Salmonella Outbreak Associated with Tahini Appears to Be Over

As of February 27, 2019, FDA and CDC are saying that the multistate outbreak of Salmonella Concord illnesses linked to tahini imported from an Israeli manufacturer, Achdut Ltd., located in Ari’el, Israel appears to be over.  In all, there were 8 cases of salmonellosis. 

February 8 Update
https://pennstatefoodsafety.blogspot.com/2019/02/fda-investigating-multistate-salmonella.html

FDA Investigated a Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Concord Linked to Tahini Produced by Achdut Ltd.
Update: February 27, 2019

Case Counts
Total Illnesses: 8
Hospitalizations: 0
Deaths: 0
Last illness onset: April 21, 2018 to January 3, 2019
States with Cases: HI (1), MA (1), MI (1), NY (5)

This Week in Mislabeled Products for Week Ending March 2, 2019

Sulfites Missing from Label - Joy Gourmet Foods Inc. of Maspeth, NY is recalling its Joy Brand Chutneys and Pastes products because they contain undeclared sulfites.  The recall was initiated after a routine inspection by a United States of America Food and Drug Administration(FDA) Food Inspector, which revealed that the sulfites containing product was distributed in packages that did not declare their presence.  [Label design issue - failure to recognize sulfites, used to protect against fruit oxidation/discoloration, need to be on the label...may have been using more a processing aid).

Ingredients Listed for Wrong Salad Dressing - Russ Davis Wholesale – Crazy-Fresh, an Eagan, Minn. establishment, is recalling approximately 702 pounds of chicken Caesar salad products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the product contains milk and anchovies, known allergens, which are not declared on the product label. The problem was discovered on February 24, 2019, when FSIS was notified that the establishment discovered the misbranding of product while performing a label review.  [Clearly a design issue...this one gets chalked up as a marketing department error or the nutritionist]

Cashews in Marinara Sauce - B&G Foods announced today it is voluntarily recalling 1,280 cases of a single date code of 40 oz. Victoria Marinara Sauce, with a “best by” date of 03/06/2022, after learning that the product may contain cashew allergens that are not declared on the product’s ingredient statement. B&G Foods discovered this issue when it received one consumer complaint alleging a cashew allergic reaction. B&G Foods initiated the recall of this product based on the results of its investigation and testing that indicated the possible presence of cashew allergens in up to 1,280 cases of this product with this particular “best by” date. [Looks to be an improper line clean-out]

Wrong Bag for Pretzels - Utz Quality Foods, LLC., is voluntarily recalling a specific expiration date code of Bachman® 10 oz Twist Pretzel packages due to undeclared milk. This recall was initiated after reviewing production records which identified a small number of packages were mislabeled.


https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm632223.htm
Joy Gourmet Foods LLC Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Sulfites
For Immediate Release
February 27, 2019

FDA Issues Warning Letters to Two Egg Facilities - NY and AL

FDA issued Warning Letters to two different egg production facilities with a focus on inadequate controls for Salmonella enteriditis.  For one of the facilities, the investigation came after a Salmonella outbreak.

Our handling and cooking of eggs has become dependent on egg farmers controlling Salmonella in their flocks.  We generally eat eggs with minimal cooking (over easy, poached, or we go Rocky), but there is a risk.  For facilities with good controls in place, the Salmonella risk is minimal, but for those farms that don't have good controls, Salmonella can be present in the eggs.

Gravel Ridge Farms, Alabama - Because of a Salmonella outbreak associated with eggs in September, FDA conducted an inspection of egg facility in Alabama.  The issues were:

• There was not control program for Salmonella Enteritidis (SE).
• Inadequate cleaning to prevent cross contamination.
• There were no biosecurity measures in place
• There was no pest control program
• They did not clean the facility to remove pest harborage sites.

In the Notice it was noted that the facility was shut down by owners with no plans on reopening.

FDA issued a warning letter to  Pitcher Road Farm of Ovid, NY, 14521 after an inspection that took place from August 1 through August 2, 2018.  The farm had failed to implement thier SE plan including not testing the environment for SE or implementing measures for preventing cross contamination.

Cincinnati District Office
6751 Steger Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45237
Telephone: (513) 679-2700
FAX: (513) 679-2772

February 12, 2019

WARNING LETTER 566836

Bagged RTE Green Beans and Squash Recalled After Supplier Test Reveals Listeria

Southern Specialties Inc. of Pompano Beach, Florida is voluntarily recalling select bags of Marketside brand green beans and butternut squash because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.  This recall was voluntarily issued after a raw material supplier notified the company that it was issuing a recall after a routine test of a food contact surface tested positive for the bacterium. As a precautionary measure, Southern Specialties is recalling all products that were repacked at its facility on the same repacking line as the supplier’s product.

