In the news

The FDA signed a Regulatory Partnership Arrangement (RPA) with Ecuador’s seafood regulatory authority to strengthen food safety in shrimp intended for the US market. Shrimp is the most consumed seafood in the US, the vast majority of which is imported. Ecuador is one of the leading exporters of shrimp to the US.  The first of its kind, this regulatory partnership serves as an arrangement between the FDA and the Vice Ministry of Aquaculture and Fisheries (VMAF) to work more closely to reinforce food safety practices along the entire supply chain. Such arrangements aim to leverage commodity-specific oversight systems — in this case, involving imported aquacultured shrimp — along with data and information, to strengthen food safety before and at the port of entry. The FDA did a rigorous assessment of the strength of Ecuador’s aquacultured seafood safety system and examined important parts of VMAF’s programs and capabilities. Through this assessment, the FDA is confident that Ecuador has key components of a food safety oversight system for shrimp and shrimp products intended for export to the US.  @ https://www.fda.gov/food/cfsan-constituent-updates/fda-signs-partnership-ecuador-enhance-safety-shrimp-imports?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

The FDA reported that Dr. Berne’s Whole Health Products recalled all lots of MSM DROPS 5%,15% Solution, Dr. Berne’s Organic Castor Oil Eye Drops, and Dr. Berne’s MSM MIST 15% Solution to the consumer level. FDA analysis has found one lot (lot 6786) of Dr. Berne’s MSM DROPS 5% Solution to fail sterility with both bacterial and fungal contamination found in the product. Out of an abundance of caution, Dr. Berne’s is recalling all other lots of the 5% and 15% strengths of MSM Solution, all of Dr. Berne’s Organic Castor Oil Eye Drops, and Dr. Berne’s MSM MIST 15% Solution. To date, Dr. Berne’s has received 2 reports of adverse events related to this recall. All the products were distributed through Dr. Berne’s webstore. @ https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/dr-bernes-whole-health-products-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-dr-bernes-msm-drops-5-and-15?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Salmon’s Meat Products in Luxemburg recalled various ready-to-eat meat products sold at retail stores throughout northeastern Wisconsin. The recalled products include (i) Country Smoked Sliced Ham, approximately 2 lb. vacuum sealed packages; (ii) Cooked Smoked Ham Steaks, approximately 0.4 lb. vacuum sealed packages; (iii) Cooked Ham, approximately 1 lb. vacuum sealed packages; (iv) Sliced Homestyle Summer Sausage, approximately 16 oz. vacuum sealed packages; (v) Cracker-sized Sliced Summer Sausage, approximately 8 oz. vacuum sealed packages; (vi) Country Smoked Shaved Ham, variable weight packages; (vii) Smoked Sliced Ribeye, approximately 1 lb. vacuum sealed packages; (viii) Konop Food & Catering (Green Bay); (ix) Renard’s Cheese; and, (x) T&S Distributing. Evidence shows that the products were potentially contaminated with the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses have been reported as a result of consuming these products. @ https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/News_Media/SalmonsMeatProductsVoluntaryRecall.aspx

MIT engineers have identified a new optical signature using Dynabeads magnetic beads, which could be used to quickly detect contaminants in various diagnostic tests such as Salmonella in foods. Dynabeads are microscopic magnetic beads coated with antibodies that bind to target molecules, such as a specific pathogen. Dynabeads are typically used in experiments that are mixed into solutions to capture molecules of interest. But from there, scientists must take additional, time-consuming steps to confirm that the molecules are indeed present and bound to the beads. The MIT team found a faster way to confirm the presence of Dynabead-bound pathogens using Raman spectroscopy. The article is scheduled for publication in the Journal of Raman Spectroscopy special issue. The MIT lab is investigating ways to further separate the beads into those bound to a target molecule and those not. The researchers mixed Dynabeads into vials of water contaminated with Salmonella. They then magnetically isolated these beads onto microscope slides and measured how light scattered through the fluid when exposed to laser light. Within half a second, they quickly detected the Dynabeads’ Raman signature—a confirmation that bound Dynabeads and, by inference, Salmonella were present in the fluid. @ https://phys.org/news/2023-08-tiny-magnetic-beads-optical-quickly.amp