In the news

The FDA announced on their website that Consider Bardwell Farm, LLC of West Pawlet, Vermont, recalled three kinds of cheese: Dorset, Slyboro, and Experience, distributed in CA, MA, NY, TX, VT, due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.  No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with these products. The contamination was discovered by routine testing of finished products and the manufacturing environment. @ https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/consider-bardwell-farm-recalls-dorset-slyboro-and-experience-because-possible-health-risk?utm_campaign=Consider%20Bardwell%20Farm%20Recalls%20Dorset%2C%20Slyboro%2C%20and%20Experience%20Because%20of%20Possible%20Health%20Risk&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

The FDA announced that it had established a dashboard where we will publish metrics relating to the implementation of the FSMA law. It is a way to measure progress and update the status to ensure transparency to the public. The FDA found that since 2016, the majority of companies inspected complied with the new requirements of the preventive control rules. The data also shows that the industry has improved the time from identifying a recall event to initiating a voluntary recall, from an average of four days in 2016 to approximately two days in 2019. Additionally, food recalls once again have reached a five year low. The data will help the FDA to identify trends in food safety, continue to improve our risk-based food safety framework and modernize the agency’s food safety approaches. The FDA plans to update the data for the first implemented FSMA rules quarterly, with the goal and ultimately publish metrics for all seven rules. @ https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/statement-measuring-progress-being-made-through-implementing-fda-food-safety-modernization-act?utm_campaign=093019_Statement_FDA%20releases%20performance%20measures%20for%20three%20FSMA%20rules&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced on its website that Metro Ontario Inc. recalled Metro brand deli trays from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. This recall was triggered by CFIA due to positive test results. The product involved are Snack Delights trays, Fresh 2 Go Snack and Grab Party Trays and  Fresh 2 Go Premium Kolbassa Sausage-Cheese Trays.  @ https://inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2019-09-27/eng/1569630721077/1569630727804

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that Fisher Packing Company (Redkey IN) recalled approximately 744 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) pork products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, today. The products were packaged on August 27, 2019, and include Vacuum-sealed packages of various weights containing “FISHER MEATS OLD FASHION SMOKED HAM”; Vacuum-sealed packages of various weights of “FISHER MEATS SMOKED HAM SHANKS WITH NATURAL JUICES”;  and Vacuum-sealed packages of various weights of “FISHER MEATS CANADIAN BACON” with a freeze by date of 11/25/19 . These items were shipped to retail locations in Indiana. The problem was discovered when the firm notified FSIS that a sample of product produced by Fisher Packing was tested positive for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. @ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-095-2019-release