Food Industry Employment Program Newsletter
The biggest food safety news this month is probably the Salmonella caused by onions outbreak. As onions are used in so many products, the recalls are widespread and have implicated many food manufacturer, retailer, and supplier; not just Thomson International the farm that distributed the onions.
I am struggling to find a similar outbreak and the closest I can find is the the Peanut Corporation of America. They produced peanut butter as an ingredient for many food manufacturers, in the same way the Thomson provided onions. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on the behalf of Thomson International.
We still do not know the source of the Salmonella and how the onions were contaminated. The FDA is recommending that:
"Suppliers and distributors that re-package raw onions should use extra vigilance in cleaning any surfaces and storage areas that may have come into contact with recalled onions. If there has been potential cross contamination or mixing of onions from other sources with recalled onions, suppliers and distributors should discard all commingled and potentially cross-contaminated product."
Make sure you are following a cleaning and sanitation plan to prevent causing nearly 1000 people from getting sick. Do not leave the health of your customers and the financial security of your business to chance. Schedule a free food safety call to discuss your sanitation plan needs to protect your consumers from getting ill from your food and to protect you from the cost of a recall.
Salad Recall
There has been some resolution in the cyclospora outbreak caused by bagged salad. The FDA has data that suggestions that the irrigation water used by farms in Florida probably contains cyclospora. This shows how important it is to be certain about the quality of all your supplies and suppliers. Even if you are not growing produce, you should be testing your water. As stated in FDA's Good Manufacturing Practice regulations (21 CFR 117.37):
"The water supply must be adequate for the operations intended and must be derived from an adequate source. Any water that contacts food, food-contact surfaces, or food-packaging materials must be safe and of adequate sanitary quality."
Make sure you have a written water policy. Set up a free call today if you are unclear about how to make sure your water is of a satisfactory standard.
Hot of the Press: Peach Recall
Just as I was putting the finishing touches to this newsletter, I received an email from FDA as there is a recall on peaches. Check the FDA announcement here.
Make sure your recall plan is in order as you don't want to get caught by unexpected announcements over a weekend without know how to respond quickly and effectivley. Set up a free call today to discuss your recall plan!
Food Industry Employment Program News
At the end of August, we turn 2 years old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whooo HOO! I couldn't have got this far without you all!
There are some changes coming which will included better and more focused services for my clients and my supporters. Watch this space.
In the meantime check out my daily newsletter which has short snippets of food safety and food systems news with an emphasis on FDA regulations and recalls. No more searching through Facebook or LinkedIn to find my posts.
All the best,
Cathy