Topics in Supply and Demand and Sustainability

U.S. organic sales pass $50 billion mark for first time - although the rate of growth is slowing.

Making Food Waste into a Business - As emphasis is put on reducing food waste, some have made utilization of food waste into a business.  This includes using off-spec fruit and vegetables either as part of an ugly produce sales program or to use as a raw material for pressing and blending, using spent brewing grains to make nutrition drinks, or using juice from cooked off chick peas for mayonnaise.

Getting Rid of Plastic Straws - More foodservice / retail operations are phasing out plastic straws.  This includes Whole Foods and Starbucks.  This is as much, or more of a symbolic move as plastic straws are just a small part of the overall plastic waste stream.

A Coffee Cup Recycling Program - With the growing need to curb waste, some are looking at a food container recycling system - once a cup is used, it is collected, washed, and then reused.  We have seen similar systems with pallets and bicycles, why not coffee cups.  (Personally, I'd prefer to bring my own and wash it myself.)

Project Loop - "Loop is a new way to shop, offering about 300 items — from Tide detergent to Pantene shampoo, Häagen-Dazs ice cream to Crest mouthwash — all in reusable packaging. After using the products, customers put the empty containers in a Loop tote on their doorstep. The containers are then picked up by a delivery service, cleaned and refilled, and shipped out to consumers again."  Shipping becomes a hurdle for this.  As well as consumers giving up the ease of use associated with disposable plastic.

Speaking of shipping,
Trucking capacity is in a jam.  Demand for trucking is expanding rapidly as eCommerce grows.  There is a need for more trucks and even a bigger demand for drivers.  Add on that the infrastructure issues (crowded highways, deteriorating roads and bridges).

This Week in Mislabeled Product for Week Ending May 25, 2019

There is egg in that salad - New Seasons Market is recalling approximately 60 pounds of Bacon Shallot Potato salad because it may contain undeclared eggs.  This recall was voluntarily initiated after it was discovered that product containing egg was sold in packaging that did not reveal the presence of egg.

Milk Missed on Salad Label - Wegmans Food Markets is recalling Wegmans Neptune Salad (UPC begins with 20108831), sold in random-weight packages, in the seafood department at six NY and NJ Wegmans stores on May 16 through May 21, 2019 because the product contains milk not declared on the label.  The recall was initiated after an employee discovered that some packages were labeled incorrectly at these stores.

Dried Apricots has Sulfites, But Not on Label - House of Spices (India) is recalling all lots of 7ounce (200g) packages of "LAXMI DRIED APRICOT" because they may contain undeclared sulfites. The recall was initiated after it was discovered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs that the sulfite-containing product was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of sulfites.

Forgot the Mayo (and that there are Eggs in the Mayo) - Hearthside Food Solutions of Woodridge, IL is voluntarily recalling 7-Eleven ‘The Italian Job’ sandwiches, which have an incorrect information panel label that does not declare eggs as an allergen.  In total, 1038 sandwiches were distributed to 362 7-Eleven stores in Indiana, Wisconsin, and Illinois.  The issue was discovered when a sandwich was not scannable at the store.  It was discovered that an obsolete ‘Italian Style Sub’ label was used, which did not declare “reduced fat mayonnaise,” an ingredient that contains eggs.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/new-seasons-market-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-eggs-bacon-shallot-potato-salad
New Seasons Market Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Eggs in Bacon Shallot Potato Salad
Summary
Company Announcement Date: May 22, 2019
FDA Publish Date: May 22, 2019
Product Type:Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:Company Name:New Seasons Market
Brand Name:  New Seasons Market
Product Description:  Bacon Shallot Potato Salad

Feed Recall Due to Aflatoxins Expanded

"Cargill’s animal nutrition business is expanding its voluntary recall of select Southern States® feed due to aflatoxin levels that exceed FDA’s action levels. This is an expansion of the recall initiated May 6, 2019 and is the result of Cargill’s internal investigation that identified additional products containing an ingredient provided from the same supplier referenced in the May 6, 2019 recall announcement. The expansion includes products manufactured between October 31, 2018 and March 1, 2019."

Alfatoxin is a type of mycotoxin, or mold toxin, which is produced in raw materials such as corn when that corn or other product has been subject to conditions that allowed mold to grow.  Aflatoxin can had a wide range of effects on the animals fed with the contaminated product

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/cargill-expands-previously-announced-voluntary-recall-select-southern-statesr-feed-due
Cargill Expands Previously Announced Voluntary Recall of Select Southern States® Feed Due to High/Excessive/or Elevated Aflatoxin Levels
When a company announces a recall, market withdrawal, or safety alert, the FDA posts the company's announcement as a public service. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  May 26, 2019
FDA Publish Date:  May 26, 2019
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Elevated Aflatoxin Levels
Company Name:  Cargill, Inc.
Brand Name:  Southern States
Product Description:  Various animal feed

Who Knew - Everyone has Face Mites

In case you have not seen this story...we all have little mites that live in the pores of our face.  The mites, closely related to ticks, live off of the oils in your hair follicles.  They pose no real risk, except perhaps in certain cases where the numbers of mites gets out of control, resulting in a condition called demodicosis.

