BULLETIN: FDA names California romaine farm as CDC reports additional E. coli patients

This story by Coral Beach first appeared in Food Safety News and is reposted here with permission

They say the investigation is ongoing and more sources are possible, but as of this afternoon, the FDA is reporting traceback efforts in the ongoing E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce has led to Adam Bros. Farm in Santa Maria, CA.

The outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 has been confirmed in the sediment of an irrigation reservoir on the family-owned farm, according to officials from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During a hastily called news conference today the officials said they can’t yet say the outbreak is over, but it is definitely winding down.

The statistics above are for the United States as of Dec. 13. In Canada, as of Dec. 6, there had been 27 confirmed cases of E. coli illness investigated in Ontario (4), Quebec (19), New Brunswick (1), and British Columbia (3). The illnesses in British Columbia were related to travel to Quebec, Ontario, and the United States. Nine individuals have been hospitalized, and two individuals suffered from hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a severe complication that can result from an E. coli infection. No deaths have been reported. Individuals who became ill are between 2 and 93 years of age.

Seven more people have been confirmed infected since the CDC’s Dec. 6 update. Ian Williams, chief of the CDC’s Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch, Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, said during the news conference that the most recent illness onset date was Nov. 16.

FDA officials said they are continuing to investigate how the E. coli came to be in the sediment of the irrigation pond. They stressed they are also continuing to test samples from other locations.

“As of Dec. 13, our investigation yielded records from five restaurants in four different states that have identified 11 different distributors, nine different growers, and eight different farms as potential sources of contaminated romaine lettuce,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement issued immediately after the news conference.

“Currently, no single establishment is in common across the investigated supply chains. This indicates that although we have identified a positive sample from one farm to date, the outbreak may not be explained by a single farm, grower, harvester, or distributor.”

Investigators collected samples from the Adam Bros. Farm on Nov. 27, said Stephen Ostroff, senior advisor to the FDA commissioner. The confirmed results from those tests sparked the news conference today.

Ostroff, the CDC’s Williams and two of FDA’s top officials — Deputy Commissioner Frank Yiannas and Kari Irvin, deputy director of the agency’s Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network — all stressed the investigation is ongoing, with public health epidemiologists continuing to interview patients.

They said the current outbreak is different from the one earlier this year in more than one way. A different strain of E. coli O157:H7 is involved, according to whole genome sequencing.

Also, the current outbreak strain has not been found in water or sediment that is used by multiple growers. The first outbreak this year, which was associated with romaine from the Yuma, AZ, growing area, has been linked to open water in an open canal that runs between produce fields and a cattle feedlot.

Even though the current outbreak strain has only been confirmed on the Adam Bros. farm, investigators say is it likely additional entities will be implicated. One reason cited for that expectation is the rule of thumb that people generally don’t eat romaine just one time, or from just one source before becoming ill.

The CDC and FDA continue to urge consumers, restaurants, institutional kitchens and retailers to avoid romaine if its origin is not clearly visible on labels. The FDA did, however, remove three California counties from the list of implicated growing areas.

“Given the identification of the outbreak pathogen on the farm in Santa Barbara County, the farms identified in the traceback, and the fact that the lettuce on the market at the peak of the outbreak should be beyond shelf-life we feel there is no longer a reason for consumers to avoid romaine lettuce from San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, and Ventura Counties, in California, provided it was harvested after Nov. 23,” according to the FDA.

“If consumers, retailers, and food service facilities are unable to confirm that romaine lettuce products are from unaffected sources, we urge that these products not be purchased, or if the products have already purchased, they should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase.”

Both FDA and CDC credit the produce industry’s voluntary market withdrawal of romaine two days before Thanksgiving Day as having prevented additional illnesses. Officials say Adams Bros. Farms is cooperating with the FDA, allowing investigators to confirm that the farm hasn’t shipped any romaine lettuce since Nov. 20.

Recalls and Alerts: December 5 – 7, 2018

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

PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT: FDA warns consumers that Bauer’s Candies Chocolate or Caramel Modjeskas (individually wrapped marshmallow candy; purchased after November 14, 2018) may be contaminated with Hepatitis A virus. A worker in the Kentucky manufacturing facility tested positive for hepatitis A. The recalled products are available at retail locations and can also be purchased through QVC and BauersCandy.com. Please read the complete FDA notice for additional information and recommendations.

OUTBREAK ALERT (UPDATE): FDA, CDC, and other state and local agencies continue to investigate a multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses likely linked to romaine lettuce grown in California’s Central Coast growing regions. CDC has received confirmed reports of 52 illnesses to date. Nineteen people have been hospitalized.

Allergy Alert: Fine Land Corp recalls Meiqili Durian Candy (12 oz/340g; Product of China; UPC 897055-795465-0) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert: Danone North America recalls Light & Fit® Greek Crunch Nonfat Yogurt & Toppings S’Mores Flavor (5-oz cups; Expiry December 30, 2018; UPC 36632 03825) due to undeclared peanuts.

