Tag Archives: CDC

Fast-Growing Salmonella Outbreak Spans 29 States, Origin Still Unknown

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The CDC has been unable to determine the origin of a “fast-growing” Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak that has sickened nearly 280 people across 29 states. As of the agency’s latest update on September 24, state and local officials have been collecting food items from restaurants where sick people ate, however since several items were in takeout containers that were contaminated with the strain of Salmonella, the CDC has not been able to identify the source of the outbreak. Sampled items include takeout condiments that contain cilantro and lime.

The first illness was reported on August 3. The CDC also notes that recent illnesses may not yet be reported because it can take three to four weeks to determine whether a sick person is part of an outbreak. Thus far no deaths have been reported.

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FSIS Changes Mask, Social Distancing Requirements Effective Immediately

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Following CDC’s latest guidance announcing that fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or social distancing, FSIS issued new guidance for agency personnel in plants, laboratories and in-commerce.

Effective immediately, personnel fully vaccinate (at least two weeks past the final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine) are not required to wear a face mask, face shield or practice physical distancing in federal establishments, facilities that request voluntary inspection, labs or where in-commerce work is conducted. However, fully vaccinated personnel can continue to wear face masks or shields if they so desire.

Personnel that is not fully vaccinated must continue to wear a face mask or shield and maintain social distancing requirements as mandated by the agency.

Recall

FDA and CDC Investigating Non-Viral Hepatitis Potentially Linked to ‘Real Water’ Brand Alkaline Water

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Recall

–UPDATE April 19, 2021 — The FDA continues to investigate reports of acute non-viral hepatitis in Nevada associate with consumption of “Real Water” brand alkaline water. “The FDA has become aware that “Real Water” brand alkaline water is still being offered for sale through online retailers. The agency is working to locate any remaining products to ensure they are no longer available to consumers,” FDA stated in an email update. “The FDA will continue to monitor this situation closely and follow up with retailers as we become aware of recalled products being offered for sale.”

–END UPDATE–

The FDA and CDC are investigating reports of acute non-viral hepatitis in consumers that has a common link to “Real Water” brand alkaline water. The agency is in the beginning stages of the investigation and notes that more products could be connected to the outbreak. The acute non-viral hepatitis cases affected infants and children, resulted in acute liver failure and occurred in November 2020, but FDA was alerted to the cases on March 13, 2021.

The manufacturer, Arizona-based Real Water, Inc., stated that the issue occurred in Las Vegas and is recalling the product. FDA pulled information from the company’s website stating that the five-gallon containers are delivered to homes in Honolulu; Orange County, Ventura and Santa Barbara, California; St. George, Utah; and Tucson, Arizona. The agency also states that Real Water is packaged and sold in various sizes including 1 gallon, 1 liter and 1.5 liter plastic bottles.

FDA is urging consumers, restaurants and retailers against drinking, cooking with, selling or serving the “Real Water” alkaline water until more information is revealed about the illnesses.

FDA

FDA Issues Update on E. Coli Outbreak Involving Leafy Greens

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FDA

FDA has completed its investigation of the multistate outbreak of E. coli 0151:H7 that occurred last fall and was linked to leafy greens. The FDA and CDC found the outbreak was caused by an E. coli strain that was genetically related to the strain found in the fall 2019 outbreak involving romaine lettuce (Salinas, California). Despite conducting environmental sampling at dozens of ranches in the area, the FDA was unable to identify a single site as the source of the outbreak. However, the analysis did confirm “a positive match to the outbreak strain in a sample of cattle feces,” which was located uphill from where the leafy greens identified in the agency’s traceback investigation were grown, according to an FDA release.

Although the FDA’s investigation has ended, the agency will be reviewing the findings and release a report in the “near future” with recommendations. “In the meantime, as recommended in our Leafy Greens Action Plan, the FDA continues to recommend growers assess and mitigate risk associated with adjacent and nearby land use practices, particularly as it relates to the presence of livestock, which are a persistent reservoir of E. coli O157:H7 and other STEC,” FDA stated in the update.

Mortadella

CDC, USDA Investigating Multistate Listeria Outbreak Linked to Italian-Style Deli Meats

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Mortadella

On October 29, 2020 attend the Food Safety Consortium Virtual episode on Listeria Detection, Mitigation and ControlThe CDC and USDA are investigating a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes that has sent 10 people to the hospital and resulted in one death. The outbreak, which as of October 22 has reported illnesses in Florida (1), Massachusetts (7) and New York (2), has been linked to Italian-style deli meats such as salami, mortadella and prosciutto. Currently no specific deli meat or common supplier has been identified.

CDC, FSIS and other public health officials are using PulseNet to identify any illnesses that could be linked to the outbreak. The following is a link to the CDC’s map of reported cases by state.

