UK-ICWales-Abattoir inspectors took ’softly-softly’ approach

A SERIES of meat inspectors took a “softly-softly” approach towards long-standing hygiene and structural problems at the abattoir which supplied E.coli butcher William Tudor.

JE Tudor & Son was today described as one of the worst in Wales, but the inspectors said they did not want to alienate the owner by adopting a heavy-handed approach towards repeated breaches of the regulations. And one official veterinary surgeon (OV) who oversaw slaughtering at the Treorchy plant, said that he did not have enough time to compile regular hygiene reports, which would highlight the same issues every month.

The E.coli public inquiry today heard more details about the conditions inside the abattoir, which was run by William Tudor’s cousin, and the risk of contamination caused by the poor state of the building, in Howard Street.

Alvaro Pastoriza was the OV who oversaw JE Tudor & Son in 2003 and 2004, and from August 2005 – a month before the E.coli outbreak – until the abattoir closed the following year.

“When I first arrived at the premises I was overwhelmed by the condition – it was very old and in a poor condition, and working there wasn’t easy at all,” he said. “I had to start to prioritise the enforcement issues – by assessing the issues which were important to achieve the hygienic production of meat.”…more…

Canada-Yahoo News-Beech-Nut voluntarily recalls pear juice after concern about arsenic contamination

TORONTO – Beech-Nut Nutrition says it’s voluntarily recalling pear juice after a warning from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Loblaws.

CFIA and Loblaws are cautioning consumers the affected product may be contaminated with arsenic. The recall involved 128-millitre containers of Beech-Nut Pear Juice from concentrate with Vitamin C added.

There have been no reported incidents or injuries as a result.

But as a precautionary measure, customers are asked to discontinue use of the product immediately.

South Africa-SABC News-Nestle recalls infant formula

Food giant Nestle has recalled about 250 tins of the infant formula Lactogen 1 in an attempt to contain high levels of trace elements.

Nestle Communications Director Theo Mxakwe says the company’s internal quality assurance tests show that the formula has higher than declared levels of iron, zinc and copper. He says the formula is not fit for consumption.

Mxakwe has, however, reassured consumers that the recalled product is not deadly. He says as a precautionary measure, they are recalling all Lactogen 1, 400g tins immediately.

Nestle has also advised all retailers to remove the product from their shelves immediately. It was manufactured on November 6, 2007.

Nestle is conducting internal investigations to determine what could have gone wrong in production.

US-FDA Administration-Walker’s Food Products Company Recalls Four Bean Salad Because Of Possible Health Risk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — February 28, 2008 — Walker’s Food Products Company of North Kansas City, Missouri, is recalling its 16oz., 5-lb. and 10-lb. containers of Four Bean Salad because of potential contamination with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause life-threatening illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product, even if it does not look or smell spoiled. Botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning, can cause the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double vision, and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of muscles, abdominal distension, and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

The recalled Four Bean Salad was distributed to distributors in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa for ultimate distribution to retail stores and restaurants. The product in the 16 oz. containers was packaged under the Kay’s Gourmet brand name. The product in the 5-lb. and 10-lb. containers was packaged under the Walker’s Food Products Co. brand name. The containers are round clear plastic packages, which have an expiration date stamped on the bottom surface. The expiration dates subject to recall are 12/23/07 thru 04/5/08.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

Walker’s Food Products became aware of the problem after being notified by another company they had received beans that had been recalled due to being potentially contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. The manufacturer of the beans and FDA are continuing to investigate the source of this problem.

Consumers who have purchased 16 oz., 5-lb. and 10-lb. containers of the Four Bean Salad are urged to return them to the place of purchase for full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-725-2372.

UPI-US-Sum Cheong Lung-brand dried fish recalled

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 (UPI) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the recall of Sum Cheong Lung-brand dried fish due to possible contamination.

The FDA said the dried fish, imported from China by the Summit Import Corp. of Jersey City, N. J., had not been eviscerated prior to processing, potentially contaminating the fish with Botulism spores.

The recalled Sum Cheong Lung-brand Dried Fish was sold in uncoded 12-ounce plastic bags in New York state.

Consumers can return the fish to the place of purchase for a refund or contact the company at 201-839-2882.

UK-NutraUSA News-FSA board discusses food safety

Today’s meeting of the UK Food Standards Agency’s Board will include a progress report on food safety, highlighting achievements but also flagging areas of concern like rising rates of foodbourne illness.

One of the items on the table relates to foodbourne pathogens. The latest figures on campylobacter, Salmonella, E.coli 0157, Listeria monocytogenes and Clostridium perfringens) indicate a small increase of 1.7 per cent compared with 2005 – but this is the first increase since 2000, and there are fears that it could underlie a new spate of foodbourne illnesses.
 
Listeriosis

Of particular concern is listeriosis, of which incidence is seen to have doubled since 2000.

The cause of this increase has yet to be determined but it is being investigated through research into the epidemiology of the disease and surveys for the presence of listeria in foods thought to be linked with the disease such as retail cold sliced meats and pâtés.

Similar increases in the incidence of Listeriosis have also occurred in other EU member states.

