In the news

Interstate Food Products (Lakewood, Colorado) recalled additional products (Jalapeno Cream Cheese, Queso, and Spicy Queso) because they could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.  The recalled items were distributed in Whole Foods Rocky Mountain Region and the Denver metro area for Natural Grocers. The product comes in a 13.5 -ounce, clear plastic package.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. After routine testing by the FDA, the potential for contamination revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in 13.5-ounce packages of Little Hatches Jalapeno Cream Cheese, Queso, and Spicy Queso. @ https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/interstate-food-products-recalls-little-hatches-jalapeno-cream-cheese-sell-date-521-and-queso-spicy?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Matrix Sciences announced the acquisition of Cherney Microbiological Services as a strategic expansion further solidifies Matrix as a market leader and builds on its growing network of 19 facilities. With this investment, Matrix has further built on a solid growth platform, the company said. Matrix’s network in the area includes two laboratories in Green Bay, Wis., one in Baraboo, Wis., and its largest laboratory in Mount Prospect, Ill. A fleet of 32 dedicated vehicles supports these laboratories to provide service to a regional customer base that spans Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Iowa. Matrix Sciences is a growing network providing analytical and advisory services to address the core technical needs of agri-food producers and processors. Its network provides support from cultivation to consumer™ and ideation to successful product launch. @ https://www.qualityassurancemag.com/article/matrix-sciences-acquires-cherney-microbiological-services/

The FDA launched a challenge to spur the development of affordable, tech-enabled traceability tools to help protect people and animals from contaminated foods by enabling the rapid identification of their sources and helping remove them from the marketplace as quickly as possible. The New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint was introduced a year ago. Tech-enabled traceability is one of the foundational core elements of the New Era initiative. The goal is to make foodborne illnesses more traceable to speed response time.  The FDA is asking food technology solution providers, public health advocates, entrepreneurs, and innovators to present food traceability solutions that are affordable. The challenge invites submissions for tech-enabled solutions that address the traceability needs and challenges presented. The FDA will accept submissions from June 1 through July 30 and intends to announce up to 12 winners at the end of the challenge. Winners will be selected based on how well solutions meet specific traceability challenges and demonstrate innovation, usability, affordability, scalability, and interoperability. No cash prizes will be awarded. @ https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-launches-challenge-spur-development-affordable-traceability-tools-part-broader-food-safety?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

A study (Richardson et al., J Food Prot (2021) 84 (5): 869–875) explores the relationship between foodborne disease outbreaks and food consumption by the U.S. population. The study identified single-ingredient foods in the aquatic animal (fish, mollusks, and other aquatic animals), land animal (beef, chicken, eggs, pork, and turkey), and plant (herbs, seeded vegetables, and sprouts) categories that were implicated in outbreaks significantly more often than expected based on the frequency of their consumption. In contrast, pasteurized dairy, fruits, grains and beans, oils and sugars, and underground vegetables were less frequently implicated in outbreaks. It is the first study in which a broad range of foods consumed by the U.S. population was compared with food categories frequently implicated in foodborne illness outbreaks. It provides a better understanding of which foods are over-and underrepresented in outbreaks relative to their consumption frequency. These findings could assist with setting priorities for focused interventions used to reduce outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. @ https://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article/84/5/869/450808/Foods-Implicated-in-U-S-Outbreaks-Differ-from-the