The bagged product is labeled as a fresh ready-to-eat product.  It would be sold refrigerated.

The statement said that "Although most of the product was retrieved before distribution to retail stores, some product shipped on February 17th may have reached select stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia."

Southern Specialties is a vertically integrated produce company with operations in North, South, and Central America.  They have a network that can supply fresh bagged produce year round.  Produce would be washed prior to packaging in bags to be labeled as RTE.

https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm632027.htm
Southern Specialties Voluntarily Recalls Bagged Green Beans and Butternut Squash Distributed in Southeast because of Possible Health Risk
For Immediate Release
February 25, 2019

FDA Releases Report on Strategy for Imported Food

FDA released a report on their strategy for ensuring the safety of food imported into this country.  Full report can be found here.

First, a few facts

• There is a continued 15 year trend of increasing importation of food 
• Annually, the US imports:
• 32 percent of the fresh vegetables, 
• 55 percent of the fresh fruit, and 
• 94 percent of the seafood 
• US imports food from more than 200 countries or territories and approximately 125,000 exporting food facilities plus farms
• In 2019, between 14 and 15 million shipments of imported food are expected to enter the United States
• Mexico accounts for the largest percentage of shipments followed by Asia.

FDA applies the same U.S. food safety requirements to all food consumed in the United States, regardless of whether the facility or farm that produces the food is located within the United States or half way across the globe.  But the strategy for overseeing this is different than for domestic product.  Much of this is based upon a risk based approach with focus on highest risk items with a continued optimization of the process.  It also utilizes partnerships as well as pre-approvals.

GOAL 1: Food Offered for Import Meets U.S. Food Safety Requirements

Objectives

1. Optimize use of foreign inspections
2. Ensure importer use of verified foreign suppliers through effective implementation of the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs final rule
3. Take into account the public health assurances of reliable audits such as those issued under FDA’s Accredited Third-Party Certification Program or pursuant to other assurance programs aligned with FDA food safety requirements
4. Incentivize importers to use verified suppliers of safe food through the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program
5. Leverage the oversight efforts of regulatory counterparts with strong food safety systems
6. Increase awareness of and training on food safety requirements and strengthen the capacity of foreign suppliers to produce safe food

GOAL 2: FDA Border Surveillance Prevents Entry of Unsafe Foods

Objectives

1. Continue to enhance and refine FDA’s import screening and entry review processes
2. Optimize use of physical examination and sampling of imported food
3. Strategically utilize import alerts and import certifications
4. Improve testing methodologies and tools used to determine admissibility of food offered for import
5. Maximize the benefit to border surveillance from state and other partnerships

GOAL 3: Rapid and Effective Response to Unsafe Imported Food

1. Maximize effectiveness of FDA response to an event involving an imported food
2. Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of imported food safety recalls
3. Use information-sharing opportunities to prepare for and respond to the entry of unsafe imported food

GOAL 4: Effective and Efficient Food Import Program

1. Optimize resource allocation by developing a comprehensive global inventory of food facilities and farms and assessing the cumulative oversight applied to the global inventory
2. Ensure effectiveness of import activities through performance assessment and continuous improvement

Frozen Meat Entrees Recalled After Complaints Received for Foreign Material - Glass or Hard Plastic

Bellisio Foods, a Jackson, Ohio establishment, is recalling approximately 173,376 pounds of frozen pork entrée products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically pieces of glass or hard plastic.   The problem was discovered when the establishment received consumer complaints of glass or hard plastic extraneous material in the rib shaped patty.

The frozen, not ready-to-eat (NRTE) boneless pork rib patties being recalled were produced over a variety of dates ranging from Dec. 7, 2018 to Feb. 15, 2019, which may indicate that complaints were made for more than one production date.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-020-2019-release
Bellisio Foods Recalls Boneless Pork Rib Frozen Entrée Products Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination 
Class IRecall 
020-2019 
Health Risk:High 
Feb 23, 2019 

Nutella Processing Facility Shuts Down After Ingredient Quality Issue

The largest Nutella factory has shut down after a 'quality issue' was identified in one of the ingredients. Ferrero, the parent company, stated that product in the marketplace is good. The facility is said to produce 600.000 jars of Nutella a day.  The facility also produces Kinder Bueno candy bars.

One of the primary ingredients in both the Nutella and the Kinder Bueno bars is hazelnut, which is primarily sourced from the middle east. In addition to hazelnuts, Nutella also contains sugar, palm oil, cocoa solids, and milk powder.

