Two Brothers Pork Skins of North Carolina, is recalling an "undetermined" amount of pork skin products because they were made without meeting federal requirements to develop and implement a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system (HACCP). The product does also not have safe handling instructions on the package, which means they are misbranded. No illnesses or adverse reactions have been reported to date. The pork skin products were made on various unknown dates. The recalled items are: 16-ounce (1-pound) plastic (semi-translucent) containers of “TWO BROTHERS DOS HERMANOS CUERITOS PORK SKIN IN BRINE” on the label. 1-pound (16-ounce) clear, vacuum sealed packages containing “TWO BROTHERS DOS HERMANOS CHiCHARRON PRENSADO Fried Pork Skins” on the label. 15-pound … [Read more...]
CFA Analyzes USDA Meat and Poultry Inspection Program
The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) has released an in-depth analysis of the USDA's primary meat and poultry food safety regulation program. That program was implemented after the 1993 E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to undercooked burgers at Jack in the Box restaurants. The report, called "The Promise and Problems of HACCP: A Review of USDA's Approach to Meat and Poultry Safety" looks at the history of the program and identifies gaps. Two examples are: plants fail to develop effective food safety plans, and the USDA fails to identify problems with those plans; and plants are repeatedly cited for recurring violations with very little consequences. CFA is recommending that the government develop better approaches to reviewing food safety plans. Plants should be required to … [Read more...]
L.A. Star Seafood Company Ordered to Close Down
The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California has entered a consent decree of permanent injunction against L.A. Star Seafood Company of Los Angeles and its corporate officers. The company was producing adulterated seafood products. The complaint alleges that the sanitation practices at the facility were deficient. Acting Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer said, "the failure to actively plan for and control the presence of bacteria and neurotoxins commonly found in seafood processing facilities can pose a serious risk to the public health." FDA inspections in 2013 and 2014 documented a pattern of insanitary conditions. Listeria monocytogenes bacteria were found at the facility. Workers at the facility did not adequately clean surfaces and utensils for … [Read more...]
Kanai Foods Recalls Chicken Produced Without HACCP Plan
Kanai Foods of Nevada is recalling 59 pounds of various chicken products because they were not made under a fully implemented Ready-to-Eat Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan. No reports of illness have been received to date. The recalled products are Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls in 12 ounce packages, and Orange Chicken Rice Bowls in 12 ounce packages. The products have the establishment number "P-46002" inside the USDA mark of inspection and "use by" dates of 6/30/14 - 7/4/14 on the label. The problem was discovered by an FSIS inspector on June 30, 2014. They were distributed for retail sale in Nevada. The company had an HACCP plan in place, but no records to demonstrate that it had been implemented or validated, and no information that critical times and … [Read more...]
Creminelli Recalls Mislabeled Pork Products
Creminelli Fine Meats of Salt Lake City is recalling 101 pounds of fully-cooked-not-shelf-stable, ready-to-eat pork roast products for mislabeling and because they were produced under the wrong Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan. There have been no illnesses reported in association with this recall. The recalled product, 3-4-lb. packages labeled “Creminelli Artisan Deli Porchetta Seasoned Boneless Pork Roast,” was sold exclusively through internet sales to 28 customers between Oct. 15, 2013 and Nov. 15, 2013. All of the customers have been identified by the company. These products were not distributed to retail stores or restaurants, and other products produced by the company are not impacted. The problem was discovered during a routine inspection by the … [Read more...]
Questions and Answers on New Food Safety Rules
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a Q&A on new food safety rules for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The questions about the produce rule cover product tracing, record keeping requirements for high risk foods, the scope of the rules, and information about laws, regulations, and guidance documents. And the rules for current good manufacturing practices and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food cover compliance, fees, inspections, and recalls. Traceability is crucial when there's a foodborne illness outbreak. And since many outbreaks were linked to produce in the last few years, tracing this type of food is important to outbreak control and prevention. Product tracing documents the "production and distribution chain of products … [Read more...]
Ben-Lee Processing Recalling Bacon and Ham
Ben-Lee Processing of Kansas is recalling ready-to-eat and heat-treated bacon and ham products that were made without a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan, as required by law. The problem was discovered by the Kansas State Department of Agriculture. Some fully cooked products were given the mark of inspection, but the company does not have an HACCP plan, which identifies potential hazards in foods and a means of addressing those hazards. The recalled products are various weight packages of cured pork products, including country style bacon, sliced bacon, ham, sliced ham, and summer sausages. The meat is in consumer sized packages in various weights, wrapped in white butcher paper with the name and address of Ben-Lee as well as the mark of inspection and the name of … [Read more...]
Byron Center Wholesale Meats In MI Recalls Ham Products
Byron Center Wholesale Meats of Byron Center, Michigan is recalling approximately 6,586 pounds of ham products that were produced without a Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The products were produced before March 1, 2013 and were distributed in Michigan and Indiana. The recalled products bear the establishment number "Est. 2592" inside the USDA mark of inspection and are as follows: Seven Sons Family Farms & Co. Diced Ham (fully cooked), Smoked Ham Sliced (ready to cook/fully cooked) and Smoked Ham Roast (ready to cook/fully cooked) in various weights; Heffron Farms Diced Ham (ready to cook), Smoked Ham Sliced (ready to cook), Smoked Ham Roast(ready to cook), … [Read more...]
USDA Announces New Efforts to Improve Poultry Product Safety
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced this week new steps to protect American consumers by improving food safety plans required for poultry facilities. Companies making raw ground chicken and turkey and similar products must reassess their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans. This must occur in the next 90 days. The new plans must account for several Salmonella outbreaks that happened recently that were associated with those products. USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Elisabeth Hagen said, "HACCP reassessments improve a company's ability to identify hazards and better prevent foodborne illness. Incorporating information obtained from Salmonella outbreaks will enhance food safety efforts, helping to avoid future outbreaks and ensure a … [Read more...]
