USDA-FSIS Issue Health Warning for Foreign Material in Ground Beef Products Produced by Ohio Establishment

USDA-FSIS is issuing a public health alert due to concerns of frozen, raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically hard plastic and metal.  The product was produced by Stockyard Packing of Oxford, OH.  The problem was discovered after the firm notified FSIS that it received a consumer complaint reporting that pieces of hard plastic and metal were found in the raw ground beef product.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/fsis-issues-public-health-alert-frozen-raw-ground-beef-products-due-possible-foreign
FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Frozen, Raw Ground Beef Products Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert due to concerns of frozen, raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically hard plastic and metal. 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 product is no longer available for purchase.

NJ Specialty Food Company Recalls Cheese After Supplier Notification of Potential Listeria Contamination

Abbey Specialty Foods of Fairfield, NJ is recalling Wicklow Gold Cheddar Nettle & Chive 5.2 oz product and Wicklow Gold Cheddar Tomato & Herb 5.2 oz product because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.  The recall was initiated after our supplier, Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese LTD. notified Abbey Specialty Foods they were recalling these products due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.


https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/abbey-specialty-foods-recalls-wicklow-gold-cheddar-nettle-chive-52-oz-and-wicklow-gold-cheddar
Abbey Specialty Foods Recalls Wicklow Gold Cheddar Nettle & Chive 5.2 oz and Wicklow Gold Cheddar Tomato & Herb 5.2 oz Because of Possible Health Risk
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  January 03, 2025
FDA Publish Date:  January 03, 2025
Product Type:  Food & Beverages  Cheese/Cheese Product
Reason for Announcement:  Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes
Company Name:  Abbey Specialty Foods
Brand Name:  Wicklow Gold
Product Description:  Cheddar style cheeses

NC Firm Recalls Raw Cat Food for Salmonella

Blue Ridge Beef .of Statesville, NC is recalling 1,350 lbs. of their 2 1b log Kitten Mix Lot N25-0716 UPC 8542980013436 due to a contamination of Salmonella. (Lot numbers are stamped in the clips on the end of the chubs/bags).  Due to a customer complaint of animal illness, a sample of the product was collected on 12/12/2024 by the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources and tested by the Massachusetts State Public Health Laboratory. The sampled product tested positive for Salmonella.

This company has had numerous recalls over the past several years (2024, 2024, 2023, 2023)

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/blue-ridge-beef-recalls-blue-ridge-beef-kitten-mix-due-salmonella-contamination
Blue Ridge Beef Recalls Blue Ridge Beef Kitten Mix Due to Salmonella Contamination
Summary
Company Announcement Date: January 03, 2025
FDA Publish Date: January 03, 2025
Product Type:  Animal & Veterinary  Pet Food
Reason for Announcement:  Potential to be contaminated with Salmonella
Company Name:  Blue Ridge Beef
Brand Name:   Blue Ridge Beef
Product Description:  Kitten mix pet food

FDA Release Draft Guidance on Sanitation Programs for Low-Moisture RTE Foods w/ Corrective Actions for Environmental Positives

FDA released a draft guidance on environmental control for manufacturers/processors of low-moisture, ready-to-eat (LMRTE) human foods, including:

• powdered infant formula (PIF), 
• peanut butter, 
• nut butters, 
• powdered drink mixes, 
• chocolate, 
• medical foods in powdered and paste forms, 
• processed tree nuts, 
• milk powders, 
• powdered spices, 
• snack foods such as chips and crackers, 
• granola bars, and
• dry cereal

The guidance is designed to help in "establishing a routine sanitation program for LMRTE foods that can help prevent pathogen contamination events and also sets forth recommendations for corrective actions, including corrective actions for remediation of contamination of food-contact surfaces (FCSs) if prevention fails.

 

Specifically, this guidance discusses:

• establishing and implementing a sanitation program and routine environmental  monitoring program; 
• conducting adequate root cause investigations (RCIs) following a pathogen contamination event; 
• applying a sanitizing7 treatment when remediating a pathogen contamination event; 
• taking steps to identify affected food; and
• the limitations of relying solely on a product testing program as verification that pathogen contamination has been eliminated

https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/draft-guidance-industry-establishing-sanitation-programs-low-moisture-ready-eat-human-foods-and
Draft Guidance for Industry: Establishing Sanitation Programs for Low-Moisture Ready-to-Eat Human Foods and Taking Corrective Actions Following a Pathogen Contamination Event
January 2025

FDA Releases 5th Edition of Q&A on Allergens and Allergen Labeling

FDA released final revision of the allergen Q&A document - Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens, Including the Food Allergen Labeling Requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Edition 5)

https://www.fda.gov/media/117410/download

This is an important document for reference when food allergen control including labeling requirements.  It covers topics such as labeling bulk materials, spice mixes, and ingredients derived from those containing allergens.

FDA provided the list of tree nuts that must be labeled.  Note that coconut along with other nuts are not on this list, and with that, the allergen labeling does not apply.  Those tree nuts not listed in the table should not be included in the “Contains” statement, even if they are used as ingredient, because the “Contains” statement is reserved for major food allergens. In addition to the removal of coconut, beech nut; butternut; chestnut; chinquapin; cola/kola nut; ginkgo nut; hickory nut; palm nut; pili nut; and shea nut were removed from the “tree nut list.” 

Appendix I (from the updated guidance)

Tree Nuts FDA Considers as Major Food Allergens with their Common or Usual Names and Scientific Names.