Evidently, the French love their Nutella.  A lot of people I know prefer peanut butter.

http://fortune.com/2019/02/21/worlds-biggest-nutella-factory-shut-down/
World's Biggest Nutella Factory Shut Down Over 'Quality Issues'
By Grace Dobush
February 21, 2019

This Week in Mislabeled Products for Week Ending February 23, 2019

Over the past three weeks, 2/3 of the recalls for allergen issues have been related to improperly designed labels....so this design and review process should be an important area of focus.  This includes understanding the allergens that may be present within ingredients.

Milk Not Listed - Incorrect Label on Sausage - J Bar B Foods, a Weimar, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 51,188 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) cheddar smoked sausage products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, - the product contains milk, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label.   The problem was discovered when a retail store notified the company of an incorrect label. The establishment investigated and determined that the incorrect label was applied to the product.

Soy Missing on Label - Meijer is announcing a voluntary recall of its Meijer brand Ultimate Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies because soy it is not properly declared on the label.  Meijer initiated the recall after a routine inspection determined that the product had been distributed without proper allergen labelling for soy.

Milk Not Listed on Label - Pound Cake - Gilda Industries, Inc voluntarily recalls select code dates and manufacturing lot numbers of Panque – Butter pound cake because they may contain undeclared milk.  Milk was not declared on the label.

Milk Not Listed on Label - Seasoning Mix - Concord Foods, LLC of Brockton, Massachusetts is recalling Concord Fresh Success Mild Salsa Seasoning Mix because it may contain undeclared milk allergen.  The recall was initiated after the company discovered that product containing the milk allergen was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of the milk allergen.

Milk Not Listed on Label - Chocolate Covered Cherries - Chukar Cherries of Prosser, WA is recalling 7.5oz Amaretto Rainier Ultra Dark Chocolate Cherries because they may contain undeclared milk.  The recall was initiated after it was discovered that Amaretto Rainier Ultra Dark Chocolate Cherries containing milk was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of milk.


https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-017-2019-release
J Bar B Foods Recalls Ready-To-Eat Smoked Sausage Products due to Misbranding and Undeclared Allergens 
Class I Recall
017-2019
Health Risk: High
Feb 21, 2019

CDC Report: Foodborne Illness Outbreaks at Retail Establishments 2014-2016

CDC issued a report titled "Foodborne Illness Outbreaks at Retail Establishments".  The report provided information on outbreak investigations from 16 states over a three year period, 2014 to 2016.

One of the biggest issues is ill workers passing pathogens, primarily norovirus, to customers, although more than half of these establishments have written policies.

Key items from the report:

• During 2014–2016, a total of 16 state and local public health departments reported data to NEARS on 404 foodborne illness outbreaks at retail establishments. 
• Investigations identified an agent in 311 (77.0%) outbreaks (Table 1). Of these agents, 31.8% were suspected and 68.2% were confirmed. Most identified agents were viral (61.7%), followed by bacterial (34.4%) and toxic, chemical, or other (3.9%).
• The majority of outbreaks with a suspected or confirmed agent were caused by norovirus (61.1%). 
• The majority of outbreaks with identified contributing factors had at least one factor associated with food contamination by a worker who was ill or infectious (58.6%). 
• Almost half (47.4%) of establishments with outbreaks had a written policy excluding ill workers from handling food or working. 
• Approximately one third (27.7%) had a written disposable glove use policy. Paid sick leave was available for at least one worker in 38.3% of establishments.
• The second most common agent was Salmonella, accounting for 16.1% of outbreaks with an identified agent.
• Investigators identified at least one contributing factor in 251 (62.1%) outbreaks. The top three contributing factors were related to food contamination by an ill worker; 
• The most common contributing factor (27.9%) was bare-hand contact by a food worker suspected to have an infectious illness, 
• followed by contamination through a method other than hand contact by a food worker suspected to have an infectious illness (23.1%) 
• and glove-hand contact by a food worker suspected to have an infectious illness (15.5%) 
• More than half of establishments with outbreaks (56.3%, 179 of 318) had a written policy and 36.2% (115) had a verbal policy requiring food workers to notify their manager when they were ill
• Most establishments with outbreaks were independently owned (72.9%, 237 of 325), were restaurants (80.2%, 333 of 415), and served complex food items (i.e., a food item required a kill step, which is a process, such as cooking, that reduces or eliminates foodborne illness pathogens, and other food preparation processes, such as cooling and reheating)

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/ss/pdfs/ss6801a1-H.pdf

Foodborne Illness Outbreaks at Retail Establishments — National Environmental Assessment Reporting System, 16 State and Local Health Departments, 2014–2016
Surveillance Summaries / February 22, 2019 / 68(1);1–20