New research published in the journal, Frontiers in Nutrition found heavy metals in dark chocolate and cocoa products.
The researchers reported that 43, 35, and 0% of the products tested exceed Prop 65 MADLs for heavy metal concentrations, respectively, of Pb, Cd, and As, while 97.2% (70 of 72) fall below US FDA IRL limits established for Pb. Median concentrations of each metal tested were lower than even the conservative Prop 65 MADLs, indicating a potentially large effect of product outliers.
This indicates that heavy metal contamination—in more than half of products tested—may not pose any appreciable risk for the average person when consumed as a single serving; however, consuming some of the products tested, or more than one serving per day in combination with non-cocoa derived sources heavy metals, may add up to exposure that would exceed the Prop 65 MADLs. Notably, “organic” products were significantly more likely to demonstrate higher levels of both Cd and Pb.
Through product testing, the FDA has determined that the ground cinnamon products listed on their website contain elevated levels of lead and that prolonged exposure to these products may be unsafe. The FDA is advising consumers to throw away and not to buy these ground cinnamon products. The FDA has recommended that the firms voluntarily recall these products, with the exception of the MTCI cinnamon. According to the FDA’s website, the FDA has been unable to reach MTCI to share their findings and request that the company initiate a recall. No illnesses or adverse events have been reported to date in association with these products.
Following the October 2023 recall of cinnamon apple puree and applesauce products due to elevated lead levels linked to the cinnamon in those products and the concern for lead toxicity in children, the FDA initiated a targeted survey of ground cinnamon products from discount retail stores and analyzed the samples for lead and chromium.
Based on results from the survey, the FDA is recommending recalls of ground cinnamon from six distributors whose products had elevated lead levels ranging from 2.03 to 3.4 parts per million (ppm). These levels are significantly lower than the levels of lead associated with the ongoing investigation into ground cinnamon from Ecuador supplied by Negasmart to Austrofoods, the manufacturer of the apple puree and applesauce products, which were between 2,270 ppm to 5,110 ppm in the cinnamon.
FDA Actions
The FDA announced it is continuing its Toxic Elements monitoring program, which includes testing of a variety of foods including colored spices offered for sale in the U.S. According to their website, sampling at import has prevented some cinnamon with elevated lead levels from entering U.S. commerce; however, like all of FDA surveillance activities, these monitoring programs only evaluate a subset of the commodity being imported. FDA will follow-up on these findings as well as continue our activities at import to prevent unsafe cinnamon from reaching consumers in the U.S., including by adding firms and products to import alert where appropriate. Ultimately, FDA says, it is the responsibility of the manufacturers and the importers to ensure the safety of the products that enter into the U.S. market.
The FDA also sent a letter to all cinnamon manufacturers, processors, distributors, and facility operators in the U.S. reminding them of the requirement to implement controls to prevent contamination from potential chemical hazards in food, including in ground cinnamon products. The FDA will continue to work with firms to ensure they are meeting their responsibilities under provisions of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food rule.
On July 29, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a comprehensive proposed rule and determination to more effectively reduce Salmonella contamination and illnesses associated with raw poultry products. According to the USDA’s website, this is the culmination of FSIS’ three-year effort to reevaluate their strategy for controlling Salmonella rates in poultry and protect American consumers from foodborne illness linked to consumption of poultry products.
The proposal would establish final product standards to prevent raw chicken carcasses, chicken parts, ground chicken, and ground turkey products that contain any type of Salmonella at or above 10 colony forming units (CFU) per gram/ml and any detectable level of at least one of the Salmonella serotypes of public health significance from entering commerce. The proposed Salmonella serotypes of public health significance identified for raw chicken carcasses, chicken parts, and comminuted chicken are Enteritidis, Typhimurium, and I,4,[5],12:I:- ; and for raw comminuted turkey are Hadar, Typhimurium, and Muenchen. The proposal would also require poultry establishments to develop a microbial monitoring program to prevent pathogen contamination throughout the slaughter system.
“The proposed Salmonella framework is grounded in data and rigorous scientific evaluation, and it reflects feedback from extensive stakeholder engagement,” said USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Emilio Esteban. “We encourage all interested stakeholders to submit comments and relevant data on the proposal as we work to finalize data-driven, science-based regulatory policies to address Salmonella in poultry.”
