Smoked Salmon Recalled for Potential Listeria Contamination After FDA Testing

A Wallkill, NY establishment is recalling Cold Smoked Salmon after routine FDA environmental sampling and analysis determined that the product has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes


https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/catsmo-llc-recalls-smoked-salmon-because-possible-health-risk
CATSMO LLC. Recalls Smoked Salmon Because of Possible Health Risk
Summary
Company Announcement Date: December 10, 2019
FDA Publish Date: December 10, 2019
Product Type: Food & Beverages  Fish  Foodborne Illness
Reason for Announcement: Listeria monocytogenes
Company Name: CATSMO LLC
Brand Name: CATSMO LLC
Product Description: Cold Smoked Salmon (whole fillets and specialty cuts)

NC - Police Find $3 Million in Barrels of Pork Shoulders

Police in NC discovered $3 million in cash hidden in a barrels of raw pork shoulders during a routine traffic stop of a tractor trailer.  The truck was believe to be headed to the US Mexican border and the cash was part of a drug money collection.


NY Daily News
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ny-three-million-in-cash-found-in-barrels-of-pork-in-north-carolina-20191211-at43radszfbpbgea2hwtkfcuzy-story.html
$3M in cash found in barrels of raw pork shoulder during traffic stop
Nelson Oliveira
By NELSON OLIVEIRA
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS |
DEC 11, 2019 | 10:24 AM

Talk about a piggy bank.

Why Does Bird Flu Not Cause a Major Outbreak in Humans?

Have you ever wondered why bird flu, although really bad for birds, is not as much an issue in humans?  Recent research provides us evidence of what is going on.  We'll attempt to summarize.

First, flu viruses are designated by two surface proteins H and N.
H - hemagglutinin, which enables the virus to infect human and animal cells where it can multiply,
N - neuraminidase, which helps the virus’s offspring to extract themselves from the infected cell.

So the virus enters the host cell, has the host replicate virus RNA which is used to make new viruses, and the high number of newly minted viruses explode out of the cell.  A person becomes sick as they fight off the viruses.  Worst case is when a person encounters new variants of  virus, that have different proteins including H and N, as would be the case with people getting a bird flu variant.  In this case, it takes the body longer to react to novel proteins of the variant, and the body has less defense system in place to fight the new virus.  The body reacts violently to counter the new virus, and it is this, the body's own defense system, that can be damaging (high fever, excessive phlegm, etc).

What this study found was that although the bird flu virus can infect a person, it does not replicate (make new virs) easily and thus does not spread easily.  The reason - the bird virus when in the human, does not produce a sufficient quantity of a protein, designated M1, responsible for getting the RNA out of the nucleus to begin making the new viruses in the cytoplasm of the host cell.   In humans, the bird viral RNA is spliced differently, making a protein called M2.

“Alternative splicing regulates which proteins are ultimately made from a single gene, because many genes code for more than one protein. When human cells are attacked by bird flu, this element ensures that more M2 rather than M1 protein is produced.”

May there be other factros? Sure.

 “How pathogenic an avian flu virus is and whether or not it has pandemic potential depends, of course, on many factors,” says Selbach. “A study on cell cultures cannot cover all these factors. Nevertheless, it might be useful in future to include an analysis of this RNA segment in the risk assessment of avian influenza viruses.”

https://www.mdc-berlin.de/news/press/what-blocks-bird-flu-human-cells
What blocks bird flu in human cells? 

Salad Kits Linked to E. coli Outbreak Affecting Eight, Not Same Strain as from Salinas Romaine Outbreak

CDC and other agencies are investigating a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 infections.  There have been 8 cases with 3 hospitalizations.  The cases of illness started on dates ranging from November 5, 2019, to November 15, 2019

Information collected to date indicates that Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp chopped salad kits are a likely source of this outbreak.  Of seven ill people with information available, all seven (100%) reported eating any leafy green in the week before their illness started. Six ill people reported eating or maybe eating a Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp chopped salad kit.  It is not yet known if this outbreak is related to a current outbreak linked to romaine lettuce from the Salinas, California, growing region, but the outbreak is caused by a different strain of E. coli O157:H7 than the current outbreak linked to romaine lettuce from the Salinas, California, growing region.

CDC Food Safety Alert
https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2019/o157h7-12-19/index.html
Outbreak of E. coli Infections Linked to Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp Chopped Salad Kits
Posted on December 9, 2019 at 6:45 PM ET

CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states and Canada, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp chopped salad kit.

At A Glance
Reported Cases: 8
States: 3
Hospitalizations: 3
Deaths: 0
Recall: No

FDA Warning Letter - Ice Cream Facility in MA

FDA sent a Warning Letter to an ice cream facility in MA.  Lots of good things to learn from this inspection.

One of the major issues was that the facility had a Listeria control issue.

