The USDA's Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice last week that gives its inspection personnel specific instructions on how to randomly select the beef trimmings to be tested under the MT50 project code, which includes E. coli testing in trim.The notice instructs inspectors to collect samples from all types of trim if a plant is producing multiple...
The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF), an interagency committee with outside experts, held a meeting Wednesday (via conference call) to discuss ground beef purchasing requirements for federal food and nutrition assistance programs -- and unanimously accepted the group's recommendations on safety questions raised by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS).AMS asked NACMCF three...
Customers who ate at a McDonald's in Northport, AL between February 28 and March 14 may have been exposed to hepatitis A through an infected employee, according to the Alabama Department of Health. In a news alert, state health officials advised customers who visited the McDonald's at 2000 McFarland Blvd. in Northport any time on March 14, 2012, or during breakfast...
From the U.S. and Food and Drug Administration warning letters posted since our March 20, 2012 update:- J.M. Smucker of Orrville, OH, was warned that a January 2012 inspection of the company's Ripon, WI facility determined that the firm was failing to process an acidified product, Pumpkin Butter, according to the procedure it filed with the FDA. - Crystal Bay Seafoods...
As part of its "Bridging the Gaps" program, the Washington State Department of Agriculture launched a new video in its effort to help small and diversified growers meet Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). The video, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Specialty Block Grant, features a group of farmers, food buyers and GAP auditors from WSDA at...
The companies and associations involved in the the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) -- which is aimed at maximizing traceback in the industry -- released a new online survey this week to assess the extent of the industry's adoption of PTI milestones. The survey is open to all businesses in the produce supply chain and can be found here. In a...
Salmonella Typhimurium was found in frozen uncooked ground beef sampled on March 13 and Salmonella Heidelberg was found in raw Halal chicken sampled on March 15, Ottawa health officials say.While Salmonella was not isolated from any other food samples collected from March 12 to 15, the laboratory results pretty well connect an Ottawa catering company to responsibility for an outbreak...
Newport, Kentucky-based Castellini Produce has issued an unclassified recall for fresh jalapenos in packs of two, 10 and 40. The recalled jalapenos reached five divisions of Rosemont,IL-based US Foods (formerly U.S. Foodservice) between March 9 and 24, according to the food distribution company.While no illnesses have yet been associated with the recall, routine test results showed possible presence of Salmonella.The recalled...
Washington State Fish & Wildlife officials were working in overdrive this week trying to track down geoducks -- large, long-necked clams -- that may have been improperly or unsafely harvested, King5 News reported Thursday."We are up to our necks in paperwork," Washington State Fish & Wildlife Officer Tylar Stephenson told King5. Washington state officials teamed up with the National Oceanic...
The Food Safety Summit is hosting an Interactive Food Defense Workshop with Government and Industry Representatives as part of the educational program at the Washington D.C. Convention Center from April 17th -19th. This Tuesday session from 1-5 p.m. will be also be available for remote viewing supported through the FoodSHIELD portal. Learn more about the Summit and this session at...
From the U.S. and Food and Drug Administration warning letters posted since our March 13, 2012 update: Zhong Shun Inc, of City of Industry, CA, was warned that a December 2011 inspection found the firm has "serious violations" of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation requirements for imported fish and fishery products and that the firm's...
Eggs produced by Daizen Farms in Burlington, WA are from hens that ate feed contaminated with rodent droppings and Salmonella, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).There have been no illnesses linked to the eggs, but WSDA is warning people not to eat them and has alerted stores that sold them, particularly independent Asian grocery stores and restaurants...
More than 135 products are part of the recall in Canada of frozen ground beef processed by the Saskatchewan-based New Food Classics, a plant that has filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations.The beef may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 and has been linked to one illness, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).The first recall notice was issued...
New rules Congress called for in the Food Safety Modernization Act -- for preventive controls for food, animal feed, produce safety and food imports -- should be passed without further delay by the Obama Administration.So says the Consumer Federation of American (CFA), a coalition of 300 nonprofit consumer organizations.In a statement, CFA said its members voted in annual meeting last...
After a series of earlier recalls, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has now recalled all ground beef from New Food Classics ( Establishment 761) that was processed between July 1, 2011 and Feb. 15, 2012 because it may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.One person was reportedly sickened after eating meat that had been processed in October.New Food Classics...
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