Campylobacter and Salmonella

There are concerns that the agency interventions in partnership with industry may not deliver the strategic plan targets of 50 per cent reductions in Campylobacter in poultry and Salmonella in pigs.

A separate paper will be presented to the Board meeting concerning Campylobacter in chickens. It notes that although there has been a reduction in contamination levels in chicken at retail there is currently a high prevalence in flocks.

The agency is presently gathering evidence for new interventions to try and accelerate the rate of reduction and will consider with stakeholders the likelihood of their succeeding.

The rate of Salmonella in pigs appears to be due in part to the current scheme not targeting a big enough percentage of problem herds. The agency is therefore refocusing its efforts in partnership with DEFRA and the pig industry.

Specific measures are planned such as all assured herds being required to have a Salmonella action plan.

Slaughterhouse hygiene

Development of a new tool to measure slaughterhouse hygiene, originally aimed at providing a tool for slaughterhouse operators to identify what they could do better to reduce contamination by human pathogens, has taken longer than expected.

The agency now says it hopes to develop a new way of measuring slaughterhouse hygiene by the end of 2009 which will help operators identify effective controls and inform the negotiation of more risk-based EU meat hygiene Regulations.

BSE/TSE

BSE has continued to decline and is now at a very low level in those cattle that are eligible for human consumption.  The Agency will continue to contribute to the review of transmissible spongiform encephalopaties (TSE) controls taking place in Europe with the aim of maintaining effective public health protection at a level that is proportionate to the risks.

The agency continues to promote and aid the development of a sensitive and cost effective TSE test that can be used on live animals.

Incident handling

Compared with 2006 there is a marked decrease in the number of environmental contamination and veterinary medicine incidents, but an increase in those incidents involving natural chemical contaminants.

There has also been an increase in the number of incidents classified as ‘high’, largely due to issues around traceability of products.

The agency has been working with the food industry and other stakeholders to develop an incident prevention plan.
 
Food allergies

Some of the major work being funded or part-funded under the Allergy Action Plan includes an investigation into the possibility of developing practical management thresholds for use by industry when making decisions about voluntary labelling (such as ‘May contain’ or ‘Free From’); and by regulators when deciding appropriate actions to be taken when dealing with possible allergen cross contamination incidents.

Marine biotoxins

The agency has an extensive programme of work in place to replace the use of animal testing in the statutory monitoring programme for the detection of marine biotoxins in shellfish.

In the last year it has funded a programme to develop and evaluate a high performance liquid chromatography method. There are a number of future challenges related to the statutory requirement to monitor marine biotoxins and microbial contaminants in shellfish.

UK-Food Standards Agency-Morrisons recalls fresh Scottish salmon

Morrisons has recalled its fresh Scottish salmon (but not organic salmon) sold from fresh fish counters and pre-packed chiller cabinets because of a possible risk of a white spirit taint, resulting in an unpleasant taste.

The Agency has issued a Food Alert for Information.

The company has removed the affected products from sale and product recall notices will appear in the national press as of today, 13 February 2008. Point-of-sale notices will be displayed in its stores explaining why the product has been recalled. Anyone who has bought the product can return it to the store for a full refund…more…

US-UPI-See’s brand chocolate chips are recalled

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (UPI) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the recall of See’s brand semi-sweet chocolate chips due to possible production line contamination.

The FDA said See’s Candies Inc. of San Francisco initiated the voluntary recall of the 16-ounce bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips because the product might contain undeclared traces of milk, posing a health hazard for people allergic to dairy products.

The recalled product was sold in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Hawaii, New Mexico, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan and Texas, as well as in Japan and Hong Kong. See’s mail order department also sold small quantities nationwide.

The company said the recalled product was produced on a line that also is used to manufacture milk chocolates.

The product is sold in a black and white See’s logo flexible bag. The recall applies to all code dates (30757, 31327, 32067, 33157, and 23397).

Consumers with questions can contact the company at 800-789-7337.

US-UPI-Canned vegetable recall is expanded

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 (UPI) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said a Michigan company has, for the third time, expanded its nationwide recall of canned vegetable products.

The New Era Canning Co. of New Era, Mich., said its canned vegetables might be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that produces the toxin that causes botulism and can result in life-threatening illness or death.

The affected New Era products are large institutional-sized cans weighing between 6 and 7 pounds and containing various types of beans, blackeye peas and asparagus.

The potentially contaminated products are marketed under brand names Classic Sysco, Code, Frosty Acres Restaurant’s Pride Preferred, GFS, Kitchen Essentials, Monarch Heritage, Necco, New Era, Nugget and Reliance Sysco…more..

US-CO-Denver Post-Centennial company recalls popcorn

DENVER — The federal Food and Drug Administration says Rocky Mountain Popcorn Co. has voluntarily recalled more than 1,600 bags of ready-to-eat low-fat caramel popcorn.

The FDA said Monday an ingredient was found to have a trace amount of tree nuts, which could cause a reaction in anyone allergic to such nuts. The agency said no allergic reactions have been reported.

The recall covers green, nine-ounce bags with UPC number 10449 32050 and with a manufacturing code less than D1231xx.

The FDA says distribution was limited and was mostly in the Denver area.

Consumers with questions may contact Centennial-based Rocky Mountain Popcorn at (888) 744-8850.