Jalapeno and Serrano chili peppers recalled; EU provides funding for reference laboratories; Salmonella contamination in ground cumin; EFSA publishes opinion on mycotoxins in food and feed; Nationwide organic spice recall; Beef recalled over E. coli contamination; Canadian dairy product recall expanded; Listeria risk prompts smoked salmon recall; Recalled beef linked to Salmonella cases; FSAI reports improvement in bottled water safety; Cause of foodborne botulism outbreak still uncertain; Cilantro recalled over possible health risk; Food safety provides year's top US food news story

Jalapeno and Serrano chili peppers recalled

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that Cal Fresco is working federal and state public health agencies to recall fresh Jalapeno and Serrano chili peppers because of potential Salmonella contamination.

The recall includes one lot of 18,500 pounds of jalapeno peppers distributed in four states and in Canada during early December and sold through retail outlets by weight and a single lot of Serrano peppers sold in Canada, Alaska, Washington and Dallas, Texas. Both types of pepper were grown in Mexico and imported.

The contamination was discovered by routine USDA sampling on 12 December, but no related cases of illness have been reported.

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm284531.htm

EU provides funding for reference laboratories

The European Commission has adopted a proposal endorsed by the Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal health to earmark €14 millions for the support of EU Reference Laboratories (EU-RLs) in 2012.

With this financial support the Commission encourages the EU-RLs to continue with their active contribution in providing technical support to the Commission and the Member States towards implementation of EU policies for consumer protection and animal health.

There are 43 designated European Union Reference Laboratories. EU-RLs provide essential scientific and technical support in the area of feed and food safety and animal health and are the main pillar of the EU laboratory network comprising EU-RLs, National reference Laboratories and Routine Laboratories.

More information can be found at the links below.

http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/controls/reference_laboratories/index_en.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/diseases/laboratories/index_en.htm

Salmonella contamination in ground cumin

The UK Food Standards Agency has announced that Natco Foods Ltd is recalling various batch codes of ground cumin because of the detection of Salmonella in some parts of the batch.

The recalled spice is packed in jars and packs varying in size from 100g to 5kg and with best before dates of September and October 2013. A total of eleven specific batch codes are included in the recall. Investigations into the cause of the contamination are ongoing.

http://www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/alerts/2011/dec/natcofoodsltdgroundcumin

EFSA publishes opinion on mycotoxins in food and feed

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a Scientific Opinion on risks to public and animal health from the presence of T-2 and HT-2 mycotoxins in food and feed.

Data comprising over 20,000 analytical results for the sum of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in food, animal feed and unprocessed grains collected from 2005 to 2010 in 22 countries were included in the evaluation by the EFSA Contaminants Panel. The highest levels were found in grains and grain milling products, especially oats. Bread and other cereal products made the largest contribution to human exposure to the toxins, which are produced by various species of Fusarium fungi.

The Panel established a group tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 100 ng/kg bodyweight for the sum of T-2 and HT-2 toxins. Study of the available data revealed that estimated chronic human dietary exposure to the toxins would be below the TDI and is not a health concern. The risk for animals from contaminated feed is also considered to be low.

The full Opinion can be found at the link below.

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/doc/2481.pdf

Nationwide organic spice recall

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that B&M Inc., Mount Vernon, Missouri, is recalling 'O Organics Organic Celery Seed' sold nationwide through Safeway owned retail stores because of possible Salmonella contamination.

The recalled product is packed in glass bottles with a net weight of 51g and was sold between 25 May and 16 December 2011. Six different lot numbers are included with 'best by' dates from 18 May 2013 to 28 November 2013.

B&M Inc. was notified of the contamination by their supplier after routine testing found Salmonella in a sample of the celery seed. No related cases of illness have been reported.

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm283288.htm

Beef recalled over E. coli contamination

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced that Tyson Fresh Meats Inc, of Dakota City, Nebraska, is recalling approximately 41,000 pounds of ground beef products because of possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7.

The recall covers 10-pound chubs of 'Chuck Fine Ground Beef 80/20' packed in cases of eight. The products have a 'best before' or 'freeze by' date of 11/13/11 and were distributed in 17 states.

