Monthly Archives: May 2017

Food Poisoning Journal

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert due to concerns that frozen ready-to-eat fried chicken and pork sausage products produced by Pinnacle Foods, Inc., a Jackson, Tenn. establishment, may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Pinnacle Foods, Inc. has already recalled these products in its recall of its Food and Drug Administration-regulated products. FSIS is issuing this Public Health Alert out of the utmost of caution to ensure consumers are aware that these products, that bear the FSIS mark of inspection detailed below, are subject to the Pinnacle Foods, Inc. recall.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Fourth Street Barbecue has voluntarily recalled all lot numbers of the Save-A-Lot Pick 5 Chicken Waffle Sandwich because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. The product was sold frozen and distributed nationwide to Save-A-Lot stores.

All date codes of this product are included in the recall. It is Save-A-Lot Pick 5 Mix & Match Chicken & Waffle Sandwich in a 14.4 ounce box. The UPC number on the product is 051933353664

The recall was issued because the waffles used by this product were recalled by Pinnacle Foods, since Listeria bacteria was found in the plant where the waffles were made. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this issue.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

The USDA has issued a public health alert over recalled frozen ready to eat fried chicken and pork sausage products produced by Pinnacle Foods of Tennessee. They are Hungry Man Selects Boneless Fried Chicken & Waffles, and Aunt Jemima French Toast and Sausage These products have been recalled because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, since it was found in the plant where they were produced. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Almost 2,148 pounds of Italian chicken sausage links have been recalled by Perdue Foods LLC, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA’s) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Perdue Foods is headquartered in Gainesville, Florida.

The company issued the recall after they received reports on May 5, 2017, that three people who bought the products had found blue plastic materials in the sausage. The products affected by the recall, produced on March 27, 2017, were shipped to retail distributors in Connecticut and Maryland in 24-ounce packages containing 8 links of fully cooked, ready-to-eat “PERDUE HARVESTLAND Italian Style Organic Chicken Sausage.” These containers were stamped with a “Sell or Freeze By” date of 6/25/17 and the package code “64405;” they bear the establishment number “P-2617” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

Consumers who have purchased the potentially contaminated sausage links are advised to dispose of them or to return them to their place of purchase. While there have been no reports of illness or injury arising from their consumption, the USDA / FSIS has classified this as a “High Risk” / Class I Recall, which means that eating the product may cause serious illness or death.

CFIA 

Ottawa, May 10, 2017 – The food recall warning issued on May 9, 2017 has been updated to include additional product information. This additional information was identified during the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) food safety investigation.

Industry is recalling certain ground meat products from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled products described below.

The following products were sold from specific locations in Ontario. Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased affected products should check with their retailer.

CFIA

Ottawa, May 10, 2017 – The food recall warning issued on April 25, 2017 has been updated to include additional product information. This additional information was identified during the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) food safety investigation.

The New Food Box is recalling tart shells from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O121 contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.

The following product has been sold from The New Food Box, 7000 McLeod Road, Unit 5, Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Outbreak News Today

Officials with Sacramento County Public Health are investigating a foodborne botulism outbreak that has sickened at least five people to date, all hospitalized ans in serious condition. The investigation surrounds food purchased at Valley Oak Food and Fuel gas station in Walnut Grove.

Journal of Food Protection

Thermal tolerance of pathogenic bacteria has been shown to increase after exposure to sublethal elevated temperatures, or heat shock. We evaluated the effect of heat shock at 48°C on thermal tolerance (D_55°C) of cocktails of O157 and non-O157 Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) and Salmonella in lean ground beef with or without moisture-enhancing ingredients. Beef was moisture enhanced to 110% with a 5% NaCl–2.5% sodium tripolyphosphate (w/w) brine. Meat, with or without added brine, was inoculated (∼10⁸ CFU/g) and heat shocked at 48°C for 0, 5, or 30 min, followed by isothermal heating at 55°C. Inoculated control samples were unenhanced and were not subject to heat shock. From the linear portion of the log CFU per gram surviving cells over time plots, D_55°C-values (minutes) were calculated. D_55°C was 20.43, 28.78, and 21.15 min for O157, non-O157, and Salmonella controls, respectively. Overall, heat shock significantly increased D_55°C, regardless of pathogen (P < 0.05). After 30 min of heat shock, D_55°C increased 89 and 160% for O157 STEC, 32 and 49% for non-O157 STEC, and 29 and 57% for Salmonella, in unenhanced and enhanced samples, respectively, relative to the pathogen control. D_55°C for Salmonella was the same or significantly less than for O157 and non-O157 STEC, regardless of heat shock, and was significantly less than for O157 and non-O157 STEC in all trials with moisture-enhanced meat (P < 0.05). Moisture-enhancing ingredients significantly increased D_55°C, regardless of pathogen (P < 0.05). We suggest that thermal processes validated against Salmonella may not prove effective against STEC in all cases and that regulators of the beef industry should focus attention on STEC in nonintact moisture-enhanced beef products.

CFIA 

Ottawa, May 9, 2017 – Industry is recalling certain ground and tenderized meat products from the marketplace due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled products described below.

The following products were sold from specific locations in Ontario. Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased affected products should check with their retailer.

CFIA 

Ottawa, May 9, 2017 – Maple Leaf Foods is recalling various breaded chicken products from the marketplace because they may contain the toxin produced by Staphylococcus bacteria. Consumers should not consume the recalled products described below.