Category Archives: FDA

USA -Pacific Trellis Fruit Recalls Malichita Brand Cantaloupes Due to Possible Health Risk – Salmonella

Posted on November 27, 2023 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Company Announcement

Pacific Trellis Fruit, LLC dba Dulcinea is initiating a voluntary recall of 4,872 cases of Malichita brand whole cantaloupe. The voluntary recall is due to the FDAs ongoing investigation of an outbreak involving Malichita brand cantaloupe. The cantaloupes have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people may experience fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (which may be bloody), and abdominal pain. In rare cases the organism can get into the bloodstream and produce more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

The products were distributed between October 18th – 26th in California, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin, and sold in various retail supermarkets. The whole cantaloupe is packed in corrugated cartons, the price look-up sticker is labeled “Malichita”.

Brand Item Description PLU Lot Code
Malichita Whole Cantaloupe 4050 21651
Malichita Whole Cantaloupe 4050 21699
Malichita Whole Cantaloupe 4050 21775
Malichita Whole Cantaloupe 4050 21787
Malichita Whole Cantaloupe 4050 21870

This is an ongoing outbreak, and several illnesses have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States and Canada. To date, Pacific Trellis Fruit has not received any reports of illness.

Customers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume the products and should dispose of them. Consumers may contact Pacific Trellis Fruit for further information at 323-859-9600 Monday – Friday 9AM – 5PM PST. Consumers with concerns about an illness from consumption of this product should contact a health care provider.

Company Contact Information

Consumers:
Evangelina Kaudze
 (323) 859-9600

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Posted in FDA, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, product recall, Recall, Salmonella, Salmonella Cantaloupes

USA – Crown Jewels Produce Recalls “Malichita / Z Farms” Label of Whole Cantaloupes Because of Possible Health Risk Due to Salmonella

Posted on November 23, 2023 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Cantaloupes in boxes

Summary
Company Announcement Date:
November 22, 2023
FDA Publish Date:
November 22, 2023
Product Type:
Food & Beverages
Foodborne Illness
Reason for Announcement:
Potential Salmonella contamination
Company Name:
Crown Jewel Produce Company
Brand Name:
Malichita/ Z Farms
Product Description:
Cantaloupes
Company Announcement
Jewel Marketing and Agribusiness LLC. (dba Crown Jewels Produce) of Fresno, CA is recalling all sizes of 1960 boxes of Malichita / Z Farms Cantaloupes sold between October 31, 2023 and November 9, 2023, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella

Product was distributed to Ohio, and California through retail and wholesale outlets.

Product was in boxes with a “wood-like” cardboard cartons with the Label “Malichita / Z Farms. The Price Lookup Sticker on the individual fruit is labeled “Malichita”.

This is an ongoing outbreak, and a number of illness have been reported throughout the United States, and Canada.

The company has ceased sales and distribution of the product as FDA and the company continue their investigation as to what caused the problem.” Information on what consumers should do with the product and where they can get additional information. Consumers who have purchased ‘Malichita / Z Farms” Brand Cantaloupes are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

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Posted in FDA, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, food recall, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, product recall, Recall

USA – Sofia Produce, LLC DBA Trufresh Expands Recall to Include all “Malichita” Brand and “Rudy” Brand Fresh Cantaloupe Because of Possible Health Risk Due to Salmonella

Posted on November 23, 2023 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Rudy PLU 4050

Summary

Company Announcement Date:
FDA Publish Date:
Product Type:
Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:
Potential Foodborne Illness, Salmonella
Company Name:
SOFIA PRODUCE, LLC dba Trufresh
Brand Name:
Malichita, Rudy
Product Description:
Cantaloupes

Company Announcement

For Immediate Release, November 22, 2023 SOFIA PRODUCE, LLC, of Nogales, Arizona which does business under the name “Trufresh” (“Trufresh”) has expanded its recall of all sizes of fresh cantaloupes packaged in cardboard containers labeled with the “Malichita” label, and also labeled with the “Rudy” label to include all cantaloupes sold between the dates of October 10, 2023 and November 3, 2023, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

The cantaloupes were distributed directly to the following States in the United States: Arizona, California. Connecticut, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Texas, Florida and Canada. The cantaloupes would have reached consumers through retail produce markets which may be located in states other than those listed above.

