Lettuce

FDA Announces New Efforts to Enhance the Safety of Leafy Greens

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Lettuce

In light of the recent E. coli outbreak that has been linked to romaine lettuce, the FDA announced that it will begin targeted sampling of leafy greens grown on farms and ranches during the fall 2022 harvest season in the Salinas Valley region of California. In addition, the agency is releasing results from a 2021 sampling assignment and providing an update on other work happening under the Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan (LGAP).

The LGAP sampling efforts seek to detect and prevent contaminated product from reaching consumers and help leafy greens growers and processors identify practices or conditions that may present microbial risks so they can strengthen the microbiological safety of their operations.

During the fall 2022 harvest season the FDA plans to collect about 240 lettuce samples at farms/ranches in the Salinas Valley that were identified by traceback investigations in recent years as being potentially associated with a foodborne illness outbreak in which lettuce or leafy greens were the likely or suspect food vehicle.

The FDA notes that it also may collect environmental samples such as water, soil and scat, as appropriate, based on observations made at the time of sampling and a farm/ranch’s past inspection history. All samples will be tested for Salmonella spp. and E. coli O157:H7. The sampling will begin in mid-September 2022 and run through October 2022.

In 2021, the FDA conducted a leafy greens sampling assignment and has released a summary report of the results. As part of this assignment, the agency collected lettuce from commercial coolers in the Salinas Valley growing area and tested samples for E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. between May and November 2021. The agency detected Salmonella enterica in one green leaf sample and STEC in two other samples. The potentially contaminated products were destroyed and follow-up inspections were conducted.

As a result of continued outbreaks and ongoing concerns about leafy green contamination, multi-disciplinary food safety experts from across the FDA also will be visiting with leafy greens producers in California over the next two months to learn more about leafy greens operations. The FDA shared that recent outbreaks have raised concerns about the sanitary design of harvest equipment and how field production and processing practices may be contributing to contamination events, which spurred the creation of this working group.

Chris Downs

Downs Named President of the Institute of Food Technologists

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Chris Downs

Christopher “Chris” Downs, Ph.D., is the new president of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). IFT is a nonprofit scientific institute committed to advancing the science of food and its application across the global food system. Downs is the organization’s 83rd president and follows 2021-2022 President Vickie Kloeris, MS, CFS.

Downs, who is based in Australia, currently serves as general manager for Crop & Food Science with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in Queensland. Previously, he led the Food Program at Australia’s national science agency, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Throughout his 30-year career, Downs has worked with governments, universities and industry partners around the world to bring the latest food system innovations to the market and consumers.

“Since the moment Chris became an IFT member in 2015, he has enthusiastically brought a global perspective and extensive knowledge as a science of food professional to IFT,” said IFT CEO Christie Tarantino-Dean. “With the curiosity, compassion and commitment to supporting the global science of food community Chris exudes, we’re confident he will make a significant impact in his role as president of IFT this year.”

As an IFT member, Downs has served in various roles including the IFT Board of Directors, the IFT Strategy Working Group, the IFT Audit and Risk Committee and IFT’s Cannabis Content Review Panel. He has been a strong supporter of IFT’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategy and notes that he is passionate about IFT engaging with food professionals from around the world.

“IFT has played a significant role in my career and life’s work, so it’s an honor to serve as president this coming year,” said Downs. “We are a passionate and knowledgeable group of professionals, spanning academia, government and industry, committed to embedding the voice of science into our global food system. I look forward to working with our talented board of directors, dedicated volunteers and members to promote and advance our work on a global scale.”

 

Tamales

Public Health Alert for Poultry and Meat Products Containing FDA-Regulated Corn Starch

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Tamales

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for select La Guadalupana Foods, Inc. poultry and meat products, which contain an FDA-regulated corn starch that has been recalled due to an undeclared allergen, specifically milk.

FSIS issued the public health alert to ensure that consumers are aware that these products should not be consumed. The FSIS announcement notes that additional products may be added, as it is likely that additional meat and poultry products will be affected by the corn starch.

