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Journal of Food Safety
1/17
2009
ISSUE:335
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Georgia
Lab Test Confirm Salmonella Contamination in an ¡°Unopened¡± Tub of Peanut
Butter
Source of Article: http://www.marlerblog.com/
Laboratory tests by the Georgia Department of Agriculture have confirmed
Salmonella contamination in some peanut butter manufactured by the Peanut
Corporation of America (PCA) processing facility in Blakely, Georgia.
We have confirmation for Salmonella,¡± said Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture
Tommy Irvin. ¡°The sample that tested positive came from an unopened five-pound
tub of King Nut Creamy Peanut Butter with ¡°Best Before 1/07/10¡± collected
at the plant by one of our inspectors.¡±
Further testing will be required to determine if this is the type of Salmonella
linked to illnesses across the country.
Posted on January 16, 2009 by Bill Marler
Toll
Rising - 448 sickened with Peanut Butter Salmonella Typhimurium - 99 Hospitalized
and 5 Deaths
Source of Article: http://www.marlerblog.com/The CDC just reported
that the number now is 448 persons infected with the outbreak strain of
Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported from 43 states. The number of
ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Alabama (1), Arizona
(8), Arkansas (4), California (60), Colorado (10), Connecticut (8), Georgia
(6), Hawaii (1), Idaho (10), Illinois (5), Indiana (3), Iowa (1), Kansas
(2), Kentucky (3), Maine (4), Maryland (7), Massachusetts (40), Michigan
(25), Minnesota (33), Missouri (8), Mississippi (1), Nebraska (1), New
Hampshire (11), New Jersey (18), New York (18), Nevada (5), North Carolina
(1), North Dakota (10), Ohio (57), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (5), Pennsylvania
(13), Rhode Island (4), South Dakota (2), Tennessee (8), Texas (6), Utah
(3), Vermont (4), Virginia (20), Washington (13), West Virginia (2), Wisconsin
(3), and Wyoming (2). Among the 432 persons with dates available, illnesses
began between September 08 and December 31, 2008. Patients range in age
from <1 to 98 years; 48% are female. Among persons with available information,
22% reported being hospitalized. Infection may have contributed to five
deaths.
Still no response to my TO
DO LIST:
1. Make sure ALL product is promptly recalled;
2. Do not destroy any documents;
3. The companies should pay the medical bills and all related expenses
of the innocent victims and their families;
4. The companies should pay the cost of all related Health Department,
CDC and FDA investigations;
5. Provide all bacterial and viral testing of all recalled product and
any other tested product (before and after recall);
6. Release all inspection reports on the plants by any Governmental Entity
or Third-party Auditor;
7. Release all Salmonella safety precautions taken by either King Nut
or Peanut Corporation of America - especially after the 2007 Salmonella
Peanut Butter Outbreak;
8. Provide the public with the Epidemiological investigation (with names
redacted), so it is clear who knew what and when about the likely source
of the outbreak; and,
9. Show the public what is being done to prevent the next outbreak.
FDA
NEWS: Salmonella Typhimurium Outbreak Updated: January 16, 2009
More
Peanut Butter Recalled in Salmonella Outbreak
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
Wednesday, January 14, 2009; 12:00 AM
Source of Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A nationwide recall of peanut butter
made in a Georgia plant was issued late Tuesday even as the number of
people sickened by salmonella-contaminated peanut butter rose to 425 in
43 states.
Peanut Corp. of America, based in Lynchburg, Va., issued the recall of
21 lots of peanut butter for possible salmonella contamination. The product
was made at a plant in Blakely, Ga., on or after July 1, 2008, and sold
under the brand name Parnell's Pride and by the King Nut Company as King
Nut, the Associated Press reported.
Peanut Corp., which also has plants in Virginia and Texas, makes the product
for bulk distribution to institutions, food service industries and private
label food companies.
The recall follows findings that bacteria in an open container of King
Nut creamy peanut butter in Minnesota was a genetic match to the strain
of salmonella that has struck across the country.
Meanwhile, state health officials said Tuesday that one death in Minnesota
and two in Virginia were probably tied to the outbreak.
It's not known for sure that the three people, whose names and hometowns
haven't been released, died from salmonella infection, but officials in
both states said all three were infected with the outbreak strain, USA
Today reported.
"This is a complex, widespread outbreak that appears to be ongoing,"
said Lola Russell, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
For its part, Peanut Corp. issued a statement from its owner and president,
according to AP. "We deeply regret that this has happened,"
Stewart Parnell said. "Out of an abundance of caution, we are voluntarily
withdrawing this produce and contacting our customers."
