News Headlines: 13 - 19 February 2010


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home | News | News Headlines: 13 - 19 February 201 . . .

News Headlines: 13 - 19 February 2010

Salmonella Montevideo outbreak - FDA update; USA launches new screening system for food imports; Oysters withdrawn over norovirus contamination; FDA warns Kellogg over Listeria in waffles; US Beef recall expanded; European food consumption survey gains support; Rise in Salmonella Enteritidis cases linked to Spanish eggs

Salmonella Montevideo outbreak - FDA update

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an update on the investigation into the nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo infection linked to pepper-coated salami products.

At least 230 people in 44 states have now been affected by the outbreak, which has been linked to Italian sausage style salami products produced by Daniele International Inc. in Rhode Island. The link was suggested by epidemiological investigation and confirmed by microbiological testing. The outbreak strain of S. Montevideo has been isolated from salami and from an open container of black pepper used as an ingredient at the Daniele plant. Five cases of Salmonella Senftenberg infection may also be associated with the same salami products.

The FDA has been investigating the supply chain for black pepper and has so far tested almost 70 samples, but all have so far been found to be negative for Salmonella. Nevertheless, Daniele's pepper suppliers have placed black pepper consignments on hold pending the results of the investigation.

Daniele International has also extended its earlier recall of salami to include a further 115,000 pounds of further products that tests indicate may be contaminated. These additional products are unlike those recalled before in that they are not coated with black pepper, but preliminary microbiological testing results suggest that crushed red pepper used in manufacture may be the source.

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm200698.htm
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_006_2010_Expanded/index.asp

USA launches new screening system for food imports

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the launch of Predictive Risk-Based Evaluation for Dynamic Import Compliance Targeting (PREDICT), a new electronic screening tool for checking food imports.

The new system automatically scans hundreds of databases for information that may affect any decision on whether a consignment of food should be allowed to enter the country. Amongst the information that will be checked will be the products inherent risk rating, the compliance history of the suppliers and importer and open source intelligence about the product, its point of origin and the supply chain.

At the end of the process, the system will produce a risk score for each entry. If a consignment is flagged up as having a potential risk it will be investigated further before being allowed to proceed. PREDICT has been tested successfully in Los Angeles and is expected to be implemented nationwide by late summer.

More information about the system can be found at the link below.

http://www.fda.gov/ForIndustry/ImportProgram%20/ucm172743.htm

Oysters withdrawn over norovirus contamination

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has reported that oysters supplied for direct consumption and harvested from Carlingford Lough in County Louth have been withdrawn from the market by the Sea Fisheries Protection Board because of possible norovirus contamination.

The withdrawn oysters were supplied by the Carlingford Oyster Company up to 10 February and are marked with the approval number IE LO 0014EC. Since 11 February, oysters with the same number have been harvested from a different area. FSAI is advising caterers and consumers not to eat the affected oysters.

http://www.fsai.ie/news_centre/food_alerts/raw_oysters_10.html

FDA warns Kellogg over Listeria in waffles

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made public a warning letter sent to the CEO of the Kellogg Company and dated 27 January, in which the Company is advised of a number of hygiene lapses at a factory in Atlanta that may have contributed to a positive test for Listeria monocytogenes.

L. monocytogenes was found in a sample of Eggo Buttermilk Waffles tested by the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) in August 2009. This finding prompted an FDA inspection at the site, which highlighted a number of conditions and practices that could have lead to the contamination. Among the violations identified during the inspection were the use of high pressure hoses near exposed raw materials, storage of waste close to raw materials, condensate dripping onto production areas and breaches of staff hygiene procedures. The inspectors also took environmental samples, five of which tested positive for L. monocytogenes. Three of the isolates were indistinguishable from that found by the GDA.

The letter also draws attention to gaps in the corrective actions taken at the plant following the inspection and recommends the introduction of an effective environmental monitoring plan for Listeria in the plant.

The letter can be seen in full at the link below.

http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm200383.htm

US Beef recall expanded

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has reported that Huntingdon Meat Packing Inc. of Montebello, California is expanding an earlier recall of beef to include a further 4.9 million pounds of beef and veal products that were not produced in accordance with the Company's food safety plan.

The original recall of 864,000 pounds of beef was initiated because of possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7. However the recall has now been expanded because the additional products have been classified as 'adulterated' because they were produced under alleged unsanitary conditions. FSIS states that the existing HACCP plan was not followed and that the food safety records at the plant are not reliable. A criminal investigation is reported to be ongoing at the plant. No associated cases of illness have been reported as yet.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_004_2010_Expanded/index.asp

European food consumption survey gains support

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Advisory Forum, representing the national food safety agencies of the 27 EU member states, has confirmed its strong support for a pan-European food consumption survey as a source of valuable data for risk assessment.

Accurate food consumption data is essential in risk assessment as it allows assessors to estimate dietary exposure to food hazards, additives and nutritional factors. At present, consumption data is collected at a national level and there are important differences in the data collection process that may make the data less comparable and useful.

The Advisory Forum meeting identified a pan-European survey as a priority to collect detailed and harmonised consumption data to support risk assessment.

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/datex100212.htm

Rise in Salmonella Enteritidis cases linked to Spanish eggs

The UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) has published a report into its investigation of an upsurge in cases of Salmonella Enteritidis PT 14b infection reported in 2009. The report states that the upsurge was associated with shell eggs imported from a single producer in Spain and supplied to caterers.

The report states that 489 cases of a specific strain of S. Enteritidis PT 14b were reported between 1 September and 31 December 2009 in England and Wales - a much higher figure than would be expected. Amongst these cases, some 16 different outbreaks of varying sizes could be identified. The subsequent investigation revealed that imported eggs were the likely vehicles of infection and the outbreak strain was isolated from eggs produced at a single farm in Spain. This farm supplied a number of restaurants implicated in outbreaks. Samples of various dishes containing eggs at these restaurants also tested positive for the outbreak strain.

A full report on the outbreak investigation can be found via the link below.

http://www.hpa.org.uk/hpr/news/default.htm#pt14b