Common or usual name	Scientific name (Family name is identified in parentheses.)
Almond	Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb (Rosaceae)
Black walnut	Juglans nigra L. (Juglandaceae)
Brazil nut	Bertholletia excelsa Humb. & Bonpl. (Lecythidaceae)
California walnut	Juglans californica S. Watson (Juglandaceae)
Cashew	Anacardium occidentale L. (Anacardiaceae)
Filbert/Hazelnut	Corylus spp. (Betulaceae)
Heartnut/Japanese walnut	Juglans ailantifolia Carriere var. cordiformis (Makino) Rehder (Juglandaceae)
Macadamia nut/Bush nut	Macadamia spp. (Proteaceae)
Pecan	Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch (Juglandaceae)
Pine nut/Pinon nut	Pinus spp. (Pineaceae)
Pistachio	Pistacia vera L. (Anacardiaceae)
Walnut (English, Persian)	Juglans regia L. (Juglandaceae)

 

FDA also released a guidance document on how additional allergens may be added to the list of allergens.

https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/guidance-industry-questions-and-answers-regarding-food-allergen-labeling-edition-5
Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergen Labeling (Edition 5)
January 2025

Docket Number:
FDA-2022-D-0099

US Experiencing Increase in Norovirus Outbreaks

CDC data indicates there is a higher than normal number of Norovirus outbreaks.  "Data from the CDC's National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System show that 22% of norovirus tests were positive for the week ending December 21, which is also higher than seen during the same time period in recent years."

Cruise ships also have been having their issues. "Data released earlier this week by the CDC show that 16 cruise ship norovirus outbreaks were reported in 2024, including 5 in December that sickened 890 passengers and crew members."

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/norovirus/us-norovirus-outbreaks-are-cdc-data-show
US norovirus outbreaks are up, CDC data show
News brief January 2, 2025
Chris Dall, MA

Avian Influenza in Cats Linked to Raw Pet Food

In Oregon, the "Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) yesterday reported that a house cat has died from H5N1 avian flu after eating raw frozen pet food, which has prompted the voluntary recall of raw pet food that was sold nationwide through distributors in 12 states as well as in British Columbia."

"In a statement, the ODA said the house cat that tested positive for H5N1 died after eating raw food. Tests confirmed a genetic match between a sample from the cat and the virus from Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food."

In California, the "LADPH [Los Angeles Dept of  Health] said H5 avian flu from product samples of Monarch Raw Pet Food has been found in an investigation into an illness involving a house cat with a lab-confirmed infection after consuming the product. Four other cats from the same household have presumed H5 infections after eating the same food."  "Officials said an investigation is still under way into fatal illnesses of four cats from a separate household that had drunk raw milk."

"According to Monarch Raw Pet Food's website, the food was sold at farmer's markets in Laguna Niguel, Orange, San Jacinto, and Fountain Valley. The company said its raw meat pet food is made from raw ground chicken composed of muscle, organ meat, skin, fat, and bone and that it is sourced from human-grade free-range poultry raised in the San Joaquin Valley."


https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/california-probe-ties-cats-avian-flu-illness-raw-pet-food
California probe ties cat's avian flu illness to raw pet food
Lisa Schnirring January 2, 2025
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

California Produce Company Recalls Broccoli Florets After State Testing Finds Listeria

 Braga Fresh of Soledad, Calif. is voluntarily issuing a precautionary advisory of a single production lot of washed and ready-to-eat 12oz Marketside Broccoli Florets with best if used by date Dec 10, 2024.  This advisory is being initiated due to possibility of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The potential for contamination was discovered during random sampling by Texas Health & Human Services from a Texas store location where one of multiple samples yielded a positive test result.  This product is past its best if used by date and is no longer in stores, but consumers may have frozen the item for later use.

Just to point out that this recall is for one lot of product due to Listeria being detected in that product.  As we have seen with other recalls involving Listeria, recalls can be expanded if it is determined that the facility did not have control of Listeria as determined from that company's internal controls.  Records of testing and cleaning as well as observation of practices may indicate issues, or may be viewed as suspect for not being sufficiently robust.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/braga-fresh-issues-voluntary-and-precautionary-advisory-due-possible-health-risk
Braga Fresh Issues Voluntary and Precautionary Advisory Due to Possible Health Risk
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  December 27, 2024
FDA Publish Date:  December 31, 2024
Product Type:  Food & Beverages  Produce
Reason for Announcement:  Potential Foodborne Illness – Listeria monocytogenes
Company Name:  Braga Fresh
Brand Name:  Marketside
Product Description:  Broccoli Florets

PA Candy Company Recalls Meltaway Bars After Mispackaging Issue With Cashew Containing Product

Gardners Candies of Tyrone, PA is recalling its 1.25 ounce packages of Gardners Candies brand Cappuccino Meltaway® Bars because they may contain undeclared tree nuts (cashews).   The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the tree nut-containing product was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of tree nuts. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company's production and packaging processes.  Production of the product has been suspended until the company is certain that the problem has been corrected.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/gardners-candies-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-tree-nuts-cappuccino-meltawayr-bars-and-gardners
Gardners Candies Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Tree Nuts in Cappuccino Meltaway® Bars and Gardners Meltaway Treat Boxes Containing Cappuccino Meltaway Bars
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  December 27, 2024
FDA Publish Date:  December 27, 2024
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Undeclared Tree Nuts (Cashews)
Company Name:  Gardners Candies, Inc.
Brand Name:  Gardners Candies
Product Description:  Chocolate Candy Bars