The CDC website reported that there is a Listeria Outbreak Linked to Meats Sliced at Delis. Many people in this outbreak are reporting eating meats that they had sliced at deli counters. Investigators are collecting information to determine the specific products that may be contaminated. Products sold at the deli, especially those sliced or prepared at the deli, can be contaminated with Listeria. Listeria spreads easily among deli equipment, surfaces, hands and food.
As of July 19, 2024, a total of 28 people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria have been reported from 12 states (see map). Sick people’s samples were collected from May 29, 2024, to July 5, 2024 (see timeline). Of 28 people with information available, all have been hospitalized. One person got sick during their pregnancy and remained pregnant after recovering. Two deaths have been reported, 1 in Illinois and 1 in New Jersey. The investigation is still active and there has been no recall.
Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. CDC PulseNet manages a national database of DNA fingerprints of bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. USDA-FSIS is working to identify the suppliers of deli meats, sliced at deli counters, purchased by people in this outbreak.
On July 2, the Beijing News reported that the state-run oil and grain company, Sinograin was using the same tanker trucks to transport both fuel and food oil products, without any cleaning process between. According to the website, ChinaMediaProject.org, the tankers were transporting soybean oils and syrups together with coal-to-oil (CTL) products, which use coal as a raw material to produce oil and petrochemical products through chemical processing. The scandal has implicated other major Chinese companies including Hopefull Grain and Oil Group, a private conglomerate as reported in the Guardian.
In the Beijing News report, an undercover reporter interviewed a trucker who had driven a tanker of coal-derived fuel from Ningxia, a region in the west of China, to the east coast city of Qinhuangdao in Hebei, a journey of more than 800 miles (1,290km). The trucker told the journalist he was not allowed to return with an empty vehicle, and subsequently drove to a facility in another part of Hebei to load up with nearly 32 tons of soya bean oil, without cleaning the tanker. Several other tankers featured in the article made similar journeys without any washing or sanitizing of the tank in between.
The Beijing News is a state-run newspaper under Beijing municipal propaganda office that into the early 2010s was among the country’s more outspoken professional outlets. Stories like this have become a true rarity in the Xi Jinping era, as the leadership has emphasized “positive propaganda” and the need for media to abide by “correct public opinion guidance.”
There is no mandatory national standard at present for the transportation of edible oil in China. There is only a recommended Code for Bulk Transport of Edible Vegetable Oil, which mentions that special vehicles should be used for the transportation of edible vegetable oil in bulk. Because it is a recommended national standard, this means that it has limited binding force on manufacturers.
This week the office of the food safety commission under China’s State Council said it was investigating the claims and that “individuals found violating the law through improper use of tanker trucks will face severe punishment”.
It is not clear where the cooking oil in the fuel-contaminated tankers ultimately ended up. Follow-up reports tracking the truckers identified in the Beijing News article suggested that the tankers delivered oil to packaging facilities run by household brand names in China, intensifying concerns that people could be consuming toxic oil. The article also quoted an industry insider as saying that some of the oil may ultimately be packaged into small bottles for foreign sales.
Last week, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico said two employees of the U.S.D.A.’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service were assaulted and detained while traveling in the Mexican state of Michoacán, where they had been surveying orchards and packing plants. The employees were later released, but the episode led to a temporary halt of inspections of avocados and mangoes destined for the United States. A “satisfactory” proposal on worker safety allowed the inspectors to return to work, Ken Salazar, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, said last Monday.
Inspectors employed by a unit of the U.S.D.A. vet producers and packing plants in Mexico as part of a program designed to make sure orchards and other facilities that handle the crops are free of pests and comply with food safety standards.
According to the Embassy’s website, security incidents in Mexico have not been limited to the avocado program. In 2020, a USDA employee who carried out screening and eradication activities in support of fruit and pest and citrus disease programs in northern Mexico was killed. In the case of concern, an APHIS inspector questioned the integrity of a particular shipment, and refused to certify it on the basis of specific issues. The USDA inspector’s supervisor later received a telephone threat against him and his family.
