Investigators Find Source of Many Foods Untraceable
March 25, 2009
By Gardiner Harris
New York Times
WASHINGTON — Most food manufacturers and distributors cannot identify the suppliers or recipients of their products despite federal rules that require them to do so, federal health investigators have found.
A quarter of the food facilities contacted by investigators as part of the study were not even aware that they were supposed to be able to trace their suppliers, according to a report by Daniel R. Levinson, the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The report, expected to be made public Thursday, comes as President Obama and a bipartisan chorus of lawmakers have promised major changes to the nation’s food-safety system.
And it may help explain why many small food makers continue to issue peanut-related recalls more than two months after the Peanut Corporation of America was identified as the source of a salmonella scare that has sickened at least 691 people and has been linked to 9 deaths. The New York Times obtained a copy of the report.
As late as Monday, the Food and Drug Administration formally asked Westco Fruit and Nuts Inc., based in Irvington, N.J., to recall all of its products containing peanuts made by the Peanut Corporation. Jacob Moradi, Westco’s owner, could not be reached for comment, but he told ABC News that the F.D.A.’s recommended recall — the agency does not have the power to issue food recalls on its own — could ruin his company.
“They are asking me to commit suicide based on presumption,” Mr. Moradi said in a broadcast interview. “They have shown no proof.”
An F.D.A. official said Mr. Moradi hid from investigators at his plant.
On March 14, Jay Robb Enterprises of Carlsbad, Calif., announced a recall of peanut-butter-flavored JayBars. Alana Weber of Jay Robb said in an interview on Wednesday that although the company knew the peanuts in the bars came from the Peanut Corporation, it believed until recently that its bars were not part of the recall.
The inspector general recommended that the F.D.A. seek greater authority from Congress to require and ensure that food facilities maintain adequate records. In an official response in the report, the agency said that it largely agreed with the recommendations. Representative Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat who is holding a hearing on Thursday where the report will be issued, said the recommendations would be included in reforms passed by Congress.
“Traceability is a critical tool in our ability to identify the source of a food-borne illness outbreak and locate where contaminated products were sold,” Ms. DeLauro said Wednesday.
To test compliance with the rules, federal investigators bought 40 products — including tomatoes, oatmeal and yogurt — from retail stores in New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington and tried to trace them to farms or to the border. Foreign firms are not required to maintain supplier records.
Investigators successfully traced the source for only 5 of the 40 products, the report stated. Three of the traced products were egg cartons whose supply chain included only a farm and a retailer. For a tomato, a bag of ice, a bottle of fruit juice and a bottle of water, investigators were not able to even guess the product’s supply chain. For 31 other products, investigators were able to identify only the likely suppliers.
The investigators contacted 220 food facilities to ask about their supplier records. But only 118 of these businesses were included in the study because the rest were not required under rules adopted by the F.D.A. in 2005 to maintain supplier and recipient records. Of those 118 firms, 70 failed to provide investigators with required information about suppliers or customers, with 6 of the companies failing to provide any information at all.
One vendor told investigators that it kept no records of tomato purchases. Tomatoes have repeatedly been implicated in nationwide food contamination scares, including one last year. Fifteen facilities told investigators they mixed raw products from more than 10 farms.
“According to an estimate from a manager at a grain storage facility, if grain from one farm were contaminated, millions of bags of flour would be at risk and might have to be removed from retail shelves,” the report stated.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/health/policy/26fda.html
No need to be shocked that they can’t trace the source, some are sure shaky when they do decide on them, in ref. to your post, granny.....
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/news/Pages/PH09-021%20%20Union%20Int%20Spice%203.28.09.aspx
AVOID UNION INTERNATIONAL FOOD COMPANY SPICES, WARNS CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
DATE: March 28, 2009
NUMBER: PH09-021
CONTACT: Al Lundeen, (916) 440-7259
SACRAMENTO – Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), today announced that consumers should avoid eating spices manufactured by Union International Food Company.
White and black pepper products from the company’s Union City facility in the Bay Area have been associated with an outbreak of Salmonella that has sickened 42 people in four states, including 33 in California. No deaths have been reported. The illnesses among California residents have occurred in 15 counties in Central and Northern California, and the latest known onset of illness is March 13, 2009.
A high proportion of those who have become sick had eaten at Asian restaurants which were found by environmental health specialists to be using black and/or white pepper purchased from Union International Food Company.
Union International Food Company has initiated a voluntary recall of pepper and all other similar spice products repackaged in its facility. These products do not bear lot codes and were sold primarily to distributors and restaurants in California and Oregon. The products are packaged under the Lian How brand name (red label) in various sized containers (10 and 15 pound cardboard boxes with plastic liners that are tied closed, 4 and 5 pound clear semi-hard plastic wide-mouth jars; 5 pound plastic bags and 2.2 pound foil bags). Following the Lian How brand name, the wording “Packed by Union International Foods” or “Union International Foods” appears. The following products are included in the recall:
* White Pepper
* Black Pepper
* Cayenne Pepper
* Paprika
* Chopped Onion
* Onion Powder
* Garlic – Chopped, Minced, Powder, and Granulated
* Whole White Pepper
* Whole Black Pepper
* Curry Powder
* Mustard Powder
* Wasabi Powder
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in infants, frail or elderly individuals and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (occasionally bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and produce more severe illnesses. Consumers should consult with their physicians if they have these symptoms.
