Food Safety: Page 48

Feds Investigate Hepatitis A Outbreak Tied to Frozen Strawberries From Egypt

Of the 70 ill people, 68 (97 percent) reported drinking a smoothie from Tropical Smoothie Café in the month before illness started.

The investigation began in early August when the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) identified an outbreak of hepatitis A cases potentially linked to smoothies from Tropical Smoothie Café restaurants in that state.

Bimbo Bakeries Recalls Entenmann’s Over Plastic Contamination

Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc. has initiated a voluntary recall of Entenmann’s Little Bites Fudge Brownies, Chocolate Chip Muffins and Variety Pack due to the presence of small pieces of plastic caused by a manufacturer’s bakery in Illinois.

All recalled products are being removed from store shelves. No other Entenmann’s products are affected.

Grocery Manufacturers Association Sept. 12 Webinar to Address FSMA Recall Requirements

Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA)

The Grocery Manufacturers Association will host a webinar on Monday, Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. EST on the recall requirements under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

FDA Extends Certain FSMA Compliance Dates; Issues Draft Guidance

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

While the major provisions of the FSMA rules are being implemented as planned, the FDA issued a final rule that extends and clarifies the compliance dates for certain provisions in four of the seven foundational rules.

Fsma

Cyclospora Outbreak Afflicts 88 in Texas

Eighty-eight cases of cyclospora infection have been reported to the Texas Department of State Health Services this year — including 28 cases reported in August and 55 cases confirmed in July.

Last year there were 316 cyclosporiasis cases reported in the state.

Risk/Compliance

Foodservice Industry Prepares for Big Challenges on Many Fronts

From the FSMA to labor regulations to changing consumer demands and more.

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Are You Ready for FSMA?

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

Food and Drug Administration takes a non-prescriptive approach to improving food safety.

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Emerging Technologies

IBM Demonstrates How Big Data Speeds Foodborne Illness Investigations

Leveraging retail scanner data with spatial information collected at any grocery store/supermarket along with the confirmed geo-coded cases reported from the public health agency makes it possible to quickly identify a small set of “suspect” products.

IBM researchers believe the availability of electronic retail scanner data with new analytics and laboratory techniques can hugely accelerate outbreak investigation and aid public health agency in that mission at the county, state, and national levels. The potential benefits of this opportunity include reducing the costs of foodborne illness (now $9 billion annually in the U.S.) and of economic losses from outbreaks and recalls.

Food Facilities Face Sept. 16 Deadline for FSMA Preventive Controls Rule

American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI)

Facilities also have to verify and document that their preventive controls are working. Also, according to the rule, the plans must be re-analyzed at least once every three years.

Fsma

Obama Signs GMO Labeling Law; Industry Applauds, Activists Criticize

FMI - The Food Industry Association

While the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) applauded the signing, an activist group, FoodDemocracyNow!, said it will challenge the law.

President Obama on Friday signed S. 764 into law, setting in place one national standard for GMO disclosure that brings consistency, certainty and an end to restrictions on interstate commerce facing retailers, manufacturers and customers.

Emerging Technologies

How Bitcoin Technology Can Build Trust in the Food Supply Chain

Provenance, a small U.K. B2B software startup, is experimenting with proving tuna caught in Indonesia is being delivered to Japanese restaurants, using info on sensors or RFID tags and local certification, recorded in the blockchain, to track the fish.

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Consumer Groups Push FDA to Ban Plastic Liners in Canned Food

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

For years, some food can manufacturers have used linings that contain the chemical Bisphenol A, commonly known as PBA, which is linked to problems with hormone products in women and children.

Some companies that stopped using BPA have replaced it with a synthetic plastic called polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. PVC contains chemicals called phthalates.

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