Month / September 2015

by admin

New ‪#‎foodsafety‬ ‪#‎recall‬ due to ‪#‎misbranding‬ and ‪#‎undeclared‬ ‪#‎allergens‬ in pork products from the Pork Rind Factory.

The Pork Rind Factory Recalls Pork Products Due To Misbranding and Undeclared Allergens
Class I Recall 122-2015
Health Risk: High Sep 10, 2015
Congressional and Public Affairs
Benjamin Bell
(202) 720-9113
WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2015 – The Pork Rind Factory, a Spartanburg, S.C. establishment, is recalling approximately 18,406 pounds of pork rinds due to misbranding and possible undeclared allergens, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The products contain milk and soy, known allergens which are not declared on the product label.
The fried pork rinds were produced from March 17, 2015 through September 3, 2015. The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels (PDF only)]
2.25 ounce clear plastic bag packages containing multiple pieces of fried pork rinds with the label “Suncrest Farms Salt and Pepper Pork Skins” and a use-by date of 09/16/15, 01/12/16, 02/15/16.
2.25 ounce clear plastic bag packages containing multiple pieces of fried pork rinds with the label “Suncrest Farms Hot Pork Skins” and a use-by date of 12/27/15, 12/21/15.
4.00 ounce clear plastic bag packages containing multiple pieces of fried pork rinds with the label “Food Lion Salt & Pepper Flavored Pork Rinds” and a use-by date of 9/12/15, 9/26/15, 10/10/15, 10/24/15, 11/26/15, 12/15/15, 12/17/15, 01/01/16.
3.00 ounce clear plastic bag packages containing multiple pieces of fried pork rinds with the label “Larry’s Old-Fashioned Seasoned Pork Cracklin Strips” and a use-by date of 10/24/15, 11/20/15.
3.00 ounce clear plastic bag packages containing multiple pieces of fried pork rinds with the label “Larry’s Old-Fashioned Seasoned Pork Fatback Curls” and a use-by date of 11/20/2015.
The products subject to recall bear the establishment number “EST. M888” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items produced were shipped to North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
The problem was discovered by FSIS personnel during routine FSIS testing, in-plant verification activities on September 9, 2015.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.
Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls
 

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Consumers and media with questions about the recall should contact Terri Morey, Plant Manager, at (864) 573-5678.
Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov
 

 or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov.

 

 The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at:http://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem

 

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by admin

New Food safety recall, elevated levels of lead in ABC shaped cookies by Banh Chu.

Anhing Corporation Announces Recall of ABC Shaped Cookies Banh Chu
Contact:
Consumer:
Andy Yau, Customer Service Manager
323-221-8003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — August 14, 2015 — Los Angeles, CA — Anhing Corporation of Los Angeles, CA is recalling ABC Cookies Banh Chu it imported due to an elevated level of lead. ABC Cookies Banh Chu is made in Vietnam.
Anhing Corporation learned on August 12, 2015, from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), that the ABC Cookies contained lead in excess of the California State requirements and as such could cause health problems to consumers, particularly infants, small children, and pregnant women. Anhing Corporation immediately quarantined the remaining inventory of the ABC Cookies and is notifying 4 retailers in California who received 4 cartons (total 96 jars) to stop selling and for consumers not to eat these cookies.
The ABC Cookies Banh Chu is contained in a plastic jar shaped and painted as a cat’s face. The bottle has a red lid that contains a paper label with a picture of the cookies the name “ABC Cookies Banh Chu” the Caravelle brand logo, the ingredient declaration, the net weight, and the name and address of Anhing Corporation. Each jar contains 7 ounces of cookies.
Recent analysis of the ABC Cookies by CDPH revealed that each cookie contained a lead level of 0.13 ppm and 13 ppm per labeled serving size. California considers products to be consumed by children with a lead level in excess of FDA’s provisional total tolerable intake level (PTTIL) for lead by small children of 6 micrograms to be adulterated. Therefore, sale of these cookies are prohibited in the State of California.
Anhing Corporation was unaware of the problem when it imported the product and wants to ensure its products are safe. Therefore, in in an abundance of caution in addition to its ongoing cooperation with the CDPH, Anhing Corporation is voluntarily recalling all ABC Cookies from the marketplace. Consumers in possession of packages of ABC Cookies should not eat them and should return the cookies to the place of purchase.
Although the level encountered by CDPH is slightly higher than the legal level of acceptance pregnant women and parents of children who may have consumed this cookies should consider consulting their physician or health care provider to determine whether further medical testing is necessary. For more information about lead poisoning, parents and caretakers should contact their local childhood lead poisoning prevention program or local public health department.
by admin

