The FDA has issued the final rule on food traceability under the Food Safety and Modernization Act of 2011 (FSMA). Traceability is the ability to identify foods that may be contaminated, especially if that food is suspected as being part of an outbreak. The rule establishes traceability record keeping requirements for anyone who manufacturers, processes, packs, or holds foods that are on the Food Traceability List. Companies and people subject to this rule must maintain records containing Key Data Elements associated with specific Critical Tracking Events. They must provide information to the FDA within 24 hours or some other time frame to which the FDA has agreed. Foods that are on the Food Traceability List include: cheeses other than hard cheeses, specifically soft and … [Read more...]
Indigo Bear Mugs Recalled For Burn and Laceration Hazard
Indigo Bear Mugs are being recalled for possible burn and laceration hazards. The mugs can crack or break when they are filled with hot liquids. About 270 of these mugs were sold in the United States, and 29,232 were sold in Canada at the retail level. No incidents or injuries have been reported to the company to date in connection with this problem. The recalling firm is Indigo Books & Music Inc. of Short Hills, New Jersey. The manufacturer of the mugs is Guangdong Totye Ceramics of Chaozhou, China. The recalled Indigo Bear Mugs include Papa Bear and Mama Bear Mugs. They were sold exclusively at the Indigo store in Short Hills, New Jersey from December 2020 through May 2022 for about $12.00. The recalled product is for Indigo branded Papa Bear and Mama Bear mugs with these … [Read more...]
Nourish Fruit Snack Pack Snack Attack Recalled For Peanuts
Nourish Fruit Snack Pack Snack Attack is being recalled because it may contain peanuts, one of the nine major food allergens, that are not declared on the label. This recall notice was posted on the FDA's Enforcement page, so there is no information about whether or not any allergic reactions have been reported to date. The recalling firm is Sodexo, DBA Nourish, of Santa Clara, California. This product was distributed to four customers who are all located in the state of California. Those customers or any stores were not named in the recall notice. The recalled product is Nourish Inc. brand Fruit Snack Pack Snack Attack. The product is packaged in 6.48 ounce containers. The ingredient list states that the snack is made from apples, medjool dates, blackberries, and sunflower butter. … [Read more...]
Dai One Foods Raw Oysters Linked to Sapovirus Outbreak
Dai One Foods raw oysters are linked to a sapovirus outbreak, according to the FDA, which has issued a warning about the shellfish. These oysters were imported from the Republic of Korea. The Southern Nevada Health District notified the FDA of two clusters of illnesses from people who ate the raw oysters at a restaurant in Law Vegas on October 28, 2022 and November 5, 2022. There is one confirmed and nine potential patients. Sapovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes acute gastroenteritis, especially in children. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain, along with headache, fever, and body aches. Most people get sick about 12 to 48 hours after exposure to the virus, and the illness lasts about one to four days. Anyone who has recently consumed raw … [Read more...]
Weis Quality Sea Salt and Caramel Ripple Ice Cream Recalled For Allergens
Weis Quality Sea Salt and Caramel Ripple Ice Cream is being recalled because it may contain soy and coconut, two of the nine major food allergens, that aren't declared on the label. Anyone who is allergic to those ingredients could have a serious reaction if they eat this product. No illnesses or allergic reactions have been reported to the company to date in connection with this issue. The recalling firm is Weis Markets of Sunbury, Pennsylvania. The ice cream may have been sold in 197 Weis Market stores in these states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and West Virginia. About 108 containers of the product are included in this recall. The recalled item is Weis Quality Sea Salt Caramel Ripple Ice Cream, which is what the front of the container … [Read more...]
FDA’s CORE Outbreak Investigation Table Updated
The FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table has been updated to include more information about three of the current investigations. This table does not provide a lot of information about outbreaks. It just informs consumers that outbreaks have occurred. For the new Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to imported enoki mushrooms, the CDC investigation notice has been added. The outbreak has sickened at least two people in two states; both have been hospitalized. Traceback has been initiated, and sample collection and analysis has also been initiated. For the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak in an unidentified food, the case count has increased from 264 cases to 269 cases. Traceback was initiated and sample collection and analysis has begun. It's unusual that an outbreak this … [Read more...]
FDA Warns Companies Illegally Selling Foods Containing CBD
The FDA is warning five companies that are illegally selling foods containing CBD, a compound in marijuana. The FDA has not determined the safe dosage, especially for children and pregnant women. The warning letters were sent to these companies: 11-11-11 Brands Naturally Infused LLC Newhere Inc dba CBDFX Infusionz LLC CBD American Shaman, LLC The FDA says that these companies are selling CBD-containing products that consumers may think are traditional, which may result in unintentional consumption of overconsumption. Some of these products are appealing to children, including hard candies, cookies, and gummies. One drug containing CBD has been approved by the FDA; it is used to treat certain severe seizures disorders. The drug, Epidiolex, has benefits that … [Read more...]
Green Sprouts Stainless Steel Bottles Recalled For Lead Risk
Green Sprouts Stainless Steel Bottles are being recalled for possible lead poisoning risk. The base on the products can break off, exposing a solder dot that contains lead. There is no known level of lead exposure that is safe. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause serious health problems, including problems in the development of the nervous system and brain. The recalling firm is Green Sprouts Inc. of Asheville, North Carolina. The bottles were manufactured in China. The recalled products are Green Sprouts Stainless Steel Straw Bottles, Sippy Cups, and Sip & Straw Cups. About 10,500 units of these items were sold. The recall is for 6 ounce Stainless Steel Sippy Cups with tracking numbers 29218V06985 or 35719V06985; 6 ounce Stainless Steel Sip & Straw … [Read more...]
Tomato Head Hummus Recalled For Possible Foreign Material
Tomato Head Hummus is being recalled for possible foreign material contamination. There may be metal fragments in the products. This poses a mouth injury, choking, and esophagus injury hazard. This notice was posted on the FDA's Enforcement Report page so there is no information about adverse reactions. The recalling firm is Tomato Head Foods of Knoxville, Tennessee. There are two products included in this recall. The first is Tomato Head Beet Hummus that is packaged in PPE plastic cups. There are eight cups per case. The Batch/Lot number is 010823. The product number that is stamped on the label is 0854259008061. And the best by date for this item is 01/08/23 (January 8, 2023). The second recalled product is Tomato Head Black Bean Sriracha Hummus that is also packaged in 8 ounce … [Read more...]
Unsafe Ways to Prepare Your Thanksgiving Turkey
Did you know that there are unsafe ways to prepare your Thanksgiving turkey? While we have covered prepping and cooking the turkey safely, including proper thawing and roasting to the correct temperature, there are other physical parts to the preparation to think about. First of all, the method you use for cooking your turkey is important. You can roast the turkey, grill it, or deep fry it. Roasting is the most common method, and it is the safest, both in terms of food safety and physical safety. Grilling is the next safest, as long as you keep an eye on the bird, understand the risks of grilling such as fire and burns, and use a food thermometer. Just never use a grill in a covered area, not even a breezeway or the garbage because you risk carbon monoxide poisoning. But deep … [Read more...]
