In the news

The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) (https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/adelaide-06-18/index.html
) reported on June 8, 2018, that Caito Foods, LLC of Indianapolis, Indiana recalled fresh cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and fresh cut fruit medley and other products containing these melons. The products were sold by Costco, Jay C, Kroger, Payless, Owen’s sprouts, Trader Joe, Walgreen, Walmart, and Whole Foods/Amazon in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina. 60 people have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Adelaide, and 31 people have been hospitalized. The contamination was discovered by the State Department of Public Health. The company stopped production as the investigation continues.

Two companies are recalling pea shoots after Canadian Food Inspection Agency tested the products and found them contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Golden Pearl Mushrooms Ltd. was the first to recall “pea shoots” products June 7, followed by Evergreen Herbs Ltd. Golden Pearl did not provide any date codes for its three recalled products. The CFIA is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. If other high-risk products are recalled, the CFIA will notify the public through updated Food Recall Warnings. The CFIA is verifying that industry is removing recalled products from the marketplace. @ https://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2018-06-07/eng/1528383445910/1528383449409 and https://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2018-06-07/eng/1528409624622/1528409626775

Joan Murphy reported that DR. Gottlieb FDA Commissioner expressed the frustration of regulators for not yet identifying the source of the romaine lettuce outbreak. He implied that they are moving closer to solving the problem. He said: “We hopefully will have more to say very soon about that. We certainly want to figure this out before the next growing season starts.”Today FDA detects outbreaks more easily due to whole genome sequencing. He promised that the FDA is developing a policy to name locations selling recalled products. As for farm inspections Gottlieb claimed that the FDA wants to get resources to states “to take on more of the responsibility for conducting inspections required under FDA, and we would in time reorient our inspection force to do more overseas inspections,” “.. if FDA assures them that those people who export food to the United States are subject to the same regulations as our producers, that would give them a lot more confidence and help” to compete in the global marketplace, he said. @ https://iegpolicy.agribusinessintelligence.informa.com/PL216648/Gottlieb-talks-lettuce-outbreak-FSMA-definition-of-milk-at-FDA-meeting

The joint goal of this effort is to improve fresh produce safety and streamline the requirements of the USDA’s Harmonized Good Agricultural Practices Audit Program (H-GAP) with the requirements under the Food Safety Modernization Act’s produce safety rule. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb sends a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in which he said that the two programs aren’t the same, but the H-GAP audits are another tool farmers can use to show buyers they’re implementing food safety standards under the produce rule. The new policy, Gottlieb wrote, “will further help farmers by enabling them to better assess their food safety practices as they prepare to comply with the FSMA Produce Rule and by providing produce farmers with certifications that they can use to help gain market access.” This alliance between FDA and USDA. Should help producers meet federal regulatory requirements @ https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/ucm609830.htm