Category Archives: Food Inspections

USA – Silver Star Brands, Inc. Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Human and Animal Drug Products Due to Microbial Contamination

FDA

Silver Star Brands, Inc., is initiating a voluntary recall of six products for humans (including four Native Remedies® and two Healthful Naturals™) and two PetAlive® products for pets for a total of eight products with  lot numbers, see table below, to the consumer level. The products have been tested and found to contain microbial contamination.

Administration or use of drug products with microbial contamination could potentially result in increased infections that may require medical intervention and could result in infections that could be life threatening to certain individuals and animals. To date, Silver Star Brands, Inc. has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall.

These products can be identified by the main label on the bottle and the lot number that is printed on the label. Each product recalled is an individual 2 oz. oral spray in amber bottle (see table below), manufactured at the King Bio, Inc. facility in Asheville, NC.  Product was distributed nationwide via wholesale, retail and online sales.  Native Remedies®, PetAlive® and Healthful Naturals™ package images for products affected are attached (below).

HUMAN PRODUCTS
PRODUCT INDICATION NDC UPC LOT EXPIRATION DATE
Native Remedies VertiFree oral spray Temporary relief for dizziness and nausea 68703-253-02 818837012260 K061417B 6/20
Native Remedies VaricoGo oral spray Relieves discomfort associated with varicose veins 68703-105- 59 818837010419 K111717A 11/20
Native Remedies HypoSlim oral spray Assists with healthy weight management and metabolism 68703-275- 02 818837013724 K051818A 05/21
Native Remedies EyeClear Pro oral spray Relieves symptoms of mineral buildup and eye irritation 68703-151- 59 818837011652 K022317A, K022317B 02/20
Healthful Naturals DizziFree oral spray Temporarily relieves dizziness and nausea 68703-204- 02 840853166535 K022616D N/A
Healthful Naturals Leg Cramp Support Temporary relief from cramps and spasms while resting 68703-206- 02 840853166559 K022216C N/A
PET PRODUCTS
PRODUCT INDICATION NDC UPC LOT EXPIRATION DATE
PetAlive Plump-Up Pet oral spray Improves appetite in underweight dogs and cats 68703-290- 02 818837013908 K011617E 01/20
PetAlive Allergy Itch Ease oral spray Relieves skin itch 68703-135- 59 818837011102 K111617B 11/20

Silver Star Brands, Inc. is notifying its distributors and customers by letter and is arranging for return and replacement (or refund) of the recalled products.

Consumers/distributors/retailers that have this product which is being recalled should discontinue use/distribution and contact Silver Star Brands, Inc.
at Nativeremedies@silverstarbrands.com to make arrangements to return the product. These
products were distributed nationwide to retailers (doctor offices, pharmacies, health food stores) and consumers (direct sales and website).

Consumers with questions regarding this recall can contact Silver Star Brands, Inc. at 1-888- 736-6389 Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm CST or email Nativeremedies@silverstarbrands.com. Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they believe they have experienced any problems that may be related to using this product.

Research – Rates of increase of antibiotic resistance and ambient temperature in Europe: a cross-national analysis of 28 countries between 2000-2016

BIORXIV

Abstract

Background. Widely recognized as a major public health threat globally, the rapid increase of antibiotic resistance in bacteria could soon render our most effective method to combat infections obsolete. Factors influencing the burden of resistance in human populations remain poorly described, though temperature is known to play an important role in mechanisms at the bacterial level. Methods. We performed an ecologic analysis of country level antibiotic resistance prevalence in 3 common bacterial pathogens across 28 countries in Europe, and used multivariable models to evaluate associations with minimum temperature and other predictors over a 17-year period (2000-2016). We quantified the effects of minimum temperature, population density, and antibiotic consumption on the rate of change of antibiotic resistance across geographies. Findings. For three common bacterial pathogens and four classes of antibiotics, we found evidence of a long-term effect of ambient minimum temperature on rates of increase of antibiotic resistance across 28 countries in Europe between 2000-2016. Specifically, we show that across all antibiotic classes for the pathogens E. coli and K. pneumoniae, European countries with 10°C warmer ambient temperatures have experienced more rapid increases in antibiotic resistance over the 17-year period, ranging between 0.33%/year (95% CI 0.2, 0.5) and 1.2%/year (0.4, 1.9), even after accounting for recognized drivers of resistance including antibiotic consumption and population density. We found a decreasing relationship for S. aureus and methicillin of -0.4%/year (95% CI -0.7, 0.0), reflecting widespread declines in MRSA across Europe over the study period. Interpretation. Ambient temperature may be an important modulator of the rate of change of antibiotic resistance. Our findings suggest that rising temperatures globally may hasten the spread of resistance and complicate efforts to mitigate it.

