instore - October 2016 - CI6

Food Safety:

Controlling salmonella
By Ryan Atkinson

almonellosis - the infection
caused by Salmonella bacteria - is
the most common food-borne bacterial disease in the world. It is estimated
to cause one million foodborne illnesses
every year in the United States, accounting for 19,000 hospitalizations and 380
deaths. There are at least 360,000 illnesses every year attributed to regulated
products. According to foodsafety.gov,
the bacteria cause more than one million illnesses every year, leading to $365
million in direct medical costs. Furthermore, Salmonella infections have not declined in the past 15 years.

As menacing as the bacteria is for public safety, in can pose just as much of a
threat to the well-being of a food production facility. Chipotle is still trying to regain its financial footing after outbreaks
of Salmonella and other viruses earlier
this year, which were partly attributed to
cross-contamination in central kitchens
that prepared salsas and more.
Salmonella, obviously, stems from raw

and undercooked eggs, poultry and
meat, meaning cross-contamination is
the biggest threat to commissaries and
central kitchens. Cross-contamination
prevention is based on a detailed risk
assessment that works hand-in-hand
with programs such as GMPs, HACCP
and other prerequisites. Monitoring it,
then, is a means of assessing if crosscontamination is like to happen, or has
happened already.
"Cross-contamination is the main hazard we want to prevent in the food industry, and develop whole food safety
management systems to ensure the risk
is eliminated," says Elina Zerva, global
manager, food safety services and innovation, ABI International.
Some companies also sell products to
cut down on the risk of Salmonella when
dealing with uncooked meats and other
at-risk products.
Micreos Food Safety, a developer of
phage-based anti-bacterial agents, of-

fers Salmonelex as a solution for food
production facilities. The product is
aimed at the prevention of cross contamination and the killing of Salmonella
bacteria on the food during processing.
The company says it can be used postslaughter in chill systems or sprayed
onto the foods at points of contamination during further processing. The
product, and its application, can be integrated easily within the daily routine
of the normal production process. It has
no organoleptic influence - it doesn't
affect taste, sight, smell or touch -
does not dissolve fat and does not react
away in the presence of organic matter.
Newly Weds Foods, which manufactures
food coating and season systems, among
other things, developed DefenStat, which
it claims is "the only clean label ingredient for raw meat and poultry that addresses the three systemic failures leading to E. coli and Salmonella outbreaks,
in a single intervention product."
The company says that even with careful handling and storage, mistakes can
be made in food preparation, presenting multiple opportunities for crosscontamination. The use of DefenStat in
uncooked meat and poultry during the
processing phase can deliver an extra
layer of defense should proper safeguards not be adhered to further down
the product cycle.

Salmonella recalls since July
A quick glance at
the recalls due to
Salmonella in the
second half of this
year shows just how
wide-ranging the
foods and products
aﬀected by the
bacteria can be.

Company

Product Date

Asher's chocolate products

Sept. 2

Yu Yee black pepper powder

Aug. 31

Diamond of California macadamia nuts

Aug. 30

Hampton Creek baking mixes

July 30

Chapel Hill Creamery cheese products

July 29

Meijer salads and sandwiches

July 26

SOURCE: WWW.FDA.GOV

6 * OCTOBER 2016

commissary INSIDER

http://www.foodsafety.gov http://WWW.FDA.GOV

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - October 2016