Saturday, January 30, 2010

FDA Breaks Silence On Daniele Outbreak Investigation

Elusive Salmonella has FDA labs burning the overtime oil

On January 23, 2010, Daniele International, Inc. recalled 1.24 million pounds of Italian style ready-to-eat meats, because the Company's products were linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo gastroenteritis that has been percolating for more than six months. The Company suggested black pepper – used to encrust some of its salami sausage products – was the probable source of the Salmonella.

On January 28th, the Rhode Island Department of Health announced that samples taken from a previously opened container of ground black pepper at Daniele International, Inc. had tested positive for the strain of Salmonella Montevideo that was responsible for a nationwide outbreak of gastroenteritis.

Black pepper probably was the vehicle that introduced Salmonella into Daniele's production facility. The case isn't iron-clad, however – which means that FDA can't push for a recall – until a sample from a sealed container of the pepper yields Salmonella. And that hasn't happened yet.

According to a statement released late yesterday by FDA, the agency is still pursuing its investigations, both in the lab and in the field:

"The FDA is actively investigating the supply chain of the black pepper used in the manufacturing of the recalled meat products to see if it poses a risk to consumers. The agency has collected and is currently analyzing black pepper samples. To date, all the samples collected and analyzed by the FDA have tested negative for Salmonella; however, sample collection and analysis continues."

Meanwhile, the tally of outbreak victims has continued to grow slowly. CDC reported yesterday afternoon that 202 individuals in 42 states and the District of Columbia are now thought to be part of this outbreak. The only states that are now not affected are: Arkansas, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, Vermont and Wisconsin. At least 38 people have been hospitalized.

Some state health agencies have reported additional details.
  • California's 30 outbreak victims are scattered over seven counties, including: Santa Clara (19), Los Angeles (6), Alameda (1), Kern (1), Mendocino (1), Orange (1) and Riverside (1). Three of the 30 victims were hospitalized.
  • Washington State has recorded 15 victims, all from the west side of the state, including Clark (3), King (3), Snohomish (4), Jefferson (1), Lewis (1), Thurston (1), Pierce (1), and Whatcom (1) counties. One person was hospitalized.
  • New Hampshire's lone victim was an adult woman from Hillsborough County.

The spotlight first fell on a salami product from Daniele International when investigators compared lists of foods eaten by 41 confirmed outbreak victims and 41 individuals who had not been sick. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of the 41 ill people reported having eaten salami; 13 of them had purchased Daniele sliced salami variety packs from different stores before become sick. In contrast, only 16% of well people had eaten salami during the same time period.

Once a meat product was implicated, USDA was automatically involved. On January 23rd, the Daniele recall notice was posted on USDA's web site. Since then, the agency has released a list of US retail consignees of the recalled meats.

While USDA is responsible for regulating meat processors, spices come under the purview of FDA, which determined that Daniele purchased its black pepper from Wholesome Spice, a New York distributor. FDA is still tracing the rest of the supply chain of this imported spice and, at the same time, testing additional samples of the black pepper to confirm the Salmonella contamination.


Food-borne disease outbreak investigations are never easy. Tracing the source of an outbreak caused by a common strain of Salmonella is even more difficult. And when the pathogen is spread by a common food ingredient, the difficulties can be daunting.

The success of this investigation is a testament to the effectiveness of CDC's outbreak surveillance system, and the cooperative efforts of county, state and federal investigators.


For an updated distribution list of the recalled meats, both in the US and in other countries, please click here.


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Recall Roundup: January 30, 2010

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link.


United States
  • Food Safety Recall: USDA posts updated retail distribution list for recalled Daniele International, Inc. meats.
  • Food Safety Alert: Willow Marsh Farm (Ballston Spa, NY) voluntarily suspends sales of raw milk after its milk is linked to 5 cases of Campylobacter enteritis. Preliminary tests carried out in New York State labs indicate milk may be contaminated with Campylobacter. Department of Health warns consumers in and around Saratoga County not to drink unpasteurized milk from Willow Marsh Farm.
  • Consumer Product Safety Recall: FAF Inc. (Greenville, RI) recalls The Princess and the Frog brand children's necklaces because they contain high levels of cadmium. The recalled necklaces, which were manufactured in China, were available exclusively at Walmart stores.