The food allergy safety company, MenuTrinfo has selected over a dozen award-winning organizations and brands that made major strides this year to protect the health of consumers with food allergies and food intolerances.
In its eighth year running, MenuTrinfo’s 2024 Allergy Awards expanded from 10 categories to 13, recognizing industry innovators’ dedication to food allergy safety, training, and spreading overall awareness. The competitive selection process kicked off in early May and winners were selected from a public nomination pool of qualified candidates.
“The competition was incredibly stiff this year, which is a major testament to the growing number of unstoppable organizations fighting for the livelihood of 33 million US residents suffering from food allergies,” said Betsy Craig, CEO of MenuTrinfo.
MenuTrinfo is dedicated to ensuring safe food service by providing allergen and nutritional information for restaurants, universities, and brands across the United States. Based in Colorado, this woman-owned company also helps manufacturers provide product transparency to today’s food allergic consumer through the accredited Certified Free From™ program.
MenuTrinfo’s ANAB accredited AllerTrain® program has trained over 100,000 participants internationally, including food service staff members from restaurants, universities, and more. MenuTrinfo’s college map lists all AllerTrained campuses, including the University of Maryland (UMD).
UMD Dining Services was recognized as this year’s ‘Best Overall Food Allergy Program for Universities’ for their efforts to communicate and make accommodations for the 1,600 self-reported UMD students with allergies and intolerances. The UMD Dining Services Food Allergy program is spearheaded by Nutritionist & Certified Allergen Trainer, Sister Maureen Schrimpe, Executive Allergen Chef, Chris Inboden, and Senior Executive Chef, John Gray.
For Thomas Silvera, Co-Founder and Vice President of the Elijah-Alavi Foundation, the ‘Best Food Allergy Advocacy Group,’ This recognition amplifies the voices of those living with life-threatening food allergies, highlighting their struggles and advocating for their needs. The Elijah- Alavi Foundation is a non-profit offering diverse food allergy and asthma resources for childcare facilities, daycares and schools, regardless of socio-economic status, cultural background, or socioeconomic class.
“This award not only acknowledges our hard work and dedication but also reinforces our commitment to raising awareness and advocating for those affected by food allergies, especially within underserved communities. I dedicate this honor and award to my son, Elijah-Alavi, and to everyone who believes in the work we do,” said Silvera.
According to the June 28, 2024 USDA Constituent Update, FSIS evaluated commercially available pathogen screening technologies and will adopt a new rapid screening test for adulterant Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Specifically, FSIS will use the bioMérieux GENE-UP® Pathogenic E. coli (PEC) platform to screen enriched samples received on or after September 16, 2024, for adulterant STEC. This screening method adds efficiency by employing a novel molecular diagnostic target to rapidly identify samples containing STEC. FSIS expects that adoption of this new screening method will reduce the number of potential–and presumptive–positive STEC results that do not confirm positive with our current method. FSIS expects that industry will see reduced product holding times while waiting for laboratory results.
According the the FDA’s website, Totally Cool, Inc. of Owings Mills, Maryland is recalling multiple brands of ice cream products, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Products were distributed nationwide, and available in retail locations and direct delivery. No illnesses have been reported to date.
The brands involved were Abilyn’s Frozen Bakery, Amafruits, Chipwich, Cumberland Farms, Dolcezza Gelato, Friendly’s, Hershey’s Ice Cream, Jeni’s, LaSalle, Marco, Taharka Brothers, the Frozen Farmer and Yelloh. More than 65 products were recalled, including ice cream cakes and sandwiches, as well as sorbets, according to a list published by the FDA that includes expiration dates.
Totally Cool, Inc. has ceased the production and distribution of the affected products due to FDA sampling which discovered the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. The company continues its investigation and is taking preventive actions. No other products produced by Totally Cool, Inc. are impacted by this recall.
There is only one week left to submit your comments to the docket on the New Era of Smarter Food Safety. FDA is seeking feedback on topics discussed during the public meeting as well as specific questions they have identified in the topics for consideration document on FDA’s meeting page. FDA encourages anyone interested in submitting comments to
the docket, to please do so by the June 24, 2024 deadline. Comments can be submitted at www.regulations.gov [2] to docket number FDA-2024-N-1744.
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