FDA Statement on Efforts to Prevent Cyclospora

FDA released a statement concerning Cyclospora in produce in light of the two large outbreaks - Fresh Express and McDonald's Salads where 511 cases where people were infected, and the Del Monte Veggie Tray with 250 cases.

In short, they were not able to find a source in either of the outbreaks, but with the new test they developed, they detected Cyclospora in domestically grown cilantro and romaine lettuce.  From the statement,  "During our investigation, two samples of domestically grown romaine lettuce were also found to be positive for Cyclospora even though they were not sourced from locations associated with the lettuce that was linked to this outbreak. None of the romaine lettuce associated with these positive test results for Cyclospora went into the marketplace and all of the produce suspected of being contaminated was destroyed, preventing additional Cyclospora illnesses from occurring. "

Though increased surveillance of domestic and imported produce along with the implementation of the Produce Safety Rule by farms, FDA hopes to get a handle on this parasite.

https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm620867.htm
Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on the FDA’s ongoing efforts to prevent foodborne outbreaks of Cyclospora
For Immediate Release
September 18, 2018

Canada - Warning of Risk Associated with Salmonella in Undercooked Raw Breaded Chicken Product

The Canadian Government issued a warning statement on breaded raw chicken products and the risk of Salmonella due to undercooking.  Over the past 16 months, there have been hundreds of cases of Salmonella infection despite ongoing efforts on education.

The issue is that the breaded chicken appears to be fully cooked and if one had to guess, people are not using a measuring device.  The reason it looks cooked is that with breaded product, the product is only par-cooked to set the coating.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is requiring industry to implement measures at the manufacturing/processing level to reduce Salmonella to below detectable amounts in frozen raw breaded chicken products that are packaged for retail sale.
Companies have these options (document below).

Option 1 - Include as part of the manufacture of the frozen raw breaded chicken products a cook process that has been validated to achieve a 7-log reduction in Salmonella. (But still list cooking instructions to handle any Listeria concern.

Option 2 - Implement a Salmonella testing program for the raw chicken mixture to demonstrate it has no detectable Salmonella.

Option 3 - Implement a Salmonella hold-and-test program for finished frozen raw breaded chicken products.

Option 4 - Include as part of the manufacture of the frozen raw breaded chicken products, a process or combination of processes that has been validated to achieve a 2-log reduction in Salmonella and implement a Salmonella sampling program for the raw chicken mixture.

From: Public Health Agency of Canada 
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2018/09/council-of-chief-medical-officers-of-health-concerned-about-the-risk-of-salmonella-illness-from-frozen-raw-breaded-chicken-products.html
Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health concerned about the risk of Salmonella illness from frozen raw breaded chicken products 
September 13, 2018 - Ottawa, ON - Government of Canada

This Week in Mislabeled Product - Week Ending 9/15/18

Improper Labeling - Garden Grove, CA is recalling Asian Fusion Cookies due to undeclared allergens of wheat, milk and soy.  The recall was initiated after an inspection by the California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug branch determined that the cookies had been distributed without proper allergen labeling.

Supplier Issue - McCormick & Company, Inc. is initiating a voluntary recall of Meijer Taco Seasoning Mix 4.5 OZ bottle due to an unlabeled milk allergen.  McCormick has alerted Meijer Foods to remove the product with the affected date codes from store shelves and distribution centers immediately, and to destroy this product in a manner that would prevent further consumption

Egg Missing on Label - An Eugene, Ore company is recalling its Gourmet Take Away Sesame Noodle Salad Vegan, because it contains undeclared egg.  The recall was initiated after it was discovered that product containing egg was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of egg

https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm620366.htm
Sarap Asian Fusion Recalls Cookies due to Undeclared Allergens
For Immediate Release
September 12, 2018

EU - Frozen Vegetable Processor Reopens, Listeria Contamination Source is Freezing Tunnel

A Hungarian frozen vegetable company is reopening after being linked to a large listeria outbreak where there were 47 cases with 9 deaths.