Department of Justice seal

Blue Bell Hit with Record $17.25 Million in Criminal Penalties for 2015 Listeria Outbreak

By Maria Fontanazza
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Department of Justice seal

Remember the 2015 Listeria outbreak linked to Blue Bell Creameries? The outbreak led to three deaths and 10 illnesses between January 2010 and January 2015. On Thursday the Department of Justice ordered the company to pay $17.25 million in criminal penalties for shipping contaminated products linked to that outbreak. The sentence, enforced by U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman (Austin, Texas), is the largest fine and forfeiture ever imposed in a conviction involving a food safety case.

“American consumers must be able to trust that the foods they purchase are safe to eat,” stated – Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark, Justice Department’s Civil Division in an agency news release. “The sentence imposed today sends a clear message to food manufacturers that the Department of Justice will take appropriate actions when contaminated food products endanger consumers.”

In May 2020 Blue Bell pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of distributing adulterated ice cream. The following is an excerpt from the Department of Justice news release:

“The plea agreement and criminal information filed against Blue Bell allege that the company distributed ice cream products that were manufactured under insanitary conditions and contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, in violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. According to the plea agreement, Texas state officials notified Blue Bell in February 2015 that samples of two ice cream products from the company’s Brenham, Texas factory tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, a dangerous pathogen that can lead to serious illness or death in vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. Blue Bell directed its delivery route drivers to remove remaining stock of the two products from store shelves, but the company did not recall the products or issue any formal communication to inform customers about the potential Listeria contamination. Two weeks after receiving notification of the first positive Listeria tests, Texas state officials informed Blue Bell that additional state-led testing confirmed Listeria in a third product. Blue Bell again chose not to issue any formal notification to customers regarding the positive tests. Blue Bell’s customers included military installations.”

OSHA

OSHA Fines Smithfield Foods, JBS for Failing to Protect Workers from COVID-19

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OSHA

Last week OSHA cited Smithfield Packaged Meats in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for failing to protect its workers from COVID-19 exposure. The federal agency issued a fine of $13,494 and cited a violation of failing to provide a violation-free environment following an inspection. More than 1200 workers for Smithfield Foods have contracted COVID-19 and four have died since April. The company, which produces 5% of the nation’s pork, has been under investigation since the early spring for its workplace conditions and the large coronavirus outbreak among employees. It has continued to defend itself against “misinformation”, with President and CEO Kenneth Sullivan going as far as submitting a letter to Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker at the end of June. Smithfield has 15 business days to pay the fine or contest the citation—and the company will reportedly contest the fine, as a company spokesperson called it “wholly without merit”.

During the September 17 Episode of the 2020 Food Safety Consortium Virtual Conference Series, experts will discuss COVID-19, worker safety and managing quality in the new normal | Register NowOSHA also slapped meat packer JBS with a proposed fine of $15,615, also for a “violation of the general duty clause for failing to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that can cause death or serious harm”. Nearly 300 workers have reportedly contracted COVID-19, and seven employees died. JBS also has 15 days to comply with or contest the fine, which a company spokesperson said is “entirely without merit” and that OSHA was trying to enforce a standard not even in existence in March.

“Contrary to the allegations in the citation, the Greeley facility is in full compliance with all recommended guidance and hazard abatements. The facility has been audited and reviewed by multiple health professionals and government experts, including the CDC, local and state health departments, third-party epidemiologists, and the Department of Labor, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, who twice visited the plant during the citation period, and issued favorable reports on April 20 and May 8,” according to a statement by a JBS spokesperson. “The Greeley facility has only had 14 confirmed positives in the past three and half months, representing 0.4% of our Greeley workforce, despite an ongoing community outbreak. The facility has not had a positive case in nearly seven weeks, despite more than 1,730 positives in the county and more than 33,300 positive cases in the state during the same time period.”

Meanwhile Kim Cordova, president of the union that represents JBS workers, stated that the company penalty is simply a drop in the bucket and not severe enough. “A $15,000 ‘penalty’ from OSHA is nothing to a large company like JBS. In fact, it only incentivizes the company to continue endangering its employees. The government has officially failed our members, the more than 3,000 workers at JBS Greeley, who have protected the food supply chain while our communities quarantined during the pandemic. It is immoral and unethical, but in the current Administration, unfortunately not illegal, that OSHA waited seven months to investigate the unsafe working conditions that led to this deadly outbreak. Because of this failure, JBS Greeley is the site of the most meat processing plant worker deaths in the nation due to Covid-19.”

FDA

FDA on COVID-19 Food Safety Checklist: This is Not a Regulatory Requirement or Enforcement Tool

By Maria Fontanazza
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FDA

In mid-August, FDA and OSHA released a checklist to help food companies that were going through operational changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the “Employee Health and Food Safety Checklist for Human and Animal Food Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic” document reviews employee health and social distancing (how to deal with employee exposure and testing, the arrangement of work environments, especially considering work breaks and close operations), and food safety and HACCP plans—including suppliers and incoming ingredients—cGMPs, and other operational alterations due to COVID-19.

