Unilever recalled 10 million cans of Slim-Fast ready to drink products throughout North America. Basically, all their drink products were subject to recall. They discovered in testing that the drinks could be contaminated with Bacillus cereus.
How would this occur? Under-processing? Post processing contamination?
How many days of production was this?
How did their internal quality system and production system fail?
Was their lack of personal control, missing equipment control, lack of procedures, failure to follow standard operating procedures?
It would be interesting to know, so that the rest of industry could avoid this problem. In most food plants and certainly in a company as large as Unilever, there are elaborate food safey systems. How can they fail? Was the failure human?
Rep. Rosa DeLauro from Connecticut called for Beef Packers in Fresno to be shut down because of a second salmonella recall on ground beef. The parent company Cargill is using outside inspectors and public health officials to search for the problem. Up until July, this plant supplied ground meat to schools.
Large retailers and restaurant chains set higher standards for ground meat than the standards set for school beef. Companies often impose higher standards in order to protect the public and reduce their liability. It only makes common sense.
So how can large companies such as Cargill and Unilever have such problems? Is it based on volume? Have they become so large that it is impossible to control contamination? Can companies work their way from under this load and responsibility?
What responsibility do you take as the consumer?
Remember a couple of basic rules. When you grind meat you spread the bacteria that is on the surface throughout the mixture. The surface area has dramatically increased. Assume that ground meat and poultry contain bacteria. Cook poultry and ground meat thoroughly. Take responsibility to protect your family.
Be safe out there.
Rudy
rudy@powerinlearning.com
Monday, December 14, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
2 Executed in China
CNN reported that two people convicted of intentionally adding melamine to milk were executed today in China. Several others are serving 15 years to life.
The operators of the peanut butter plant in Georgia, that was implicated in a massive recall this year went out of business. I am not suggesting that we need to have the extreme that happened above in China. However, I do believe that those individuals involved in the food chain in the US need to take it seriously. It is a matter of life and death.
Unilever issued a recall on Shedd's Country Crock Chilled Side-Dish items. After a reported illness, they discovered that a co-packer had not informed them that an ingredient in the product contained sulfites. Persons with allergies or sensitivity to sulfites can have life threatening reactions.
Recalls for allergens are on the rise. Some are due to improper labelling and some are discovered by the lack of understanding of the ingredients used. Others are caused by inadequate sanitation. Do HACCP plans protect the consumer?
Another recall for salmonella in produce happened this week. This time cantaloupes sold by Five Crowns Marketing in Brawley, California discovered a positive test on a lot of product from November 4. The cantaloupes were shipped to several states.
There are new procedures initiated in produce since the spinach debacle in 2008. These procedures should reduce the chance for contamination and improve the recall procedures. Is testing fast enough? Are recalls initiated soon enough?
In this holiday season, take special precautions. Thoroughly wash all produce. Thoroughly cook your turkey. Don't let raw meat come in contact with produce or cooked foods. Refrigerate items that need refrigeration.
We can all do better as scientists, as producers, as manufacturers, as consumers. Let's take our responsibility seriously and keep our families safe from food borne illness and contamination.
Rudy
rudy@powerinlearning.com
The operators of the peanut butter plant in Georgia, that was implicated in a massive recall this year went out of business. I am not suggesting that we need to have the extreme that happened above in China. However, I do believe that those individuals involved in the food chain in the US need to take it seriously. It is a matter of life and death.
Unilever issued a recall on Shedd's Country Crock Chilled Side-Dish items. After a reported illness, they discovered that a co-packer had not informed them that an ingredient in the product contained sulfites. Persons with allergies or sensitivity to sulfites can have life threatening reactions.
Recalls for allergens are on the rise. Some are due to improper labelling and some are discovered by the lack of understanding of the ingredients used. Others are caused by inadequate sanitation. Do HACCP plans protect the consumer?
Another recall for salmonella in produce happened this week. This time cantaloupes sold by Five Crowns Marketing in Brawley, California discovered a positive test on a lot of product from November 4. The cantaloupes were shipped to several states.
