NIH Clarify Position on CWD Risk to Humans - Never Said No Risk

A recent study presented evidence that CWD prions were unlikely to move from animals [deer] to people. Experts have come out to clarify this and to say that there is low risk, but not to assume no risk.

"They weren’t able to transmit chronic wasting disease to these human cerebral organoids, but that's not a human," he said. "And there are so many other factors that go into transmission outside of such experimental spaces. It is encouraging in that it emphasizes that at least with current CWD strains, there is a high species barrier, but it certainly doesn't mean that [spillover] isn't possible or that the threshold of the species barrier might not change in the future when CWD strains evolve."

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/chronic-wasting-disease/nih-researchers-never-said-there-no-risk-cwd-spillover-humans
NIH researchers never said there is no risk of CWD spillover to humans
Mary Van Beusekom, MS
June 6, 2024

Bloomberg Article Highlights Problems with Outsourced / Generic Medications

Generic medications and drugs are a common site in grocery and pharmacy stores.  Prices are normally dollars cheaper than branded items.  Are you willing to spend the extra money for the branded items?  This article provides insight into the issues of generic drugs when the retailer does not do adequate supplier verification.

Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-06-10/cvs-brand-drug-recalls-expose-link-to-tainted-factories
Dozens of CVS Generic Drug Recalls Expose Link to Tainted Factories

The chain’s branded drugs were recalled about two times more than those of its biggest rival, Walgreens
By Anna Edney and Peter Robison
June 10, 2024 at 5:00 PM EDT

One factory making CVS-branded pain and fever medications for children used contaminated water. Another made drugs for kids that were too potent. And a third made nasal sprays for babies on the same machines it used to produce pesticides.

The drugs were among those sold by CVS Health Corp., the largest US pharmacy, under its store-brand label before being recalled.

Other chains have seen their share of recalls for their own store-branded medications. But over the past decade CVS’s have been recalled about two times more than those from Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. and three times more than those from Walmart Inc., a Bloomberg analysis of public records found. Both CVS and Walgreens say they offer more than 2,000 store-brand health and wellness products; Walmart declined to say how many it had for sale, but its website indicates it has many of the same drugs available as CVS and Walgreens do under its Equate store brand.

Louisiana Establishment Fails to Properly Label Allergens Associated with Worchester Powder

Bonneval Foods, LLC, a Gonzales, La. establishment, is recalling all barbecue pork skin product that is currently available in commerce due to misbranding and undeclared allergens.  The product contains wheat and soy, known allergens, that are not declared on the product label.  The problem was discovered during routine FSIS in-plant verification activities. FSIS personnel identified soy and wheat, known allergens, as ingredients in a Worcestershire powder that is an ingredient in a BBQ pork skin product.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/bonneval-foods-llc-recalls-barbecue-pork-skin-product-due-misbranding-and-undeclared
Bonneval Foods, LLC Recalls Barbecue Pork Skin Product Due To Misbranding And Undeclared Allergens

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2024 – Bonneval Foods, LLC, a Gonzales, La. establishment, is recalling all barbecue pork skin product that is currently available in commerce due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The product contains wheat and soy, known allergens, that are not declared on the product label.

USDA FSIS Issues Warning for Excessive Nitrite Levels in Meat Products Produced by KY Establishment

 The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for not-ready-to-eat pork and beef bacon products produced by Farmstead Butcher Block LLC of  Central City, KY due to levels of sodium nitrite that exceed the regulatory limit.  The problem was discovered by FSIS while performing routine inspection activities. FSIS discovered that the establishment’s formulation of sodium nitrite, a restricted ingredient, exceeded the regulatory limit.  A recall was not requested because the affected product is no longer available for purchase.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/fsis-issues-public-health-alert-not-ready-eat-pork-and-beef-bacon-products-due
FSIS Issues Public Health Alert For Not-Ready-To-Eat Pork And Beef Bacon Products Due to Sodium Nitrite Levels in Excess of Regulatory Limit
FSIS Announcement

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for not-ready-to-eat pork and beef bacon products produced by Farmstead Butcher Block LLC of  Central City, KY due to levels of sodium nitrite that exceed the regulatory limit. FSIS is issuing this public health alert to ensure that consumers are aware that this product should not be consumed. A recall was not requested because the affected product is no longer available for purchase.

Food Safety Haiku Challenge!

An article in Penn State News discussed insects addressed in Haiku poems. 

So what about a food safety haiku?  

The format of a Haiku is a three-line poem with five syllables in the first and third lines, and seven syllables in the second line.

Here are my 'choice' offerings. 

Temperature check.
Food safety depends on it.

Sanitation too.

