In the news

IBM announced the availability of Food Trust on IBM blockchain platform. This system should be able to decrease the time to trace food products in a transparent way. Food Trust is a decentralized model, permission-based, allowing multiple participants to share food origin details, processing data, and shipping information on the network. The Food Trust includes compatibility with the GS1 standard to ensure interoperability for traceability systems. It allows users the ability to access an unbroken sourcing record for all products. In case of a product recall, the time saved by increased efficiency and in some cases perhaps save lives. By automating the recording of transactions via the blockchain, an entire network of trading partners has access to critical data in near real-time. While some wonder if there is a business application for the technology, a number of companies that are testing the technology. IBM is also working with equipment suppliers to contribute sensor data to its blockchain. An IBM representative said, “It is allowing more collaborative transactions so that organizations that once completed can now work together on the same network to build efficiencies, achieve compliance, and reduce costs.” @ https://www.foodqualityandsafety.com/article/ibm-launches-its-blockchain-traceability-network/?elq_mid=31353&elq_cid=10195538

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says that it is investigating an outbreak of salmonella infantis infections in five provinces, mostly in western Canada (there has been 45 laboratory-confirmed cases. 37 in B.C., five in Alberta, and one case each in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec). The agency claims that the source of the outbreak has not been identified yet, although many of the people who became sick reported eating cucumbers. Nine people required hospitalization, but no deaths have been reported. All incidents occurred between mid-June and late September. The health agency said the outbreak appears to be ongoing since illnesses continue to be reported. In the US, the Washington State Department of Health is also investigating six cases of salmonella infections there. In a statement, the agency said five of the six people reported buying and eating English cucumbers from various Costco stores in Washington. @ https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/public-health-notices/2018/outbreak-salmonella-infections-under-investigation.html

{“post_id”:5237,”post_type”:”post”,”shortcode”:”peepso_postnotify”,”permalink”:”https:\/\/ask-bioexpert.com\/all\/mccain-foods-causes-numerous-recalls-due-to-salmonella-and-listeria\/”}

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that Bakkavor Foods USA, Inc., of Carson, CA, Charlotte, N.C. and Jessup, PA is recalling approximately 795,261 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that contain an onion ingredient that may be contaminated with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide. The problem was discovered on Oct. 16, 2018, when Bakkavor Foods USA, Inc. received notification that the onion used in the production of their ready-to-eat meat and poultry products was being recalled by their onion supplier due to Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella. @ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-103-2018-release