Latest News From Food safety

Jenfitch Inc. has gained NSF approval to use a proprietary  sodium oxychloride formulation that works even more effectively than ozone in post-harvest wash systems and hydro-coolers.

Monaghan Mushrooms Ltd., Campbellville, Ontario, has recalled Belle Grove brand whole white button mushrooms over concerns of Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism.

The United Fresh Produce Association has several upcoming web seminars on food safety.

Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. is recalling Sesame Asian Chopped Salad Kits in nine states after the wrong salad dressing and topping pack was included in the kits.

Ten years ago, on Jan. 4, 2011, the Food Safety Modernization Act became law.

Please join us for a PMA Virtual Town Hall at 12:00 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, January 6: New Year, Old Food Safety Problems.

A mislabeled vegetable tray with ranch dip has led to a recall in Florida because it contains eggs, which are considered as an allergan that must be identified on the product.

On January 1, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will open the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) application portal for fiscal year (FY) 2022. 

The COVID-19 pandemic affected food safety plans, delaying the release of the Food and Drug Administration’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety plan and pulling inspectors from many on-site visits.

Evidence showed that leafy greens were the likely source of a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections this fall, but federal health officials were unable to identify a type of leafy greens responsible. 

Food safety will be a top concern in 2021, so the United Fresh Produce Association has a roster of food safety programs available in virtual seminars coming up in the new year.

The Packer's editors recap the big topics of the week, from the extension of the comment period on the FDA's food traceability rule and the 2021 outlook to redder tomatoes and better citrus merchandising.

On December 18, Center for Disease Control released two statements declaring two active outbreaks of pathogenic E. coli were over.

Investigations into two of three E. coli outbreaks from this fall have been completed, and although the traceback process led authorities to farms, samples did not confirm link any particular food or source.

The Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement welcomes Kevin Watson as its new LGMA compliance officer. In this role he will help to implement the program’s comprehensive, science-based, food safety standards.

The Food and Drug Administration is extending the public comment period for the Food Safety Modernization Act’s traceability rule.

A survey of small Texas farms indicates a “significant gap” in food safety protocols and resources, according to a new study from the University of Houston.

A new logo and a new website were unveiled iFoodDecisionSciences, as it evolves and provides software solutions and technical expertise to improve food safety, traceability, worker safety and product quality.

The FPFC's 2020 Apprentice Class attended its final virtual session December 4, focusing on Food Safety and Crisis Communication with Cheryl Enlow of Renaissance Food Group and Scott Farrell of Golin International.  

Get caught up on the big industry topics of the week with Packer Insight, this week featuring discussion of leafy greens traceability, private equity in produce and the New York Produce Show.

Investigations into foodborne illness outbreaks could be streamlined and conducted more effectively when supply chain partners provide extended product information during tracebacks.

A web seminar offered Dec. 9 will look at how technology adaption by farmers, packers, shippers and processors can affect produce safety.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved three participants in the agency’s Voluntary Qualified Importer Program under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.

U.S. and foreign human and animal food facilities that are required to register with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration must renew their registration this year before Dec. 31.

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a public health challenge that is relevant to today’s fresh produce industry, and it is a mystery waiting to be solved.

Shenandoah Growers, Harrisonburg, Va., has recalled about 15,000 units of organic basil in select packages, due to a possible health risk from cyclospora. 

Quebec-based Vegpro International is recalling Fresh Attitude brand Baby Spinach from the marketplace due to possible salmonella contamination, according to a notice posted Nov. 26 at the CFIA website.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added 16 more people to an E. coli outbreak investigation of unknown origin.

The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement and Western Growers has launched an online audit system to use in place of some in-person parts of the LGMA audit process.

Hy-Vee Inc., West Des Moines, Iowa, is recalling two of the store’s branded vegetable mixes after a positive test for Listeria monocytogenes.

By improving transparency and communication, the Centers for Disease Control can improve efforts to identify and respond to foodborne illness, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. is recalling organic romaine hearts after a sample tested positive for E. coli in Michigan.

COORECTED: As health and regulatory agencies seek an answer to what’s causing three separate E. coli outbreaks, one likely answer is sprouts or leafy greens, according to the demographics of past outbreaks.

The FDA is offering a new tool on its website to alert consumers earlier to foodborne illnesses.

BlockApps, an enterprise blockchain platform provider, has launched the TraceHarvest Network, which allows access to supply chain information to improve food safety and other measures.

Fresh Express is recalling Caesar Supreme salad kits after a random test yielded a positive result for E. coli.

New York’s agriculture department has established a traceability task force for produce to bolster the state’s food safety measures and speed up foodborne illness investigations.

Produce Marketing Association has announced a pair of virtual meetings to discuss the current state of produce safety in the industry which includes discussion of outbreaks in leafy greens and proposed FDA regulation.

The FDA is investigating three E. coli outbreaks, and although each one has a strain associated with current or past outbreaks linked to romaine, the agency said it has no specific evidence pointing to romaine.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture study on SmartWash Solutions’ Boost, a patent-pending treatment for iceberg and romaine lettuce before washing, shows the treatment is effective in killing E. coli.

UPDATED: A state agency in Michigan is advising residents not to eat Tanimura & Antle brand romaine lettuce packed as single heads, and the company has issued a recall of the lettuce.

Tanimura & Antle Inc. is voluntarily recalling its packaged single head romaine lettuce under the Tanimura & Antle brand, labeled with a packed on date of 10/15/2020 or 10/16/2020.

The Food and Drug Administration is extending the comment period by two months on a request for information on what produce is known to have no or low reported consumption.

The Food and Drug Administration is offering several resources to help people understand and follow a proposed rule that requires more traceability recordkeeping for certain produce.

The United Fresh Produce Association is hosting a traceability seminar on Nov. 5. 

Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc. iis voluntarily recalling Natural Grocers Brand 4-ounce Organic Whole Elderberries after being notified by its supplier of the potential presence of Salmonella.

All leafy greens grown by members of the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement in California and Arizona are now subject to stringent new water restrictions. 

Tom Karst, Chris Koger, Amy Sowder and Ashley Nickle take you through the big stories of the week, from developments related to H-2A wages to company news born from increased demand for online grocery services.

Tim York is taking the reins of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, succeeding the food safety organization’s first CEO, Scott Horsfall.

The FDA is investigating two E. coli outbreaks, and although their origin is unknown, the strains are genetically related to separate outbreaks in 2018 and 2019 that were traced to romaine lettuce.