In the news

According to CNN, the Abbott formula plant in Sturgis, Michigan, resumed production of EleCare formula on July 1 after a three-week shutdown caused by flooding from severe storms. The recently extended closure of the plant had helped to drive a nationwide baby formula shortage. Abbott said it had stopped production of its EleCare to “assess the damage caused by the storm and clean and re-sanitize the plant.” After it reopened, Abbott said it would restart EleCare production, followed by specialty and metabolic formulas. Production had been underway for less than two weeks before the closure from the storm. The Biden administration has delivered millions of pounds of powdered formula through Operation Fly Formula, but stock rates for powder formula specifically are even worse. More than 30% of powder formula products were out of stock during the week ending July 3, up slightly from 29% the prior week and 27% the week before that. @ https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2022/07/09/health/abbott-formula-plant-reopens/index.html

The Barry Callebaut chocolate factory closing in Belgium was due to one batch of contaminated lecithin that originated in Hungary. Salmonella Tennessee was identified in the plant’s lecithin on June 29. Since lecithin is used in all of Wieze’s chocolate production lines, the company decided to discontinue the lines and ban all chocolate products manufactured from June 25 to 29. No products with this lecithin had entered the retail food chain. Affected countries include Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Barry Callebaut’s testing confirmed the presence of Salmonella in the lecithin. @ https://www.vnatalie.com/the-additive-in-the-can-of-barry-callebaut-chocolate-salmonella-came-from-hungary/

The FDA reported that Primal Pet Foods Fairfield, CA)is voluntarily recalling a single lot (#W10068709) of Raw Frozen Primal Patties for Dogs Beef Formula (6-pound), with a best by date of 05/22/23, due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The company distributed sixty-six cases (396 units) of this single lot of Raw Frozen Primal Patties to Maryland, Georgia, Texas, and British Columbia, in late April 2022. Primal Pet Foods has received no complaints or reports of illness to pets or humans due to this recalled product. The recall resulted from routine U.S. Food and Drug Administration sampling, which revealed a positive result for Listeria monocytogenes. The Raw Frozen Primal Patties are sold in flexible packaging in the freezer at select pet stores. @ https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/primal-pet-foods-voluntary-recalls-single-lot-raw-frozen-patties-beef-formula-due-potential?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

The FDA reported that this week there are two updates. (1) The source has not been identified for the Salmonella Braenderup outbreak. Still, the case count has increased from 42 to 59 cases. (2) The product linked to illnesses for the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak is ice cream from Big Olaf Creamery in Sarasota, FL. The outbreak made 23 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes from 10 states (CO(1), FL(12), GA(1), IL(1), KS(1), MA(2), MN(1), NY(2), PA(1)). As a result of this outbreak, one person from Illinois died, and another pregnant woman had a miscarriage. @