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Recent recalls: Glass in Baby Food, Staphylococcal Enterotoxin Contaminated Pork, Salmonella in Whole Foods Macadamia Nuts

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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The latest recalls are affecting Beech-Nut Nutrition, B & R Meat Processing, and Whole Foods Market.

Whole Foods Market recalls packaged raw macadamia nuts due to possible salmonella

Whole Foods Market voluntarily recalls packaged raw macadamia nuts due to possible Salmonella contamination. Recalled items were sold in AR, AZ, CA, CO, HI, KS, LA, NM, NV, OK, TX, and UT Whole Foods Market Stores. No illnesses have been reported to-date. Based upon routine testing conducted by an FDA-contracted laboratory, it was determined that the raw macadamia nuts tested positive for Salmonella.

Beech-Nut Nutrition recalls Sweet Potato & Chicken Baby Food Product due to possible glass contamination

Beech-Nut Nutrition recalls approximately 1,920 pounds of baby food products that may be contaminated with small pieces of glass… The baby food product was produced on December 12, 2014: 4-oz. glass jars containing “Stage 2 Beech-Nut CLASSICS sweet potato & chicken. The problem was discovered after the firm received a complaint from a consumer who found a small piece of glass in the product. The company has received a report of an oral injury associated with consumption of these products. FSIS has received no additional reports of injury or illness from consumption of these products.

Beech-Nut responds: “At Beech-Nut, we strive to make baby food with the best ingredients nature has to offer – freshly prepared and packaged in clean, safe and environmentally-friendly packaging. So, when any product of ours falls short of those standards, we take swift action to correct it.”

B & R Meat Processing recalls 2000+ pounds of pork due to possible processing deviation and staphylococcal enterotoxin contamination

The cured and uncured pork items were produced on various dates between August 7, 2014 and April 1, 2015… The problem was discovered when an FSIS inspector was conducting a Food Safety Assessment and observed a processing deviation.

Latest posted recalls from FDA

Undeclared Allergens Continue to Serve as a Primary Factor in Product Recalls

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In the fourth quarter of 2014, undeclared allergens accounted for 50 percent of all FDA food-related recalled units and 83 percent of USDA recalled units.

In the past few months, retailers pulled hundreds of products from shelves after a spice supplier found traces of peanut proteins in their cumin spice – an ingredient that dozens of manufacturers use in products across the country.

Stericycle-Recall-March-2015

Ramifications from the recall, which began in December, still occur daily; over two months after the spice supplier first identified the issue. To some the recall may seem miniscule, however, to the nearly 15 million Americans the CDC says has food allergies, undeclared allergens can be a life-threatening scare.

Despite increasing regulations and industry scrutiny, undeclared allergens continue to serve as a primary cause of food recalls in the U.S. According to the latest Stericycle Recall Index, in the fourth quarter of 2014, undeclared allergens accounted for 50 percent of all FDA food-related recalled units and 83 percent of USDA recalled units.

According to FDA, the most common foods involved in food allergen recalls are bakery products, snack foods, candy, dairy products and dressings. The FDA also identifies the most common allergens causing the recalls as milk, wheat and soy.

Undeclared allergen recalls are often a result of a simple manufacturing operational error, such as mislabeling, mis-packaging or unintentional cross-contamination. In the U.S., manufacturers of FDA regulated foods are required to identify major food allergens on the label; if mistakes occur in manufacturing, companies may be subject to a product recall.

As recent recalls show, the more complex the supply chain, the more complex product recalls become. Globalization of the supply chain also complicates recalls, especially when regulatory agencies from multiple countries have different recall mandates. The Stericycle Recall Index highlights some of these unique challenges in the global supply chain, including accessibility to remote areas.

Companies with proactive recall strategies in place can navigate their supply chain with ease when a supplier or an undeclared allergen issue arises. Having these processes identified prior to an event can save valuable time, money and help a company maintain regulatory compliance, while also concentrating on future growth.

Click here to access the report.

Melanie Neumann, The Acheson Group and Syed Hassan, PepsiCo

Are You Effectively Managing Supply Chain Risk?

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Melanie Neumann, The Acheson Group and Syed Hassan, PepsiCo

While there are many tools available to help food and beverage companies manage their supply chain, the integration of electronic systems in ensuring effective connectivity can be a challenge. During a Food Safety Tech conference, a panel of industry experts shared their perspectives on how to use tools to manage and communicate recalls, and the importance of focusing on a food safety management system. Melanie Neumann, executive vice president and chief financial officer of The Acheson Group, cited recall communication programs such as Rapid Recall Exchange and Recall Info Link. “They’re great programs in that they The 2015 Food Safety Consortium Conference (November 17-20, 2015 in Schaumburg, IL) features topics on supply chain risk and vulnerabilities. Register now.  communicate outbound, downstream to the recipients of recalled products. It gets [product] out of the hands of potential consumer purchasers and consumer consumption,” said Neumann. “Here’s what it doesn’t do: They have no way of knowing whether or not they’re communicating out all of the affected product. It still comes back to industry’s responsibility in effective supply chain management to know you’ve captured all of the affected recalled product that those systems are then used to communicate outbound.”