The list of products subject to the public health alert are available here. The tamales were shipped to warehouse, distributor and retail locations in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. However, if other products are added, additional states might be affected.

FSIS and FDA are working together to determine the extent of the distribution of the corn starch to other establishments. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. FSIS urges consumers who have purchased these products not to consume them and either throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

Amanda Bosse

Bosse Takes Helm as CEO of Certified Group

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Amanda Bosse

Amanda Bosse has been named CEO of Certified Group, a U.S.-based provider of testing and regulatory consulting services for the food & beverage, dietary supplements & NHP, cosmetics, OTC, personal care, tobacco, cannabis, nicotine, hemp and other regulated end markets.

Bosse brings more than 20 years of global experience in pharmaceutical and science-led service businesses. She previously served as president of drug product services at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Prior to Thermo Fisher Scientific, she held multiple senior roles of increasing responsibility for Patheon Pharmaceuticals.

Bosse succeeds John Bellinger, who will remain with the company as its chairman. “Amanda has a strong background in delivering successful transformations across numerous verticals. It has been a privilege to serve as CEO of Certified, and I am incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished to-date,” said Bellinger. “I look forward to focusing on Certified’s key customers, and supporting the company strategy as chairman.”

“Certified is well-positioned as a leading provider of differentiated lab testing services, and I see immense opportunity in serving our growing end markets through continued M&A and service expansion, all supported by an excellent team. It is an honor to lead this exceptional company and advance its role as a premier laboratory testing platform in North America,” said Bosse. “I look forward to working closely with John and this talented team as we further strengthen and expand our product offering, capabilities and reach.”

Water fountain

EPA Proposes Designating Certain PFAS as Hazardous Substances

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Water fountain

The EPA is proposing to designate two of the most widely used per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as “Superfund.” In its August 26 announcement, the agency noted that this would increase transparency around releases of these harmful chemicals and help to hold polluters accountable for cleaning up their contamination.

The proposal applies to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), including their salts and structural isomers, and is based on significant evidence that PFOA and PFOS may present a substantial danger to human health or welfare or the environment. PFOA and PFOS can accumulate and persist in the human body for long periods of time. Evidence from laboratory animal and human epidemiology studies indicates that exposure to PFOA and/or PFOS may lead to cancer, reproductive, developmental, cardiovascular, liver and immunological effects.

“Communities have suffered far too long from exposure to these forever chemicals. The action announced today will improve transparency and advance EPA’s aggressive efforts to confront this pollution, as outlined in the Agency’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Under this proposed rule, EPA will both help protect communities from PFAS pollution and seek to hold polluters accountable for their actions.”

If finalized, the rulemaking would trigger reporting of PFOA and PFOS releases, providing the EPA with better data and the option to require cleanups and recover cleanup costs to encourage better waste management.  It would also improve EPA, state, Tribal nation and local community understanding of the extent and locations of PFOA and PFOS contamination throughout the country and help communities avoid or reduce contact with these potentially dangerous chemicals.

The EPA said that it is focused on holding responsible those who have manufactured and released significant amounts of PFOA and PFOS into the environment. It will use enforcement discretion and other approaches to ensure fairness for minor parties who may have been inadvertently impacted by the contamination.

If this designation is finalized, releases of PFOA and PFOS that meet or exceed the reportable quantity would have to be reported to the National Response Center, state or Tribal emergency response commissions, and the local or Tribal emergency planning committees.

Additionally, the proposed rule would, in certain circumstances, facilitate making the polluter pay by allowing EPA to seek to recover cleanup costs from a potentially responsible party or to require such a party to conduct the cleanup. In addition, federal entities that transfer or sell their property will be required to provide a notice about the storage, release or disposal of PFOA or PFOS on the property and a covenant warranting that it has cleaned up any resulting contamination or will do so in the future, if necessary.

EPA will be publishing the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register in the next several weeks. Upon publication, EPA there will be a 60-day comment period.

