Food Safety News and Resources | November
November 2024
18 November | Food Safety News and Free Resources1 |
Deaths from Chemical Poisonings (South Africa) |
Recall: Carrots for E. coli O121:H9 (USA) |
McDonald’s E. coli O157:H7 outbreak update (USA) |
Gluten analytical methods – call for comment |
Guidance: Food Safety for Nuts |
Guidance: Supplement for 2022 Food Code (USA) |
Webinar - Addressing Food Racism and Discrimination within Food Safety Systems, 22nd November |
Webinar - Facilities Focus: Food Safety Factors to Consider in Hygienic Design and Infrastructure, 3rd December |
💀 Deaths from chemical poisonings (South Africa)
Police in South Africa have arrested four people and discovered a chemical at a food store which they believe is linked to the death of six children in Soweto who died after allegedly eating snacks from a store. In a separate incident, a child has died and her mother is critically ill from suspected poisoning after eating snacks in Alexandra, South Africa.
🥕 Recall: Carrots for E. coli O121:H9 (USA)
Organic packaged carrots grown in California have been recalled after multiple illnesses from Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O121:H9. Total Illnesses: 39; hospitalisations: 15; Deaths: 1. Multiple brands are affected, but all carrots came from one farm. The products were distributed to the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada.
🍔 McDonald’s E. coli O157:H7 outbreak update (USA)
As per the most recent update from the US FDA (13th Nov), the number of cases in the McDonald’s E. coli O157:H7 outbreak is now 104, including 34 hospitalisations, with 4 cases of haemolytic uremic syndrome and one death. Tests have been performed on recalled slivered onions and on environmental samples from McDonald’s stores, distribution centres and other companies but no samples contained the outbreak strain of E. coli.
🧪 Gluten analytical methods – call for comment
The AOAC has published a draft Guideline for the Validation of Quantitative Gluten Methods, with Specific Examples for ELISA Assays. The draft is in the review stage and can be reviewed at the link below.
🥜 Guidance: Food Safety for Nuts
The Peanut and Tree Nut Processor’s Association has launched a new version of their food safety handbook ‘The Handbook for the Safe Handling and Processing of Nuts’ which includes updates for allergen preventive controls; traceability and guidance for importers and exporters.
https://www.ptnpa.org/page/IndustryResources
📖 Guidance: Supplement for 2022 Food Code (USA)
Recommendations from regulatory officials, industry and academia have been collated in an FDA-published guidance document which updates the 2022 Food Code. The guidance includes advice on refilling and reusing containers, disinfection of surfaces, food defence awareness and employee illness testing.
https://www.fda.gov/media/183271/download?attachment
🎓Webinar - Addressing Food Racism and Discrimination within Food Safety Systems, 22nd November
Join IFSQN for this thought-provoking webinar, which will address the systemic challenges marginalized communities face and explore how these issues intersect with food safety, access, and equity.
Register here:
Addressing Food Racism and Discrimination within Food Safety Systems
🎓Webinar - Facilities Focus: Food Safety Factors to Consider in Hygienic Design and Infrastructure, 3rd December
Examine key elements for establishing hygienic design criteria based on common principles, considering the intended use of food manufacturing equipment and facilities in this webinar hosted by Food Safety Magazine.
Register here:
Facilities Focus: Food Safety Factors to Consider in Hygienic Design and Infrastructure Registration
📌 Food Fraud News 📌
In this week’s food fraud news:
📌 Wine authentication;
📌 Honey controversy;
📌 Pet food supplements, lizard meat fraud;
📌 Warning for butter.
Become a paid subscriber to access The Rotten Apple’s food fraud news.
11 November | Food Safety News and Free Resources |
H5N1 Avian influenza (bird flu) in dairy foods update (USA) |
Four mystery outbreaks (USA) |
Peanut contamination in mustard powder – new information (UK) |
Guidance: Compliance for scombrotoxin (histamine) in fish) |
Webinar - Reducing Recalls: Tackling the Top 2 Food Safety Issues Impacting the Industry, 13th November |
Webinar - Unpeeling the Science: Onions, Food Safety and the Fight Against Foodborne Pathogens, 10th December |
Webinar - PFAS: Navigating regulations, challenges, risk management and testing in the food supply chain, 11th December |
🥛 H5N1 Avian influenza (bird flu) in dairy foods - update (USA)
The United States Department of Agriculture has announced a monitoring program that involves the collection of milk samples to check for the presence of H5N1. The milk will be sampled from bulk lots at the regional level, supplemented by sampling at farms if needed. Details of the program will be released soon.
🔎 Four mystery outbreaks (USA)
Last week, Food Safety News shared news of four mystery outbreaks in the USA.
An E. coli O121:H19 outbreak with 33 patients is being investigated and food tracebacks have identified a possible food source but this has not been revealed by the FDA.
An E. coli O26:H11 outbreak with 9 patients is being traced back and samples have been collected from a site but the food(s) and site have not been revealed by the FDA.
A Cyclospora outbreak with 47 patients is being traced and samples and on-site testing has begun but the food(s) and site have not been revealed.
A Listeria monocytogenes outbreak that affected 4 patients is declared over. Samples of food were tested after a traceback but the food type and results were not reported by the FDA.
https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2024/11/fda-identifies-new-outbreak-of-e-coli/
🥜 Peanut contamination in mustard powder – new information (UK)
The United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency (FSA)has shared information from the company responsible for the mustard recalled due to peanut contamination.
This relates to the October 2024 withdrawal of all batches of mustard powder, flour, seeds, and blends containing mustard from a single company that supplied to both wholesale and retail customers.