Allergy Alert: Amboy Group, LLC recalls an undetermined amount of Shop Rite Ready To Cook BONELESS & SKINLESS Chicken Breast raw boneless and skinless poultry products due to undeclared milk, egg, and soy. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were shipped to retail locations in New Jersey.

Allergy Alert: Accra Super Market recalls Home Fresh Foods Suya Barbecue Seasoning (0.53 lb/240g; Lot #EK 08 17; Expiration 08/31/2020; UPC 6033000120298) due to undeclared peanuts.

Allergy Alert: Hiland Dairy recalls Hiland Dairy Whole Chocolate Milk (1/2 gallon; Plant code 29-162; Sell by Dec 13, 2018; UPC 0-7206000128-0) due to undeclared egg.

Allergy Alert: Chukar Cherries recalls various Ultra Dark Chocolate products due to undeclared milk. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert: Country Favor Inc. recalls Best Taste Brand DRIED BAMBOO SHOOT (12 ounce, un-coded flexible plastic package) due to undeclared sulfites.

Pet Food Safety Recall: King Soopers and City Market recall Abound Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe dog food produced by Sunshine Mills, Inc. (4, 14 & 24-lb bags; Best before November 1, 2018 through November 16, 2019) due to elevated levels of vitamin D.

Pet Food Safety Recall: Kroger Louisville Division recalls Abound Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe dog food produced by Sunshine Mills, Inc. (4-lb bags; Best before November 1, 2018 through November 16, 2019) due to elevated levels of vitamin D.

Pet Food Safety Recall: Columbia River Natural Pet Foods recalls Cow Pie fresh frozen meats for dogs and cats (2-lb bags; Lot #81917; Processed August 19, 2017) due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Canada

OUTBREAK ALERT UPDATE: PHAC has received reports of 27 confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 illness linked to consumption of Romaine lettuce from the USA in Ontario (4), Quebec (19), New Brunswick (1), and British Columbia (3). The cases reported from British Columbia were related to travel to Quebec, Ontario and the United States.

Allergy Alert: Bulk Barn Foods Limited recalls Coco Polo brand Dark Cocoa Bar 70% – Toasted Coconut and Chia (80g; Best By 20 MR 01; Lot 0058539; UPC 7 93809 40575 5) due to undeclared milk. The recalled product was available in retail stores nationwide.

Food Safety Recall: Les Délices mère et fille recalls various food products that were not produced in a manner that would ensure safety for human consumption. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Canadawide Fruits Inc., Loblaw Companies Limited, Sobeys Inc., and Walmart Canada Corp. recall Eat Smart brand Salad Shake Ups – Sweet Kale (156g; Best Before DEC 03 2018 DE 03 112 319; UPC 7 09351 30243 5) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recalled product was available in retail stores nationwide.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Barbarich et fils SPRL recalls OK Snack brand Big bag pepper-flavored chips (All lots) due to undeclared wheat.

Allergy Alert (Denmark): Lidl Danmark K/S recalls Pâté en Croûte au canard à l’orange (450g) and Pâté en Croûte au porc (450g) due to undeclared milk, wheat (gluten) and soy.

Allergy Alert (Luxembourg): PepsiCo recalls Lays Bugles Original (125g; Lot #22.12.18, NLB 6A 305 229, 21:10 S700; Best before 22/12/2018) due to undeclared soy, celery, mustard, milk and lactose.

Allergy Alert (UK): Sainsbury’s recalls Taste the Difference 10 Thai Turkey Meatballs (300g; All batches) due to undeclared milk.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): HEMA recalls Milk chocolate letters with hazelnuts (160g; All expiry dates) due to foreign matter (plastic pieces) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Albert Heijn recalls various batches of AH Salami with garlic and AH Salami without garlic due to Salmonella contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (France): Kritsen recalls Kritsen brand Irish Organic Smoked Salmon (various sizes and batch codes) due to risk of fever, headache, nausea and vomiting. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): Campofrio Food Group Deutschland GmbH recalls Aoste Kernschinken / Aoste Core Ham (80g; Best before 13.12.2018 (batch: 4073), 17.12.2018 (batch: 4076), 20.12.2018 (batch: 4079), 26.12.2018 (batch: 4084), 03.01.2019 (batch: 4091)) due to potential Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): TSI GmbH & Co. KG recalls MÜLLERS ground whole cardamom (10g; Expiry 31.01.2021 and 31.02.2021; Batch codes 01.2021 A23, 02.2021 A02, 02.2021 A03, 02.2021 B03, 02.2021 C05, 02.2021 A06, 02.2021 B06) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): Eifrisch Vermarktung GmbH & Co.KG recalls various shell eggs due to potential Salmonella contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Iceland): Matfugl ehf. recalls Bonuses, Crown and Ali brands of fresh, raw chicken (Tracking No. 215-18-44-1-06) due to suspected Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Italy): Frime SA recalls Turla Pierino FILONE DI PESCE SPADA DECONGELATO (Lot #3249P20317; Best before 23-11-2018) due to elevated mercury levels.

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Hecolux sàrl recalls Valle del Jerte brand Dried Figs (250g and 500g; Lot #L3901; Best before 31/03/2019; Product of Spain) due to elevated level of aflatoxin.