Canada
  • Allergy Alert: Provigo recalls salade de riz sauvage pommes et canneberges (wild rice, apple and cranberry salad) because it contains undeclared sulfites. The affected salad was sold in Provigo and Loblaws supermarkets throughout Québec.
  • Consumer Product Safety Recall: Schylling Associates, Inc. (Rowley, MA) recalls Glazed Ceramic Butterfly Tea Set by Schylling (date code 8207 only) after Health Canada determines that the glaze contains excessive cadmium. The made-in-China tea sets were sold between January 2009 and March 2009 in retail stores in British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Alberta.
  • Consumer Health Alert: Health Canada warns consumers to avoid using unauthorized health products sold under the brand names Natural Choice Vitamin B-17, Natural Choice Kava Kava and Natural Choice Lithium Orotate. These unauthorized health products may also be sold under the brand names Life Choice, Doctor's Choice, Your Choice and Healthy Choice.
  • Consumer Health Advisory: Health Canada warns consumers that natural health products containing the ingredient glucomannan in tablet, capsule or powder form, which are currently on the Canadian market, have a potential for harm if taken without at least 8 ounces of water or other fluid. The risk to Canadians includes choking and/or blockage of the throat, esophagus or intestine, according to international adverse reaction case reports. These products should NOT be taken immediately before going to bed.


Europe
  • Shellfish Harvest Warning (Wales): Carmarthenshire Council closes Penrhyn Gwyn cockle and mussel beds after testing reveals significant levels of E. coli. Harvesting of shellfish from these beds is banned until the beds are reopened.
  • Food Safety Notification Update (EU #2010.0073): Listeria monocytogenes in syrečky cheese (Quargel Käse) from Austria; distributed in Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and Slovakia.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0100): Unauthorised E 385 - calcium disodium ethylene diamine tetra acetate (CDEDTA) in carbonated beverage from the United Arab Emirates; distributed in Cyprus.
  • Consumer Product Safety Notification (EU #2010.0101): Migration of epoxidised soybean oil (ESBO) (3.7 mg/kg - ppm) and of 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester - DINCH (9.2 mg/kg - ppm) from lids of jars containing marinated mixed mushrooms in herb oil from China; distributed in Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Russian Federation, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0102): Salmonella typhimurium U302 multiresistant (in 1/12 samples) in sliced pork from Germany; distributed in Denmark.
  • Food Safety Notififcation (EU #2010.0103): Mould infestation in chocolate desserts from Germany; distributed in the Czech Republic.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0104): Unauthorised ingredient (presence of the plant Ylang ylang) in massage oil fit for human consumption from Belgium; distributed in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0105): Migration of DEHP - di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (> 500 µg/kg - ppb) from gasket of lid of jar containing pickles from India; distributed in the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0106): Salmonella (suspicion) in filled chocolate from the Slovak Republic; distributed in the Netherlands.
  • Consumer Product Safety Notification (EU #2010.0107): Migration of cadmium (0.15; 0.15; 0.09 mg/dm²) from coloured dishes from China, via Germany; distributed in Switzerland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0109): Benzo(a)pyrene (86 µg/kg - ppb) in bilberry extract to produce a food supplement with raw material from Italy, via the United States; distributed in Norway.



Asia, Africa & The Pacific
  • Unregistered Pharmaceutical Product Recall (Hong Kong): The Department of Health warns the public not to buy or use a proprietary Chinese medicine named "Ba Bao Xiao Ke Dan", because it was found to contain an undeclared western medicine, glibenclamide, which may cause serious side effects.



Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.



Thursday, January 28, 2010

Rhode Island Confirms Salmonella In Daniele Black Pepper

Genetic fingerprint matches outbreak strain

The Rhode Island Department of Health confirmed this evening that Salmonella has been found in samples of ground black pepper taken from an open container at Daniele International, Inc. No additional Daniele products have been added to the recall list as a result of the Salmonella finding.

FDA and Rhode Island labs are testing more samples, taken from previously unopened containers at the importer, the distributor and Daniele International.

The Salmonella recovered from Daniele's black pepper matches the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo that has sickened at least 189 individuals in 40 states.

FDA already knows the identity of both the importer and distributor of this black pepper. What is not clear is whether FDA has yet determined which additional food processors, wholesalers or retailers received the pepper, or how much contaminated ground black pepper might still be floating around in the marketplace. The brand of black pepper used by Daniele was not supplied to any other Rhode Island company.

As I reported on January 24th, FDA refused entry to 27 shipments of black pepper in the first six months of 2009. Most of the consignments came from India. All of them were rejected because of Salmonella contamination.

Daniele International, Inc. has announced that it is converting to using irradiated black pepper for all of its products.