On Monday, Minnesota health officials reported that lab tests on a tainted
five-pound tub of peanut butter collected from a long-term care facility
produced the genetic match. The Minnesota report, issued on its Department
of Health Web site, was a follow-up to initial tests done last week.
Officials from the Minnesota Departments of Health and Agriculture had
issued a product warning Friday after preliminary testing indicated the
presence of salmonella in the peanut butter. Late Saturday, King Nut,
of Solon, Ohio, announced it had issued a recall of King Nut peanut butter
and Parnell's Pride peanut butter with the lot code "8." Both
brands are manufactured by Peanut Corp. On Sunday, Kanan told the AP that
the recall involved 1,000 cases of peanut butter. Peanut Corp. had issued
its own statement on its Web site late Saturday, confirming the salmonella
finding. The statement added, however, that the finding "leaves open
the possibility of cross-contamination from another source. PCA is working
with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, and other agencies to determine whether the currentoutbreak
could be at all related to products made in the PCA facility."
Reports of people sickened have occurred between Sept. 3 and Dec. 31,
2008, with most illnesses starting after Oct. 1. About 18 percent of those
who fell ill were hospitalized.
The strain of salmonella has been identified as Salmonella Typhimurium,
the most common of the more than 2,500 types of salmonella bacteria in
the United States. It's often found in uncooked eggs and meats, said CDC
officials.
The recall and the potential link to the multi-state outbreak come two
years after ConAgra recalled its Peter Pan brand peanut butter, which
had been linked to at least 625 salmonella cases in 47 states.
More information
To learn more about salmonella, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. SOURCE: Jan. 12, 2009, news release, Minnesota Department
of Health and Minnesota Department of Agriculture; Jan. 12, 2009, news
release, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Jan. 10, 2009,
statement, King Nut Company, Solon, Ohio; Jan 10, 2009, online statement,
Peanut Corporation of America; Associated Press; USA Today
More regulation
urged following salmonella outbreak
By Jane Byrne, 12-Jan-2009
Source of Article: http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/
A leading US food lawyer claims that the second major US Salmonella outbreak
in less than 24 months involving peanut butter suggests an industry wide
problem and shows the need for more intense regulation, as well as faster
detection methods.
Fred Pritzker, who practices extensively in foodborne illness litigation,
has urged the companies responsible to immediately pay medical bills and
wage losses for those sickened by the outbreak, as well as compensating
consumers who purchased the recalled product.
The source of this outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium, which according
to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has sickened
at least 400 people in 42 US states, has been traced to tainted King Nut
brand peanut butter.
The Ohio based company announced a recall of its peanut butter after the
Minnesota Department of Health said it found evidence that the product
may be the source of the pathogen.
The King Nut peanut butter is manufactured by the Peanut Corporation of
America, and is only sold to non-retail food outlets.
ConAgra recall
In early 2007, ConAgra was forced to recall Peter Pan and Great Value
branded peanut butter products linked to its contaminated manufacturing
facility in Georgia.
The CDC then linked about 628 cases of Salmonella illness across 47 states
to consumption of the ConAgra product.
The recall alone cost the food manufacturer a reported $66m, demonstrating
the huge sums food companies incur when hygiene controls in the plant
go awry, which does not include the additional impact on brand loyalty
and customer trust.
FDA criticised
Pritzker questions the stringency of current microbiological testing in
food processing plants, particularly in relation to food with long shelf
life such as peanut butter, arguing that the product should not be allowed
to leave the plant unless its safety is confirmed.
The food safety lawyer claims that more resources must be devoted to federal
food safety, both in terms of contamination prevention and in detection
time: ¡°The current system is undermined by too much fragmentation of responsibility
and not enough coordination between federal, state and local agencies.¡±
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) came in for heavy criticism
during the summer of 2008 for falsely correlating a nationwide Salmonella
outbreak with US grown tomatoes.
The outbreak, in which around 1,400 people became ill, was eventually
traced to jalapeno peppers grown in Mexico.
Research
Meanwhile, US researchers claim to have developed a new technology to
detect illness causing bacteria that could remove the need for product
recalls and protect the health of consumers. The Oregon State University
group said their method, the details of which were published in the journal,
Microbial Biotechnology, is more directly related to toxicity assessment
than the conventional techniques to test food for bacterial contamination
and safety. According to lead researcher Janine Trempy, the team¡¯s novel
approach is based on previous research looking at the colour changes in
pigment-bearing cells from Siamese fighting fish. She explained that studies
have found that when Siamese fighting fish encounter certain stressful
or threatening environmental conditions, such as exposure to toxic chemicals
like mercury, the erythrophores change appearance, and the pigment moves
in a characteristic pattern to an internal part of the cell. Trempy said
that the change in pigment location in response to a toxic chemical is
rapid, obvious and can be numerically described. ¡°We discovered that the
pigment bearing cells, erythrophores, respond immediately to certain food
associated, toxin producing bacteria responsible for making humans sick,¡±
she continued. ¡°There is the potential to directly assess the toxic behaviour
of the contaminating bacteria, not just the simple presence of the DNA
or protein of these bacteria.¡± She added that the method can detect food-associated
bacteria such as Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens.