There are new procedures initiated in produce since the spinach debacle in 2008. These procedures should reduce the chance for contamination and improve the recall procedures. Is testing fast enough? Are recalls initiated soon enough?
In this holiday season, take special precautions. Thoroughly wash all produce. Thoroughly cook your turkey. Don't let raw meat come in contact with produce or cooked foods. Refrigerate items that need refrigeration.
We can all do better as scientists, as producers, as manufacturers, as consumers. Let's take our responsibility seriously and keep our families safe from food borne illness and contamination.
Rudy
rudy@powerinlearning.com
Friday, November 13, 2009
IFT Releases Traceability Repot
The FDA and CFSAN contracted with the Institute of Food Technologists to evaluate the food sector and make recommendations to improve traceability and speed of recalls.
IFT released that report. I am not sure of the cost, however, the recommendations were those that were expected. The two biggest pieces for necessary requirement are to generate consistent lot codes so that they could more easily fit into a computerized search "Google like" scheme. This was similar to the findings of an independent, no cost to the government, evaluation by industry and private individuals and developed in coordination with WorldFoodTrace.org . www.worldfoodtrace.org
The second piece that will find extensive push back from industry unless the expense can be controlled, is that the information must be available for regulatory audits in an electronic form. The mechanism is not recommended so as to leave room for private industry to develop the software tools for this. It allows for individual firms to do their own conversion to electronic form or hire a third party to do it for them. So get ready to move from paper and pencil to electronic form and get ready to do it soon. When this recommendation is adopted, inspectors will be asking to see your electronic versions and so will your Global Food Safety Initiative Auditor.
I recommend researching technology now. The universal data base that will make this piece useful was not added to the report.
If you have a uniform length and format lot code, if you link lot codes of raw materials with finished products, if you record lot code shipments and quantities leaving your plant to each customer, and if this gets entered into a universal data base, then and only then will the United States have a useful workable system that will allow the CDC and regulatory agencies to pinpoint the source of a food borne illness.
Speed of recall is a life and death issue.
Identification saves lives, saves industry, saves jobs, saves our economy.
Ask your food industry representatives, your regulators, your representatives to use your tax dollars effectively and do the job right, and do the job right now!!
Be safe out there,
Rudy
rudy@powerinlearning.com
IFT released that report. I am not sure of the cost, however, the recommendations were those that were expected. The two biggest pieces for necessary requirement are to generate consistent lot codes so that they could more easily fit into a computerized search "Google like" scheme. This was similar to the findings of an independent, no cost to the government, evaluation by industry and private individuals and developed in coordination with WorldFoodTrace.org . www.worldfoodtrace.org
The second piece that will find extensive push back from industry unless the expense can be controlled, is that the information must be available for regulatory audits in an electronic form. The mechanism is not recommended so as to leave room for private industry to develop the software tools for this. It allows for individual firms to do their own conversion to electronic form or hire a third party to do it for them. So get ready to move from paper and pencil to electronic form and get ready to do it soon. When this recommendation is adopted, inspectors will be asking to see your electronic versions and so will your Global Food Safety Initiative Auditor.
I recommend researching technology now. The universal data base that will make this piece useful was not added to the report.
If you have a uniform length and format lot code, if you link lot codes of raw materials with finished products, if you record lot code shipments and quantities leaving your plant to each customer, and if this gets entered into a universal data base, then and only then will the United States have a useful workable system that will allow the CDC and regulatory agencies to pinpoint the source of a food borne illness.
Speed of recall is a life and death issue.
Identification saves lives, saves industry, saves jobs, saves our economy.
Ask your food industry representatives, your regulators, your representatives to use your tax dollars effectively and do the job right, and do the job right now!!
Be safe out there,
Rudy
rudy@powerinlearning.com
Friday, October 9, 2009
US Justice Closes Sandwich Maker
A sandwich plant in Oakland has been closed and all products seized. The FDA reports that the plant has had numerous Listeria violations since 2002 and has poor sanitation. It also reported lack of enforcement of GMP's and condensation dripping on food lines.
