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According to the lawsuits brought by United’s former senior manager of food safety, Marcia Lee, General Manager of the Newark catering facility Eliot Mosby, and Newark Food Safety Manager Gustavo Moya United Airlines failed to address critical food safety issues at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, endangered passengers and retaliated against employees for speaking up. The airline did not address persistent maintenance issues at its catering facility at Newark airport, which allowed the spread of Listeria monocytogenes. The lawsuits are seeking damages of $7.5 million. United denied these allegations and said the lawsuits were without merit. Additionally, United told CNBC it is unaware of any foodborne illnesses confirmed to be linked to any food served on its flights and is currently cleaning and repairing several areas of the Newark facility as part of routine maintenance. In November 2017, USDA recalled some chicken and pork products produced at United’s Denver catering operation after the facility notified regulators that one of its products had tested positive for L. mono. In August 2018, a news organization reported that United had found Listeria at its Newark location. At the time, United said it found Listeria in its cooler but noted Listeria had not been found in food served to its customers or on food-contact surfaces. @ https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/29/united-airlines-mishandled-listeria-contamination-lawsuits-claim.html

October 26, 2018 – Sofina Foods Inc. is recalling Janes brand Pub Style Chicken Burgers from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. This recall was triggered by findings by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) during its investigation into a foodborne illness outbreak. According to the recall notice, Sofina Foods Inc. distributed the Pub Style Chicken Burgers nationwide to a number of retailers. @ http://inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2018-10-26/eng/1540600587248/1540600589249

On Nov. 23, 2018, FSIS will begin posting Salmonella performance standard information for raw chicken parts and comminuted poultry products for individual establishments. FSIS will continue to post data for young chicken and turkey carcasses. FSIS will issue a Federal Register notice announcing how the agency is changing its categorization procedure that will be based on one 52-week window and will exclude FSIS follow-up sampling results. On Oct. 31, 2018, the sampling results for FSIS regulated products will be updated on the agency’s website. The data will be published quarterly. @ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/meetings/newsletters/constituent-updates/archive/2018/ConstUpdate102618

Microplastics have been found in human stools for the first time, according to a study suggesting the tiny particles may be widespread in the human food chain.

The small study examined eight participants from Europe, Japan and Russia. All of their stool samples were found to contain microplastic particles.

Up to nine different plastics were found out of 10 varieties tested for, in particles of sizes ranging from 50 to 500 micrometres. Polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate were the plastics most commonly found.

On average, 20 particles of microplastic were found in each 10g of excreta. Microplastics are defined as particles of less than 5mm, with some created for use in products such as cosmetics but also by the breaking down of larger pieces of plastic, often in the sea.

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Based on this study, the authors estimated that “more than 50% of the world population might have microplastics in their stools”, though they stressed the need for larger-scale studies to confirm this.

The Environment Agency Austria conducted the tests using a new procedure the researchers said shed fresh light on the extent of microplastics in the food chain. Samples from the eight subjects were sent to a laboratory in Vienna where they were analysed using a Fourier-transform infrared microspectrometer.

Philipp Schwabl, a researcher at the Medical University of Vienna who led the study, said: “This is the first study of its kind and confirms what we have long suspected, that plastics ultimately reach the human gut. Of particular concern is what this means to us, and especially patients with gastrointestinal diseases.”

Previous studies on fish have also found plastics in the gut. Microplastics have been found in tap water around the world, in the oceans and in flying insects. A recent investigation in Italy also found microplastics present in soft drinks. In birds, the ingestion of plastic has been found to remodel the tiny fingerlike projections inside the small intestine, disrupt iron absorption and add to stress on the liver.

“The smallest microplastic particles are capable of entering the bloodstream, the lymphatic system, and may even reach the liver,” said Schwabl, who will report on the study at UEG Week in Vienna on Tuesday. “Now that we have the first evidence for microplastics inside humans, we need further research to understand what this means for human health.”

Plastic particles in the gut could affect the digestive system’s immune response or could aid the transmission of toxic chemicals and pathogens, the researchers said.

The sources of the plastic found in the stool samples is unknown. The people studied kept a food diary that showed they were all exposed to plastics by consuming food wrapped in plastic or drinking from plastic bottles. None of those participating in the study were vegetarians, and six of the group ate sea fish.

Scientists still know little about the effects of microplastics once they enter the human body, though many studies have already found them present in foods such as fish that people are likely to eat. The UK government has launched a study of health impacts.

Plastic use is so pervasive in modern life that removing it entirely from the food chain would be extremely difficult. A million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute and the number is expected to jump another 20% by 2021.

Steps are being taken to stem the rising tide of plastic pollution, for instance by the banning of microbeads in some jurisdictions. The 8m tonnes of plastic dumped in the sea each year is also the target of increasing campaigns, by the UN and others, mainly because of the dangers it poses to sea life. Many fish and other marine creatures consume the plastics, sometimes confusing them for food.
Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/22/microplastics-found-in-human-stools-for-the-first-time