The company said they found a 'persistent presence' of the Listeria in the freezing tunnel.  Freezing tunnels are a difficult spot in frozen food facilities.  While Listeria would not be growing when frozen, it is during defrost cycles when growth would occur, or on the input side where warmer product enters the freezer.  Freezers are often huge with a large amount of chain belts that are difficult to clean.

The recall is said to have cost the company $35 million to restart the plant, but does not say this include costs associated with litigation or with recalled product.  The share price also dropped 38 percent, but the stock price did recover some.

Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-greenyard-contamination/greenyard-to-re-open-hungarian-plant-after-finding-listeria-cause-idUSKCN1LT0ZY
Greenyard to re-open Hungarian plant after finding listeria cause
September 13, 2018

Australia - Needle-In-Strawberry Scare

In Australia, there is a scare involving sewing needles inserted into fresh strawberries as a act of intentional contamination.  According to a report (below), "The scare had spread across the nation by Monday, with needles reported found in strawberries in all six Australian states. No injuries have been reported."  Major retailers have pulled strawberries from the store shelves while police are offering a reward on information that could lead to the apprehension of the culprit(s).

Whether this is one person causing multiple issues, or a number of false complaints, or a series of copy cat  cases, it has cost the industry millions of dollars in lost product and lost sales.

Tampa Bay Times
https://www.tampabay.com/ap/world/needle-in-strawberry-scare-spreads-across-australia-ap_worldff3e058738e64533bbb4417ff8a74593
Needle-in-strawberry scare spreads across Australia
Published: September 17, 2018

Keeping Up with the Changing World of Online Food Sales

With the purchase of Whole Foods by Amazon, the world of online food sales has been changing rapidly.  There have been a number of entities trying to determine what will work best to meet consumer needs, including grocery stores, restaurants, delivery companies, and meal kit companies.  Food manufacturers must understand the needs of these channels be able to adapt to the channel requirements.

Online food sales have come in a number of different forms including restaurants and delivery services (ie Grubhub) delivering restaurant foods, new food companies making and shipping meal kits, and  traditional supermarkets providing online ordering with either delivery or quick pickup.

This week, Amazon announced that they were introducing food delivery into 10 new cities to have a total of 38 cities where delivery is being offered.

But Amazon is a small player in overall grocery market, with its Whole Foods accounting for only about 2.5% of the sales.  Despite all the news involving Amazon, Walmart has the largest market share in the grocery arena, increasing it's total of the US market to a massive 25% share.  And Walmart has been pushing its on-line ordering with store pickup.  Currently, Walmart is testing kiosks that are essentially vending machines for customer pickup that allows the customer to pickup food ordered online without having to interact with any store employee.  Other chains selling grocery such as Target and Kroger are also moving further into developing systems for online ordering / delivery systems.

While full-time meal delivery companies, such as Blue Apron and Plated, have had a tough go at it on their own, some have come to find that being married to a grocery store may provide salvation.  Even Walmart has partnered with the meal kit company Gobble to sell meal kits online.  Peapod, an online grocery delivery service and subsidiary of Ahold Delhaize is slated to roll out 40 new meal kits over the coming months.

Fully prepared meals have been more of a challenge for grocery store online sales, and while that segment has done well for in-store sales, delivering prepared meals is a bit more of a challenge with regards to packaging and temperature control.

For those selling food within this online environment, it is hard to know what is going to stick with the consumer and what isn't, so there will continue to be a lot of experimentation. But is important for companies who do not want to get lost in the shuffle, so they must continually evolve through testing concepts and adapting to customer needs.

And customer needs will continue to change as well in term of how they want to purchase food.  Certainly, guessing what the Millennials will do as they reach the point where they become primary purchasers has been difficult.  For this segment, growing up in the digital age means that they are more reliant on technology for doing what they want to do.  And while many older consumers will still want to pick out their own broccoli or cut of meat, others may begin to opt for convenience that comes with online ordering.