 

 

Romaine Lettuce

Wendy’s Pulls Romaine Lettuce Over E. Coli Concerns

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Romaine Lettuce

A multi-state outbreak of E. coli led Wendy’s to take the precautionary measure of removing romaine lettuce being used in sandwiches from restaurants in the region of the outbreak.

The CDC reports that as of August 18, 2022, a total of 37 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported from Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The illnesses started on dates ranging from July 26, 2022, to August 8, 2022.

A specific food has not yet been confirmed as the source of this outbreak, but among 26 people who have been interviewed, 22 (86%) reported eating sandwiches with romaine lettuce at Wendy’s restaurants in Michigan, Ohio or Pennsylvania in the week before their illness started. Based on this information, Wendy’s removed the romaine lettuce being used in sandwiches from restaurants in those regions.

A spokesperson for Wendy’s released the following statement: “We are fully cooperating with public health authorities on their ongoing investigation of the regional E. coli outbreak reported in certain midwestern states. While the CDC has not yet confirmed a specific food as the source of that outbreak, we have taken the precaution of discarding and replacing the sandwich lettuce at some restaurants in that region. The lettuce that we use in our salads is different, and is not affected by this action. As a company, we are committed to upholding our high standards of food safety and quality.”

The CDC emphasized that it is not advising that people avoid eating at Wendy’s restaurants or that people stop eating romaine lettuce.

The CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, the FDA and the USDA-FSIS are collecting and analyzing data at the ingredient level to identify the food source of the outbreak, confirm whether romaine lettuce is the source and determine if there are any other possible foods that could be the source of the outbreak.

 

Cooked shrimp

FDA Launches Phase Three of AI Imported Seafood Pilot Program

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Cooked shrimp

The FDA has launched the third phase of its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Imported Seafood Pilot program, which uses AI and machine learning (ML) to strengthen import screening to ensure that foods entering the U.S are safe.

The FDA chose to focus on seafood for the pilot program as more than 90% of the U.S. seafood supply comes from other countries, and the agency has seen food safety concerns for various imported seafood products along different points in the supply chain.

The program was implemented under the New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint, a program that was developed to reduce the number of foodborne illnesses by leveraging technology to create a safer, more digital, traceable food system.

The third phase is designed to improve the agency’s ability to quickly identify imported seafood products that may be contaminated by illness-causing pathogens, decomposition, the presence of unapproved antibiotic residues or other hazards.

The first phase of the pilot, launched in 2019, was an analytical proof of concept. The analysis demonstrated potential for an ML-driven approach to expedite the review of lower-risk seafood shipments, while identifying those of higher risk for violations or refusals. The second phase, conducted in the field, was designed to integrate ML into existing import data systems to inform decisions about sampling by entry reviewers while gaining more experience with training of the ML model. It was launched at all 328 U.S. ports of entry from February 2021 through July 2021. The real-time model was able to analyze an import entry and return a sample recommendation within seconds.

The third phase will help determine the feasibility of deploying in-house AI/ML models using the intelligence that FDA extracts from the data collected while reviewing millions of import entries per year.

The agency notes that ML has the ability to analyze data from various sources to help inform FDA decisions and target resources at the borders. In a related shrimp pilot, the FDA was able to focus on areas of increased risk, such as shrimp contaminated by aquaculture drugs, for foreign inspections. “This includes increased importer inspections, higher rates of sampling and examination, and use of non-traditional tools, such as third-party audits, specific to this commodity. We incorporated the data from this project into the Third Phase of AI Imported Seafood Pilot Program, allowing for a more robust and larger targeted sampling,” said the FDA in a statement to constituents.

 

Listeria

Thermo Scientific SureTect Listeria PCR Assays Granted AOAC Official Methods First Action

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Listeria

A poster by Thermo Scientific presented ay the 2022 IAFP Conference in August showed validation methods of the company’s SureTect Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria species PCR Assays, which led to AOAC recognition for official method of first action.