Trufresh has been advised that there are 97 illnesses reported to date that have been associated with this strain of Salmonella.

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Posted in FDA, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, food recall, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, outbreak, product recall, Recall, Salmonella, Salmonella Cantaloupes

USA – FDA- Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

Posted on November 23, 2023 by | Leave a comment

FDA

What’s New

  • The outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes (ref #989) has been linked to peaches, plums, and nectarines. FDA issued an advisory on this outbreak. FDA’s investigation is ongoing.
  • A new outbreak of Salmonella Sundsvall (ref #1203) linked to cantaloupe has been added to the table. FDA issued an advisory on this outbreak. FDA’s investigation is ongoing.
  • A new outbreak of Salmonella Newport in a not yet identified food had been added to the table. FDA has initiated a traceback investigation. FDA’s investigation is ongoing.
Date
Posted		 Ref Pathogen
or
Cause of
Illness		 Product(s)
Linked to
Illnesses
(if any)		 Total
Case
Count
Status
11/22/

2023

 1201 Salmonella
Newport		 Not Yet
Identified		 40 Active
11/22/

2023

 1203 Salmonella
Sundsvall		 Cantaloupe See

Advisory

 Active
11/15/

2023

 989 Listeria
monocytogenes		 Peaches, Plums,
and Nectarines		 See

Advisory

 Active
11/15/

2023

 1192 E. coli
0103		 Not Yet
Identified		 12 Active
11/8/

2023

 1198 Elevated Lead
Levels		 Apple
Cinnamon
Puree		 See

Advisory

 Active
11/1/

2023

 1195 E. coli
O121:H19		 Not Yet
Identified		 37 Active
10/4/

2023

 1190 Salmonella
Thompson		 Onions See

Advisory

 Active

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Posted in CORE Investigation Table, E.coli O103, E.coli O121, FDA, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, food recall, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, O103, outbreak, product recall, Recall, Salmonella, Salmonella Cantaloupes

USA – FDA and Stop Foodborne Illness Co-Host Webinar on Food Safety Culture: Storytelling to Shape, Reinforce and Inspire

Posted on November 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Today, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the ninth in the ongoing series of webinars exploring food safety culture will take place on December 6, 2023, from 12 noon to 1:00 pm ET. The webinar series Collaborating on Culture in the New Era of Smarter Food Safety is in partnership with Stop Foodborne IllnessExternal Link Disclaimer, a non-profit public health organization.

This webinar “Food Safety Culture: Storytelling to Shape, Reinforce, and Inspire” will focus on the importance of storytelling in building and reinforcing a strong food safety culture.

Guest speakers on December 6, include:

  • Jeff Almer, Constituent Food Safety Advocate, Stop Foodborne Illness
  • Jorge Hernandez, Quality Assurance Vice President, The Wendy’s Company
  • Lone Jespersen, Principal and Founder, Cultivate SA
  • Conrad Choiniere, PhD, Director, Office of Analytics and Outreach, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA

The webinar series engages experts from the public and private sectors in a collaborative exchange of ideas and experiences related to the importance of a robust food safety culture in helping to ensure safe food production.

Food safety culture is one of the core elements in the FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint, which states that dramatic improvements in reducing the burden of foodborne illness cannot be made without doing more to influence the beliefs, attitudes, and, most importantly, the behaviors of people and the actions of organizations.

Register Here!External Link Disclaimer

To learn more about this webinar series and to listen to recordings, visit Collaborating on Culture in the New Era of Smarter Food Safety.

For More Information

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Posted in FDA, Food Safety, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, food safety training, Online Food Safety

USA – FDA jumps in on Listeria Outbreak linked to HMC Peaches, Plums and Nectarines after 10 sick and 1 dead

Posted on November 22, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, are investigating a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to peaches, plums, and nectarines (stone fruit).

Total Illnesses: 11
Hospitalizations: 10
Deaths: 1
Last Sample Collection: August 16, 2023
States with Cases: California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio
Product Distribution: Nationwide

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Posted in CDC, FDA, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, Foodborne Illness Death, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak

USA – Gills diced Onions recalled after 73 with Salmonella – California and Utah hardest hit

Posted on November 21, 2023 by | Leave a comment

Food Poison Journal

Screenshot-2023-10-24-at-3.42.16 PM

CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are collecting different types of data to investigate a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Thompson infections.

