Food Protection Trends - March 2009 - (Page 166)

WhAT’S hAPPENING IN FOOD SAFETY Recall of Products Containing Peanut Butter: Salmonella Typhimurium While the risk of animals contracting salmonellosis is minimal, there is risk to humans from handling these products. It is important for people to wash their hands, and make sure children wash their hands, before and, especially, after feeding treats to pets. Further information for consumers is located in the Frequently Asked Questions section of the FDA Web site. The pet food products are also included in the searchable data base of recalled products. Major national brands of jarred peanut butter found in grocery stores are not affected by the PCA recall. FDA and CDC recommendations for consumers include: • Do not eat products that have been recalled and throw them away in a manner that prevents others from eating them. • To determine if commercially-prepared or manufactured peanut butter/peanut paste-containing products (such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream) are subject to recall, consumers are urged first to visit FDA’s Web site and check the searchable database of recalled products. • For information on products containing peanut butter from companies not reporting recalls, consumers may wish to consult the company’s Web site or call the toll-free number listed on most packaging. Information consumers may receive from the companies has not been verified by the FDA. • If consumers cannot determine if their peanut butter, peanut butter/peanut paste-containing products or institutionally-served peanut butter contains PCA peanut butter/peanut paste, FDA recommends that they do not consume those products. Persons who think they may have become ill from eating peanut butter are advised to consult their health care providers. A combination of epidemiological analysis and laboratory testing by state officials in Minnesota and Connecticut, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have enabled FDA to confirm that the sources of the outbreak of illnesses caused by Salmonella Typhimurium are peanut butter and peanut paste produced by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) at its Blakely, Georgia processing plant. Peanut butter is sold by PCA in bulk containers ranging in size from five (5) to 1,700 pounds. The peanut paste is sold in sizes ranging from 35-pound containers to product sold by the tanker container. Neither of these products is sold directly to consumers. However, through its investigation, FDA has determined that PCA distributed potentially contaminated product to more than 70 consignee firms, for use as an ingredient in hundreds of different products, such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream. Companies all over the country that received product from PCA have issued voluntary recalls of their products. FDA has created a searchable database for these products, which can be found at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/ scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm. Identification of products subject to recall is continuing and this list is updated frequently. Product recalls now include some pet food products that contain peanut paste that was made by PCA. • Expert Panel Announced for NSF’s 2009 Food Safety Leadership Awards Program SF International has announced the expert panel of jurors for its 2009 Food Safety Leadership Awards (FSLA) Program, which will be held at the 2009 Food Safety Summit in Washington, D.C. This awards program recognizes individuals and organizations that demonstrate exceptional leadership in foodservice safety. The Food Safety Summit will be held April 27–29, 2009, with the award winners to be announced during the opening reception at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center on April 27. “For over six decades, NSF International has strived to be a leader in the food safety industry. The Food Safety Leadership Awards, now in its sixth year, is our opportunity to recognize those individuals and organizations that have joined us in our efforts to protect and improve public health and food safety,” said Anna Schmitt-Reichert, NSF director of corporate communications. The expert juror panel that will select the winners includes other industry leaders: N 166 FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS | MARCH 2009 http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - March 2009

Food Protection Trends - March 2009 Contents Sustaining Members Perspectives from Your President Commentary from the Executive Director Microbiological Safety of Farmstead Cheeses Made in the United States and Purchased via Online Shopping Antibacterial Activity of a Crude Chive Extract against Salmonella in Culture Medium, Beef Broth and Chicken Broth 2009–2010 Secretary Election New Members What’s Happening in Food Safety Industry Products Ivan Parkin and John H. Silliker Lectures Proposed Symposia Topics and Roundtables Event Information Networking Opportunities General Information Registration Form Coming Events Advertising Index Journal of Food Protection Table of Contents Booklet Order Form Membership Application

Food Protection Trends - March 2009

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.