Welcome to the Microbiology Information

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers about the risk of botulism food poisoning from Hot Dog Chilli Sauce Marketed under a Variety of Brand Names.

In particular are 10 ounce cans of Castleberry’s Hot Dog Chilli Sauce (UPC 3030000101), Austex Hot Dog Chilli Sauce (UPC 3030099533), and Kroger Hot Dog Chilli Sauce (UPC 1111083942) with “best by” dates from April 30, 2009 through May 22, 2009 due to possible contamination with clostridium botulinum.

Consumers who have any of these products or any foods made with these products should throw them away immediately. If the “best by” date is missing or unreadable consumers should throw the product out.

Two children in Texas and an Indiana couple who ate these products became seriously ill and have been hospitalized with the toxin.

Symptoms of botulism poisoning can begin from 6 hours to 2 weeks after eating food that contains the toxin. Symptoms may include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness that moves progressively down the body, affecting the shoulders first then descending to the upper arms, lower arms, thighs, calves, etc. Botulism poisoning can also cause paralysis of the breathing muscles which can result in death unless assistance with breathing (mechanical ventilation) is provided.

Individuals who show these symptoms and who may have recently eaten Castleberry’s Hot Dog Chilli Sauce, Austex Hot Dog Chilli Sauce, or Kroger Hot Dog Chilli Sauce should seek immediate medical attention.

All of the above products are manufactured by the Castleberry Food Company in Augusta, Georgia.

Castleberry has informed FDA that it is voluntarily recalling all of the potentially contaminated products and is cooperating with FDA, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the states’ active investigations into the cause of this contamination and scope of the products’ distribution.

Castleberry is also voluntarily recalling a number of products that are not under FDA’s regulatory authority.

For a list of these products, visit: www.castleberrys.com/news_productrecall.asp.

FDA will provide updates as more information becomes available. Consumers can call the FDA at 1-888-723-3366.

Castleberry recommends consumers with any questions or concerns about this recall should go to Castleberry’s website (www.castleberrys.com) or call Castleberry’s consumer hotline at 1-888-203-8446.

The list has also been expanding and can be found here

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the USDA have extended GRAS (Generally Recognised as Safe) Approval for LISTEXâ„¢ to all Food Products.

In the fight against Listeria, one of the most dangerous food pathogens, US food processing companies can now apply a novel yet natural tool: LISTEXâ„¢ bacteriophages. The FDA and USDA have approved this
product from The Netherlands as GRAS, based on extensive safety and efficacy data and organoleptics tests confirming that LISTEXâ„¢ is safe and has no impact on taste, smell, colour, and other physical properties of treated products.

Bacteriophages or phage are some of the most abundant micro-organisms on earth. Fresh water and seawater can contain as many as 1 billion phages per ml, while in fresh and processed meat and meat products, more than 100 million viable phages per gram are often present. Phages are harmless to humans, animals and plants, and target only bacterial cells. They are extremely specific in regard to the bacteria they recognize.

The LISTEXâ„¢ bacteriophages target only Listeria bacteria (leaving desirable bacteria in place), and are easy to apply in the environmental areas of the production processes or even within the process.

In October 2006 the FDA had already proclaimed GRAS for LISTEXâ„¢ against Listeria in cheese. The extension to all products susceptible to Listeria, opens the door for the meat and fish industry to apply LISTEXâ„¢.

Earlier this month, the Dutch designated inspection office SKAL confirmed the ‘organic’ status of LISTEX™ under EU law, as a result of which it can be used in the EU in regular and organic products.

EBI Food Safety’s CEO, Mark Offerhaus: “Food Safety now tops the agenda of US food processing companies and consumers, who are insisting on ‘green’ solutions, rather than chemicals. Natural bacteriophages prove to be a unique solution, where increased safety does not come at the expense of product characteristics. US food processors can now benefit from LISTEX™, like their European counterparts.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Listeriosis, the disease caused by Listeria monocytogenes, is one of the most severe food borne infections, with a mortality rate of 30%. It can take weeks after exposure before an infection becomes apparent. The US Food Safety and Inspection Service maintain a zero tolerance policy for the bacterium, which grows at refrigeration temperature and is omnipresent.