For the food manufacturer, ongoing change requires that they are willing to adapt to fit what delivery channel stores choose to use.  This may be in terms of packaging that will fit into a store delivery system or meal kit.   Product quality may become a bigger factor in that the consumer will not be choosing the product at the store, but rather, will be paying a premium for delivered items.  Because of this, they may have higher expectations for what shows up at their door.

Customer-direct food sales from processors or online distributors is another online component that has found its mark in certain areas.    "Direct product sales by the manufacturer in the online marketplace has become an important channel for some companies. Those companies selling products like wine, balsamic vinegar or high-end olive oil can take advantage of additional volume sold through making their products available to a much broader audience. These types of products, especially ones with brand recognition, are likely to provide the larger price markup needed to support the costs associated with protective packaging and ground shipment. Since these products are shelf-stable, there is normally minimal risk with the exception of product damage or breakage."

"Direct sales are not limited to shelf-stable products as there are a number of companies who have
carved out a niche in the sale of perishable goods, including those selling high-end cuts of meat or specialty meat products."

Online direct sales is not without its challenges.  Package integrity, temperature control, and product recovery due to lost product or complaints can be a challenge.

Online food sales and delivery will continue to evolve.  It is not a matter of whether it will gain in terms of sales, but how much.  And who will be best positioned to take advantage.

CNN tech
https://money.cnn.com/2018/08/28/technology/business/amazon-whole-foods-365-walmart-kroger-costco-grocery/index.html
Amazon-Whole Foods one year later: The grocery business will never be the same
by Nathaniel Meyersohn @CNNMoney
August 28, 2018: 3:33 PM ET

FDA Releases Information for Companies Wishing to Claim 'Qualified Facility' Status

FDA released information for those facilities wishing to file as a Qualified Facility - very small business who only have to meet modified requirements (do not need to develop a formal Food Safety Plan) as defined within the Preventive Controls for Human (or Animal) Rule. 

Facilities must determine if they meet conditions for a Qualified facility and then must submit as attestation.   Starting October 1, 2018, facilities will be able to submit the qualified facility attestation forms electronically via the Qualified Facility Attestation Module.  Facilities must submit their first attestation to FDA by December 17, 2018, for facilities under Human Food and  December 16, 2019 for Animal Food.

1. Determine if you are a Qualified Facility - see this Guidance Document.
2. Follow instruction for submitting attestation form - See this FDA procedure
• Fill out this form for Human Food - Link to Human Food Attestation Form
• Fill out this form for Animal Food - Link to Animal Food Attestation Form

Or you can take a class and develop a Food Safety Plan like regular food companies.


FDA Releases Information for Qualified Facilities under Preventive Controls Rules
September 14, 2018
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued documents designed to help food facilities subject to the preventive controls for human and animal food rules determine if they meet the definition of a “qualified facility” under those rules, and if so, what modified requirements are applicable to such facilities.

FDA and CDC Announce McDonald Salad Mix Linked Cyclospora Outbreak Over

The FDA and CDC announced that the Cyclospora outbreak associated with Fresh Express Salad Mix served at McDonalds is over.   (Note - this case is separate from the Cyclospora Outbreak Associated with Del Monte's Veggie Trays).  In the Fresh Express / McDonalds Salad related Cyclospora outbreak, there were 511 people infected with 24 hospitalizations. The last date for onset of illness was 7/23/18.

https://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Outbreaks/ucm613513.htm
FDA Investigation of a Multistate Outbreak of Cyclospora Illnesses Linked to Fresh Express Salad Mix Served at McDonald’s Ends

Pork Sausage Recalled Due to Foreign Material - Clear Hard Plastic

A Xenia, Ohio, establishment, is recalling approximately 46,734 pounds of pork sausage link products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically pieces of clear hard plastic.  The problem was discovered when the establishment received consumer complaints of extraneous material in the pork sausage products. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-080-2018-release
Bob Evans Farms Inc. Recalls Pork Sausage Link Products due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination 
Class II Recall 
080-2018 
Health Risk: Low 
Sep 13, 2018