Food processors take note. Black pepper is not the only "dirty" spice. Learn from Daniele's experience and use only irradiated or ethylene oxide-treated spices in all ready-to-eat products.


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Recall Roundup: January 28, 2010

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link.


United States
  • Food Safety Recall: Well Luck Co., Inc. (Jersey City, NJ) recalls approximately 50,000 pounds of imported instant noodle products that were ineligible for import to the U.S.
  • Health Alert: Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) warns consumers not to use a folk remedy designed to relieve the symptoms of morning sickness, because contains elevated levels of lead and unsafe levels of arsenic. This product is called by several names including “Nzu”, “Poto” or “Calabash Chalk”. These products may be sold as a large pellet or in bulk and they resemble clay.


Canada
  • Allergy Alert: Marché Laflamme (Montréal, QC) recalls various prepared entrées due to the undeclared presence of one or more of the following allergens: soy, nuts, peanuts, wheat, milk, eggs, sulfites, fish.

Europe
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Gert Nielsen A/S recalls batch 100119 of several meat products after lab analysis detects Salmonella contamination. The recalled products were sold to wholesale and catering businesses throughout Denmark.
  • Allergy Alert (UK): Sainsbury's advises its customers of the presence of undeclared milk in two batches of Divine dark chocolate, 100g bars. The UK Food Standards Agency issued an Allergy Alert about this product on January 25, 2010.


Asia, Africa & The Pacific
  • Food Safety Recall (Taiwan): Costco Taiwan recalls Daniele All Natural Salami Assortment (283g x 3 packs).



Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.



"Food" Gets A Mention In State Of The Union Message

I must admit that political speeches tend to put me to sleep.

Last night's State of the Union presentation was no exception. I drifted in and out of consciousness for the duration of the President's address. The only thing that kept me going was the hope that "food safety" would rate a mention.

Alas, it was not to be.

This morning, I accessed the transcript of the speech on the White House web site. Eagerly, I used my Mac Find function to search for any mention of "food" – and found one sentence in which the word appeared.

President Obama said:
"As a result, millions of Americans had more to spend on gas and food and other necessities, all of which helped businesses keep more workers."

If there was ever any doubt of where food safety ranks on this Administration's priority list, that doubt has now been firmly and unequivocally put to rest. Even though we are in the midst of yet another nationwide outbreak of food-borne disease, food safety didn't rate a single, token mention in a speech that was more than 7,400 words long and ran for 1 hour and 9 minutes.

I agree that creating and saving jobs is important. I agree that fixing health care is important. I agree that repairing our broken financial regulatory system is important.

But so is ensuring a safe food supply.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 76 million Americans suffer an episode of food poisoning each year. Five thousand people die as a result; 325,000 are hospitalized. Some of the survivors must struggle with the aftereffects of their illnesses for the rest of their lives.

Unsafe food costs lives, resources, and millions of dollars each and every year. Surely, food safety rates more attention from this Administration.


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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Recall Roundup: January 27, 2010

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link.


United States
  • Food Safety Recall: Imperial Sugar Company recalls 2 lb. bags of Dark Brown Sugar (Lot C315K) that may be contaminated with small metal flakes.
  • Food Safety Recall Update: USDA posts initial retail distribution list for the Daniele recall. The recalled ready-to-eat meats were supplied to the following national and regional chains: Costco (national), Fred Meyer (AK, ID, OR, WA), Fry's Food & Drug (AZ), Haggen (OR, WA), Hilander (IL), Kroger (AZ, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MI, MO, NC, OH, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV), Market Basket (MA, NH), Quality Food Center - Fresh Fare (OR, WA), Ralphs - Ralphs Fresh Fare (CA), Sam's Clubs (national), Scotts (IN), Smith's - Smith's Marketplace (AZ, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WV), Stop & Shop (NJ, NY), Top Food (WA), Waldbaum's (NY), Walmart (national), Weis (MD, NJ, NY, PA). This is not a complete list. See the eFoodAlert list for additional distribution information.


Canada
  • Allergy Alert: Metro, Inc. (Toronto, ON) recalls Selection brand Iced Chocolatey Donuts, (330 g packages bearing UPC 0 59749 89300 8), due to the presence of undeclared milk and egg ingredients. The recalled product was sold in Ontario and Québec. One allergic reaction to the product has been reported.