Gills Onions, LLC is recalling diced yellow onions with the following lot no. “Lot #2017-R and a Best if used by 06/16/07.”

The recall is due to the detection of Listeria monocytogenes during routine testing by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Both Gills Onions and the Washington State Department are working to determine the cause. So far there are no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of the product.

Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems such as AIDS infected patients. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Anyone with these symptoms, are encouraged to contact their physician.

The identified lot 2017-R is no longer in production at Gills Onions and as a precautionary measure; both retail and food service diced packs are being recalled.

The retail product was labelled with the Trader Joe’s brand name and was distributed to stores in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington. The Trader Joe’s brand diced onions were packaged in a 10 oz. bag with the Lot 2017-R and a best if used by date of 06/16/07.

The lot information for the 10 oz diced retail product can be found printed directly on the back of the package. The foodservice packages were packed in 4/5 lb cartons and labelled under the Gills Onions Brand and the Sysco Natural Brand, both with the Lot 2017-R and the best-if-used by date of 06/16/07 printed directly on the front of the 5 lb bag as well as on the outside carton label. Consumers and Retailers that have this recalled product should either destroy or return to place of purchase.

“Although no illnesses have been reported and only one 10 oz. retail bag of diced onions tested positive, we want to be sure that all diced products associated with the production lot are accounted for,” said Nelia Alamo, VP of Marketing. “We are committed to food safety at all levels and we will always put our customers and our consumer first.”

Questions can be directed to the company at (800) 348-2255.

The giant chocolate manufacturer, Cadbury has pleaded guilty in a UK court to three breaches of the country’s food and hygiene regulations, admitting that it was responsible for allowing salmonella contaminated chocolate bars to be sold on the market last year.

In fact, the public recall of the chocolate was not voluntary but was forced by the regulators where 37 people fell sick and over one million chocolate bars were recalled.

Although it is rare to have salmonella implicated in chocolate, the products manufactured in England have affected 37 people between February to June 2006.

The outbreak in June 2006 prompted Cadbury to reveal their findings. In the findings, a leaking pipe was discovered that leaked waste water into the milk chocolate crumb mix. This mix is the base ingredient in several chocolate bar varieties.

On testing, the company revealed the presence of the rare strain of Salmonella, however they did not report these findings to food regulators or to instigate a public health recall.

It was not until the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) published the results of their own outbreak investigation in June 2006 that the company disclosed their findings and withdrew seven products. This amounted to over a million chocolate bars from the UK market.

In defence, the manufacturer stated in an official media release that the reason they did not initially report their contamination findings was because the low levels of microorganisms found did not warrant such an action. This was a poor response and as part of due diligence should have acted on the results initially. In most developed countries, isolation of salmonella is notifiable.

A report released in July 2006 by the Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF), an expert committee that advises the FSA, responded with the statement that “the presence of Salmonella in ready-to- eat foods such as chocolate is unacceptable at any level”. The company implicated was under such pressure that it released a further statement declaring that they have changed their protocols and that any products showing traces of Salmonella, regardless of how low the levels are, will be destroyed.

Cadbury will be sentenced for the offences on the on 13 July at at Birmingham Crown Court. The company still faces other charges in a separate regional court over the same incident.

Cadbury’s failure at the time to fully adhere to the new EU-wide hygiene rules whihc is based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) analysis, serves as a warning to other processors who may also have been tardy in making sure the system is in place at all their plants.

In April this year the Birmingham City Council decided to bring the company to court for the incident, alleging the company knew about the contamination but still put the products on the market.

“Mistakenly, we did not believe that there was a threat to health and thus any requirement to report the incident to the authorities,” Cadbury said in a statement today. “We accept that this approach was incorrect. Quality has always been at the heart of our business, but the process we followed in the UK in this instance was unacceptable. We have apologised for this and do so again today.”

So far, Cadbury has spent about £20m since last year on “new and rigorous” quality control procedures to ensure any potential future incidence is eliminated.

