In the news

The FDA claims to have made significant progress in the year since the introduction of the “News era of smarter food safety blueprint. The New Era blueprint, Modernization Action Plan (DMAP), and Resiliency Roadmap are components of a one-FDA approach to protecting consumers and the public health. A step toward the goal was accomplished when, in September 2020, the FDA published the FSMA-mandated Proposed Food Traceability Rule and a proposed list of foods for which the rule’s additional recordkeeping requirements would apply. The final version of the rule will be issued in late 2022. In June, the FDA launched the New Era of Smarter Food Safety Low or No-Cost Tech-Enabled Traceability Challenge. The FDA created a new data analysis tool called 21 forward to help identify where there could be disruptions in food supply continuity due to food worker absences because of the pandemic. The DMAP and the New Era blueprint and artificial intelligence (AI) are used to predict which shipments of imported foods pose the most significant risk of violation and use that information to better target import review resources. @ https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-voices/one-year-later-new-era-smarter-food-safety-blueprint-makes-inroads-fdas-public-health-mission?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reported that UnjhaSpice Inc. recalls UnjhaSpice brand Cumin Powder from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. The product was sold in Ontario. The recalled product is UnjhaSpice Cumin Powder that is packaged in 454-gram clear plastic bags. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.@ https://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/inspection/2021/76011r-eng.php

An article entitled “Antimicrobial Resistance Hidden within Multiserovar Salmonella Populations“published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2021 May 18;65(6)), shows that there may be more antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella in cattle than previously thought. The research found that traditional culturing methods used to test livestock for pathogens often miss drug-resistant strains of Salmonella. Their data showed that 60% of cattle fecal samples contained multiple strains of Salmonella that traditional testing methods missed. Additionally, many samples tested positive for a drug-resistant Salmonella Reading. The Salmonella population changed after treatment with antibiotics, allowing S. reading to thrive. The data suggest that traditional tests have underestimated the amount of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The use of CRISPR-SeroSeq flagged the Salmonella Reading regardless of antibiotic treatment. Using CRISPR-SeroSeq can help estimate the numbers of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella. @ https://news.uga.edu/antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-found-in-cows/

Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI) announces the removal of products containing chicken as part of the recall initiated by Tyson Foods, Inc. The product has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. On July 4, 2021, Albertsons Companies announced the removal of Signature Café Shredded Roasted Chicken that Tyson Foods also supplied.  The affected Tyson product was produced at one plant located in Dexter, Missouri, between December 26, 2020, and April 13, 2021, and distributed to foodservice and retail customers nationwide and Puerto Rico. The affected Tyson products are being recalled as a precaution due to possible exposure to Listeria monocytogenes. They include SHREDDED CHICKEN, PIZZA BBQ CHICKEN 14 IN LG HOT, CHICKEN PESTO FOCACCIA PIZZA SLICE HOT CAL 410, CHICKEN PESTO WHOLE FOCACCIA PIZZA, and CHICKEN PESTO FOCACCIA PIZZA SLICE. Tyson Foods supplied chicken used by Albertsons Companies to produce the items. These products were available for purchase in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington D.C. from the Safeway and Acme banners. Customers may have purchased the items in stores, online for Drive Up and Go, or via grocery delivery. To date, there have not been any reports of Listeria-related illness associated with any of the products. @ https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210707005939/en/Albertsons-Companies-Expands-Recall-on-Items-Containing-Chicken-as-Part-of-a-Tyson-Foods-Inc.-Recall-Due-to-Possible-Listeria-Monocytogenes-Contamination