Today FDA held an “FDA COVID-19 Update for Food Operations Stakeholders” in collaboration with CDC and OSHA to further discuss the checklist, which targets owners, operators or agents in charge of a food operation. The purpose is to help the user assess operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly operations that have restarted after a facility shutdown. Following the initial remarks, it was clear the FDA wanted to emphasize that the food safety checklist is intended to serve as a resource document, not a new guidance document or a new regulation. What was originally envisioned to be a one- to two-page checklist became a 16-page checklist that should be used in conjunction with additional information provided by FDA, CDC and OSHA, said Jenny Scott, senior advisor, office of food safety at CFSAN.

Scott reviewed the outline of the checklist, touching on employee health practices to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 (from basic handwashing practices to deadline with sick and exposed workers), employee testing and potential changes related to personnel requirements (i.e., if you are putting new people into new roles, you must consider whether more training is required), and the cGMP requirements. Among the key questions related to sanitation that Scott advised one must ask include: Are necessary cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting supplies available? Are changes needed for cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting procedures for certain areas or the frequency of conducting the procedures? Do the changes result in the need for updating instructions or training workers?

As the understanding of COVID-19 and how it spreads is evolving, Scott stressed that industry should frequently check FDA, CDC and OSHA websites for updates.

(Noteworthy link from CDC: Testing Strategy for Coronavirus (COVID‐19) in High‐Density Critical Infrastructure Workplaces after a COVID‐19 Case is Identified)

Update on FDA Inspections

Michael Rogers, assistant commissioner for human and animal food operations, ORA, FDA also stressed the fact that the food safety checklist is not a new regulatory requirement, commenting that there has been “some anxiety associated” with this misperception. “This is simply an educational tool,” Rogers said. “We recognize that every firm is different, and the checklist should be information to consider…This is not an enforcement tool.” He added that the FDA’s approach during inspections will be collaborative and that the agency will not be holding firms to the specifics of the checklist. During the pandemic, the agency has been conducting mission critical inspections. FDA has also started domestic inspections in certain areas and will be preannouncing inspections as it moves forward, and it continues to assess the situation abroad to determine when foreign inspections can resume.

Wawona Bagged Peaches, ALDI

Bagged Peaches from ALDI Recalled Following Salmonella Outbreak

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Wawona Bagged Peaches, ALDI
Wawona Bagged Peaches, ALDI

As a precautionary measure, ALDI is voluntarily recalling assorted peaches received from its supplier, Wawona Packing Company, due to possible Salmonella contamination.

–UPDATE AUGUST 31, 2020 — Prima Wawona has recalled bagged, bulk and loose peaches that were distributed nationwide to retailers that include ALDI, Food Lion, Hannaford, Kroger, Target, Walmart and Wegmans. As of August 28, the CDC reported the outbreak of Salmonella infections reached 78 cases across 12 states.

In addition, the recall of Prima Wawona peaches has extended to Canada, Singapore and New Zealand. FDA states that the products may have been shipped to Australia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatamala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates.

–END UPDATE–

Do not eat, sell or serve Wawona-brand bagged peaches from ALDI stores, says the FDA. ALDI issued a voluntary recall of two-pound clear plastic bags of peaches from Wawona Packing Company, LLC following a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis that has been linked to the product. The peaches were sold in ALDI stores from June 1 until present, and as of August 19, the CDC reported 68 cases of Salmonella infections across nine states, with 14 hospitalizations. No deaths have been reported

“FDA’s traceback investigation is ongoing to identify the source of this outbreak and to determine if potentially contaminated product has been shipped to additional retailers,” the agency stated in an investigation update.

FDA

More Cases of Cyclospora Reported from Bagged Salads, Pathogen Found in Irrigation Canal

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FDA

Learn more about food safety supply chain management & traceability during the 2020 Food Safety Consortium Virtual Conference SeriesThe FDA and CDC have been investigating a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora involving bagged salads from Fresh Express since June. Although the products were recalled and should no longer be available in retail locations, the CDC continues to report more cases. As of August 12, 2020, the CDC counted 690 people with laboratory-confirmed Cyclospora infections throughout 13 states. Thirty-seven people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.

As the FDA conducted its traceback investigation to find the source of the outbreak linked to the Fresh Express products, the agency was able to identify several farms. It analyzed water samples from two public access points along a regional water management canal (C-23) west of Port St. Lucie, Florida. Using the FDA’s validated testing method, the samples tested positive for Cyclospora cayetanensis. However, it is important to note that the Cyclospora found might not be a direct match to the pathogen found in the clinical cases.

According to FDA: “Given the emerging nature of genetic typing methodologies for this parasite, the FDA has been unable to determine if the Cyclospora detected in the canal is a genetic match to the clinical cases, therefore, there is currently not enough evidence to conclusively determine the cause of this outbreak. Nevertheless, the current state of the investigation helps advance what we know about Cyclospora and offers important clues to inform future preventive measures.”

The agency’s traceback investigation is complete, but the cause or source of the outbreak has not been determined. The investigation also revealed that carrots are no longer of interest at as part of the outbreak, but red cabbage and iceberg lettuce are still being investigated. FDA is also working with Florida and the area’s local water district to learn more about the source of Cyclospora in the canal.