Cadbury said it is examining the new charges and would respond at the appropriate time. A hearing is set for 24 July.

“We sincerely regret this lapse and are focused on ensuring that this can never happen again,” the company stated. “A major review has taken place of our quality, health and safety procedures globally to learn lessons and ensure that our consumers can rely on the highest levels of processes and standards wherever we operate.”

The court action targets the company’s alleged failure to report to food regulators that its microbiological testing in January last year had found a rare Salmonella strain in the chocolate products.

The products were on the market until June, when the Food Standards Agency revealed some people had fallen sick from the chocolates. Cadbury then withdrew the seven chocolate products from the UK market

The Birmingham City Council court action relates to three offences. The first charge accuses Cadbury of being in contravention of the General Food Regulations 2004.

The council alleges that, between January 19 and March 10 Cadbury “placed on the market ready-to-eat chocolate products which were unsafe, in that they were injurious to health and unfit for human consumption due to the presence of Salmonella organisms”.

The second charge alleged that Cadbury “failed to immediately inform the competent authorities that they had reason to believe that ready-to-eat chocolate products, placed on the market, may be injurious to human health due to the presence of Salmonella organisms”.

The third charge alleged that the company also “failed to identify hazards from ready-to-eat chocolate products contaminated with Salmonella and failed to identify critical control points and corrective actions in line with HACCP(Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) principles”.

Each offence carries a maximum penalty of an unlimited fine and up to two years of imprisonment for managers identified as causing the problem, the council said.

The contamination was traced to a leaking waste water pipe at the company’s plant in Marlbrook, Herefordshire. The pipe had dripped bacteria into the chocolate crumb used to make a variety of chocolate bars. The company allegedly knew about the problem since February, but fixed it without making a recall or notifying regulators.

The Health Protection Agency subsequently found a direct link between a salmonella outbreak affecting 37 people and the Cadbury chocolate.

The Health Protection Agency said interviews with 15 of the 37 people affected by an outbreak of Salmonella montevideo last year indicated that 13 of them reported eating products made by Cadbury.

The HPA also confirmed that samples taken from Cadbury’s factories showed the same Salmonella montevideo was present in January and February. The dates of the outbreak in the population was from February to June.

The HPA also noted the decrease in the frequency of cases of Salmonella montevideo following the company’s recall of a number of its chocolate products.

The HPA reported the company had discovered that waste water from a plant in Herefordshire had dripped down into the milk chocolate crumb, a mix that is blended with other ingredients to make some of the company’s chocolate bars.

The pipe was fixed but despite finding the Salmonella pathogen in some of its products, the company allegedly failed to make a recall at the time.

Cadbury claimed in a subsequent press release it did not disclose to officials that its products could be contaminated with the Salmonella montevideo strain as only ‘minute’ traces of the bacteria were found and the company deemed the risk too low.

The Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) released a damning report in July 2006 in which it stated that: “The presence of salmonella in ready-to-eat foods such as chocolate is unacceptable at any level.”

The ACMSF also said that the company failed to correctly implement EU-wide guidelines laid down by international food safety codes, known as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) analysis. New EU hygiene directives came into force at the start of this year, embodying HACCP principles in the bloc’s law.

“Cadbury’s risk assessment does not address the risk of Salmonella in chocolate in a way which the ACMSF would regard as a modern approach to risk assessment,” the ACMSF stated.

The findings of the report, published by the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA), concluded that Cadbury had used methods of product testing that were likely to underestimate the presence of the bacteria. A negative result from the tests would not necessarily mean that the product was uncontaminated.

“Based on the information provided, Cadbury appears to have used methods for product testing which the committee considered would underestimate the level and likelihood of salmonella contamination,” the advisory committee stated in its report.

“Sample heterogeneity including clumping of bacteria will influence the MPN (most probable number) estimate and therefore the approach cannot be relied upon in foods such as chocolate.”

HACCP is a science based and systematic method of identifying specific hazards and measures for their control to ensure the safety of food. Its basic principles rest on establishing control systems that focus on prevention rather than relying mainly on end-product testing.

