In the news

The FDA released a report on its results from inspections and environmental sampling for Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella at 89 ice cream production facilities in 32 states from Sept. 12, 2016, to Aug. 30, 2017. The sampling began following 16 recalls of ice cream products due to pathogens, and an outbreak of listeriosis linked to ice cream, that occurred from 2013 to 2015. The sampling was intended to find the extent to which Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella may be in the manufacturing environment. In nearly ½ of the ice cream production facilities inspected no objectionable conditions were found. The FDA did detect Listeria monocytogenes in 19 of the facilities; however, only one of them was found to have the pathogen on a food-contact surface. The FDA also detected Salmonella in one facility. As a result of FDA inspections, three voluntary recalls were conducted in 2017 and 2018. These include two recalls of Working Cow Homemade Inc. ice creams due to Listeria monocytogenes, and a Nelson’s Creamery LLC recall due to undeclared soy lecithin in one of their products. The FDA also suspended Working Cow Homemade Inc.’s food facility registration in 2018. The FDA lifted the suspension earlier this year after the firm changed its business model to cease making ice cream and only distribute product made by other manufacturers. Companies that follow the rule and employ robust environmental monitoring programs will likely occasionally detect environmental pathogens, but how an establishment responds to a pathogen finding is critical. @ https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/FDAInBrief/ucm636563.htm?utm_campaign=042419_FIB_FDA%20takes%20steps%20to%20improve%20ice%20cream%20production%20facility%20safety&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

After 2018 fall outbreak of E. coli in romaine lettuce, LGMA amended the agreement to include more food safety practices on farms. Scott Horsfall, CEO of the LGMA, said in a statement, “The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement Board of Directors has adopted additional requirements to reduce risk when it comes to water used in growing lettuce and leafy greens. This means that every box of leafy greens placed into commerce by a certified LGMA member will now be produced under new, more stringent requirements.”The contaminated irrigation water is perceived to be the cause of the outbreak. As a result, LGMA issued new regulations, which included daily equipment cleaning, review of the impact on crops after severe weather, traceability measures, and longer buffer zones between farm fields and animal feedlots. It will also require growers to categorize the source of the water, consider how and when the fields are irrigated, test irrigation water to see if it’s safe and sanitize the water if needed. And growers will no longer be able to use untreated surface water for overhead irrigation of these crops in the 21 days before harvest. The LGMA program also requires mandatory government audits of member farms. These new rules are above and beyond the FSMA rules. Growers in the Yuma, Arizona region have also made recommendations about growing leafy greens, improving traceability and increasing sanitation protocols. Increasing buffer zones between animal’s farms and produce fields is another recommended preventative measure, according to the Yuma Safe Produce Council. Time will tell if these new measures by the LGMA and the Yuma Safe Produce Council will be effective. @ https://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2019/romaine-e-coli-outbreak-lgma-adopts-food-safety-practices/

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today that K2D Foods, doing business as (DBA) Colorado Premium Foods, a Carrolton, Ga. Company, is recalling approximately 113,424 pounds of raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O103. The raw ground beef items were produced on March 26, March 29, April 2, April 5, April 10, and April 12, 2019. These items were shipped to distributors in Ft. Orange, Fla. and Norcross, Ga. for further distribution to restaurants. This recall is related to the investigation of an outbreak of E. coli O103 outbreak. Unopened, intact ground beef collected as part of the ongoing investigation from a restaurant location, where multiple case-patients reported dining, tested positive for E. coli O103. However, at this time, there is no proven link between this positive product and the ongoing E. coli O103 outbreak. @ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-047-2019-release

Due to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) test results, Golden Pearl Mushrooms Ltd. recalled GPM brand Pea Shoots from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recalled products include GPM Sweet Pea Shoots and GPM Pea Shoots. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products. @ https://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2019-04-19/eng/1555725095376/1555725097506