In the news

The FDA inspected Connecticut’s Royal ice cream ready-to-eat (RTE) manufacturing facility from January 19 through February 22, 2022. The inspection exposed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in environmental swabs collected during the inspection, and other GMP, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls violations. One swab from the filler head contained Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes were also detected in the finished product. The results indicate inadequate control of pathogens. @ https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/royal-ice-cream-company-inc-630433-07282022

The CDC reports that the E. coli O157:H7 that caused the outbreak linked to HelloFresh ground beef sickened at least seven people in six states (MD (1), NJ (2), NY (1), PA (1), VA (1), and WA (1)). There were six hospitalizations and no death. The contaminated ground beef in HelloFresh meal kits shipped from July 2 to July 21, 2022. It was packaged in 10 oz plastic vacuum-packaged HelloFresh meal kits. All six people interviewed in this outbreak reported eating ground beef from HelloFresh before they got sick. Investigators are working to determine if any other ground beef might be contaminated. @ https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2022/o157h7-09-22/index.html

The Food safety authorities in New Zealand have warned the public about the risk of hepatitis A in frozen imported berries after several recent illnesses. The health authorities linked consumers that eat imported berries to the outbreak through genotyping. The Food safety authorities did not yet identify which brand of frozen berries caused three New Zealanders to contract Hepatitis A. The public has been advised to boil frozen berries before eating them after the disease was confirmed in three people who lived in different parts of the country. New Zealand Food Safety’s deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle told Checkpoint the link between Hepatitis A infection and frozen berries had been well-documented in other countries. It had been challenging due to the time it took to show symptoms of Hepatitis A – which could be up to 50 days after consuming a contaminated berry. @ https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/474845/brand-of-berries-linked-to-hepatitis-a-risk-yet-to-be-identified

According to the FSA, Ardo NV (Ardooie, Belgium) recalled the Ardo Fruitberry mix because Hepatitis A has been found in the product by a Hungarian Laboratory, which makes the product unsafe to eat. The tests for Hepatitis A were conducted after 10-15 restaurants visitors in Hungary became ill and were hospitalized. The recalled product is packaged in1.0 KG and 2.5 KG. The product was mainly delivered to professional customers in the food service industry. @ https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-51-2022