Category Archives: Food Hygiene

FDA 

CHICAGO – Conagra Brands is collaborating with health officials in connection with a positive finding of Salmonella in a retail sample of Duncan Hines Classic White cake mix that may be linked to a Salmonella outbreak that is currently being investigated by CDC and FDA. While it has not been definitively concluded that this product is linked to the outbreak and the investigation is still ongoing, Conagra has decided to voluntarily recall the specific Duncan Hines variety identified (Classic White) and three other varieties (Classic Butter Golden, Signature Confetti and Classic Yellow) made during the same time period out of an abundance of caution.

Five occurrences of illnesses due to Salmonella are being researched by CDC and FDA as part of this investigation. 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 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.

Several of the individuals reported consuming a cake mix at some point prior to becoming ill, and some may have also consumed these products raw and not baked. Consumers are reminded not to consume any raw batter. Cake mixes and batter can be made with ingredients such as eggs or flour which can carry risks of bacteria that are rendered harmless by baking, frying or boiling. Consumers are reminded to wash their hands, work surfaces, and utensils thoroughly after contact with raw batter products, to follow baking instructions, and to never eat raw batter.

FDA

The FDA is investigating the manufacturing facility that made recalled Duncan Hines cake mixes.

FDA and the CDC informed Conagra Brands that a sample of Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix that contained Salmonella Agbeni matched the Salmonella collected from ill persons reported to the CDC. This was determined through Whole Genome Sequencing, a type of DNA analysis.

Based on this information, Conagra Brands is working with FDA to proactively conduct a voluntary recall of Duncan Hines cake mixes from the market. The FDA is conducting an inspection at the Conagra Brands-owned manufacturing facility that produced the cake mixes. The FDA is also collecting environmental and product samples.

Recommendation:

Consumers should not bake with or eat the recalled product. Additionally, consumers should not eat uncooked batter, flour, or cake mix powder.

Vancouver Sun 

A salmonella outbreak that has sickened 42 people in B.C. since mid-June has been linked to long English cucumbers, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

In an update late Friday, the health agency said five more cases have been connected to the outbreak in Western Canada, for a total of 50 cases.

No one has died from the outbreak, but 10 people have been hospitalized.

“Based on the investigation findings to date, exposure to long English cucumbers has been identified as the likely source of the outbreak,” said the PHAC update. “Many of the individuals who became sick reported eating long English cucumbers before their illness.”

But the health agency stopped short of advising people not to eat cucumbers, saying more information is needed to determine the possible causes of the contamination.

“If contaminated food products are identified, (the Canadian Food Inspection Agency) will take the necessary steps to protect the public, including recalling the product as required. Currently there are no Food Recall Warnings associated with this outbreak,” said the update.

The health agency noted the outbreak appears to be ongoing “as illnesses continue to be reported.”