken noodle soup products that were not presented for import reinspection into the United States.  The problem was discovered when FSIS was notified by an import broker that canned chicken soup products imported from Canada were not presented for FSIS import reinspection.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/bci-foods-inc--recalls-chicken-noodle-soup-products-produced-without-benefit-import
BCI Foods Inc. Recalls Chicken Noodle Soup Products Produced without Benefit of Import Reinspection

FSIS Announcement

WASHINGTON, June 20, 2023 - BCI Foods Inc., the importer of record located in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada, is recalling approximately 13,561 pounds of chicken noodle soup products that were not presented for import reinspection into the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

Imported Sheep Milk Cheese Recalled Due to Link to Listeria Outbreak in Europe

FMA International of Brooklyn, NY is recalling one lot of SAS Fromagerie Ottavi Tome Corse Sheep Milk Cheese, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, The recall was the result of an ongoing recall and outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes in Europe associated with cheese from SAS Fromagerie Ottavi. FMA International was notified by the France manufacturer and immediately recalled the cheese imported to the United States.

FMA International imported a total of one case from the affected lot.
Ottavi Tome Corse cheese was distributed in the state of Oregon to a specialty food distributor. The one case from the recalled lot has since been accounted for and has been subsequently destroyed. It was never sold to any retailers or restaurants.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/fma-international-recalls-sas-fromagerie-ottavi-tome-corse-sheep-milk-cheese-imported-france-because
FMA International Recalls SAS Fromagerie Ottavi Tome Corse Sheep Milk Cheese Imported From France Because of Possible Health Risk
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  June 23, 2023
FDA Publish Date:  June 23, 2023
Product Type:  Food & Beverages  Cheese/Cheese Product 
Reason for Announcement:  Potential Foodborne Illness
Company Name:  Food Matters Again International
Brand Name:  SAS Fromergerie Ottavi
Product Description:  Tome Corse Sheep Milk Cheese

FL Establishment Recalls Deviled Crab With Packaging That Does Not List Milk and Sesame Allergens

Santo’s Frozen Foods, Inc. of Tampa FL is recalling select boxes of 100 count, 36 count, and 24 count boxes of Deviled Crabs because they contain undeclared milk and sesame seeds.  The recall was initiated after it was found that the affected box labels do not declare milk or sesame seeds as allergens.


https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/santos-frozen-foods-inc-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-milk-and-sesame-seeds-mislabeled-deviled
Santo’s Frozen Foods, Inc. Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Milk and Sesame Seeds on Mislabeled Deviled Crabs Cases
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  June 23, 2023
FDA Publish Date:  June 23, 2023
Product Type:  Food & Beverages  Shellfish 
Reason for Announcement:  Undeclared milk and sesame seeds
Company Name:  Santo’s Frozen Foods, Inc.
Brand Name:  Santo’s Frozen Foods
Product Description:  Milk, Sesame

Products Containing Pineapple Recalled After Supplier Recall

Sunrise Growers issued a recall of cut pineapple product due to Listeria. This led to Scenic Fruit Company of Oregon to also recall product since they used that as an ingredient in their product.   While there have been no illnesses associated with this, the recall has extended to product sold at many of the top retailers including Walmart, Target, Trader Joe's, and Aldi.

Is Listeria a risk in cut pineapple?  Not overly so.  One study (Huang, etat, 2018) found that Listeria decreased on cut pineapple when stored at various temperatures. "Under chronic temperature abuse, three different pathogen growth patterns emerged on five test products: both S. enterica and L. monocytogenes grew significantly on cut cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon at 8 and 12 °C; but only survived on cut radish, and even declined in population on cut pineapple under the same conditions."  Another study (Zeigler, etal, 2018) showed similar impact of pineapple on Listeria, but stated that the biggest issue was final product pH, and this can be an issue with a fruit mixture, such as when blended with items like melon or bananas.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/scenic-fruit-company-recalls-organic-pineapple-because-possible-health-risk
Scenic Fruit Company Recalls Organic Pineapple Because of Possible Health Risk
Summary
Company Announcement Date: June 22, 2023
FDA Publish Date: June 23, 2023
Product Type: Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement: Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Company Name: Scenic Fruit Company
Brand Name: Cadia and Trader Joe’s
Product Description: Organic Frozen Pineapple and Frozen Fruit Blend Containing Organic Frozen Pineapple

USDA Approves Cell Cultivated Meat Product

As seen across the mass media universe this week, USDA approved cell-cultured meat to be made by two "processors".

So a few questions....

"

What does it taste like?  Like chicken, as provided in an AP News article.  According to the article, "The taste was richer than a chicken breast, more like the dark meat of a thigh. And the texture was both tender and chewy, like a well-cooked chicken thigh should be."    More like meat than Beyond Meat sausage and the Impossible Burger.