The FDA is stepping up inspection and enforcement and moving much quicker. Congress is giving more power and authority to the FDA and is expecting enforcement.
Both parties are in support of this legislation. The food industry is in support of this legislation.
It is time for the operators on the fringe to shape up. We do not need anymore peanut recalls or spinach problems.
Does your company have a food safety plan? Do you expect and inspect your suppliers to make sure they do as well?
GFSI is a great start. However, how many of the small operators will not be able to afford full blown SQF or BRC? Let's support our small and medium sized businesses and help them get up to speed. A good food safety plan involves strong ownership and execution of the plan from the boardroom to the restroom.
Be safe out there and practice food safety at work and at home,
Rudy
rudy@powerinlearning.com
The FDA is stepping up inspection and enforcement and moving much quicker. Congress is giving more power and authority to the FDA and is expecting enforcement.
Both parties are in support of this legislation. The food industry is in support of this legislation.
It is time for the operators on the fringe to shape up. We do not need anymore peanut recalls or spinach problems.
Does your company have a food safety plan? Do you expect and inspect your suppliers to make sure they do as well?
GFSI is a great start. However, how many of the small operators will not be able to afford full blown SQF or BRC? Let's support our small and medium sized businesses and help them get up to speed. A good food safety plan involves strong ownership and execution of the plan from the boardroom to the restroom.
Be safe out there and practice food safety at work and at home,
Rudy
rudy@powerinlearning.com
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Produce and Salmonella. Not a healthy mix.
In the last 3 weeks, we have seen produce recalls happening coast to coast.
We saw canteloupes recalled in Florida when they tested positive for Salmonella.
Green onions had two recalls due to Salmonella, one from Mexico and the other from California.
We saw parsley being recalled. Again for Salmonella.
And on Sept. 18, spinach produced in California was recalled again due to Salmonella.
Why are we seeing this? Food safety programs are in place. More testing than ever is occuring. More inspections are happening.
Increased surveillance, certainly, is expected to find any form of contamination. We would think that if we test more we might expect to see more positive testing for contamination, if contamination is occuring.
Thank goodness that more food testing is occuring and thank goodness that more effort is being made to improve conditions.
Why do these products show bacterial contamination? Let's think about this. It is planted in the soil. It is grown with a lot of moisture and in the harvesting and storage it needs moisture to stay fresh.
Salmonella will live and grow in the water and will be carried by other organisms up onto the plants. Frogs, toads, slugs, snails, birds all enjoy this environment.
How are the products handled post harvest? The picking, packing, sorting, cleaning, storage process all need to be reviewed. Having the correct procedures to eliminate contamination before packaging are needed.
Watch your handling procedures at home. Proper in home handling, cleaning and storage is important to keep your family safe.
Be careful out there and keep your green mix healthy.
Rudy
rudy@powerinlearning.com
We saw canteloupes recalled in Florida when they tested positive for Salmonella.
Green onions had two recalls due to Salmonella, one from Mexico and the other from California.
We saw parsley being recalled. Again for Salmonella.
And on Sept. 18, spinach produced in California was recalled again due to Salmonella.
Why are we seeing this? Food safety programs are in place. More testing than ever is occuring. More inspections are happening.
Increased surveillance, certainly, is expected to find any form of contamination. We would think that if we test more we might expect to see more positive testing for contamination, if contamination is occuring.
Thank goodness that more food testing is occuring and thank goodness that more effort is being made to improve conditions.
Why do these products show bacterial contamination? Let's think about this. It is planted in the soil. It is grown with a lot of moisture and in the harvesting and storage it needs moisture to stay fresh.
Salmonella will live and grow in the water and will be carried by other organisms up onto the plants. Frogs, toads, slugs, snails, birds all enjoy this environment.
How are the products handled post harvest? The picking, packing, sorting, cleaning, storage process all need to be reviewed. Having the correct procedures to eliminate contamination before packaging are needed.
Watch your handling procedures at home. Proper in home handling, cleaning and storage is important to keep your family safe.
Be careful out there and keep your green mix healthy.
