NSF International Acquires Burwater Pacific Group, Expands Reach in New Zealand and Australia

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Yesterday NSF International announced the acquisition of Burwater Pacific Group, a New Zealand-based food safety training, auditing and consulting business. The deal further expands NSF’s food safety and quality services to the food manufacturing and retail markets in New Zealand and Australia. Led by Nigel Burrows, the Burwater Pacific Group will be renamed NSF Burwater and become part of the NSF International Food Safety and Quality Division. NSF Burwater will offer the following services:

  • Technical consulting, including services for new product launches (product development, label review, food control plans, HACCP development, and micro and chemical sampling)
  • Auditing services, including franchise compliance and operational standards review, and third-party regulatory audits
  • Training and development
USDA Logo

Pesticide Residues Not a Food Safety Risk, Says Federal Government

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After publishing data from its 2014 Pesticide Data Program (PDP) earlier this week, the USDA has stated that it is not concerned with the level of pesticide chemical residues in the U.S. food supply. More than 99% of products sampled through the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program had residues below EPA tolerances (residues exceeding the tolerance were detected in 0.36% of samples).

“The PDP plays an essential role in ensuring the safety of the U.S. food supply. Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the FDA has authority to take enforcement action when a food bears or contains unlawful pesticide chemical residues,” said Susan Mayne, Ph.D., director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in a press release. “By providing an accurate assessment of pesticide levels in the most commonly consumed commodities in America, the PDP generally confirms the U.S. food supply is safe with respect to pesticide chemical residues.”

Among the foods tested were fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, oats, rice, and salmon. The findings from the PDP annual summary can be accessed via the USDA’s website.

Stephen Ostroff, FDA

FDA Commissioner Reflects on Food Safety Progress in 2015

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Stephen Ostroff, FDA

Stephen Ostroff, M.D., acting commissioner for food and drugs at FDA, released his final blog on 2015 FDA achievements earlier this week, highlighting the strides made in food safety. As expected, Ostroff pointed to FSMA and how it will help industry take stronger steps in preventing contamination, improving safety in growing produce and holding importers accountable. He offered a few agency high points in food safety for 2015:

Jeff Mitchell, Gina Kramer, Listeria

The Increase in Listeria Recalls and What You Can Do About It

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Jeff Mitchell, Gina Kramer, Listeria

Why has the food industry been seeing more Listeria outbreaks in recent years? What is the reason behind it? According to Jeff Mitchell, vice president of food safety at Chemstar, the prevalence in Listeria-related recalls may have more to do with the fact that industry is collecting more meaningful data. During a Q&A with Gina Kramer, founder and executive director of Savour Food Safety International, Inc., Mitchell discusses the methods through which industry is collecting data and how food companies should be using a sanitation program to rid facilities of resident Listeria at the 2015 Food Safety Consortium.

Huisken Meat, beef patty recall

More Than 89,000 Pounds of Beef Recalled Over Fear of Wood Contamination

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Huisken Meat, beef patty recall

After uncovering foreign material in an incoming ingredient during the production process, Huisken Meat Company has recalled 89,568 pounds of beef patties. According to the USDA, the recall is due to concern that the products may be contaminated with “extraneous wood materials”. The Sam’s Choice Black Angus Vidalia Onion patties come in 2-lb boxes and were shipped to retailers across the country, including Walmart.

There have been no reports of adverse reactions, and the USDA is advising that consumers throw out the items or return them to the retailer.  

Beyond incidental contamination, are food companies prepared for intentional contamination?

Listeria

Fast Facts About Listeria

By Maria Fontanazza
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Listeria

Attend the Listeria Detection & Control Workshop, May 31–June 1 in St. Paul, MN | LEARN MOREAccording to the CDC’s Foodborne Outbreak Online Database (FOOD Tool), there were 29 Listeria outbreaks between 2010 and 2014, resulting in 325 illnesses and 68 deaths (nearly a 21% fatality rate). In light of the recent reports that the U.S. Department of Justice is looking into Blue Bell Creameries following the Listeria outbreak in its facilities that killed three people, food companies need to have a strong mitigation and control program before it’s too late. The government is placing is a higher level of accountability on employees at all levels within food organizations and no one, including company executives, are immune to it.

“It’s extremely important that we understand how deadly Listeria is,” said Gina Nicholson-Kramer, founder and executive director at Savour Food Safety International, Inc. during a Listeria workshop at the 2015 Food Safety Consortium. “We’re put here to protect our consumer.”