Research – Aflatoxins in cereals: State of the art

Wiley Online

Abstract

Recently, the contamination of food products, particularity cereals with aflatoxins (AF) as secondary metabolites generated by some of fungal genera species raised serious concerns. AF as the highly toxic compounds could pass through metabolic processes in unaltered forms and consequently accumulate in the tissues of humans and animals. The consumption of AF contaminated cereal, cereal‐based products as both food and feed is considered as a serious issue, which should be controlled through conducting prevention strategies and legislation. However, in some cases, the detoxification or elimination process also can be approached. The current article took an overview regarding physicochemical properties of AF, as well as their absorption, digestion, metabolism, and excretion in cereals. Also, the chronic and acute aflatoxicosis along prevention strategies and control mechanisms were discussed.

Practical applications

Cereal and cereal‐based products can be considered as one of the most important sources of food as well as energy in many countries. Despite this, cereals and cereal‐based foods may present contamination by several mycotoxins, as one of the challenging issues in cereal‐based products. The adverse effects of contamination by mycotoxins on food safety and food quality are reserved huge concerns. The knowledge regarding the physicochemical properties of aflatoxins as well as their control can aid the food industry to keep the quality of food products in an acceptable level.

Research – Multispecies biofilms between Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria innocua with resident microbiota isolated from apple juice processing equipment

Wiley Online

Abstract

When testing conditions that prevail in fruit juice industry it was found that Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 7644 and a wild strain of Listeria innocua were highly hydrophobic, expressed swimming and twitching, co‐aggregated with yeast cells and produced exopolysaccharide, all characteristics that would favor the adhesive process. In mono‐species biofilms, L. innocua adhered on stainless steel at significantly higher counts than L. monocytogenes achieving values of 6.64 ± 0.01 and 5.80 ± 0.21 log CFU/cm2. In dual species biofilms with resident yeasts, L. innocua cells counts increase significantly in the presence of Candida tropicalis and Candida krusei and decrease significantly in the presence of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Candida kefyr. When cocultured with Candida tropicalis, the cell numbers of L. monocytogenes had a significant increase. These results revealed synergic and antagonistic interactions among species.

Practical applications

The study supports the plausibility that interactions between L. monocytogenes and members of resident microbiota, such as C. tropicalis, C. krusei, C. kefyr, and R. mucilaginosa, might play an important role for the survival and dissemination of L. monocytogenes. Apple juice processing conditions was used as simulation of the real condition in fruit juice processing environment and these results will alert to fruit juice industry to adopt the best cleaning and disinfecting practices against Listeria.

Research – Extended antibiotic treatment in salmon farms select multiresistant gut bacteria with a high prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes

PLOS One

The high use of antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial diseases is one of the main problems in the mass production of animal protein. Salmon farming in Chile is a clear example of the above statement, where more than 5,500 tonnes of antibiotics have been used over the last 10 years. This has caused a great impact both at the production level and on the environment; however, there are still few works in relation to it. In order to demonstrate the impact of the high use of antibiotics on fish gut microbiota, we have selected four salmon farms presenting a similar amount of fish of the Atlantic salmon species (Salmo salar), ranging from 4,500 to 6,000 tonnes. All of these farms used treatments with high doses of antibiotics. Thus, 15 healthy fish were selected and euthanised in order to isolate the bacteria resistant to the antibiotics oxytetracycline and florfenicol from the gut microbiota. In total, 47 bacterial isolates resistant to florfenicol and 44 resistant to oxytetracycline were isolated, among which isolates with Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) exceeding 2048 μg/mL for florfenicol and 1024 μg/mL for oxytetracycline were found. In addition, another six different antibiotics were tested in order to demonstrate the multiresistance phenomenon. In this regard, six isolates of 91 showed elevated resistance values for the eight tested antibiotics, including florfenicol and oxytetracycline, were found. These bacteria were called “super-resistant” bacteria. This phenotypic resistance was verified at a genotypic level since most isolates showed antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to florfenicol and oxytetracycline. Specifically, 77% of antibiotic resistant bacteria showed at least one gene resistant to florfenicol and 89% showed at least one gene resistant to oxytetracycline. In the present study, it was demonstrated that the high use of the antibiotics florfenicol and oxytetracycline has, as a consequence, the selection of multiresistant bacteria in the gut microbiota of farmed fish of the Salmo salar species at the seawater stage. Also, the phenotypic resistance of these bacteria can be correlated with the presence of antibiotic resistance genes.

