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McCain company officials ignored signs of Salmonella, Listeria contamination

By Phyllis Entis
McCain company officials ignored signs of Salmonella, Listeria contamination
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For more than 2 1/2 years, management at the Colton, California facility of McCain Foods USA ignored positive test results for Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella, apparently  choosing to ship the potentially contaminated vegetable and fruit products without conducting confirmation tests.

This pattern of behavior was discovered during an internal audit at the manufacturing location, according to information in the FDA’s Weekly Enforcement Report released yesterday.

“During an internal audit at the manufacturing location, it was discovered that finished product had been released on numerous occasions after receiving presumptive positive test results for Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella; confirmation was not conducted,” according to the FDA report.

Testing for pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella involves multiple stages. The “presumptive positive” first stage indicates the possibility that a food sample may contain the pathogen. A second, confirming stage to identify the microbe is standard laboratory operating procedure.

McCain’s Colton manufacturing facility was most recently inspected by the Food and Drug Administration in January, according to information in the agency’s on-line inspection database. That inspection resulted in a classification of “Voluntary Action Indicated,” suggesting that FDA investigators recorded one or more “Inspectional Observations” requiring correction. Food Safety News has requested, but has not yet received, a copy of the Establishment Inspection Report.

On Oct. 13 McCain recalled all products it shipped on or after Jan. 1, 2016, from its Colton, CA, facility. The recalled products were distributed in the United States, Canada, China, Korea and Mexico. The recalls were classified as Class II under FDA’s three-class system. Products that might cause a temporary health problem, or pose only a slight threat of a serious nature are considered to be Class II.

McCain Foods is a privately owned, multinational company with its main offices in Ontario, Canada. It has many business customers, including other food companies, retailers, restaurants and institutional foodservice operations such as school districts. Recalls by retailers that used McCain ingredients in their branded products include WalMart, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and 7-Eleven.

To date, no confirmed illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled products. However, it can take up to 70 days after exposure for symptoms of Listeria infection to develop.

McCain’s voluntary recall included the following 63 different products, packaged and sold under multiple brand names, which are indicated in parentheses.

For additional information on the recalls and investigation, please see:

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Phyllis Entis

Phyllis Entis

Phyllis Entis is the author of "Food Safety: Old Habits, New Perspectives" and "Food Microbiology — The Laboratory." She has been a food safety microbiologist for 35 years, and has worked both in government and industry. She believes that everyone —

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Tags: Enforcement Recalls Foodborne Pathogens enforcement FDA food recalls Listeria McCain Foods Salmonella Trader Joe's Walmart Whole Foods

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