In this article we welcome guest author and industry expert, Alec Kyriakides, to explore some of the food safety developments, recalls and incidents that have happened recently.
Food Safety Developments
Shelf-life determination
Establishing the correct shelf life of a food is important for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it needs to be set to ensure that the food remains safe and, in this context, foodborne pathogen control is the key determinant. It also needs to take account of the durability of the food in relation to its quality and this may be influenced by chemical deterioration and / or microorganisms that may organoleptically deteriorate or spoil the product. Finally, shelf life also plays a key role in food waste whereby too short a shelf life may lead consumers to discard food when it could otherwise be consumed over a longer period, whereas shelf lives that are too long may conversely lead a consumer to leave a product that spoils before it is eaten. Shelf-life guidance has recently been published by Food Standards Scotland that provides a comprehensive overview of the considerations for setting the shelf life of a product and is free to download.
Foreign body contamination
Product recalls caused by microbiological, chemical and allergens tend to receive significant attention but contamination with foreign objects (glass, metal, plastic, etc) remain a significant and constant driver of product incidents. Metal contamination is often the most frequent cause of foreign body recalls and effective metal detection is an important tool in the food safety assurance armoury. It follows that metal detector checks to ensure that it is operating correctly are critical and a recently published guide on metal detector testing processes and best practice is a valuable addition to reference sources on this topic.
Foodborne disease outbreaks
Outbreaks of infectious disease caused by foods included a large salmonellosis outbreak in Canada implicating imported pastries that has so far caused 69 cases across five Provinces with 22 people hospitalised. Alfalfa sprouts were implicated as the vehicle of the largest salmonellosis outbreak in Norway in almost 40 years affecting 230 people. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in raw milk cheese caused an outbreak affecting 11 people in France. STEC O17 was identified as the causative strain, emphasising the increasingly wide range of STEC types causing infections and the need to apply generic screening techniques when assessing foods and ingredients for this group of pathogens. A meat containing sandwich was implicated in an outbreak causing 40 illnesses and one death. Escherichia coli and / or Clostridium perfringens have been identified as the likely causative organisms. Five people have reportedly suffered puffer fish poisoning in Sabah, Malaysia caused by the consumption of tetrodotoxin. Puffer fish is considered a delicacy in many countries but the toxin is present in a number of organs of the fish and can cause severe paralysis. Staphylococcus aureus intoxication was implicated in a large outbreak in airline passengers from Nepal that caused 43 illnesses with typical symptoms. The implicated food was beetroot salad served on the flight. Methanol poisoning due to the consumption of counterfeit alcohol continues to feature in outbreaks, including a recent outbreak in Constantinople with 38 cases and 11 deaths.
Food Recall Highlights
The data used for this food recall highlights review is sourced from open access recall databases covering different countries and continents including the USA (Food & Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture), the UK (Food Standards Agency), Germany (Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety) and Australia (Food Standards Australia New Zealand).
Microbiological recalls were lower in number in January but Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. remained the main drivers with cheese being the most common food vehicle.
- Listeria monocytogenes: cheese wedges, soft cheese, herbs in oil, cheddar cheese,
- Salmonella: breaded chicken, hard cheese, ground melon seeds (1, 2)
- Shiga toxin-producing coli: cheese
- Incorrect Use By Date: salmon bruschetta
Allergen recalls were dominated by the presence of undeclared milk, accounting for 10 incidents. Sulphites/sulphur dioxide was the next most common cause of food recalls followed by soya.
- Egg: frozen pies, fruit sorbet
- Gluten: mashed potato
- Milk: cocktail sausage rolls, Turkish delight, egg liqueur, lactose free whipping cream, chicken empanada, chocolate chip bar, pancake and waffle mix, monkfish liver, corn puffs, chocolate pretzels
- Mustard: salami
- Nuts: chocolate chip cookies (almond)
- Sesame: chocolate, breadcrumbs
- Soya: vegan protein, sausage products, popcorn seasoning
- Sulphur dioxide: steak bake, dried coconut, raisins, pickled radish, dried fruits, golden raisins
- Multiple allergens: biscuits (milk and egg), cheese and ham pizza (soy, sulphites, cashew), frozen chicken product (egg and sesame), barbecue sauce (milk, soya, wheat)
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Physical contamination events driving product recalls were more evenly split between glass, metal and plastic in January with a couple of products recalled due to burning sensation in the mouth.
- Glass: bottled beer, ham sausage
- Metal: stevia sweetener, chicken and cheese taquito
- Plastic: herb and spice products (1, 2)
- Other: salted pretzels (burning sensation), chocolate pretzels (burning sensation), raw ground beef (metal and plastic), chicken nuggets (bone), sausage product (pieces of pen)
Chemical recalls were due to a number of different causes although the presence of muscimol resulted in the recall of a number of confectionary products.
- Illegal chemical: paprika (ethylene oxide), flavoured gums (1, 2, 3) (muscimol)
- Natural toxicants: tahini (mycotoxin)
- Pesticide: freekeh (chlorpyrifos)
- Other: soft drinks (chlorate), supplements (excess Vitamin D3), herbal powder (lead)
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AuthorAlec Kyriakides Independent Food Safety Consultant
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