Europe
  • Food Safety Alert (Italy): Gros Cidac supermarket chain warns consumers that Hague (AIA S.p.a. ) chicken and turkey sausages, Lot #L 7911182, may contain fragments of plastic.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0089): Salmonella spp. (presence /25g) in frozen pork caul fat from Spain; distributed in Greece.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2010.0090): Traces of milk ingredient (casein) in dark chocolate from Belgium; distributed in Greece.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0091): Amitraz in fresh pears from Turkey; distributed in Bulgaria.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0093): Cadmium (0.97 mg/kg - ppm) in crab (Cancer pagurus) from France; distributed in Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0095): Foreign body in raisins from Turkey; distributed in Germany.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2010.0099): Undeclared sesame (138 mg/kg - ppm) in pistachio snack from Greece; distributed in Cyprus.


Asia, Africa & The Pacific
  • Food Safety Recall (Hong Kong): The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) advises consumers that certain Daniele, Inc. ready-to-eat meats that may be contaminated with Salmonella have been imported into Hong Kong. CFS has alerted the food trade to stop selling these products, and advises consumers not to eat the recalled meats.


Latin America & Caribbean
  • Food Safety Alert (Haiti): FDA warns people in Haiti not to eat unripe ackee fruit, or certain parts of the ripe fruit, because naturally occurring toxins in them can cause sickness or death. There are several ackee orchards in the vicinity of Port au Prince.


Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.



FLASH! Salmonella Found In Pepper At Daniele Plant

Multiple samples of pepper found to contain Salmonella

Daniele, Inc. has now reported that samples of black pepper in its inventory have tested positive for Salmonella. A statement on the Company's revised recall FAQs page reads:

Samples of the black pepper used to coat the finished products have tested positive for salmonella. This indicates that the product was contaminated after processing. We have changed suppliers of our spices, and specifications for spices. We are now using only pasteurized spices.


Daniele meats have been blamed for a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo infections that has sickened at least 189 people in 40 states during the past 6 months. On January 23rd, the company recalled 1.24 million pounds of cured meats after epidemiological evidence pointed to Daniele products as the source of the infections. Since then, the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo has been found in two samples of the recalled products. A second strain – Salmonella Senftenberg – also has been recovered.

With today's news, several activities are undoubtedly already in progress:
  • CDC is almost certainly reviewing its records to uncover reported cases of Salmonella Senftenberg infections. If any are identified that match the strain found in Daniele's meat, the official number of outbreak cases will grow.
  • FDA is conducting a traceback of the contaminated black pepper to determine where it came from and whether it was supplied to other manufacturers under their jurisdiction.
  • USDA is investigating whether any other companies under their jurisdiction were supplied with the contaminated pepper.
  • State agencies are assisting CDC, FDA and USDA in all of these investigations.

Expect more recalls – probably before the week is out.

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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Smoking Gun Found In Daniele Salmonella Outbreak

Outbreak Strain of Salmonella Montevideo Recovered From Salami In 2 States

CDC reported this evening that the Iowa Department of Public Health, working together with public health officials in that state's Plymouth County, have found the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo in an opened package of Daniele salami that was retrieved from the freezer of one of the outbreak victims.

The variety pack of sliced salami was the same as the product that was purchased by 13 other outbreak victims.

Last Saturday, CDC reported that a private lab had found a different strain of Salmonella – not the outbreak strain – in a Daniele sliced salami variety pack. The Washington State Department of Health has since determined that the Salmonella culture recovered by the private lab was a mixture of two strains, including the Salmonella Montevideo outbreak strain.

Salmonella Montevideo has now sickened 189 people in 40 states. The most recent victim fell ill on January 7, 2010. At least 37 of the outbreak victims were hospitalized. Only Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Vermont and Wisconsin have yet to report an outbreak case.

Thirteen people interviewed by state and CDC investigators reported having purchased and eaten the same Daniele sliced salami variety pack product. Daniele recalled 1.24 million pounds of its Italian-style cured meat products on January 23rd. The recalled meats are widely distributed in the United States and also were exported to Canada.

The investigation, like the outbreak, is far from over. CDC and its partners in the investigation are continuing their work to "... verify that the outbreak is controlled; to identify the specific products or ingredients that became contaminated and how the contamination occurred; and to identify any other food vehicles that may be involved."

"It is possible," CDC adds, "that more than one food product may be causing illnesses."


Recall Roundup: January 26, 2010

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link.