Following a meeting with the FSA in July, Cadbury agreed to undertake ‘remedial action’, which would involve changing cleaning regimes in the plant and stepping up testing for a wider range of products.

In a statement, Cadbury Schweppes said it was “moving to a protocol in which any product evidencing contamination is destroyed.”

According to the FSA, Cadbury has pledged to carry out a positive release system whereby products will only be released for consumption if they test negative for the salmonella bacteria.

Source

United Food Group, LLC, a Vernon, California establishment is expanding it’s voluntarily recall of ground beef products because they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

There has been a link between illnesses in several states and the ground beef subject to recall was determined through an investigation carried out by the California Department of Health Services and the Colorado Department of Health, in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The expanded recall totals approximately 370,000 pounds.

The ground beef products in the expanded recall were produced on April 13, while the products subject to the original recall were produced on April 20. The ground beef products were shipped to retail distribution centers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. The very young (children), aged (seniors) and persons with compromised immune systems such as people with Aids are the most susceptible to food borne illness.

Any questions about the recall should contact company Customer Service Representative James Turner at (800) 325-4164. Media with questions about the recall should contact company Vice-President for Sales and Marketing Brian Levy at (323) 588-5286.

The identity labels of the products subject to recall bear the establishment number “EST. 1241″ inside the USDA mark of inspection or printed on the package. All of the products bear a sell-by date of “APR/29/07,” “APR/30/07″ or “May/06/07,” a freeze-by date of “APR/28/07,” “APR/29/07,” “APR/30/07″ or “May/07/07,” or a produced on date of “APR/13/07″ or “APR/20/07.”

The following ground beef products are subject to recall.

The list is inclusive of products included in both the original and expanded recall actions.
5-pound chubs of “1ST STREET 73/27 ground beef.”
3-pound chubs of “BASHAS 73/27 ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “SIR BASHA 90/10 ground beef.”
5-pound chubs of “INTER-AMERICAN PRODUCT 73/27 ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “INTER-AMERICAN PRODUCTS 80/20 ground beef.”
2-pound chubs of “INTER-AMERICAN PRODUCTS 93/7 ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “STATER BROS. MARKET 73/27 ground beef.”
3-pound chubs of “STATER BROS. MARKETS 73/27 ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 73/27 ground beef.”
3-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 73/27 ground beef.”
5-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 73/27 ground beef.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S All Natural, 73/27 fine ground beef.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 73/27 coarse ground beef.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 75/25 fine ground beef.”
3-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 80/20 ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 80/20 ground chuck.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 80/20 coarse ground chuck.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 80/20 fine ground chuck.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S All Natural 81/19 fine ground beef.”
2-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 85/15 ground beef.”
3-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 85/15 ground beef.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 85/15 coarse ground beef.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 85/15 fine ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 85/15 ground round.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S All Natural 85/15 coarse ground round.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S All Natural 85/15 coarse ground sirloin.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S All Natural 85/15 fine ground sirloin.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 90/10 fine ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 90/10 ground sirloin.”
1-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural, 90/10 fine ground sirloin.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S All Natural, 90/10 fine ground sirloin.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 90/10 coarse ground sirloin.”
2-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 93/7 ground beef.”
2-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 93/7 fine ground beef.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 93/7 coarse ground beef.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S 93/7 fine ground sirloin.”
5-pound chubs of “MORAN’S 95/5 fine ground beef.”
1-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 96/4 ground beef.”
2-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 96/4 ground beef.”
10-pound casings of “MORAN’S All Natural 96/4 fine ground beef.”
5-pound chubs of “MORAN’S All Natural 96/4 fine ground beef.”

Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at 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.

source

According to The Health Protection Agency (HPA), there has been an investigation into why there has been an 80 per cent increase in listeria cases over the first 21 weeks of this year, compared with the same period last year.

The number of hospital cases reported to the end of last week was 79, of which nine were pregnant women. Majority of cases were from the North East, Wales and London, but there have been cases reported in every region of England and Wales.

A high percentage (about 55 people) with the illness were aged over 60 and likely to have been suffering from other chronic conditions. The figures suggest the highest incidence of listeria since surveillance for listeriosis was introduced in 1990.

Pregnant women are one of the groups of people most vulnerable to the infection. While symptoms may be mild, the infection can trigger miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and serious illness in a newborn baby.

Other groups particularly at risk are the elderly, very young and people receiving medical treatments that compromise the immune system. For most healthy adults the risk is low, but severe cases can lead to fatal complications.

Most people become infected from eating certain foods. Soft cheeses are especially linked to the disease, but caution is advised over feta if it is made from unpasteurised milk. Pâtés, smoked fish and unwashed salad can also be contaminated. There is also concern over some bought, cooked and chilled meats.

Health chiefs are anxious to find out if there is a common food source because many more people may be incubating the illness. Symptoms can take as long as 90 days to develop, although the average is 30 days

They have ruled out any link with a Food Standards Agency poisoning alert in March that concerned 250,000 packs of sandwiches sold in the South East only, under the Anchor or Pomegranate label, which may have been contaminated with listeria bacteria.

But disease experts are now studying the eating patterns of surviving patients to see if there is any connection with food. Microbiological testing of food samples is also under way to see if a link can be identified

The HPA has reported a steady rise in incidence of the disease since 2001, but the scale of this year’s increase is huge.

Iain Gillespie, the agency’s head of bacterial diseases in the environmental and enteric disease department, said: “We really are unable to say what has caused the rise in cases. There are no particular clusters of cases and the cases seem to be spread sporadically though the highest numbers were in the North East, Wales and London. The most important thing to remember with listeria is that, if you are fit and healthy, you are unlikely to get listeria symptoms. It should not be a cause for alarm as it is still extremely rare.”

One theory is that as treatments for people with chronic conditions are improving and people are living, the increased survival rate from chronic conditions may be a factor linked to the increase in listeria cases.

Mr Gillespie denied that listeria was an infection acquired in hospitals and he said that most people were only admitted after reporting symptoms of the disease.

The Food Standards Agency has been informed of the sharp rise in new cases this year but is waiting for the results of further work by health chiefs.

Danger signs

Listeria is a rare but potentially life-threatening disease

Source

Another food recall and this time it is product manufactured by a South Australian company with the recall initiated by the NSW food Authority.

This came about after The New South Wales Food Authority issued an alert after several batches of chicken cacciatore, made by the San Marino Smallgoods company, were positive for salmonella.

San Marino is voluntarily recalling the products which includes Cacciatore Hot and Mild, Veneto Hot and Mild and Sopressa Mild with use-by dates of August this year.

So far, the NSW Food Authority says it has no evidence that anyone has fallen sick from eating the affected batches.

According to The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), salmonella was detected in Maranatha Brand Organic Raw Sesame Tahini. They have warned the public not to consume any of the products.

The affected product, MaraNatha brand Organic Raw Sesame Tahini, No Salt, a product of USA, is sold in 340 g jars bearing UPC 0 51651 09327 9 and Use By date 07/27/07 (July 27, 2007). This product has been distributed nationally.

So far there have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

Any food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled, however it can still cause illness. Consumption of food contaminated with this bacterium may cause salmonellosis, a foodborne illness. In young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems such as Aids patients, salmonellosis may cause serious and sometimes fatal infections.

In healthy people, salmonellosis may cause short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.

The importers are voluntarily recalling (no choice) the affected product from the marketplace and hopefully the manufacturer involved improves its hygiene. The CFIA is currently monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

After visiting their website, here’s what they say about the quality of their sesame.

“Our Sesame Tahini items are made with the highest quality sesame seeds. The seeds are mechanically hulled, then ground to a perfectly smooth texture. We produce Sesame Tahini in both Organic and Natural varieties to offer a choice to consumers since organic sesame seeds remain higher in price than conventionally grown ones. We also offer the flavor option of Raw or Roasted to provide a choice for discerning cooks and Tahini-lovers. Sesame Tahini is a key ingredient in many popular Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. It also provides an excellent base for dressings and dips.”

In the future they may need to modify the above statement and add it is tested and cleared for all pathogens including salmonella.

For more information, consumers and industry can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

For information on Salmonella, visit the Food Facts web page at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/causee.shtml

For information on receiving recalls by e-mail, or for other food safety facts, visit www.inspection.gc.ca.

Media enquiries:

Shashi Kulkarni (English)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Food Recall and Emergency Response
613- 368-1622 Linda LeBlanc (French)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Food Recall and Emergency Response
613- 760-4112

Another positive listeria in Turkey meat from the US has prompted The Diestel Family Turkey Ranch to recall its affected product. Below is their response from their website and as usual, they are always in denial on the results.

Diestel Family Turkey Ranch Response

On Monday, 4/30/07, Diestel Family Turkey Ranch was notified by the USDA that one piece of our Honey Roasted Turkey Breast, sampled and tested by the USDA, was presumed positive for Listeria. However, our same retention sample, tested by us, tested negative. On Tuesday, 05/01/07, at 12:01 PM, the USDA notified us that, upon retesting this piece of product, the product was confirmed positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Please note that the entire lot of Honey Roasted Turkey Breast was retained under our control in our facility and has NOT been shipped.

As a precaution Diestel Family Turkey Ranch is voluntarily recalling any and all other items produced on that line for that production date. We are requesting that any and all of these items be pulled from distribution and sale. The following is a list of those items:

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
PRODUCT CODE SELL BY DATE
Whole Pieces Deli Turkey
(6-7 lb/pc)

Naturally Smoked Bnls Turkey Breast
1347123 05-28-2007
Chipotle Peppered Turkey Breast

1353125 05-28-2007
Herbed Oven Roasted Turkey Breast 1386123
05-28-2007
Peppered Oven Roasted Turkey Breast 1379123 05-28-2007
Pastrami Seasoned Turkey Breast 1383125 05-28-2007
Chunks – Deli Turkey (1 lb/pc)
Pastrami Seasoned Turkey Breast 1382125 05-23-2007

For your information, the product “Sell By” date can be found in two places: on the box-end label and on the product nutritional label. The box end label will read as follows, “Sell or Freeze By 05-28-07” for Whole Pieces and “Sell or Freeze By 05-23-07” for Pastrami Chunks. The product nutritional label will read, “Sell By 05-28-07” for Whole Pieces and “Sell By 05-23-07” for Pastrami Chunks.

Thank you for your consideration regarding this matter. Please be assured we will replace and/or credit all products. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you. Please feel free to contact Mick Williams, General Manager, or Maureen Miller, Customer Service Team Leader, at 209/532-4950 for any further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Diestel Family Turkey Ranch

Improper pasteurization of milk by the Evans Farmhouse Creamery has forced them to voluntarily recall certain milk products.

Evans Farmhouse is a family owned and operated; USDA certified organic creamery located in Norwich, New York. They bottle all their milk and make yogurt in their on-farm creamery using milk from 75 organically raised, pasture-fed Jersey cows.

The Norwich-based company sells the products under the names Evans Farmhouse All Natural Reduced Fat Cream on Top Not Homogenized Milk and Sunrise Family Farms Organic Reduced Fat Vitamin A & D Milk.

These products have a container code of 5-11 and were distributed in New York State.

Pasteurization heats milk to a temperature of >74oC for a minimum of 15 seconds to effectively eliminate all gram -ve bacteria which includes pathogens such as E.coli, Listeria and Salmonella.

Routine sampling and testing has revealed that the milk was improperly pasteurized. One such test is the phosphatase enzyme test, this enzyme occurs naturally in raw milk, however it is destroyed by pasteurization and any presence indicates poor pasteurization.

So far no related illnesses have been reported. This could be due raw milk being processed as soon as the cows are milked which unlike larger dairy processors can take days.

Evan’s Farmhouse Creamery, 5037 State Highway 23, Norwich, NY 13815, 607-334-5339