The company revealed that the peanut, in quantities reported as “traces”, contaminated the mustard at “agricultural levels”, presumably meaning the contamination occurred during on-farm or close-to-farm-gate handling or processing.
The company says it purchased most of its mustard from an Indian supplier and did not include peanut protein presence/absence in its purchasing specifications and/or check material specifications when purchasing from alternative suppliers based in the UK.
The company says it identified a gap in its allergen control systems where precautionary allergen information received from its suppliers was not passed on to its customers, and these gaps have been addressed. It also says it has implemented additional allergen testing for mustard products and added “May Contain” statements to bulk and retail packs where necessary.
https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/Withdrawal%20Notice%2016.10.24.pdf
📗Guidance: Compliance for scombrotoxin (histamine) in fish
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a compliance policy guide for scombrotoxin (histamine)-forming fish and fishery products. The guidance document includes a lowered level for the histamine criteria for decomposition.
🎓Webinar - Reducing Recalls: Tackling the Top 2 Food Safety Issues Impacting the Industry, 13th November
Hosted by IFSQN, the webinar will dive into the root causes behind the widespread food safety challenges in the US.
Register here: Reducing Recalls: Tackling the Top 2 Food Safety Issues
🎓Webinar - Unpeeling the Science: Onions, Food Safety and the Fight Against Foodborne Pathogens, 10th December
Dive into the fascinating science of onions and food safety in this webinar hosted by Virginia Tech.
Register here: Webinar Registration - Zoom
🎓Webinar - PFAS: Navigating regulations, challenges, risk management and testing in the food supply chain, 11th December
Join New Food for the upcoming virtual panel to hear from industry experts as they discuss the new regulations around PFAS, along with the challenges and approaches to managing the issues.
Register here: PFAS: Navigating regulations, challenges, risk management and testing in the food supply chain - New Food Magazine
In this week’s food fraud news:
📌What Trump’s win could mean for food fraud - 3 perspectives and one developing threat
📌New information for food fraud in salmon and turmeric
📌Disambiguation re. plant-based “steak” rules, Europe
📌Food fraud resilience tool updated
📌Children’s vitamins; man arrested for producing counterfeit copies for 20 years
4 November | Food Safety News and Free Resources |
Recall roundup |
Deadly Mcdonalds Burger-Onion Outbreak Update (USA) |
PFAS in tap water and bottled water (UK and China) |
Peanut allergies linked to air pollution exposure (Australia) |
Guidance: How to Mitigate Heavy Metals in Foods |
Webinar - Revolutionizing In-house Food Safety Training: Harnessing Innovation for Effective Staff Education and Compliance, 8th November |
Webinar - Bridging GFSI and GMPs: Roadmap to Continuous Food Safety Success, 13th November |
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📢 Recalls: Just the usual sad story this week
No unusual recalls or large outbreaks crossed my desk this week, just the usual sad roundup of (mostly) preventable problems 😒, including another brand of cinnamon with elevated levels of lead, foods recalled for foreign objects like glass, wood and insects, labelling errors such as sugar-free labels on sugar-containing products, E. coli in soft white cheese and Listeria in salads and taco kits
💀 Deadly McDonalds Burger-Onion Outbreak Update (USA)
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that case numbers have increased to 90, with hospitalisations increasing to 27 since last week. The FDA has confirmed that slivered onions, served raw on burgers including Quarter Pounders, but not diced onions, are the likely source of the outbreak.
https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/e-coli-O157.html and https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-e-coli-o157h7-onions-october-2024
🚰 PFAS in tap water and bottled water (UK and China)
A new study explored the presence of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in tap water and bottled water in the United Kingdom and China and found perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in more than 99 percent of samples of bottled water purchased in the UK and China (n = 112). In tap water, Chinese samples had higher concentrations of PFAS compared to the UK. Most samples had concentrations below health advisory levels.
🥜 Peanut allergies linked to air pollution exposure (Australia)
A study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology explores the link between the exposure of babies and young children to air pollution and their food allergies. Peanut allergies were linked to air pollution but egg allergies were not.
https://www.mcri.edu.au/news-stories/air-pollution-linked-to-peanut-allergy-during-childhood
📖 Guidance: How to Mitigate Heavy Metals in Foods
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has published a white paper that explores solutions to reducing heavy metals in the food supply chain. “From farmers measuring soil concentration to consumers cooking at home, reducing dietary exposure to heavy metals is a challenge that will require all facets of the global food system to solve,” said IFT Chief Science and Technology Officer Bryan Hitchcock. “This white paper offers potential solutions to this issue that impacts every part of the farm-to-fork journey.”
https://info.ift.org/heavy-metals
🎓Webinar - Revolutionizing In-house Food Safety Training: Harnessing Innovation for Effective Staff Education and Compliance, 8th November
Hosted by IFSQN, the webinar will discuss innovative strategies for enhancing staff education and ensuring compliance.
Register here: Revolutionizing In-house Food Safety Training: Harnessing Innovation
🎓Webinar - Bridging GFSI and GMPs: Roadmap to Continuous Food Safety Success, 13th November
AIB International is offering a free webinar on how one company seamlessly integrated GFSI audits with its GMP program to drive lasting food safety excellence, achieve exceptional food safety standards, and build a culture of continuous improvement.
Register here: Generic Webinar Template
📌 Food Fraud News 📌
In this week’s food fraud news:
📌 Stolen cheese;
📌 Fraud in plant-based food names;
📌 Incidents with sugar, sauces, Italian dairy foods and more;
📌 Warning for meat.
Become a paid subscriber to access The Rotten Apple’s food fraud news.
Past Issues of Food Safety News
Food Safety News, October 2024