Trempy said that further work is also required to develop a pigment bearing
cell for mass production and commercial use and that the team anticipate
that portable kits could result that would enable food processors, distributors
and handlers, or even consumers to quickly test food for contaminating
bacterial toxicity.
Kellogg issues
warning on peanut butter crackers
Source of Article: http://www.ift.org/news_bin/news/news_home.shtml
1/15/2009-Kellogg Co. has announced that it is recommending that consumers
not eat its peanut butter crackers because they may be tainted with Salmonella.
It is putting a hold on Austin and Keebler branded Toasted Peanut Butter
Sandwich Crackers, Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Crackers, Cheese and
Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers, and Peanut Butter-Chocolate Sandwich
Crackers. This is a result of the Food and Drug Administration indicating
that Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) is the focus of their investigation
concerning a recent Salmonella outbreak thought to be caused by tainted
peanut butter. PCA is one of several peanut paste suppliers that the company
uses in its Austin and Keebler branded peanut butter sandwich crackers.
Kellogg's investigation has not indicated any concerns, nor has the company
received any consumer illness complaints about these products. Nonetheless,
Kellogg Company is taking precautionary measures including putting a hold
on any inventory in its control, removing product from retail store shelves,
and encouraging customers and consumers to hold and not eat these products
until regulatory officials complete their investigation of PCA.
¡°Consumer health and safety is our top priority," said David Mackay,
President and CEO, Kellogg Co. ¡°We are taking these voluntary actions
out of an abundance of caution.¡±
Study
Examines Why Restaurant Workers Don't Wash Hands and Follow Other Food
Safety Practices
Source of Article: http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/
01/12/2009
Why do restaurant workers -- who handle an estimated 70 billion meals
and snacks in the U.S. every year -- sometimes not follow common food
safety practices such as washing their hands properly or keeping work
surfaces sanitary?
According to a recent Kansas State University study, restaurant workers
blame time constraints, inconvenience, inadequate training and inadequate
resources for failure to follow food safety practices.
K-State researchers conducted focus groups with restaurant employees to
identify perceived barriers to handwashing, cleaning work surfaces and
using food thermometers. Foodborne illnesses are most commonly caused
by poor personal hygiene, cross contamination and improper time/temperature
controls.
Barriers, they found, were not only a lack of food safety knowledge but
also often a lack of understanding why employees should comply with food
safety guidelines. Previous research indicated that training increases
knowledge regarding food safety issues, but that knowledge does not always
translate into improved behaviors.
"We have used the results of this study to develop and implement
an intervention program to address the barriers that training appears,"
said Amber D. Howells, an instructor of dietetics, registered dietitian
and the study's first author.
The restaurant industry employs 13.1 million people, and 59 percent of
reported foodborne illness outbreaks were associated with restaurants
in 2005. Howells said outbreaks usually are directly related to food-handler
error.
Because of the study, K-State researchers recommend that restaurant managers:
* Provide regular food safety training to their foodservice employees;
* Educate employees about the consequences of improper food handling to
improve attitudes toward food safety;
* Place signs about consequences of improper food handling in food production
areas;
* Encourage food safety compliance with verbal reminders and praise;
* Be good role models;
* Incorporate food safety practices into employees' daily routines to
eliminate the perceptions that they do not have time to perform them.
Other researchers with the K-State's department of hospitality management
and dietetics involved with the study included Betsy B. Barrett, associate
professor and a registered dietitian; Kevin R. Roberts, assistant professor;
and Carol W. Shanklin, professor, interim dean of the Graduate School
and a registered dietitian. Also involved were Valerie K. York, an evaluator
in K-State's office of educational innovation and evaluation, and Laura
A. Brannon, associate professor of psychology.
For the study, two series of focus groups were conducted. Focus groups
were to identify obvious barriers to following safe food preparation practices.
The 34 participants in Group A, all restaurant employees involved in food
preparation, received no special food safety training. The 125 participants
in the second series of focus groups, Group B, were divided into 20 focus
groups and received four hours of formal training from certified ServSafe
instructors.
