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Food Recalls – Who’s to blame?
3/8/2010
Meatingplace.com
James Marsden
www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/blog/BlogDetail.aspx?topicID=5873&BlogID=11
(The views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly those of the author.)
Food recalls are becoming so common place that unless enormous quantities are involved, they barely go noticed. There are a lot of misconceptions about recalls. Although they make good publicity for FDA and USDA, showing the public how tough these agencies are on errant food companies, they generally are too little and too late to really protect the public.
The very nature of recalls implies that the food product(s) suspected of causing food borne disease are already in commerce and are being consumed. This means that the recalled products have passed both the company's pre-shipment review and government inspection, yet somehow made their way into commerce in an adulterated state. In addition, most recalled products are not actually recovered. Most "recalled" product ends up being consumed and much of the returned product is not even part of the recall.
Another problem with recalls is that they often represent a systematic failure in the food safety systems employed by the manufacturer. For every failure that is caught, there may be many others that go undetected. If food manufacturing processes are unreliable or inadequate, the problem is much bigger than what is captured in a single recall.
For the complete blog post, please visit http://www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/blog/BlogDetail.aspx?topicID=5873&BlogID=11
PRION DISEASE UPDATE 2010 (03)
3/8/2010
A ProMED-mail post
promedmail.oracle.com/pls/otn/pm?an=20100304.0709
[With the continuing decline of the number of cases in the human
population of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease -- abbreviated
previously as vCJD or CJD (new var.) in ProMED-mail -- it has been
decided to broaden the scope of the occasional ProMED mail updates to
include other prion-related diseases. In addition to vCJD, data on
other forms of CJD: sporadic, iatrogenic, familial, and GSS
(Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease) are included also since they
may have some relevance to the incidence and etiology of vCJD. - Mod.CP]
In this update:
[1] UK: National CJD Surveillance Unit - monthly statistics as of 1 Mar 2010
[2] France: Institut de Veille Sanitaire - monthly statistics as of 1 Mar 2010
[3] US National Prion Disease Center - data not updated since 31 Dec 2009
[4] UK Heath Protection Agency biannual update
[5] Human and animal TSE in North America
For the complete update, please go to http://promedmail.oracle.com/pls/otn/pm?an=20100304.0709
National Pretzel Co. Announces Precautionary Recall of Honey Mustard Onion Seasoned Pretzels Because of Possible Health Risk
3/6/2010
US Food & Drug Administration
press release
www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm203372.htm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 05, 2010 - As a precautionary measure, National Pretzel Company of Lancaster, Pa. is voluntarily recalling all Honey Mustard Onion flavored pretzels produced since December, 2009 because an ingredient used in the seasoning has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The honey mustard onion seasoning contains Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) which was recalled by Basic Foods Flavors, Inc. and has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
NO illnesses have been reported to date.
For the complete recall notice, including affected products, please visit http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm203372.htm
Estrella Family Creamery Recalls Old Apple Tree Tomme Cheese Due to Possible Health Risks
3/6/2010
US Food & Drug Administration
press release
www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm203371.htm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 05, 2010 - The Estrella Family Creamery of Montesano, Washington, is recalling a production of Old Apple Tree Tomme cheese because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infections can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
The Old Apple Tree Tomme cheese was sold at the Ballard and Seattle’s U-District farmer's markets in Seattle, Washington, and the firm’s farm store in Montesano, Washington the weekend of Feb. 27 and 28, 2010.
The recalled cheese was sold by custom order at the markets and the firm’s farm store, with a label bearing it's name. The product does not contain a lot code.
No illnesses in connection with this product or any other Estrella cheeses have been reported to date.
For the complete recall notice, please visit http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm203371.htm
Improving Tracing Procedures for E. coli O157:H7 Positive Raw Beef Product
3/6/2010
Federal Register: March 8, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 44)
edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-4781.htm
SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing
that it will hold a public meeting on March 10, 2010 to discuss Agency
procedures for identifying suppliers of source material used to produce
raw beef product that FSIS has found positive for Escherichia coli (E.
coli) O157:H7. FSIS will also discuss additional verification
activities the Agency will conduct at suppliers in response to positive
E. coli O157:H7 results. In addition, FSIS will seek input from meeting
participants on ways to improve Agency procedures for identifying
product that may be positive for E. coli O157:H7.
For the complete notice, please go to http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-4781.htm
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