September is National Food Safety Education month. September 10th, 2015

Today’s lesson: Understanding the Temperature Danger Zone
The temperature danger zone, is the range of temperatures which are found to be the most favorable for foodborne illness causing bacteria to grow.
The standard temperature danger zone, as defined by the FDA, is from 41 degrees to 135 degrees. It must be noted that different states have different requirements for the temperature danger zone. (Some states have the low portion at 40 degrees, and some states have the high portion at 140 degrees. These distinctions are mainly for commercial food establishments, and I am providing them here for informational purposes only. When in doubt, it is better to go for the most restrictive to keep you from being in violation of your local laws.)
When working with food items, it is best to minimize the amount of time that the foods are within the temperature danger zone. In food service, the MAXIMUM amount of time an item may be in the temperature danger zone is for four (4) hours. It must be noted that this time is cumulative, so if you buy the item at the store, and it sits in the trunk of your car for an hour before you get home, that is one hour in the temperature danger zone that you have already used. If you then decide to separate it into smaller items, the time that you work on it will also add to the time it is in the temperature danger zone. If possible, you should have in your car, a cooler of some type that will help keep cold items out of the temperature danger zone.
Suffice to say, the better you are at being able to regulate the time an item is in the temperature danger zone, the better you will be at keeping foodborne illness causing bacteria from growing on your food items.
by admin

September is National Food Safety Education month. September 9th, 2015.

Yesterday I posted a recall of some ground beef that was possibly contaminated with “NON-O157” E.coli. I was asked the question; “What is the difference between Non-O157 and E.coli O157”?
First, it should be pointed out that Escherichia coli (E.coli) is a bacteria that normally lives in the intestines of both people and animals. In all actuality, most forms of E.coli are harmless and are considered an important part of the human intestinal tract. The other types of E.coli are considered pathogenic, meaning they can cause illness.
The most popular form of pathogenic E.coli, as most commonly heard about in news reports are the “Shiga toxin-producing E.coli” or STEC (these can also be referred to as Verocytotoxin-producing E.coli (VTEC) or Enterohemorrhagic E.coli (EHEC). The most common of these types of E.coli is the E.coli O157:H7.
E.coli O157 was first identified as a pathogen in 1982. Unfortunately, non-O157 E.coli are not nearly as well understood, partially because foodborne illness outbreaks are rarely reported or identified. Even though these non-O157 forms are less well known, it is still extremely important to follow proper food safety procedures to minimize the chances of exposure to these pathogens, as some of the non-O157 groups can cause the most severe manifestations of STEC illnesses.
More information on E.coli can be found at the CDC:http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/general/
 
by admin

September is National Food Safety Education month, September 8th, 2015

Written on September 8th, 2015
Lets start by making sure that you are washing your hands properly to keep from spreading germs.
First, WHEN should you wash your hands:
1. Before, during, and after preparing food
2. Before eating food
3. Before and after caring for someone who is sick
4. Before and after treating a cut or wound
5. After using the toilet
6. After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
7. After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
8. After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
9. After handling pet food or pet treats
10. After touching garbage
Then HOW should you wash your hands:
1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
WHAT should you do if you don’t have soap and clean, running water?
Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs on them in most situations. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs.
This information was obtained from the CDC website at:http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html