The CDPH Web site will be updated with additional information as it becomes available. Consumers with questions may contact Union International Food Company at (510) 471-6799.
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/news/Pages/NR2009-20-Pistachios.aspx
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH IS INVESTIGATING CALIFORNIA SUPPLIER OF RECALLED PISTACHIOS
Kraft Back to Nature Nantucket Blend Trail Mix and Kroger Company’s Private Selection Shelled Pistachios are among recalled pistachio products
DATE: March 27, 2009
NUMBER: 09-20
CONTACT: Al Lundeen or Ken August, (916) 440-7259
SACRAMENTO – Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), today announced that state and federal investigators are inspecting a supplier of pistachios linked to a recall of products potentially tainted with Salmonella, a harmful bacteria.
To date, no illnesses associated with the pistachios have been reported.
CDPH and federal investigators are examining Setton Farms in Terra Bella, which is south of Porterville, as a result of a recall of Kraft Back to Nature Nantucket Blend trail mix manufactured by Georgia Nut Company. Georgia Nut Company also has recalled additional products, including bulk and bagged pistachios. CDPH is in the process of determining whether or not the recalled products were distributed in California.
Additionally, the Kroger Company has voluntarily recalled its Private Selection Shelled Pistachios sold in 10-ounce containers. Stores under the following names in the 31 states, including California, where Kroger operates are included in this recall: Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, King Soopers, Smith’s, Dillons, QFC, City Market, Foods Co., Jay C, Scott’s, Owen’s, Baker’s, Gerbes, Hilander and Pay Less. Customers should not consume the Private Selection Shelled Pistachios in 10-ounce containers with a “Sell by” date of DEC-13-09 and DEC-14-09 with the UPC Code of 11110 73615.
It is not known if the pistachios recalled by Kroger Company are linked to Setton Farms.
A full list of recalled pistachio products is available at http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html.
The Kraft-Georgia Nut recalls are the result of salmonella found in roasted pistachios used in the Nantucket Blend trail mix. The roasted pistachios were supplied by Setton Farms. Setton Farms is initiating a recall of three lots of roasted pistachios linked to the positive salmonella results in the trail mix.
Investigators are reviewing the firms records, processing practices, and distribution information and are collecting samples for laboratory testing.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly individuals and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (occasionally bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and produce more severe illnesses. Consumers should consult with their physicians if they have these symptoms.
The CDPH Web site will be updated with additional information as it becomes available.
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/news/Pages/NR2009-19-RecalledKirklandOrganicBrownEggs.aspx
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH WARNS CONSUMERS NOT TO EAT RECALLED KIRKLAND ORGANIC BROWN EGGS AND O ORGANIC BROWN EGGS
Products Voluntarily Recalled Because of Possible Salmonella Contamination
DATE: March 23, 2009
NUMBER: 09-19
CONTACT: Al Lundeen - (916) 440-7259
SACRAMENTO – Certain Kirkland Organic Brown Eggs and O Organic Brown Eggs have been voluntarily recalled because the eggs may be contaminated with Salmonella.
The eggs are distributed by den Dulk Poultry Farms of Ripon, located north of Modesto. The recalled product was distributed to Costco, Safeway and Pack n’ Save stores in Northern California, as far south as Fresno, and western Nevada.
No known illnesses have been reported in connection with these eggs.
Den Dulk Poultry Farms voluntarily recalled the product after it was determined that the eggs in question tested positive for Salmonella during an internal investigation by den Dulk Poultry Farms.
The eggs sold at Costco are packaged in 18-count cartons under the name, Kirkland Organic Brown Eggs. The eggs that should not be eaten can be identified by the following expiration dates and plant code on the carton:
April 1 062 April 8 069
35 P1776 35 P1776
The eggs sold at Safeway and Pack n’ Save stores are packaged in one-dozen cartons under the name, O Organic Grade A Large Brown Eggs. The eggs that should not be eaten can be identified by the following expiration dates and plant code on the carton:
April 1 062
35 P1776
Salmonella bacteria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps. Consumers with the above symptoms should consult their physician.
Consumers with these products are advised to dispose of them. Consumers with questions may contact den Dulk Poultry Farms at (209) 599-4269.
The information in this news release is based on the most current information available. Updates, including distribution information, will be posted on the CDPH Web site as it becomes available.
http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/salmonellatyph.html
Peanut Product Recalls:
Salmonella Typhimurium
Updated:March 28, 2009
[A very full page of links related to the peanuts contamination]