United States
  • FDA Warning Letter: As a result of a September 2009 inspection, FDA warns SweetSommer Water Bottling Company, LLC. of serious violations of the Processing and Bottling of Bottled Drinking Water regulations.
  • FDA Warning Letter: As a result of a September 2009 inspection, FDA warns Girard Spring Water Co., Inc. of serious violations of the Processing and Bottling of Bottled Drinking Water regulations.
  • FDA Warning Letter: As a result of a September 2009 inspection, FDA warns K & S Wholesale Meat, Inc. of serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
  • FDA Warning Letter: As a result of an October/November 2009 inspection of Crystal Cove Seafood Corporation, FDA warns P. T. Panca Mitra MultiPerdana – Crystal Cove's Indonesian supplier – that the Company's HACCP plan revealed serious deviations from the requirements of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation, with the result that the Indonesian company's Frozen Cooked Shrimp was adulterated under US law.
  • Consumer Products Safety Recall: Blip Toys (Minneapolis, MN) recalls Nature Wonders HD Pinto Horse Toy Figures because the surface paint contains excessive lead.


Canada
  • Food Safety Recall: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume certain Daniele brand salami products because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled items are known to have been sold at Costco in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, and at Super C in Québec.


Europe


Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.

Obama Nominates USDA Food Safety Head

Elizabeth Hagen To Lead USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service

One year after taking office, President Obama has finally named his choice to fill the position of Under Secretary for Food Safety – the senior food safety post within USDA.

Dr. Elizabeth Hagen joined USDA in 2006 and was named to the post of USDA Chief Medical Officer four months ago. Board-certified in infectious diseases, Dr. Hagen both taught and practiced medicine before joining USDA.

Hagen's nomination comes while USDA, FDA, CDC and state agencies are investigating yet another meat-related food-borne disease outbreak – a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 187 people in 39 states. The outbreak, which was linked to ready-to-eat Italian-style cured meats produced by Daniele International, Inc., triggered a recall of 1.24 million pounds of meat last week.

Dr. Hagen wouldn't have been my first choice for this crucial food safety position – I would have preferred someone with more background and training in the relevant sciences. Nevertheless, I am relieved that the President has finally settled on a nominee.

With yesterday's announcement of a discretionary budget freeze, funding of food safety programs within both USDA and FDA will be squeezed. Dr. Hagen and Michael Taylor – the newly named Deputy Commissioner for Foods at FDA – will have to lobby hard, both within the Administration and with Congress, to preserve intact the existing programs in both agencies.

I wish them both well. The safety of our food supply rests in large part on their performance.

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Monday, January 25, 2010

US Food Safety - Rest In Peace

Obama Plans Freeze On "Discretionary Spending"

Targets domestic programs, including Agriculture and Health & Human Services

According to the Wall Street Journal, President Obama is set to announce a three-year spending freeze for all discretionary spending in his State of the Union Address, scheduled for Wednesday, January 27th.

Military, Veterans, International Affairs, Homeland Security, Social Security and Medicare are all exempted from the freeze, which will focus on the remaining 17% of the federal budget. Program areas that likely will be frozen include: Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Energy, Transportation, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services.

So much for Obama's promise last year to increase funding for food safety programs – overseen by the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (part of Health and Human Services).


Recall Roundup: January 25, 2010

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link.


United States
  • Allergy Alert: California Department of Public Health warns consumers to avoid drinking Citrovita, Byblos and Golchin brands of lemon and lime juices, because they contain FD & C Yellow #5 food coloring. The juices were processed by Ataco International, Inc. (Anaheim, CA) in an unlicensed facility and without a valid HACCP plan. Ataco denies having used the food coloring as an ingredient in the beverages.
  • Counterfeit Medication Alert: FDA warns consumers to be on the alert for a counterfeit version of Alli, a weight-loss medication. The counterfeit product contains sibutramine (a stimulant) instead of orlistat as its active ingredient.


