In the news

As of January 9, 2019, the CDC reports that the outbreak appears to be over. The outbreak caused 62 illnesses and 25 hospitalizations in 17 states. Contaminated romaine no longer is available on the market. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) also coordinated with U.S. agencies as they investigated a similar outbreak in Canada. On December 24, PHAC reported that the outbreak in Canada had ended. As a result of this outbreak romaine lettuce will now be voluntarily labeled with a harvest location and a harvest date or labeled as being hydroponically- or greenhouse-grown. In the case of future product withdrawals or recalls, this will help consumers to determine that romaine they are buying is from an unaffected growing region. @ https://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Outbreaks/ucm626330.htm?utm_campaign=Outbreak_Romaine_01092019&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

The FDA is alerting consumers to possible hepatitis A contamination of Bauer’s Candies Modjeskas, an individually wrapped marshmallow candy dipped in chocolate or caramel. The FDA is advising consumers not to eat and to throw away any Bauer’s Candies Chocolate or Caramel Modjeskas, purchased after November 14, 2018, because a worker in the facility tested positive for hepatitis A. These products are available at retail locations and can also be purchased through QVC and BauersCandy.com. The FDA is working with Bauer’s Candies, located in Kentucky, on a voluntary recall of affected products. Currently, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are not aware of any cases of hepatitis A related to the consumption of these candies. The FDA recommends that consumers who ate candies purchased after November 14, 2018, and have not been vaccinated for hepatitis A consult with their healthcare professional to determine whether post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is indicated. @ https://www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/SafetyAlertsAdvisories/ucm627841.htm

The FDA announced that Grand Strand Sandwich recalled Lunch Box Italian Subs, Lunch Box Ham & Swiss Croissants and Lunch Box Ham & Cheese Frozen Wedges due to potential contamination of Listeria monocytogenes. On January 3, 2019, the firm was notified by FDA that the swabs they collected from the meat slicing area on December 11, 2018 test positive for Listeria monocytogenes. No illnesses have been reported to date. The products were distributed from December 17, 2018, until January 4, 2019. The products were packaged in clear plastic and sold primarily in convenience stores and vending machines located in the States of North Carolina and South Carolina. @ https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm629322.htm

Data published by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) investigate the frequency of Salmonella-positive chicken carcasses affects the prevalence of Salmonella-positive chicken parts samples across slaughter establishments. The regression analysis performed suggested a slight negative relationship between the prevalence of Salmonella-positive chicken parts in slaughter establishment and the use of peracetic acid on carcasses. The analysis also suggested a large positive relationship between prevalence of Salmonella-positive chicken parts and carcasses. However, the regression model has very limited predictive value. After adjusting for errors in the observed results, the estimated correlation of the frequency of Salmonella-positive chicken carcass and parts is 0.54. According to the researchers, this implies a moderate degree of relatedness between contaminated carcasses and parts. Pathogen interventions should reduce the correlation of prevalence, they concluded. @ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956713518306315?dgcid=rss_sd_all