Food Safety Recall (Netherlands): G’woon recalls certain Milk Chocolate with hazelnut letters (135g; Best before 31-03-2019) due to foreign matter (plastic piece) contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Netherlands): Poiesz supermarkets recalls all Poiesz fresh pastries and deep-frozen pastries (sold until December 5, 2019) due to foreign matter (plastic pieces) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Netherlands): Jumbo recalls two Brabant sausage products (Best before 5-1-2019 and Best before 3-12-2018 or later) due to Salmonella Goldcoast contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for additional identifying details on both products.

Food Safety Recall (Sweden): Coop recalls several delicatessen meat products due to possible Listeria contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Sweden): Styckmästarn recalls Styckmästarn and John Selection brands of Nötfärs 10-12% and Nötfärs 20% due to possible Salmonella contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Sweden): Coop recalls Coop Serrano Ham (Best before 2019-02-11 and 2019-02-15) due to possible Listeria contamination.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

OUTBREAK ALERT (Israel): The Ministry of Health is investigating 38 cases of Salmonella illness that appear to be linked to consumption of Ahdhut tahini products with expiry dates of 7/4/19-21/5/19. The implicated products, which also are linked to illnesses in the USA and Canada, have been recalled by the manufacturer.

Australia and New Zealand

Food Safety Recall (Australia): Charlesworth Nuts recalls various products due to foreign matter (metal fragments) contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Australia): Patties Foods Ltd recalls Nanna’s Family Apple Pie (600g; Best Before 21 Oct 2020 and 22 Oct 2020) due to possible foreign matter (glass) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Australia): ALDI recalls Colway Real Mayonnaise (466g; All batches) due to faulty packaging and possible glass breakage.

Food Safety Recall (New Zealand): Gipfel Ltd trading as Gilbert’s Fine Food recalls Lievito brand Gluten Free Flour Mix (1kg and 2.5kg paper bags; All batches and date codes) due to foreign matter (metal wire fragments) contamination.

Dogs reported sick; Kroger, King Soopers pull Abound brand from stores

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

Retail supermarket chains King Soopers and Kroger’s Louisville Division are removing certain Abound dry dog food from their store shelves following a product recall initiated by Sunshine Mills Inc.

The recalled pet food has the potential to contain an elevated level of vitamin D, which can produce symptoms of vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss in dogs. In extreme cases, ingestion of food containing elevated vitamin D may result in kidney failure.

On Dec. 3, the Food and Drug Administration issued a public alert about the potential for elevated vitamin D levels in several brands of dry pet foods produced by “a common contract manufacturer.” King Soopers and Kroger identified Sunshine Mills Inc. as the manufacturer in their recall notices.

FDA received two pet illness complaints in mid- to late October and initiated an investigation at that time, according to an agency spokesperson. In late October, FDA was alerted to a similar investigation being carried out by the state of Utah.

As of Dec. 3, the FDA has received a total of six dog illness reports associated with the recalled products. The investigation is ongoing, and the number of illnesses may change.

FDA, state and private lab tests have revealed that the pet food contained as much as 70 times the intended amount of vitamin D. Consumers are warned that these levels of vitamin D are potentially toxic to dogs and may lead to kidney failure and/or death.

The products recalled by King Soopers and Kroger include:

Abound Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dog food, 4 lb. Best by November 1, 2018 through November 16, 2019; UPC 11110-83556
Abound Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dog food, 14 lb. Best by November 1, 2018 through November 16, 2019; UPC 11110-83573
Abound Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dog food, 24 lb. Best by November 1, 2018 through November 16, 2019; UPC 11110-89076

All three package sizes were sold in King Soopers and City Market stores in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. The 4-pound size was sold in a single Kroger store at 2440 Bardstown Road in Louisville, KY.

FDA offers the following recommendations to pet owners and veterinarians.

If your pet is having symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, contact a veterinarian immediately. Provide a full diet history to your veterinarian. You may find it helpful to take a picture of the pet food label, including the lot number.
Don’t feed the recalled products to your pets or any other animal. Contact the company listed on the package for further instructions or throw the products away in a way that children, pets and wildlife cannot access them.
Consumers can report suspected illness to the FDA electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal or by calling your state’s FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinators. It’s most helpful if you can work with your veterinarian to submit your pet’s medical records as part of your report. For an explanation of the information and level of detail that would be helpful to include in a complaint to the FDA, please see How to Report a Pet Food Complaint.
The FDA encourages veterinarians treating vitamin D toxicity to ask their clients for a diet history. We also welcome case reports, especially those confirmed through diagnostics. You can submit these reports electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal or by calling your state’s FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinators. For an explanation of the information and level of detail that would be helpful to include in a complaint to the FDA, please see How to Report a Pet Food Complaint.
Veterinarians should also be aware that vitamin D toxicity may present as hypercalcemia, similar to dogs that have consumed rodenticide. In these cases, FDA suggests that veterinarians confirm diet history to verify whether the dog has been eating any of the recalled products.