Containing what may be growing (and rapidly spreading) within the nooks and crannies of a facility is a challenge. To learn more about how to prevent product contamination within all areas of food production, read the column by Nicholson-Kramer and Jeff Mitchell, vice president of food safety at Chemstar, Activate Your Listeria Mitigation and Control Program.

 Fast Listeria Facts

Types of Infections

 Non-invasive gastroenteritis: Self-limiting, diarrhea, fever, fatigue

Invasive gastroenteritis: Headache, stiff neck, loss of balance

At-Risk Populations

 Pregnant women, neonates, elderly, immune-compromised

Where It’s Found

 Soil, water, silage, manure, sewage, processing plants

How It Spreads in Facilities

 Foot traffic, wheels, forklifts, pallets, boxes, bins

Average Fatality Rate

 Up to 25%

Other Traits

 Psychrophilic bacteria (grows well in cold temperatures)

Adheres to surfaces and creates biofilms on equipment that is difficult to remove (Preventing transient Listeria from becoming resident Listeria is critical)
Department of Justice seal

Department of Justice Reportedly Investigating Blue Bell Creameries Over Listeria Outbreak

By Maria Fontanazza
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Department of Justice seal

Several news outlets have reported that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating Blue Bell Creameries following the Listeria outbreak that resulted in three deaths in Kansas and 10 illnesses in Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas between January 2010 and January 2015.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the DOJ is mainly interested in the involvement of company executives—did they know about the Listeria contamination? If so, what did they do about it?

Last April Blue Bell recalled all of its products over concerns of Listeria contamination and shut down the production line where the products were manufactured.

Blue Bell started a limited-release of its ice cream products last August. The company has not yet issued a response to the reports about the DOJ investigation, but last week it announced that it would begin a “bonus phase” of product re-entry in El Paso, Texas, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee. This is scheduled to be followed by phase five of market re-entry in parts of Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia the week of January 18, and then shipment into all of Florida, southern Georgia and southern South Carolina the week of January 25.

The company stated in a press release that after phase five is completed, all of Blue Bell’s furloughed employees will have returned to work.

Following the landmark sentencing of Peanut Corporation of America executives last fall, industry will be watching the outcome of the investigation very closely.

FDA Town Hall, 2015 Food Safety Consortium

Working Smarter with Foreign Regulatory Bodies on Imports

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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FDA Town Hall, 2015 Food Safety Consortium

With FDA’s limited resources, it’s important for the agency to work smarter, not necessarily harder, when it comes to implementing FSMA. During an FDA Town Hall at the Food Safety Consortium last fall, Michael Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine at FDA, briefly touched on the agency’s strategy for working with foreign parties to ensure compliance related to importing foods into the United States, including the Food Safety Systems Recognition Agreement with New Zealand.

Dollar

Food Safety Testing Market to Hit $6.4 Billion by 2020

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Dollar

As a result of the rising incidence of food contamination and foodborne illness outbreaks such as Listeria, Salmonella and E.coli, the North American market for food safety testing is expected to hit $6.4 billion within the next four years. According to a recent report by Markets and Markets, the 7.4% compound annual growth rate will also be fueled by the following factors:

  • Actions taken by food manufacturers to implement more testing at different stages of the chain in order to strengthen food safety standards
  • Increased concern to reduce the amount of product recalls
  • Increased consumer interest in ingredients and food safety
  • FSMA and the regulatory effort to reduce the presence of pathogens or contaminants in food

Learn more about how food laboratories are working to detect dangerous pathogens.

The Markets and Markets report:“North American Food Safety Market by Contaminant , Technology, Food Tested (Meat & Poultry, Dairy, Fruit & Vegetable, Processed Food), & by Country – Trend & Forecast to 2020″

Update: (1/14/2016): According to a report released by Research and Markets on January 14, the global food safety testing market can expect to achieve a 7.1% CAGR over the next five years, hitting $16.2 billion by 2020.

Salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers

Worst Foodborne Illness Outbreaks of 2015

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers

The CDC highlighted the following cases of contaminated food that resulted in foodborne illness outbreaks for 2015.

Pathogen Company and/or Product Cases States Hospitalizations Deaths Status
Listeria Blue Bell Ice Cream 10 4 10 3 Investigation complete
Listeria Karoun Dairies, Inc. (soft cheese) 30 10 28 3 Investigation complete
E.coli O26 Chipotle Mexican Grill 53 9 20 0 Investigation ongoing
Salmonella Cucumbers 838 38 165 4 CDC provided last update 11/2015
Salmonella Pork 192 5 30 0 CDC says outbreak “appears” to be over