Who regulates this?  Well, both FDA and USDA.  In FSIS directive 7800.1

• FDA and FSIS have agreed to jointly oversee the production of cell-cultured meat and poultry food products and to share information necessary to carry out their respective oversight responsibilities in establishments that harvest cells for cell-cultured meat or poultry food products.
• FDA has jurisdiction over the preharvest production phase of the animal cell culture technology process. During this phase, living cells are collected from species amenable to the Acts and stored. These living cells are later placed in a controlled environment, such as a bioreactor, and introduced to inputs (e.g., amino acids, glucose, and inorganic salts) and other factors that encourage their growth, multiplication, and differentiation into various cell types.
• Jurisdiction transfers to FSIS at harvest, i.e., when the cell-culture establishment commences the process of removing the cells from the controlled environment, thereby halting their ability to further grow, multiply, or differentiate into various cell types.
• FSIS also has jurisdiction over the postharvest processing and labeling of cell-cultured meat and poultry food products. Postharvest, establishments that produce cells for cell-cultured meat or poultry food products may distribute the raw harvested cells in commerce or process the harvested cells into finished products that contain ingredients, such as spices, flavorings, binders, or other ingredients. Some of these establishments may send harvested cells to other establishments for further processing, rather than processing these cells at the harvest facility.
• Ingredients, including processing aids, used in cell-cultured meat or poultry food products postharvest (including substances used preharvest that remain in the harvested cells) must be considered safe and suitable by FSIS and used in accordance with the intended use listed in 9 CFR 424.21(c) or FSIS Directive 7120.1, Safe and Suitable Ingredients Used in the Production of Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products.

Will you be one of the first to try Test Tube Chicken? As for me, no.

ABC News
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Food/fda-approves-1st-cell-cultivated-meat-upside-foods/story
USDA approves 1st ever 'cell-cultivated meat' for 2 American manufacturers

UPSIDE will cultivate and sell chicken grown from animal cells in bioreactors.

After years of research and rigorous testing, cell-cultivated meat will officially become part of the U.S. food system.

Emeryville, California-based manufacturer UPSIDE Foods, which gave ABC News a look inside its facilities earlier this year, and Good Meat a cultivated meat division of the plant-based egg substitute food technology company Eat Just, are the first U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved cell-cultivated chicken meat producer and has been fully approved by the U.S. government for commercial sales nationwide.

USDA FSIS Releases Updated Best Practice Guidance for Listeria Control in Retail Delicatessens

USDA FSIS released an updated guidance document for controlling Listeria in retail delicatessens.

In the document, they point to four Listeria outbreaks that were linked to deli items.

• A 2022 outbreak in which the majority of ill people reported eating products sliced at the deli counter. The outbreak strain was identified in environmental samples  collected at a retail deli and several open packages of meats sliced at the deli. 
• A 2020 outbreak where epidemiologic evidence showed that Italian-style deli  meats was the likely source. The majority of ill people reported purchasing prepackaged deli meats and meats sliced at deli counters. Shopper records were used to help confirm these deli meats as the suspect vehicle; 
• A 2019 outbreak in which the majority of ill people reported eating products sliced  at the deli counter. The outbreak strain was identified in environmental samples  collected at multiple retail deli locations and in meat sliced at the deli; and 
• A 2018 outbreak associated with RTE ham products. Ham products were recalled by the manufacturer because of potential contamination with Lm. The  products were identified as being sold at retail delis and as the source of Lm illness that led to a recall.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/documents/FSIS-GD-2023-0004.pdf
FSIS Best Practices Guidance for Controlling Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in Retail Delicatessens
June 2023
FSIS-GD-2023-0004

This guidance document provides information for retail firms. The guidance covers:

• Actions retailers can take in the delicatessen (deli) area to decrease the potential for Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) growth and cross-contamination;
• Steps retailers can take to help ensure that deli products are maintained under sanitary conditions that do not allow Lm  adulteration of the product; 
• Information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Code, scientific literature, other guidance documents, and lessons learned from meat and poultry establishments that retailers can use to control Lm; and
• Helpful tools that retail firms can use to identify potential gaps in current best practice procedures

Salsa Dip Product Recalled After Incorrect Back Label Applied Resulting in Undeclared Allergen

Frito-Lay today issued a voluntary recall of select 15 oz. Tostitos Avocado Salsa Jar Dips that may contain an undeclared milk allergen.   While the front of the affected jar is correctly labeled as Tostitos Avocado Salsa, the back of the jar is mislabeled with another product’s nutrition information and declarations. As a result, the allergen milk is not declared on the label.  The product covered by this recall was distributed nationwide at retail stores and via e-commerce channels. Consumers would have been able to purchase the jars as early as April 5, 2023.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/frito-lay-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-milk-mislabeled-tostitos-avocado-salsa-jar-dip
Frito-Lay Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Milk in Mislabeled Tostitos Avocado Salsa Jar Dip
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  June 16, 2023
FDA Publish Date:  June 16, 2023
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Undeclared milk
Company Name:  Frito-Lay
Brand Name:  Tostitos
Product Description:  Tostitos Avocado Salsa Dip