Canada
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0071): Listeria monocytogenes in raw milk brie cheese from France; distributed in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, New Caledonia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Europe
  • Allergy Alert (UK): Divine Chocolate recalls some of its Divine Dark Chocolate because the product contains milk at more than trace levels, whereas the ingredient label mentions only the possibility of traces of milk.
  • Food Safety Recall (UK): Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc recalls three date codes of its own-brand Value Seedless Raisins due to the potential presence of small pieces of green plastic.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Aldi recalls Turkey breast fillets imported from Germany (net weight, 700-1100 g) due to contamination with multidrug-resistant Salmonella Saintpaul. The recalled turket breasts were sold at Aldi supermarkets throughout Denmark.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Plumrose Scandinavien A/S recalls sliced pork breast imported from Germany (net weight 1600g) due to contamination with multidrug-resistant Salmonella. The recalled pork was sold at Coop stores throughout Denmark.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Harboefarm A/S recalls ground beef due to metal fragment contamination. The recalled meat was sold at Føtex, Bilka, or Netto stores throughout Denmark.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Tamaco Retail A/S recalls Spanish Tapas-pack of air-dried ham, chorizo, and lomo Iberico cheese imported from Spain, due to growth of blue and/or white mold on cheese tapas packaging. The recalled tapas were sold in Netto, Bilka, Føtex and Salling stores throughout Denmark.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0071): Listeria monocytogenes in raw milk brie cheese from France; distributed in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, New Caledonia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2010.0072): Salmonella spp. in poultry bonemeal from Spain; distributed in Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0073): Listeria monocytogenes in syrečky cheese (Quargel Käse) from Austria; distributed in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and Slovakia.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0074): Listeria monocytogenes in smoked salmon from the United Kingdom; distributed in Italy.


Asia, Africa & The Pacific
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0071): Listeria monocytogenes in raw milk brie cheese from France; distributed in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, New Caledonia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.



Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.



Sunday, January 24, 2010

Salmonella, Daniele Salami and Dirty Peppercorns

Is black pepper behind the Salmonella outbreak?

Black pepper is dirty!

Pepper is harvested and air-dried under conditions that expose the seeds to bacterial contamination. Black peppercorns and ground black pepper often contain millions of bacteria per gram.

In 1981/82, Salmonella-contaminated black pepper from Brazil caused a food-poisoning outbreak in Norway that sickened at least 126 people over a 10-month period. And in the first six months of 2009, FDA refused entry to 27 shipments of whole peppercorns, cracked peppercorns and ground black pepper due to Salmonella contamination. Most of those shipments originated in India.

What does this all have to do with the Salmonella outbreak and the Daniele cured meats recall?

Maybe nothing!

But the theory currently circulating (on this blog and elsewhere) that the "problem is in the pepper" would help to explain the long duration of this outbreak, as well as the difficulty in tracing the contamination to its source. And it would provide Daniele with a quick fix to its troubles. The company already has announced that it plans to switch to irradiated pepper.

Unfortunately for Daniele, the case for pepper as the contamination source is equivocal. When I put the question earlier today to Dr. William Keene, Senior Epidemiologist with the Oregon Public Health Division, here is what he replied, based on information available as of last Friday:

"To my knowledge there is no compelling evidence pointing to pepper at this time. It is an attractive explanation that "makes sense" in many ways, and would be a relatively easy fix for the company, but we don't have anything like culture-positive pepper that would support the hypothesis, and I don't think that other possibilities have been ruled out yet."

Dr. Keene added that the only Salmonella-positive meat sample found so far was not pepper-coated. Lab tests of pepper-encrusted meat slices that were in the same package as the Salmonella-positive sample did not yield any Salmonella.

While the pepper explanation would make life easier for Daniele, it could be a nightmare for other food companies, including a number of artisan cheese makers that produce pepper-encrusted or pepper-containing specialty cheeses. Dr. Keene is not privy to FDA's weekend progress, but he suggested to me that efforts are probably being made to trace the source of the pepper that Daniele used.

"It will be interesting," he said, "to track the pepper back to its suppliers and importers, and see if matching Salmonella can be found in pepper at other companies that may be making other products. I would imagine that the FDA or other agencies are doing that now. That would certainly confirm that this was an 'upstream' contamination event."


Clearly, there are still a lot of unanswered questions. In its latest update, published January 23rd, CDC reported the following:

"This recall followed isolation of Salmonella in a private laboratory from a retail sample of a salami product produced by Daniele International. FSIS reviewed and affirmed these private laboratory results. This Salmonella strain is different from the strains causing the outbreak. In addition, this product was different than the sliced salami variety pack purchased at different grocery store locations by the 11 ill persons. CDC and its public health partners are continuing the epidemiological investigation to verify that the outbreak is controlled, and to identify the specific products or ingredients that became contaminated and how the contamination occurred, and to identify any other food vehicles that may be involved. It is possible that more than one food product may be causing illnesses. The investigation is on-going."
(Note that the 11 ill persons referred to in CDC's report were confirmed to be infected with the outbreak strain and remembered consuming Daniele meat.)

Now that investigators have figured out what questions to ask – always the toughest part of an outbreak investigation – more answers should be forthcoming soon. Please stay tuned.

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