Canned Coffee Recalled for Failing to Meet Regulatory Requirements That Address Clostridium botulinum

Snapchill LLC (Snapchill) of Green Bay, WI is voluntarily recalling all canned coffee products manufactured by the company, within expiration date, because their current process could lead to the growth and production of the deadly toxin, botulinum toxin, in low acid canned foods.  The problem was identified when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified Snapchill that the low acid canned foods process for manufacturing the recalled products was not filed with FDA, as is required by regulation. No illnesses have been reported to-date, and Snapchill is not aware of any instances in which the company’s products contained botulin toxin. 

The issue with this situation is that by regulation, canned coffee meets the definition of a low acid food unless it is acidified to the lower pH.  If not acidified, the pH can be greater than 4.6 (pH of coffee ranges widely).  With that, the processor of liquid canned coffee must file the process with FDA as part of the Low Acid Canned Food regulations (LACF).  These regulations primarily focus on prevention of Clostridium botulinum (the causative agent of botulism poisoning) in canned foods.

There is not substantial publicly available research on the growth of Clostridium botulinum in coffee.  While anyone who has left their coffee in their thermal cup over the weekend knows that not much grows in it...but that is not good enough.  And what happens when we add cream, sugar, of flavors?  Clearly, more publicly available research is needed.


https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/snapchill-llc-recalls-canned-coffee-products-due-potential-clostridium-botulinum
Snapchill LLC Recalls Canned Coffee Products Due to Potential Clostridium botulinum
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  June 17, 2024
FDA Publish Date:  June 20, 2024
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum
Company Name:  Snapchill LLC
Brand Name:  Snapchill
Product Description:  Coffee Products

NY Sauce Processor Recalls Tomato Basil Sauce Due to Potential Under-Processing

Hudson Harvest of Germantown, NY, is voluntarily recalling Hudson Harvest Tomato Basil Sauce because of reported swelling, leaking, or bursting jars. There is a possibility that the product has been under processed, which could lead to the potential for spoilage organisms or pathogens.

This would be considered an acid food which would hot filled (and perhaps run through a hot water bath or shower afterwards).  While there is the possibility that the pH was higher then it should be (above 4.6), there could be an issue when the pH approaches 4.6 from spoilage organisms.  More likely was the the required hot fill temperature was not maintained during processing.  Exploding glass jars is often the sign of yeast contamination, and this would occur when processing fill temperatures drop too low.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/hudson-harvest-issues-voluntary-recall-tomato-basil-sauce-due-potential-under-processing
Hudson Harvest Issues Voluntary Recall of Tomato Basil Sauce Due to Potential Under-Processing
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  June 18, 2024
FDA Publish Date:  June 19, 2024
Product Type: Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Potentially under processed, which could lead to the potential for spoilage organisms or pathogens
Company Name:  Hudson Harvest
Brand Name:  Hudson Harvest
Product Description:  Tomato Basil Sauce

UK - E. coli Outbreak with 256 Cases Linked to Pre-Packaged Sandwiches

An outbreak of E. coli O145 has been linked to pre-packaged sandwiches.  It is believed that the lettuce leaves used on the sandwiches is the source of E. coli.  There have been 256 cases with 86 of those resulting in hospitalization.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cedd0947e73o
E. coli outbreak put at least 86 people in hospital
June 20, 2024
By Michelle Roberts,
Digital health editor, BBC News

At least 86 people were admitted to hospital for E. coli symptoms linked to an outbreak thought to be caused by some pre-packed sandwiches containing lettuce, health officials have confirmed.

The UK Health Security Agency says cases have slowed but a further 45 infections have been recorded, taking the total to 256.

Award Winning Microbe Collector!

Some people collect rocks.  Some people collect stamps.  But a true micro nerd collects....microbes.  Recently, one of our own won a huge award for collecting microbes....more specifically E. coli...those bacteria  mostly associated with being 'of fecal origin'.  Edward Dudley, Professor of Food Science and Director of the E. coli Reference Center in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State, has been awarded some fancy award by the United States Culture Collection Network.

Congratulations to him and his team that do such great work!


PSU Professor Honored by National Microbial Research Network
Edward Dudley recognized for his stewardship of Penn State’s E. coli Reference Center

PUBLISHED ON JUNE 4, 2024

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Edward Dudley, professor of food science and director of the E. coli Reference Center in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State, has been awarded the 2023 J. Roger Porter Award by the United States Culture Collection Network in recognition of his outstanding leadership to support novel life science discoveries.

Ohio Firm Recalls Salad Bowls For Undeclared Pecans

Heinen’s of Warrensville Heights, OH is voluntarily recalling Heinen’s Tuscan Salad Bowls, due to the possibility that it may contain undeclared Pecans.  The recall was initiated after it was discovered that product containing Pecans was distributed in Tuscan Salad Bowls that did not reveal the presence of additional allergens. Subsequent investigation indicates that this was isolated to a single distributed Sell By Date of 6/2/2024

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/heinens-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-pecans-heinens-tuscan-salad-bowls
Heinen’s Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Pecans in Heinen’s Tuscan Salad Bowls

Summary

Company Announcement Date:  May 30, 2024

FDA Publish Date:  June 14, 2024

Product Type:  Food & Beverages

Reason for Announcement:  Undeclared Pecans

Company Name:  Heinen’s Inc.

Brand Name:  Heinen’s

Product Description:  Tuscan Salad Bowl

Florida Firm Recalls Corn Cakes Due to Undeclared Milk

Villa Nueva Interservices LLC. in Lake Worth, FL is recalling "Arepas LA Mejor" 25 oz bags of Arepa de Choclo /Chocolo because it contains undeclared milk.  The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the Arepa de Chocolo contained milk and was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the milk as an ingredient. The firm has made corrections to the label.

Arepas de Choclo are griddled sweet corn cakes. 

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/villa-nueva-interservices-llc-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-milk-arepas-la-mejor-25-oz-bags-arepa
Villa Nueva Interservices LLC Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Milk in "Arepas LA Mejor" 25 oz Bags of Arepa de Choclo /Chocolo
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  June 11, 2024
FDA Publish Date:  June 13, 2024
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Undeclared milk
Company Name:  Villa Nueva Interservices LLC
Brand Name:  Arepas La Mejor
Product Description:  Corn cake

NY Firm Recalls Apricot Rolls Due to Undeclared Sulfites

AAHU BARAH USA INC. of Hicksville, NY is recalling 19 Boxes of Aahu Barah Apricot Roll 14OZ because it contains Sulfites which was not declared on the label.  The undeclared sulfites was discovered after sampling by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors and subsequent analysis by Food Laboratory personnel revealed the presence of Sulfites in the Apricot Roll.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/aahu-barah-usa-inc-recalls-product-due-undeclared-sulfites
AAHU Barah USA Inc. Recalls Product Due to Undeclared Sulfites
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  May 10, 2024
FDA Publish Date: June 13, 2024
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Undeclared Sulfites
Company Name:  AAHU BARAH USA INC.
Brand Name:  Aahu Barah
Product Description:  Apricot roll

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.