recently food safety news CDC reported declaring Listeria outbreak in late summer The outbreak caused by Boar’s Head’s deli meat has ended.
We said, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began investigating the Boar’s Head outbreak on July 19. The outbreak ultimately sickened 59 people and killed 10 in 19 states. We have closed our Jarratt production plant and permanently halted liverwurst production across the United States.” . Boar’s Head has recalled more than 7 million pounds of deli meat due to the outbreak. ”
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., led a group of federal lawmakers calling for an investigation into the outbreak and Boar’s Head’s manufacturing practices. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the company is under criminal investigation.
However, the boar’s head was only the most noticeable event. The list of food companies affected by Listeria-related recalls through Q4 2024 includes Fresh Express, Rao’s, Boston Market, Great Value, Atkins, Dole, Taylor Farms, Home Chef, and Blues Pack. , McDonald’s and Signature Select. Most supermarkets carried affected products, including Aldi, Amazon Fresh, Giant Eagle, HEB, Kroger, Meijer, Publix, Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Wegmans, and c-store chain 7-Eleven. Tens of millions of pounds of products are being recalled.
We asked some of the most prominent people in the food safety field to find out what happened and what steps can be taken to alleviate this threat to public health.
Stephen Mandarnachexecutive director of the Food and Drug Officials Association, suggested that the lack of a comprehensive program at Boar’s Head led to the problem.
“Boar’s Head is different from the others. Boar’s Head appears to lack a comprehensive and implemented L. monocytogenes prevention program, but this may be due to the nature of the product produced, some This was clearly necessary due to the clear gaps and long-term remedial challenges in the state and the lack of coordination and communication between the state and federal agencies.
“Second, some of this increase may be related to improved detection and an increased ability to link cases to specific foods. Perhaps Listeria-related outbreaks are decreasing. For some, this may be related to the decreased focus on Listeria monocytogenes through surgery.
“Every food business now needs to evaluate, update, and ensure they have a listeria prevention program in place,” Mandernach said. It may also indicate that there is no Also, if I were a retailer that sells recalled Boar’s Head products in the meat department or deli, I would conduct regular checks to ensure that Listeria monocytogenes is not present in the store. We will introduce an enhanced program that includes environmental inspections.”
Beth KoenigPresident of Koenig Food Safety LLC. Food processing facilities must have strong sanitation and environmental monitoring programs in place, and managers must act on the results. Taking time each day on the production floor to have genuine conversations between management and operators will build strong lines of communication and uncover hidden problem areas.
“Resources must be allocated to find and destroy pathogens, develop sanitary zones to protect critical areas, repair infrastructure, and control traffic. Doing things right comes at a cost. However, the cost is small compared to the cost to families who lose loved ones and facilities closed due to food pathogen contamination.”
Phyllis Entisan author and food safety microbiologist, blamed complacency for the boar’s head epidemic. “FSIS, which was ‘inspecting’ the Boar’s Head plant daily, did nothing to require the company to adhere to regular cleaning, sanitation, and Listeria testing protocols until Boar’s Head products were identified as the source.
“Since then, another deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak associated with Yu Shang Food Inc., an FSIS-regulated plant, has occurred again. It is time for a thorough review of the industry sector it governs. ”
marion nestleProfessor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University points out the problems inherent in containing Listeria monocytogenes. That’s troublesome.
“I once visited a meat packing plant that was infected with Listeria monocytogenes. Recall; the company thought it would be easier to move to another location than to consolidate where they were now. Testing for pathogens would help, but the incentives would be less (testing). If Listeria monocytogenes is found, the product cannot be sold. They would rather do a Hail Mary and take a chance.
“The key to listeria prevention is establishing a food safety culture that engages everyone and rewards doing the right thing.”
darling detwiler A highly regarded food safety scholar, advisor, advocate, and author, he is also a professor of food policy and corporate social responsibility at Northeastern University.
What is his main interest? “This year’s Listeria resurgence highlights an alarming trend in food safety leadership. Perhaps pandemic-era testing delays and reallocation of resources have exacerbated sanitation deficiencies while increasing Companies in the sector have become complacent and have even cut back on investment in critical sanitation.
“Outbreaks associated with uncooked produce such as onions and carrots highlight the need for stronger preventive controls early in the supply chain. Multiple state recalls increase risk and cost, with the most significant cost being lives.
“Boar’s Head’s 100-year reputation and McDonald’s global fame are stark reminders that no brand is immune to germs or public scrutiny.”
keith warinerAs a University of Guelph researcher on improving food safety in the meat processing and fresh sector, he is well placed to comment on the Boar’s Head recall.
“Listeria monocytogenes is making a comeback. Even though North America is considered to have the safest food system in the world, the pathogen never really disappeared. A key challenge is how to put HACCP, food safety planning, knowledge and training into practice. In reality, applying any action requires belief, and that belief comes from memory anchors.
“Companies are focused on productivity, profits, and quality. Food safety is less visible and less likely to be adopted than processes that make things easier or faster. The focus has been on traceability and testing, both of which are ineffective.”
jeff chiltonVP of Consulting at Intertek Alchemy said: This ubiquitous pathogen is of concern due to its ability to grow at refrigerated temperatures and high mortality rate. 2024 was a particularly bad year due to outbreaks of food poisoning and major product recalls due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
“This highlights the need for a new look at listeria prevention and control methods. A strong foundation must be maintained for hygiene procedures, environmental monitoring programs, product, and GMP controls. Any failure of these basic systems will result in Listeria contamination. may occur.
“There are new technologies available to help alleviate this public health threat. Companies are now using footwear controls, new antimicrobial ingredients such as peptides, methods for sterilizing equipment, and post-lethal treatments such as high-pressure processing of packaged products. Shoe sanitizing stations are now available for processing.
“This multi-hurdle approach will enhance infectious disease prevention and control. listeria monocytogenes. Food safety is part of business. Aggressive investment in these areas will yield significant benefits in improving safety, preventing catastrophic loss of life and finances while avoiding outbreaks and recalls.
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 48 million people get sick from food poisoning each year, resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. The CDC coordinates as many as 36 investigations in multiple states each week.
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