One of the first citings was that the establishment said that it did not require a sanitation control for Listeria in the post process environment where the product is exposed.  The facility said that because it had SSOPs, GMPs, and environmental monitoring, these were reasons why it does not have to considered a preventive control.  Doesn't work that way.

our “FSMA/FOOD SAFETY PLAN” issued on June 10, 2019, lists pre-requisite programs (PP) and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP), “PP1- Environmental Monitoring,” “PP3-current Good Manufacturing Practices,” “SSOP1- Cleanliness of Food Contact Surfaces,” and “PP7-SSOPs,” at processing steps where food is exposed to the environment, as reasons that a hazard (e.g., L. monocytogenes) does not require a preventive control. However, for RTE foods exposed to the environment, SSOPs are sanitation controls that are verified by environmental monitoring. These measures should not be considered when determining whether sanitation preventive controls are needed. Environmental monitoring (e.g., Dean Foods’s corporate environmental monitoring program “PP1- Environmental Monitoring Preventive Control” and/or your facility specific “Pathogen Environmental Monitoring Program”) is needed to verify that environmental pathogens are being controlled by the sanitation control measures. 

 Listeria was found in the environment during the FDA inspection, the same strain in some cases that was found during an inspection in 2017.  The firm's own swabbing had found a high level of Listeria.

"from January 2019 through July 2019, 13.4% of all swabs taken were positive for Listeria spp.; from January 2018 through December 2018, 20.9% of all swabs taken were positive for Listeria spp.; and from January 2017 through July 2017, 16.4% of all swabs taken were positive for Listeria spp."

GMP issues (continues)

Frozen Burrito Products Recalled after 3 Consumer Complaints for White Plastic in Product

Ruiz Food Products Inc., a Florence, S.C. establishment, is recalling approximately 55,013 pounds of frozen, not ready-to-eat (NRTE) breakfast burrito products containing eggs, sausage, and cheese that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically pieces of plastic.  The problem was discovered when the firm notified FSIS of three consumer complaints involving pieces of white, semi-rigid plastic found in the product.  There have been no confirmed reports of injuries due to consumption of these products.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-119-2019-release
Ruiz Food Products, Inc. Recalls Frozen Sausage Breakfast Burrito Products due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
Class I Recall
119-2019
Health Risk:High
Dec 10, 2019

Germany - Federal Report Indicates Campylobacter Rates Still High in Poultry Despite Regulations

In a report issued by the German BVL, the detection rates of Campylobacter remain high with nearly half of the bird carcasses positive with a quarter with counts above 1000 cfu/gr.  This indicates the difficulty in controlling a natural contaminate like Campylobacter in poultry.

German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL)
https://www.bvl.bund.de/EN/Home/home_node.html
Translated via Google Translate
https://www.bvl.bund.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/01_lebensmittel/2019/2019_11_19_PI_Zoonosen_Monitoring_2018.html
Still high Campylobacter rates in broilers
Process hygiene criterion shows not yet hoped for effect

NJ Firm Recalls Fruit Salad Product After Linked to Salmonella Outbreak in PA Healthcare Facilities

Tailor Cut Produce of New Jersey, is recalling its Fruit luau, cut honeydew, cut cantaloupe and cut pineapple products after they were linked to the Salmonella outbreak in Pennsylvania healthcare facilities.  In this outbreak, 31 people were infected across 4 healthcare facilities.


https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/tailor-cut-produce-recalls-cut-fruit-mix-because-possible-health-risk
Tailor Cut Produce Recalls Cut Fruit Mix Because of Possible Health Risk
Summary
Company Announcement Date: December 07, 2019
FDA Publish Date:December 08, 2019
Product Type:Food & Beverages  Snack Food Item
Foodborne Illness Reason for Announcement:  Potential to be contaminated with Salmonella
Company Name:Tailor Cut Produce
Brand Name: Tailor Cut Produce
Product Description:  Fruit Luau

White Castle Recalls Retail Pack of Hamburger Sliders After Listeria Positive Test

White Castle is recalling their retail hamburger sandwich product / sliders after a third party laboratory tested and found Listeria on finished product.

This is a fully cooked product with heat and serve instructions.

According to the recall announcement, the company "is taking the following actions at the facility where the problem was identified:
•Intensive sanitation and cleaning with guidance from outside food safety experts.
•Aggressively elevating already strong food safety testing and manufacturing guidelines.
•Conducting comprehensive testing to confirm no presence of listeria in the facility. “This voluntary recall is precautionary and is the right thing to do,” said Richardson."

Note that the product is under FDA jurisdiction vs USDA.  This is a closed sandwich which falls under FDA jurisdiction.  (USDA regulations are limited to open faced sandwiches  - "Must contain at least 50 percent cooked meat. Sandwiches are amendable (USDA inspected) only if they are open faced sandwiches."

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/white-castle-frozen-food-division-announces-voluntary-recall-limited-production-frozen-sandwiches
White Castle Frozen Food Division Announces Voluntary Recall of a Limited Production of Frozen Sandwiches Sold in Select Grocery Outlets Due to Possible Presence of Listeria Monocytogenes
Summary
Company Announcement Date: December 06, 2019
FDA Publish Date:December 06, 2019
Product Type:Food & Beverages Prepared Food
Foodborne Illness Reason for Announcement: Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination
Company Name:White Castle Frozen Food Division
Brand Name: White Castle
Product Description: Frozen Cheeseburger and hamburger sliders