The contamination was detected by routine FSIS monitoring, but no related cases of illness have been reported.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_101_2011_Release/index.asp

Canadian dairy product recall expanded

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning consumers not to eat a range of cheese and dairy products manufactured by 3903052 Canada Inc., of Boisbriand, Quebec, because of possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

The manufacturer is voluntarily recalling affected products. The recall has been expanded five times since the first alert was issued on the 11th of November and now covers a wide range of products sold under several brand names. Most are specialist ethnic cheeses, but other fermented dairy products, such as kefir and yoghurt, are also included. Packs bear the establishment number 1874 and have been distributed in Quebec and Ontario, and possibly in other provinces.

A single case or reported illness has been associated with consumption of the recalled products, but the CFIA has not issued any further details as yet.

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2011/20111217e.shtml

Listeria risk prompts smoked salmon recall

The UK Food Standards Agency has announced that the Co-operative is recalling two batch codes of own label Scottish Smoked Salmon because of possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

The product is sold through the company's own stores in 160g packs. Batches with 'use by' dates of 21 and 24 December are included in the recall.

The recall was prompted by the detection of high levels of Listeria monocytogenes in a small number of packs of the smoked salmon. There are no reports of related cases of illness to date.

http://www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/alerts/2011/dec/coopscottishsmokedsalmon

Recalled beef linked to Salmonella cases

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reports that the Hannaford grocery chain, of Scarborough, Maine, is recalling an undetermined quantity of fresh ground beef products, which may be contaminated with a strain of Salmonella Typhimurium linked to cases of illness.

The recall covers ten products sold in Hannaford stores in five states with 'sell by' dates of 17 December or earlier. Epidemiological evidence has established a link between the recalled beef and 16 cases of salmonellosis in seven states caused by a rare strain of Salmonella Typhimurium. The outbreak is being investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

To date, FSIS has not been able to identify the suppliers of the contaminated beef from the retailers' records. This means that it has not yet been possible to identify other customers, or initiate a wider recall.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_100_2011_Release/index.asp
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/typhimurium-groundbeef/122011/index.html

FSAI reports improvement in bottled water safety

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has reported the results of a recent microbiological survey of bottled water showing a "significant improvement" over the last survey undertaken in 2007.

Only 2% of the 748 samples tested were found to be unsatisfactory in the most recent survey, while in 2007 the figure was 7%. Nevertheless, the Authority says that there is room for improvement, as four samples contained E. coli and/or enterococci and were classified as unsafe. These products were recalled from sale.

The full report can be found via the link below.

http://www.fsai.ie/microbiologicalsafetyofbottledwater10NS2.html

Cause of foodborne botulism outbreak still uncertain

Health officials continue to investigate the single household outbreak of botulism in Scotland linked to a jar of Loyd Grossman Korma Sauce, but the source of contamination has not been identified.

Three children from the same family were ill after consuming the sauce and are recovering in hospital. Clostridium botulinum type A toxin was detected in the remains of the meal and in the residue of sauce left in the jar. The implicated batch of sauce was immediately recalled from sale in the UK and Ireland, but toxin tests on other jars from the batch have all been negative.

Investigations of the production site and distribution chain have not found any manufacturing faults or hygiene deficiencies that might explain the contamination. No other cases of illness that might be related to the outbreak have been reported and the cause remains a mystery.

http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=20036

Cilantro recalled over possible health risk

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that Pacific International Marketing is working with federal and state agencies to recall 6,141 cartons of cilantro (coriander) because of potential Salmonella contamination.

The recalled cilantro is packed in cartons containing 60 or 30 bunches, or 20 3-bunch sleeves. It was distributed to retailers in seven states. The original source of the herb has been identified as Salt River Farming, of Phoenix, Arizona.

The recall was initiated after a sample taken by the FDA at the distributor level tested positive for Salmonella. No related cases of illness have been reported.

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm283288.htm

Food safety provides year's top US food news story

According to Hunter Public Relations, a leading US food industry PR agency, a survey has revealed that America's most significant food news story of 2011 was a large multistate outbreak of listeriosis.

The survey asked 1,000 people to choose their most significant food-related news story of the year. The responses placed the outbreak of listeriosis linked to cantaloupe melons grown in Colorado at the top of the list. The outbreak affected at least 133 people, with 29 deaths and is reported to be the second largest ever recorded in the USA.

Second in the list came the replacement of the long-established 'Food Pyramid' scheme of dietary guidelines, while third was the sharp rise in global food prices. The passing of the new US Food Safety Modernization Act appeared in the list at number six.

More information about the survey results can be found via the link below.

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/food-safety-eclipses-rising-food-costs-as-top-food-story-of-2011-1596686.htm