In the news

According to Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ), Paradise Beach Purveyors recalled Paradise Beach Purveyor smoked trout in 150 containers due to the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes. The product has been available for sale at independent retailers, including IGA in NSW. The product was also available at Harris Farm Markets in NSW, ACT, and QLD. Paradise Beach Purveyors Smoked Trout and Chive Dip have a use-by date of 07/10/24. @ https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/food-recalls/recall-alert/paradise-beach-purveyors-smoked-trout-and-chive-dip-150g

Public Health Canada updated the outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes linked to the recalled plant based refrigerated beverages. There have been 18 confirmed cases of Listeria monocytogenes, 13 hospitalizations, and two deaths linked to the outbreak. Cases have been reported in Alberta (1), Ontario (12), Québec (4), and Nova Scotia (1). Two-thirds of the outbreak victims are 50 years of age or older. People became sick between August 2023 and early July 2024. @ https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/public-health-notice-outbreak-of-listeria-infections-linked-to-recalled-plant-based-refrigerated-beverages-835874627.html

CORE update of July 31, 2024: the CORE list of outbreaks and adverse events includes six activities. A new outbreak of Cyclospora cayetanensis illnesses (ref #1237) linked to a product that has not yet been identified has been added to the table. FDA has initiated traceback. A new outbreak of Cyclospora cayetanensis illnesses (ref #1239) linked to a product that has not yet been identified has been added to the table. FDA has initiated traceback. In the outbreak of Salmonella Irumu (ref #1235) linked to a product that has not yet been identified, the case count has increased from 31 to 32. In the outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium (ref #1234) linked to productthat has not yet been identified, the FDA has initiated sample collection. For the investigation of illnesses (ref #1233) linked to Diamond Shruumz-brand Chocolate Bars, Cones, and Gummies, the advisory has been updated to include additional illnesses and a list of retailers that may have received recalled products. The outbreak has ended in the investigation of Listeria monocytogenes (ref #1232) illnesses, and the FDA’s investigation has closed. Based on the CDC’s epidemiological investigation, ill people reported eating salad mixes before becoming sick. CDC, FDA, and state and local partners conducted epidemiologic and traceback investigations and collected and analyzed finished product and environmental samples. All samples collected during the investigation were reported as negative for Listeria monocytogenes. The products making people sick in this outbreak are off the market and past shelf life. There is no ongoing risk to the public. @ https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigations-foodborne-illness-outbreaks

A publication in Front. Nutr., 30 July 2024 Volume 11 – 2024 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1366231 reports on the analysis of contamination of consumer cocoa-containing products such as dark chocolate with heavy metals, including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As). The precise level of contamination and the clinical implications of this contamination for domestic dark chocolate and cocoa-containing products are largely unexplored in the literature. The study reports the concentrations of Pb, Cd, and As for 72 popular cocoa-containing consumer products (e.g., dark chocolate) sampled for eight years. The analysis results suggest that many products contain Pb and Cd in amounts that may exceed certain, stringent regulatory requirements (Prop 65). Our analysis reports that 43, 35, and 0% of the products tested exceed Prop 65 MADLs for heavy metal concentrations, respectively, of Pb, Cd, and As, while 97.2% (70 of 72) fall below US FDA IRL limits established. This indicates that heavy metal contamination—in more than half of products tested—may not pose any appreciable risk for the average person when consumed as a single serving.; however, consuming some of the products tested, or more than one serving per day in combination with non-cocoa derived sources of heavy metals, may add up to exposure that would exceed the Prop 65 MADLs. Notably, “organic” products were significantly more likely to demonstrate higher levels of both Cd and Pb. @ https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1366231/full