For the unpaired collaborative study, Evangelos J Vandoros, et al, compared the SureTect Listeria PCR Assays Method to the method outlined in the FDA-Bam Chapter 10. The matrix used for the study was full-fat cottage cheese with a test portion of 25g.

The researchers validated both SureTect Listeria PCR Assays (Listeria species and Listeria monocytogenes) in this study, as they follow the same method protocol and are validated for the same matrices.

Outcomes showed consolidated dLPOD data from 12 collaborators for the SureTect Listeria PCR methods and the FDA-BAM Chapter 10 reference method. The data was within confidence intervals showing that there was no significant difference between the SureTect methods and the reference method. The time to result was less than 24 hours.

Based on these findings, the SureTect Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria species PCR Assays were both granted AOAC Official Methods First Action

The validated categories for the assays include milk and dairy, fresh produce, seafood, raw meat, ready to eat/reheat and environmental,

Recall

Frozen Pizza Recalled Due to Possible Foreign Object Contamination

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Recall

Home Run Inn Frozen Foods is recalling approximately 13,099 pounds of frozen meat pizza product that may be contaminated with metal materials. The USDA FSIS announced the recall on August 14.

The problem was discovered when the Woodbridge, Illinois-based company notified FSIS that it had received consumer complaints reporting that metal was found in the pizza.

The pizzas were produced on June 6, 2022, and include the 33.5 oz. “Home Run Inn CHICAGO’S PREMIUM PIZZERIA DELUXE SAUSAGE CLASSIC PIZZA” with “best by” date of 12/03/22 (view labels). The products subject to recall have the establishment number “EST. 18498-A” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to a distributor in Illinois and then further distributed to retailers.

There have been no confirmed reports of injuries or adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

Distributors and retailers are urged not to sell these products. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them and either throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

Salmonella

USDA Declares Salmonella an Adulterant in Breaded Stuffed Raw Chicken Products

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Salmonella

On August 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that it will be declaring Salmonella an adulterant in breaded and stuffed raw chicken products.

The FSIS noted that since 1998, breaded and stuffed raw chicken products have been associated with up to 14 outbreaks and approximately 200 illnesses. Products in this category are found in the freezer section and include some chicken cordon bleu or chicken Kiev products. The challenge is that these products appear cooked to consumers, but they are heat-treated only to set the batter or breading. The products contain raw poultry, and continual efforts to improve the product labeling have not been effective at reducing consumer illnesses, said the FSIS.

By declaring Salmonella an adulterant in these products, breaded and stuffed raw chicken products will be considered adulterated when they exceed a very low level of Salmonella contamination and would be subject to regulatory action. FSIS is proposing to set the limit at 1 colony forming unit (CFU) of Salmonella per gram for these products, a level that the agency believes will significantly reduce the risk of illness from consuming these products. The agency will also seek comment on whether a different standard for adulteration, such as zero tolerance or one based on specific serotypes, would be more appropriate.

“Today’s announcement is an important moment in U.S. food safety because we are declaring Salmonella an adulterant in a raw poultry product,” said Sandra Eskin, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety. “This is just the beginning of our efforts to improve public health.”

The notice is expected to publish in the Federal Register in the fall. FSIS will be seeking public comments that address what the standard should be as well as to inform its final implementation plan, including a verification testing program. Once published, the notice will be posted in FSIS’ Federal Register & Rulemaking page for review and comment. When the proposal is finalized, FSIS will announce its final implementation plans and the date it will begin routine testing for Salmonella in these products.

In October 2021, USDA announced it was reevaluating its strategy for controlling Salmonella in poultry, including whether Salmonella should be considered an adulterant in specific raw poultry products. Since launching this effort, USDA has been focusing on gathering information by meeting with stakeholders to hear their ideas, asking for recommendations from food safety experts and soliciting ideas for pilot projects from industry to test drive different control strategies in poultry establishments. USDA plans to present a proposed framework for a new comprehensive strategy to reduce Salmonella illnesses attributable to poultry in October and convene a public meeting to discuss it in November.