Epidemiologic and traceback data show that onions processed at Gills Onions may be contaminated with Salmonella and may be making people sick.

As of October 24, 2023, a total of 73 people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella have been reported from 22 states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from August 2, 2023, to September 25, 2023. Of the 65 people with information available, 15 (23%) have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

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Posted in FDA, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, Salmonella

USA – FDA Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan Updated

Posted on November 20, 2023 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Introduction

Leafy greens are among the most widely consumed vegetables and an important part of an overall healthy diet. However, while millions of servings are consumed safely every day, leafy greens have been repeatedly associated with illnesses caused by Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), the most common of which is E. coli O157:H7. FDA is committed to breaking this cycle of reoccurring outbreaks.

Over the last several years, the FDA and partners in the public and private sectors have worked to enhance the safety of leafy greens through the development and implementation of the Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan (LGAP). This work includes prioritized inspections, focused sampling, stakeholder engagement and collaboration, data sharing, root cause investigations, and advancements in the science of detection and prevention.

Collectively, this work has expanded our body of knowledge about how and why outbreaks linked to leafy greens have occurred, which has guided and informed the evolution of the action plan over the years. Still, we know that we cannot fix the issue of leafy green contamination on our own. Industry leadership, along with collaboration among growers, processors, retailers, state partners, and the broader agricultural community, is critical to preventing foodborne illness.

The link above goes to a  table that provides the approaches for three priority areas: Prevention, Response, and Addressing Knowledge Gaps, as well as accomplishments that have been made since the action plan launched in March 2020 (updated and current as of October 2023)

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Posted in FDA, Food Microbiology Research, Research, STEC, STEC E.coli

USA – HMC Farms Voluntarily Recalls Whole Peaches, Plums and Nectarines Sold at Retail Stores in 2022 and 2023 Because of Possible Health Risk – Listeria monocytogenes

Posted on November 20, 2023 by | Leave a comment

FDA

Image 1: “HMC Farms Peaches label, 2 lb. bag”

Image 10: “HMC Farms Peaches label, 4 lb. box”

Image 5: “HMC Farms White Nectarines label, 2 lb. bag”

Company Announcement

November 17, 2023 – The HMC Group Marketing, Inc., which does business as HMC Farms, is voluntarily recalling peaches, plums and nectarines sold in retail stores between May 1 and November 15, 2022 and between May 1 and November 15, 2023. The fruit is being recalled because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism that 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 infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The recalled fruit was distributed nationwide and sold at retail stores as individual pieces of fruit bearing PLU stickers (see photos) or in consumer packaging (also shown in the attached photos) AND sold at retail between May 1 and November 15, 2022 and between May 1 and November 15, 2023.

This recall includes only conventionally grown fruit – no organic fruit is being recalled. Peaches, plums, and nectarines currently available for sale at retail stores are not included in this recall.

The recalled peaches have been linked to an outbreak of Listeriosis that has resulted in eleven illnesses.

Consumers: Although the recalled fruit is no longer available in retail stores, consumers may have frozen the recalled fruit at home for later use. Consumers are urged to check their freezers for the recalled fruit, not consume it, and discard it. Consumers with further questions can contact the company’s consumer information desk at 844-483-3867, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

This recall is being carried out with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Company Contact Information

Consumers:
 844-483-3867
Media:
Amy Philpott
 703-472-6615
 amy@philpott-prsolutions.com

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Posted in FDA, food contamination, food handler, Food Hazard, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Quality, food recall, Food Safety, Food Safety Alert, Food Safety Management, Food Safety Regulations, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes

USA – FDA – Core Outbreak Investigation Table

Posted on November 17, 2023 by | Leave a comment

FDA

What’s New

  • A new outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes (ref #989) linked to a not yet identified product has been added to the table. FDA has initiated sample collection and analysis. FDA’s investigation is ongoing.
  • A new outbreak of E. coli O103 (ref #1192) linked to a not yet identified product has been added to the table. FDA has initiated a traceback investigation. FDA’s investigation is ongoing.
  • For the investigation of illnesses (ref #1198) linked to apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches, the FDA has updated the advisory to include expanded recall information from the firm and additional reports of illness.

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Posted in CORE Investigation Table, E.coli O103, FDA, food bourne outbreak, Food Illness, Foodborne Illness, foodborne outbreak, foodbourne outbreak, Illness, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, outbreak