Click on the NPR story link to see a video of what these creatures look like.

NPR
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/05/21/725087824/meet-the-mites-that-live-on-your-face
Public Health
Meet The Mites That Live On Your Face

Granola Product Recalled Due to Foreign Material Associated Cashew Ingredient

A marketing company, purely elizabeth, is recalling granola products for unidentified foreign material.   Neither the FDA announcement or the company notice listed what the foreign material is.  But it did state that the foreign material was the cashew supplier's issue.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/purely-elizabeth-voluntarily-recalls-granola-due-potential-presence-foreign-material
purely elizabeth Voluntarily Recalls Granola Due to Potential Presence of Foreign Material

Summary
Company Announcement Date: May 22, 2019
FDA Publish Date: May 22, 2019
Product Type:Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:
Company Name:purely elizabeth
Brand Name:  purely elizabeth
Product Description:  Granola

Aldi Recalling Bagged Flour Due to Potential E. coli Contamination, Linked to Outbreak Affecting 17

ALDI is recalling All Purpose Flour, which was produced by ADM, after RI Department of Health discovered the organism during sample testing.  The organism isolated from the bag is closely related by whole genome sequencing to the strain of E. coli O26 that has caused an outbreak affecting 17 people in 8 states.  [Okay raw-cookie-dough eaters, time to pay attention.]

ALDI has recalled Bakers Corner All Purpose Flour sold at retail locations in the Northeastern United States due to a potential presence of E. coli.  This product was sourced from an ADM Milling Co. production facility in Buffalo, N.Y. and was distributed to select ALDI stores in 11 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia.

The contamination was discovered during testing of a five-pound bag of Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour by the Rhode Island Department of Health.   There are two lot numbers involved in this recall: Lot L18A02 and L18A03. The products have Best If Used By Dates of Dec. 2 and Dec. 3, 2019. The product was manufactured at ADM’s flour mill in Buffalo, New York.

On May 24, 2019, further DNA analysis found that the E. coli in the unopened sample of flour was closely related by whole genome sequencing to the strain of E. coli O26 that has caused an outbreak affecting 17 people in 8 states.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/association-adm-milling-co-aldi-issues-isolated-recall-5-lb-bakers-corner-all-purpose-flour
In Association with ADM Milling Co., ALDI Issues Isolated Recall for 5 lb. Bakers Corner All Purpose Flour

Summary
Company Announcement Date: May 22, 2019
FDA Publish Date: May 23, 2019
Product Type:Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:
Company Name: ALDI
Brand Name: Bakers Corner
Product Description:  Flour

Chicken Soup Recalled Due to Foreign Material - Plastic Pieces

Blount Fine Foods, a McKinney, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 6,690 pounds of soup with chicken products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically plastic. 
The problem was discovered when the recalling firm notified FSIS of consumer complaints.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these product.


https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-058-2019-release
Blount Fine Foods Recalls Soup with Chicken Products Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination

Class II Recall 

058-2019

Health Risk: Low 

May 23, 2019

Narcotics Hidden in Produce Shipments Are Seized at Border

In the last few days, Federal authorities have seized an enormous amount of drugs at the border which were being smuggled in produce trailers.  One shipment was 930 lbs of meth (methamphetamine) worth $18.5 million.  The other was  242 pounds of cocaine (value - $2.1 million) comingled with a shipment of Bell peppers.

Newsweek - U.S. 
https://www.newsweek.com/methamphetamine-bust-us-customs-and-border-protection-pharr-international-1432404
'Huge' Load of Meth worth $18.5 Million Found in Trailer Carrying Fresh Carrots
By Dan Cancian On 5/22/19 at 7:13 AM EDT

Illinois Establishment Recalls Ground Beef After USDA Testing Finds E.coli O157:H7

Aurora Packing Company, Inc., a North Aurora, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 62,112 pounds of raw beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.  The problem was discovered during traceback activities in response to random sample testing by FSIS.   Three have been no reported illnesses.

Aurora Packing Company, Inc. Recalls Beef Products Due to Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination 
Class I Recall
057-2019
Health Risk:High
May 22, 2019