Preventive controls.

With the hazard analysis.

A food safety plan.

Clean the surface well.

Rinse with potable water.

Sanitize let dry.

Hazardous microbes.

Must reduce to safe levels.

Or assume the risk.

Send me your best (realizing that you have more important work to do rather than dinking around, counting syllables on your fingers.)

Check out the entries below

FDA and CDC Provide Update on Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Cucumbers

According to the June 12 CDC update, there have been a total of 196 reported cases of people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Africana have been reported from 28 states and the District of Columbia (see map). Illnesses started on dates ranging from March 11, 2024, to May 23, 2024 (see timeline). Of 164 people with information available, 68 have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.

Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. has recalled cucumbers grown in Florida and distributed to retail distribution centers, wholesalers, and food service distributors in AL, FL, GA, IL, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, and WV from May 17th through May 21st, 2024. This product should no longer be available for sale to consumers in stores.

The recalled cucumbers were shipped in bulk and 24- and 36-count boxes directly to retail distribution centers, wholesalers, and food service distributors in AL, FL, GA, IL, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, and WV from May 17th through May 21st, 2024.

CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/africana-06-24/details.html
FDA
https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-cucumbers-june-2024?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella: Cucumbers (June 2024)
Do not eat, sell, or serve recalled cucumbers distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. to certain states. FDA’s investigation is ongoing.

Fast Facts (as of Posted June 12, 2024)
Illnesses: 196 (34 new)
Hospitalizations: 68 (14 new)
Deaths: 0
States: 28 states and the District of Columbia (3 new)
Recall: Yes
Investigation status: Active (first posted on June 5, 2024)

Product

Fresh Start Produce Sales, Inc. has recalled cucumbers grown in Florida and distributed to retail distribution centers, wholesalers, and food service distributors in AL, FL, GA, IL, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, and WV from May 17th through May 21st, 2024. This product should no longer be available for sale to consumers in stores.

Warning Letter Issued to Candy Company After Mislabeling Issue Leads to Undeclared Peanuts

FDA issued a Warning Letter to Big Island Candies, Inc. of  Hilo, HI after the company recalled their Big Island Candies Makana Brownie Assortment Box for not declaring the major food allergen, peanuts, finished product label.  The company became aware of the undeclared peanut after a consumer notified them that they experienced an allergic reaction to peanuts after consuming a brownie packed from the assortment box of Makana brownies. In documentation provided to FDA, the company indicated that Milk Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter brownies were unintentionally packed into the assortment box which was labeled to contain brownies containing macadamia nuts.

The company's corrective actions: 1) no longer producing any products that contain peanuts and removing all peanut ingredients from the facility and 2) if the company should reintroduce peanut products again the following additional measures will be put into effect: crates of food products labeled to bear or contain an ingredient containing peanuts will be identified with a color code plaque, all items containing peanuts will be stored on separate pallets in a designated area, additional training will be conducted to alert staff on any and all changes, and the food safety plan will be updated in writing. 

Warning Letter Issued to Iowa Acidified Food Processor

FDA issued a Warning Letter to Midwest Foods, LLC, of Ankeny, IA. a manufacturer of salsas, sauces, dressings, and jams, with some of these products being acidified.
Failed to file scheduled process to FDA for some of the acidified foods

Failed to follow scheduled process for some acidified products.  .
A few other items related to Preventive Controls, misbranding, and labeling.

Overall, nothing really major...probably not killing anyone.

WARNING LETTER
https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/midwest-foods-llc-677464-05212024
Midwest Foods, LLC
MARCS-CMS 677464 — MAY 21, 2024

Research - Environmental Antecedents (Circumstances) of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks, United States, 2017–2019

A published study in the Journal of Food Protection looked at the environmental antecedents, or the circumstances and situations that led to the led to the reason for the outbreak.

"The first set is outbreak contributing factors—the practices that most likely led to contamination, proliferation, or survival of agents in the environment (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). The second set is environmental antecedents, hereafter referred to as antecedents, of the outbreak. Antecedents are the circumstances and situations that led to the contributing factors. For example, an investigation may identify the contributing factor to a norovirus outbreak as contamination of food by an ill employee, and the antecedent as insufficient staffing, which led to the employee not being allowed to stay home while ill."

"Identifying the contributing factors and antecedents is essential to understanding the outbreak’s root cause and implementing sustainable corrective actions to stop the outbreak and future outbreaks (Firestone et al., 2018)."

The two biggest environmental antecedents were 1) lack of training of employees for specific purposes and 2) lack of oversight of employees / enforcement of policies.

From the text, Table 3 and 5 were most interesting.