Research – Assessment of mycotoxins co‐occurrence in Italian dried figs and in dried figs‐based products

Wiley Online

Abstract

The possible contamination by aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxin A (OTA), fumonisin B1 (FB1), fusaric acid (FA), and beauvericin (BEA), was investigated in 55 samples of dried figs and dried figs‐based products purchased from the South Italy (Calabria) market. A total of 41 samples showed contamination by at least one of the mycotoxins investigated. Aflatoxin B1 was found in six samples (0.19 — 8.41 μg/kg) total aflatoxins were found in 13 samples (0.5–17.12 μg/kg), OTA was found in 21 samples (<LOQ—158.58 μg/kg), FB1 was found in eight samples (153.81–5,412.96 μg/kg), BEA was found in 12 samples (<LOQ—5,708.49 μg/kg), and FA was found in 28 samples (<LOQ—74,520.20 μg/kg). The analyzed samples were contaminated with one (41.8%), two (7.3%), three (5.5%), four (10.9%), and five (5.5%) mycotoxins. To the best of our knowledge, the incidence of contamination by FA and BEA has been shown for the first time in dried figs.

Practical applications

The present work was focused on mycotoxin mixtures contamination levels of dried figs and dried figs‐based products. It is known that the co‐occurrence of mycotoxins leads to additive or synergistic effects. For some analyzed samples the AFB1, aflatoxins, and ochratoxin A (OTA) levels exceed the European Union countries legal limit. In addition, the simultaneous presence of FB1, FA, and BEA can be a potential threat to the health of consumers. Although different studies examined AFs, OTA, and Fusarium toxins as single mycotoxins in dried figs, to our knowledge, the co‐occurrence of AFs, OTA, FB1, FA, and BEA in dried figs and in dried figs‐based products samples has not been reported previously. Therefore, to prevent mycotoxins contamination, the employment of good practices in all the processing steps is necessary. Furthermore, the quality control of the ingredients used in figs preparations (spices, other dried fruits, cocoa, etc.), usually not adequately, is essential. Finally, it is of importance to establish more stringent rules to ensure food safety, even if no legal limit was still set for Fusarium toxins in dried fruit.

Ireland -Recall of Cabots of Westport Basil Pesto Due to Detection of Listeria monocytogenes

FSAI 

Summary
Category 2: For Information
Alert Notification: 2018.40
Product: Cabots of Westport Basil Pesto; pack size: 180g
Batch Code: ‘Use-by’ date: 24/09/2018
Country Of Origin: Ireland

Message:

Cabots of Westport is recalling the above batch of its basil pesto due to the detection of Listeria monocytogenes. Point-of-sale recall notices will be displayed in stores that sold the implicated batch.

 

 

RASFF Alert – ASP – Live Scallops

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RASFF-Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) toxins (38.01 mg/kg – ppm) in live scallops (Pecten Jacobaeus) from Belgium in Italy

ASP Information

RASFF Alerts – Salmonella – Enterobateriaceae – Chilled Lamb Products – Liquid Egg – White Seasame Seeds

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RASFF-Salmonella (presence /25g) in chilled lamb products from Ireland in Ireland

RASFF-Salmonella (present /25g), high count of Enterobacteriaceae (9500 MPN/g) and high aerobic plate count (6700 CFU/g) in liquid egg white from France in the UK

RASFF-Salmonella (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in white sesame seeds from Nigeria in Poland

RASFF Alert – STEC E.coli – Sliced Salami

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RASFF-shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (stx1/stx2+; eae+) in sliced salami from Austria in Austria