In the news

The Mercer County Health Department detected a sudden increase in E. coli O103 cases in Kentucky (between March 5-25, 2019), linked to “extensive fast food exposure.” Currently, the health agency has not announced what fast food restaurants are involved. Children and teenagers are implicated in many of these cases, but the outbreak does not appear to just be limited to children. The health department has confirmed 19 cases in central Kentucky. @ https://www.makefoodsafe.com/ecoli-o103-outbreak-kentucky-kids-fast-food/

The FDA sent a warning letter to D’Andrea Foods Inc. of East Bridgewater, MA claiming that the company had serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation. As a result, the refrigerated, ready-to-eat (rRTE) seafood salads and tuna salads are adulterated due to the unsanitary conditions of their preparation, production, and packaging. According to the FDA D’Andrea Foods does not have the mandatory HACCP plan. Production of rRTE seafood salads must have a plan to control the food safety hazard of pathogenic bacteria growth and toxin formation and scombrotoxin (histamine) formation. FDA demands that the company conduct a HACCP analysis, list the hazards and include appropriate critical control points, critical limits, monitoring procedures and frequencies, verification procedures and frequencies, and provide for a recordkeeping system. @ https://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm634022.htm

the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that Aurora Packing Company, Inc., from North Aurora, IL recalled approximately 4,838 pounds of beef heel and chuck tender products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The bulk beef products were produced and packed on Feb. 27, 2019. The recalled products are varying catch weight cardboard box case packages containing bulk pieces of “AURORA ANGUS BEEF BONELESS BEEF – CHUCK TENDER”. Varying catch weight cardboard box case packages containing bulk pieces of “BONELESS BEEF – HEEL MEAT”. Varying catch weight cardboard box case packages containing bulk pieces of “BONELESS BEEF – HEEL MEAT”. These items were shipped for institutional use in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. The problem was discovered during traceback activities following routine FSIS testing. 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-038-2019-release

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is cautioning pet owners not to feed their pets three lots of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products raw dog food after samples from these lots tested positive for Salmonella. The recall includes 2 lots of Chicken Recipe with Organic Vegetables for Dogs and one lot of Turkey Recipe with Organic Vegetables for Dogs. These products are manufactured by Arrow Reliance Inc., doing business as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, and are sold online direct to consumers. The FDA collected and analyzed unopened samples of products from these three lots in response to a consumer complaint. Samples from all three lots tested positive for Salmonella. The FDA considers the actions taken by Arrow Reliance removing these products from the marketplace to a recall. However, the firm has not issued public notification, and the FDA is not confident that the firm’s customer notifications are effective for this ongoing recall. Once Salmonella gets established in the pet’s gastrointestinal tract, the animal can shed the bacteria when it has a bowel movement, and the contamination will continue to spread. @ https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/ucm634394.htm?utm_campaign=3-26-2019-Darwin&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua