Two people dead in Canadian Salmonella outbreak linked to Celebrate brand frozen profiteroles and eclairs from Thailand

This story by Phyllis Entis first appeared in Food Safety News and is reposted here with permission.

Frozen profiteroles and mini eclairs sold in grocery stores are the apparent sources of two deaths among at least 73 lab-confirmed cases of Salmonella Enteritidis infections in Canada as of April 27, 2019, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

The outbreak, which was first announced on April 5, 2019, has spread to six Canadian provinces: British Columbia (27), Alberta (12), Saskatchewan (9), Manitoba (10), Ontario (13) and Quebec (2).

The outbreak began in early November 2018 and remains ongoing, with the most recent case having been reported in late March 2019. Outbreak victims range in age between 1 and 88 years of age.

PHAC has not determined whether or not Salmonella was a contributing factor in either of the deaths. Nineteen outbreak victims have been hospitalized.

Many of the victims reported eating Celebrate brand classic/classical or egg nog flavored profiteroles or mini chocolate eclairs purchased at various grocery stores before becoming ill.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a Food Recall Warning for certain Celebrate brand products.

The implicated products were manufactured in Thailand by Mountain Mist (The Belgian Baker) Thailand Ltd. and distributed in Canada by Retail Resource Services Inc., located in Beaumont, Alberta, Canada (Retail Resource).

All lot codes of the following Celebrate brand products have been recalled so far. CFIA warns that more products may be recalled, depending on the outcome of its food safety investigation.

Mini Chocolate Eclairs, 365g (UPC 8 858762 720047)
Classical Profiteroles / Classic Profiteroles, 325g (UPC 8 858762 720009)
Egg Nog Profiteroles, 375g (UPC 8 858762 720016)
Classic Foodservice Profiteroles, 4 kg (No UPC)
Pineapple Foodservice Profiteroles, 4 kg (No UPC)
Coconut Foodservice Profiteroles, 4 kg (No UPC)
Passionfruit Foodservice Profiteroles, 4 kg (No UPC)
Mango Foodservice Profiteroles, 4 kg (No UPC)

The recalled products were sold in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and may have been distributed elsewhere in Canada.

Symptoms of Salmonella usually begin from 6 to 72 hours after exposure and may include the following: fever, chills, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache, nausea, and vomiting.

In healthy individuals, symptoms usually last from 4 to 7 days and often resolve without treatment. In some cases, more severe illness can occur. The very young, the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to complications from Salmonella infections.

PHAC advises consumers to take the following precautions if they have purchased or been given one of the recalled products:

Do not eat recalled Celebrate brand profiteroles (cream puffs) or mini chocolate eclairs.
Throw them out immediately and properly wash and sanitize any containers that were used to store these products before using them again.
If you have any profiteroles or mini eclair products without the original packaging and are unsure if these products are included in this advice, throw them out just to be safe.
Wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds immediately following contact with any of the identified Celebrate brand products.
Do not prepare food for other people if you think you are sick with a Salmonella infection or suffering from any other contagious illness causing diarrhea.

Caito Foods sanitation problems extend back to at least 2016

The following story by Phyllis Entis first appeared in Food Safety News and is reposted here with permission

The Food and Drug Administration found multiple sanitation issues during a 2016 inspection of the Caito Foods fresh produce facility that prepared pre-cut melon products currently implicated in a Salmonella outbreak.

According to the Indianapolis company’s website, Caito specializes in fresh produce distribution and fresh food processing, selling to customers nationwide.

The September 2016 FDA inspection was undertaken following detection of Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of cut butternut squash by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), according to documents obtained from FDA in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

The company decided not to recall the squash from the sampled lot, because the product was intended to be cooked by the consumer. Also, the company did not learn about the contamination until Sept. 9, 2016, which was five days after the “BEST IF SOLD BY” date for the batch.

FDA investigators spent two days on a “directed inspection” in response to the Listeria monocytogenes finding. Their inspection focussed on the processing of raw fruits and vegetables, including butternut squash.

The “Establishment Inspection Report” noted several observations, which were provided to management at the completion of the inspection.

Condensate dripping onto uncovered asparagus spears on the over-wrap line during the, even though the pre-operation sanitation checklist indicated “No condensation” for that date.
Pre-operation sanitation check list for the date during which the butternut squash sample was produced identified three locations as “unsatisfactory” with no corrective actions indicated.
During the inspection, an employee on the production line was observed placing “. . . waste into a trash can under the product line, pushing the waste down into the can with their hand, until their arm from the elbow down was fully in the trash can.” The employee immediately returned to handling cut watermelon chunks without changing or sanitizing gloves.
Condensate water formed a puddle on the floor at one of the entrances to the receiving cooler, a potential reservoir for Listeria, which could be tracked into the rest of the facility.

Caito’s production facility was inspected again by FDA in 2018, in response to an outbreak of Salmonella Adelaide infections linked to freshcut melon products. That outbreak sickened 77 individuals in nine states.

On April 12 this year, Caito recalled various pre-cut melons and fruit medley products after the products were linked to cases of salmonellosis. As of April 24, there were 117 confirmed patients in the 10-state outbreak. At least 32 of the patients have been admitted to hospitals, according to an update this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The FDA is conducting an on-going investigation to determine the cause of the outbreak, including a traceback investigation to determine, if possible, a farm of origin for the melons. According to an agency spokesperson, FDA’s inspection of Caito’s production plant is still in progress.

Recalls and Alerts: April 21 – 24, 2019

Here is today’s list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals, allergy alerts and miscellaneous compliance issues. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

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United States

OUTBREAK ALERT UPDATE: CDC reports 117 cases of Salmonella Carrau in 10 states. Thirty-two people have been hospitalized. The illnesses have been linked to pre-cut melons supplied by Caito Foods LLC. On April 12, 2019, Caito Foods, Inc. recalled pre-cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and pre-cut fruit medley products containing one of these melons produced at the Caito Foods LLC facility in Indianapolis, Ind.

OUTBREAK ALERT UPDATE: CDC reports 156 cases of E. coli O103 in 10 states. Twenty people have been hospitalized. The illnesses are associated with consumption of ground beef from several different grocery stores and restaurants. Many ill people bought large trays or chubs of ground beef from grocery stores and used the meat to make dishes like spaghetti sauce and sloppy joe.

Food Safety Recall: K2D Foods, doing business as (DBA) Colorado Premium Foods recalls approximately 113,424 pounds of raw ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O103. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were shipped to distributors in Port Orange, Fla. and Norcross, Ga. for further distribution to restaurants.

Canada

Food Safety Recall Update: Golden Pearl Mushrooms Ltd. recalls GPM brand Pea Shoots (100g, 230g, 455g; Product batch code 10851) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recalled products were distributed to retailers in Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, and may also have been sold elsewhere in Canada.

Europe

Food Safety Recall (France): Manufacturer recalls EARL Le Moulin de la Fosse brand Fromages fermiers / farm cheeses (Sold between 2/04 and 20/04/2019) due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for specific information on where the recalled products were sold.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Allergy Alert (Israel): Angel Jasmine Bakery Shop recalls chocolate flavored balls and chocolate paste filled crunchy cookies (300g; Expiry 1.6.19) due to incorrect allergen labeling regarding presence of egg and peanuts.

Allergy Alert (Israel): Meshek Melamed Ltd. recalls Beyond burger, plant-based meat (2 x 113g; Expiry 01.10.19) due to undeclared gluten and soy.