In the news

The CFIA reported that Umyum Food Inc (Port Coquitlam, British Columbia) recalled batches/lots of Umyum-branded plant-based cashew butter from the Canadian marketplace due to the reported salmonella contamination. The CFIA reports the following Cashew Butter products are subject to this recall: Umyum branded Classic Plantbased Cashew Butters, sold in 200 gram bottles, a best-by date code of 25AU07 (i.e., August 7, 2025); Umyum branded Garlic Plantbased Cashew Butters, sold in 200 gram bottles; and Umyum branded Truffle Plantbased Cashew Butters, sold in 200 gram bottles. The products were sold in British Columbia and Ontario, @ https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/umyum-brand-plantbased-cashew-butter-recalled-due-salmonella

The FDA reported that Martinelli’s, glass-bottled apple juices, recalled certain four-packs of Martinelli’s 10-ounce round glass apple juice bottles sold in 28 states. The recall was due to concern over potential mycotoxin patulin contamination, according to the FDA. Patulin is a mycotoxin produced by Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Byssochylamys molds that grow on fruit, grains, and cheese. There were 7,234 cases of the apple juice (a total of 111 batches) included in the recall. The states impacted by the recall are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin, the FDA stated. Although the recall was initiated on March 18, the FDA deemed the recall a Class II offense on April 22. According to Martinelli’s website, its apple juices are “flash-pasteurized, hot-filled into new bottles, capped and quickly cooled to retain the fresh apple flavor.” @ https://nypost.com/2025/04/26/lifestyle/apple-juice-recalled-in-28-states-due-to-toxic-substance-fda-says/

The USDA withdrew its proposal aimed at reducing Salmonella in raw poultry. The Trump administration is withdrawing a Biden-era proposal, arguing the new rule would have imposed “significant financial and operational burdens on American businesses and consumers. The regulatory would have determined Salmonella as an adulterant in a raw chicken product (specifically, raw chicken carcasses, chicken parts, comminuted chicken, and comminuted turkey) if it contained levels of the pathogen exceeding 10 colony forming units (CFU) per milliliter (mL) or gram (g), or if a serotype of concern (S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, S. I 4,[5],12:i:-, S. Hadar, S. Typhimurium, or S. Muenchen) was detected at any level. If the final product standards had been adopted, they would have been reevaluated every 3–5 years or in light of new evidence. The proposed rule would have created new safety standards in an effort to prevent the sale of raw chicken and chicken parts contaminated with certain levels or types of Salmonella. It would have also overhauled safety procedures and testing for poultry slaughterhouses to prevent Salmonella contamination. The Meat Institute, a trade group representing meat and poultry processors, appealed to President Trump to withdraw the proposal and put forward a different one, describing it as among the “costly and burdensome” steps taken by the Biden administration. The Department of Agriculture, which oversees the meat and poultry industry, said the proposed rule did not address the pathogen effectively. The USDA said that the decision was made in light of public comments on the proposed rule, which it said required more consideration, and that it would evaluate whether an update to standards was warranted.  @ https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/usda-withdrawing-proposal-sought-reduce-salmonella-poultry-rcna202839

Applied and Environmental Microbiology published (Vol 91, No 4) an article by Branner et al. on an outbreak of Bacillus velezensis as a cause of “ropey bread.” The article appears to be the first mention of Bacillus velezensis as a contributor to the re-emergence of rope spoilage in the bakery industry. Given the ability of B. velezensis to be an effective biocontrol agent and to grow at pH and water activity levels of many baked goods, there is a need to study issues along the entire food chain to balance the impact of biocontrol additives on food production and safety. Thirty-five employees identified as having been at a celebration event across 11 sites. The Ohio Department of Health Bureau of Public Health Laboratory analyzed the leftover cake. The odds that cake caused symptoms were 9.23 (1.02–83). Enteric symptoms developed 0.41–4.5 hours after exposure, with 5 of 12 cases having latent diarrhea. Cakes were positive for Bacillus velezensis. Given the ability of B. velezensis to be an effective biocontrol agent and to grow at pH and water activity levels like many baked goods, there is a need to study issues along the entire food chain to balance the impact of biocontrol additives on food production and safety. @ https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/aem.02570-24