The research found that employees did not comply with food safety guidelines
because of a variety of perceived barriers.
In Group A, additional barriers identified lack of space and other tasks
competing with cleaning work surfaces; inconvenient location of sinks
and having dry skin limiting hand-washing; and lack of working thermometers
and thermometers in inconvenient locations.
Group B agreed with Group A, but added other barriers: lack of incentive
to clean work surfaces and manager not monitoring the work and manager
not monitoring the use of thermometers. Research results were published
in the August 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
The study was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
to Shanklin. The $482,763 grant also is funding other food safety research.
2 Virginians had salmonella when they died
January 13, 2009 - 11:56am
Source of Article: http://www.wtop.com/?nid=600&sid=1572422
RICHMOND, Va. -- Two Virginia residents -- one of whom was from Northern
Virginia -- had salmonella when they died, but it's not clear whether
the illness is what killed them.
Virginia state health authorities tell WTOP the deaths have not yet been
linked to the salmonella outbreak that's being associated with peanut
butter.
In Virginia, 17 cases of salmonella have been reported. Eight of those
are in Northern Virginia.
The state is investigating whether the cases are linked to the nationwide
outbreak. The eight Northern Virginia cases were the same type of salmonella
as those in the nationwide outbreak.
The state won't know whether they are in fact related for a few more days.
RICHMOND, Va. -- Two Virginia residents -- one of whom was from Northern
Virginia -- had salmonella when they died, but it's not clear whether
the illness is what killed them. Virginia state health authorities tell
WTOP the deaths have not yet been linked to the salmonella outbreak that's
being associated with peanut butter.
In Virginia, 17 cases of salmonella have been reported. Eight of those
are in Northern Virginia. The state is investigating whether the cases
are linked to the nationwide outbreak. The eight Northern Virginia cases
were the same type of salmonella as those in the nationwide outbreak.The
state won't know whether they are in fact related for a few more days.
Minnesota
Death Linked to Salmonella Typhimurium Outbreak
Source of Article: http://www.marlerblog.com/
The nationwide salmonella outbreak may have killed a person in Minnesota.
A health department spokesman in Minnesota says an elderly woman had the
infection when she died, but it's not clear that salmonella was the cause.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the outbreak
has struck 42 states and made nearly 400 people ill. The CDC has not yet
released the list of states or determined which foods may have caused
people to become sick (expected in the next few hours). However, health
officials in Illinois, North Dakota, Ohio, Georgia, Minnesota and California
have confirmed cases. Ohio and California reported the most, with 51 cases
each.
Salmonella
Typhimurium Outbreak started Labor Day and it is now almost Inauguration
Day ? Are we waiting for ¡°Change to Come?¡±
Source of Article: http://www.marlerblog.com/
According to the CDC, as of Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 388 persons infected
with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported
from 42 states. Among the 372 persons with dates available, illnesses
began between September 3 and December 29, 2008, with most illnesses beginning
after October 1, 2008. Patients range in age from <1 to 103 years;
48% are female. Among persons with available information, 18% were hospitalized.
So, we have a shelf- stable product (like cereal or peanut butter) or
a frozen product (chicken nuggets) or refrigerated product (eggs or cheese)
that are all kept for an extended period and shipped all over the United
States. It is also a product that is consumed by infants and people over
twice my age. Oh yes, and the 388 people thus far counted share the same
genetic finger-print of Salmonella Typhimurium in their stools.
Yet, local and state health departments, and the CDC, have made no announcement
¡°publically¡± what product has sickened nearly 400, put 75 in the hospital
and killed a woman in Minnesota. Do they really not know what the product
is? Are they worried that the product identification needs to be perfect
so there is no comparison to last year¡¯s tomato/pepper Salmonella outbreak?
Is public safety in the balance? Or, do we simply need better, more timely
information so an outbreak can be determined early, the correct product
identified and pulled from our shelves.
As I have said too many times, we need to improve surveillance of bacterial
and viral diseases. First responders - ER physicians and local doctors
- need to be encouraged to test for pathogens and report findings directly
to local and state health departments and the CDC promptly. Right now,
for every person counted in an outbreak there are some 20 to 40 times
those that are sick but never tested. The more we test, the quicker we
know we have an outbreak and the quicker it can be stopped.
These same governmental departments, whether local, state or federal,
need to learn to ¡°play well together.¡± Turf battles need to take a back
seat to stopping an outbreak and tracking it to its source. That means
resources need to be provided and coordination encouraged so illnesses
can be promptly stopped and the offending producer - not an entire industry
- are brought to heal.
¡°Change is coming¡± ? right?
Posted on January 9, 2009 by Bill Marler
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