Rudy
rudy@powerinlearning.com
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Listeria monocytogenes
Does the name scare you?
It should! This bacteria can prove fatal if consumed.
It loves wet places in your manufacturing facility. It loves places that are hard to clean.
It LOVES to grow in DRAINS and cracks in floors.
There was some recent research conducted at Kansas State University on growth of Listeria monocytogenes. The work was done to show the effect of high pressure cleaning of drains that were growing listeria.
The high pressure atomized the bacteria and splattered them on walls and equipment up to 5 meters from the floor level. Samples were taken at different heights up to 5 meters. Although there were less at the higher levels, listeria was still present.
Additionally the research showed that the bacteria continued to grow even after 48 hours at all levels tested.
What does this mean to me if I operate a food manufacturing plant? First, never use high pressure to clean drains. If you find listeria in these areas use a brush designated for drains and the appropriate cleaning chemical to kill the bacteria.
When working on drains or floors protect areas where open product is handled and packaged.
Remember 5 meters is higher than normal conveyors that transport food. That means bacteria can be launched onto conveyors and packaging areas.
When doing any maintenance on room expansions, remodeling, etc. assume that you are exposing listeria colonies that were waiting for a chance to grow. Protect production areas and protect the product, your customers and your business.
Take food safety seriously.
Rudy
rudy@powerinlearning.com
It should! This bacteria can prove fatal if consumed.
It loves wet places in your manufacturing facility. It loves places that are hard to clean.
It LOVES to grow in DRAINS and cracks in floors.
There was some recent research conducted at Kansas State University on growth of Listeria monocytogenes. The work was done to show the effect of high pressure cleaning of drains that were growing listeria.
The high pressure atomized the bacteria and splattered them on walls and equipment up to 5 meters from the floor level. Samples were taken at different heights up to 5 meters. Although there were less at the higher levels, listeria was still present.
Additionally the research showed that the bacteria continued to grow even after 48 hours at all levels tested.
What does this mean to me if I operate a food manufacturing plant? First, never use high pressure to clean drains. If you find listeria in these areas use a brush designated for drains and the appropriate cleaning chemical to kill the bacteria.
When working on drains or floors protect areas where open product is handled and packaged.
Remember 5 meters is higher than normal conveyors that transport food. That means bacteria can be launched onto conveyors and packaging areas.
When doing any maintenance on room expansions, remodeling, etc. assume that you are exposing listeria colonies that were waiting for a chance to grow. Protect production areas and protect the product, your customers and your business.
Take food safety seriously.
Rudy
rudy@powerinlearning.com
Monday, July 27, 2009
Contaminated Romaine Lettuce Shipped to 29 States
Tanimura and Antle recall one lot of Romaine lettuce from Salinas, California. This lot was shipped to 29 states, 2 countries and a territory.
The recall was initiated after a positive test for Salmonella from a state regulatory agency was reported.
The lot covered nine days of processing, June 25 to July 2. The recall was initiated at 19 days after the end of this lot's production. The shelf life of the product is sixteen days.
Several questions need to be answered.
1. Where did contamination arise?
2. Why would the lot span 9 days?
3. What are the internal testing procedures of the company?
4. What are the internal sanitation programs of the company?
5. What are the harvesting procedures of the company?
Until you find the source, you have to keep looking.
Think about how you handle leafy vegetables before you eat them.
Be safe out there.
Rudy Westervelt
rudy@powerinlearning.com
The recall was initiated after a positive test for Salmonella from a state regulatory agency was reported.
The lot covered nine days of processing, June 25 to July 2. The recall was initiated at 19 days after the end of this lot's production. The shelf life of the product is sixteen days.
Several questions need to be answered.
1. Where did contamination arise?
2. Why would the lot span 9 days?
3. What are the internal testing procedures of the company?
4. What are the internal sanitation programs of the company?
5. What are the harvesting procedures of the company?
Until you find the source, you have to keep looking.
Think about how you handle leafy vegetables before you eat them.
Be safe out there.
Rudy Westervelt
rudy@powerinlearning.com
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