In the news

The USDA/ FSIS announced that Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc. (Jarratt, VA) expended its recall due to Listeria monocytogenes. Boar’s Head recalls approximately 7 million additional pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. Whole genome sequencing results show that a liverwurst sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested positive for the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes. This expansion includes 71 products produced between May 10, 2024, and July 29, 2024, under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names. These items include meat intended for slicing at retail delis and some packaged meat and poultry products sold at retail locations. These products have “sell by” dates ranging from July 29, 2024, to 17-OCT-24. The products subject to recall were distributed to retail locations nationwide, and some were exported to the Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Panama. FSIS is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health partners to investigate the multistate outbreak of L. monocytogenes infections linked to meats sliced at delis. As of July 30, 2024, 34 sick people have been identified in 13 states, including 33 hospitalizations and two deaths. @ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/boars-head-provisions-co–expands-recall-ready-eat-meat-and-poultry-products-due

On July 30, 2024, the FDA published a list of store names and locations known to sell Diamond Shruumz-brand products. This comes after FDA received numerous reports of retailers continuing to sell the recalled products. All Diamond Shruumz-brand products have been recalled and should not be sold. Consumers should not purchase any Diamond Shruumz-brand products. A list of store names is available and will be updated as additional stores are identified. As of July 29, 2024, a total of 78 illnesses have been reported from 28 states (States with Cases: AL (4), AZ (7), CA (1), CO (2), FL (1), GA (7), IN (6), IA (5), KY (5), MD (1), MN (2), MO (1), MT (1), NV (1), NJ (2), NY (1), NC (3), ND (2), OH (2), OK (1), OR (1), PA (2), SC (5), SD (1), TN (5), TX (1), VA (5), WA (2), Unknown State (1)). Sixty-five of the 78 people have reported seeking medical care, 40 have been hospitalized, and there are two potentially associated deaths under investigation.@ https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-illnesses-diamond-shruumz-brand-chocolate-bars-cones-gummies-june-2024?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Through product testing by the FDA and state programs, the FDA has determined that additional ground cinnamon products contain elevated lead levels and that exposure to these products may be unsafe. The FDA advises consumers to throw away and not buy these ground cinnamon products. The FDA is continuing to analyze cinnamon and review sample results received from state partners who have been continuously sampling ground cinnamon at retail for elevated levels of lead. This is the third public health alert this year for ground cinnamon. The FDA recommends recalls of nine brands of ground cinnamon products with elevated lead levels ranging from 2.03 to 7.01 per million (ppm). The FDA continues to work with states to test cinnamon sold directly to consumers at retail and to test cinnamon at import. @ https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/more-ground-cinnamon-products-added-fda-public-health-alert-due-presence-elevated-levels-lead?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in Hong Kong announced on August 27, 2024, that a sample of goat cheese (Ste Maure Touraine AOP Blister) imported from France was detected with possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The CFS reported receiving a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the European Commission that the product might have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and is being recalled. As a result, the CFS immediately contacted the local importer and informed the importer concerned of the contamination. An investigation revealed that the affected batch of products is still stored in the importer’s warehouse and has not entered the local market. @ https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/press/20240727_11082.html