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FOLLOW-UP ON THE FEBRUARY FOOD RECALLS

Edited by: Marissa Bunning, Ph.D., Mary Schroeder, M.S., R.D, Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D., Colorado State - Spring 2007

February saw more than its fair share of food product recalls, causing concern among consumers both locally and nationwide. The first of these recalls occurred following investigative work by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on a spike in reported cases of salmonellosis. The three recalls that followed within a week are the type we prefer to see - initiated by the manufacturer following routine product testing and before a spike in reported illnesses.

In the first recall, two well-known brands of peanut butter manufactured by ConAgra Foods were pulled from store shelves due to a risk of Salmonella Tennessee contamination. ConAgra Foods and the FDA issued the recall after the CDC released results of a study linking 288 cases of Salmonella infection to the peanut butter. Consumers were told to discard jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter labeled with product codes beginning with 2111 and encouraged to throw away any peanut butter with these brand names purchased since May 2006. Before the outbreak was contained, more than 400 people nationwide had been sickened by the contaminated peanut butter, including at least 10 in Colorado.

The contaminated peanut butter was made at ConAgra Foods' Sylvester, Georgia plant. Investigation into the cause of the contamination is still ongoing, but is thought to be linked to dormant Salmonella bacteria in the plant that was activated by moisture from a leaky roof and two sprinkler system malfunctions. The moist environment allowed the bacteria to grow and come in contact with the peanut butter before it was packaged. FDA inspectors found Salmonella Tennessee samples at ConAgra's Sylvester, Georgia plant, where the recalled Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter was made. Peanut butter from the contaminated plant was also spread to at least one other plant in Tennessee that processed the peanut butter into ice cream and dessert toppings. ConAgra has said they are completely renovating the Georgia plant and developing new testing procedures to ensure that the situation doesn't happen again.

In the week following the peanut butter recall, three more food recalls made national and local headlines. On February 16, FDA released a statement advising consumers to discard jars of Earth's Best Organic 2 Apple Peach Barley Wholesome Breakfast Baby Food due to possible contamination with Clostridium botulinum. The product is sold in single jars as well as in 4-jar variety packs, and consumers were warned to discard any such jars of this food. Hain Celestial Group, the baby food's manufacturer, had initiated a recall of the product on February 9 and stopped distribution until the source of the problem has been identified. While no confirmed illnesses have been linked to the baby food, Clostridium bacteria can cause botulism, a life-threatening illness that can lead to death.

Also on February 16, Dole Fresh Fruit Co. recalled roughly 6,104 cartons of imported cantaloupes from Costa Rica that had been distributed to wholesalers in the eastern United States and Quebec between Feb. 5 and Feb. 8, due to possible contamination with Salmonella. Again, no reports of illness directly linked to the recalled cantaloupe have been confirmed.

Finally, on February 20, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a news release warning consumers to throw away packages of ready-to-eat chicken strips purchased at retail stores in Colorado due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The affected product was 6-oz packages of Oscar Meyer/Louis Rich Fully-Cooked Chicken Breast Strips with Rib Meat with a "use by" date of April 19, 2007. As with the cantaloupe, Listeria monocytogenes had been found during routine product testing, with no confirmed cases of illness tied to the chicken.

Sources:

1. Maldonado L. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment News Release. Recalled Baby Food May Have Been Available in Colorado Stores and on the Web. February 20, 2007.
2. Maldonado L. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment News Release. State Health Officials Urge Coloradoans to Check Their Refrigerators and Freezers for Oscar Meyer/Louis Rich Chicken Breast Strips. February 20, 2007.
3. Maldonado L. and Salley M. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment News Release. Contaminated Peanut Butter Sickens Coloradoans. February 15, 2007.
4. Funk J. FDA: Recall Shows Peanut Butter Riskier than Previously Thought. April 4, 2007. Signon San Diego. Available at www.signonsandiego.com/news/health/20070406-1504-peanutbutter-salmonella.html.
5. US FDA. FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Certain Jars of Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Great Value Peanut Butter. February 14, 2007. Available at: www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01563.html.
6. US FDA. FDA Warns Consumers Not to Use Certain Jars of Earth's Best Organic 2 Apple Peach Barley Wholesome Breakfast Baby Food. February 16, 2007. Available at: www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01566.html.
7. US FDA. Recall of Cantaloupes Due to Potential Health Concerns. February 16, 2007. Available at: www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/dole02_07.html

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