Five months after the FDA found Listeria and unsanitary conditions at Oregon Potato, food safety violations at the Pasco, WA facility had not been adequately addressed, according to a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The March inspection was triggered by a Listeria outbreak linked to frozen vegetables that sickened nine people in four states. Three of the case patients died, although listeriosis was not considered to be a cause of death for two of them, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The outbreak was linked to frozen vegetables produced by CRF Frozen Vegetables of Pasco, WA which issued a recall for hundreds of products sold under various brand names. Idaho Potato also recalled products. Although that recall was not … [Read more...]
Before Listeria Outbreak, CRF Uncooperative with FDA, Documents Show
Updated June 15 Before being linked to a multistate Listeria outbreak that includes eight illnesses and two deaths, CRF Frozen Foods was reluctant to cooperate with inspectors from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and was advised of legal sanctions available to the agency if the firm did not correct serious deficiencies. Documents about this investigation were released this week by the FDA. On April 23, 2016, CRF Frozen Foods issued a recall of 11 frozen vegetables for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. On May 2, 2016, CRF expanded the recall to include all of the organic and traditional frozen vegetable and fruit products processed in its Pasco, Washington facility since May 1, 2014. The expanded recall includes 358 consumer products sold under 42 separate … [Read more...]
CDC Weighs in on CRF Frozen Vegetable Listeria Outbreak
Listeria in frozen vegetables produced by CRF Frozen Foods of Pasco, Washington has sickened at least eight people in three states since September 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All eight people were hospitalized and two people died, although listeriosis was not considered to be the cause of death for either of them, the CDC said. Epidemiologic and laboratory investigations show frozen vegetables produced by CRF and sold under various brand names are a likely source of this outbreak. The company has issued a recall for 358 consumer products sold under 42 separate brands. Consumers are urged to check their freezers for these products. Anyone who has purchased a recalled product should not eat it as Listeria can cause serious illness and … [Read more...]
