Largest Outbreak in German History Caused by Imported Strawberries

The largest recorded foodborne illness outbreak in German history was caused by frozen strawberries imported from China, according to a study published in the February issue of Eurosurveillance.

At least 11,000 cases of norovirus were reported by 390 institutions – mostly schools and childcare facilities – between Sept. 19 and Oct. 7, 2012.

Epidemiologists were able to quickly identify dishes containing strawberries prepared in regional kitchens of a single catering company as the source of most of the illnesses. They also further traced the strawberries to one 22-ton lot imported frozen from China.

Investigators estimate that, assuming a similar level of contamination, potentially 11,000 cases of norovirus were prevented by the quick determination that strawberries were the source of the outbreak and the prompt withdrawal of one-half of the lot of strawberries from the market. They noted that additional illnesses were likely prevented since only a fraction of the delivered strawberries had been prepared for consumption, and they praised local public health agencies from the five impacted German states for rapidly communicating local outbreak information to the state level, allowing for a prompt, coordinated outbreak response.

The German Task Force on Food and Feed Safety found that some of the regional kitchens that received the contaminated frozen strawberries had heated them during preparation, while others had not. The study’s authors point out that heating of the berries could in part explain why not all institutions supplied by the regional kitchens that received the berries reported cases of norovirus.

In response to this outbreak, Germany has updated its recommendations for institutions caring for vulnerable populations, including schools, child-care facilities and elder-care facilities, to specifically include advice to heat frozen berries.

The authors note that, in recent years, several large norovirus, Hepatitis A and E. coli outbreaks in the European Union and the United States have been traced to fresh or frozen produce. They point out that trace-back investigations have, at times, been complicated or prevented due to a variety of factors, including political and economic issues.

While the authors state that contaminated water used in the production of the strawberries was likely responsible for the outbreak, they also note that, “A better understanding of how the berries became contaminated is crucial for developing long-term prevention measures upstream from the retailer.”

A Jan. 2, 2013, EU regulation requires that 5 percent of consignments of frozen strawberries imported from China be tested for norovirus.

Nutrition Facts Label to Get Major Updates

For the first time since it was developed in the early 1990s, the Nutrition Facts label is getting a new look.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday introduced plans for updating the label to include larger serving sizes, calorie counts in larger type and “added sugars” values, with the hope that it will help consumers reduce their risks of chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke.

“These are very important changes, and our goal here is to design a label that is easier to read and one that consumers can understand,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg at an announcement event with first lady Michelle Obama at the White House. “This proposal is the culmination of years of research, study and requests for public input.”

“As consumers and as parents, we have a right to understand what’s in the food we’re feeding our families because that’s really the only way that we can make informed choices – by having clear, accurate information,” Obama said at the event, which was part of the fourth anniversary celebration of her Let’s Move! campaign to combat the childhood obesity epidemic. “Ultimately, that’s what today’s announcement is all about.”

Key aspects of FDA’s proposed changes include:

• A greater emphasis — with larger and bolder type — on calories.
• Listing an Added Sugars value: The food industry is likely to take issue with this aspect of the proposal. “They do not want consumers to know how much sugar they are adding, especially since so many health authorities are relating sugar intake to obesity.”
• Calories from fat would no longer be listed. (But total, saturated and trans fat will still be required.)
• Updated serving sizes that better reflect what people actually eat. Serving sizes are not a recommendation but simply a lens through which people can understand nutrition.
• The number of servings per package will be more prominent.
• Updated Daily Values for various nutrients and shifting the Percent Daily Value (%DV)  to the left of the label. FDA wants to help consumers visually and quickly put nutrient information in context.
• A slight decrease in the Daily Value for sodium from 2,400 to 2,300 milligrams.
• Amounts of potassium and Vitamin D would be required on the label, while listing Vitamins A and C would become voluntary.

The proposal received “mostly high marks” from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), but there are further changes the organization would like to see made, namely a further decrease of the Daily Value for sodium to 1,500 milligrams and the inclusion of a Daily Value for added sugars. (CSPI recommends it be set at 25 grams which, at about six teaspoons, is a lot less that the 22 teaspoons the average American consumes each day.)

Marion Nestle, nutrition expert and professor at New York University, told Food Safety News that she reacted to the proposal with “surprise that it’s as consumer-friendly as it is” and “delight that it did everything I hoped it would.”

Of course, consumers will still need to look at the label. “But even a casual glance ought to tell you something about calories,” Nestle said.

“We realize that the label alone won’t magically change how America eats, but we hope that once consumers decide to implement changes in their diet that lead to healthier lifestyles, it will provide them with the tools to be successful,” Hamburg said.

FDA has divided the changes to the Nutrition Facts label into two proposed rules. One updates nutrition information and the label design to help highlight important information. The other covers the changes to serving-size requirements and labeling for certain package sizes.

The proposed rules will be published to the Federal Register and a 90-day comment period opened. FDA plans to finish the final rule by 2015 and then give industry two years to put the new rules into effect.

“We look forward to working with the FDA and other stakeholders as these proposed updates to the Nutrition Facts label make their way through the rulemaking process,” said Pamela Bailey, CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, in a statement. “It is critical that any changes are based on the most current and reliable science.”

Kroger, Safeway Will Nix GMO Salmon Regardless of FDA Decision

Kroger and Safeway, the largest retail grocery companies in the U.S., have reportedly agreed not to sell genetically modified salmon. The decision was released Monday by a coalition of food safety, consumer, health and fishing groups.

The two grocery chains are now part of more than 9,000 stores across the country that have rejected carrying the GM AquAdvantage® salmon regardless of whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves it for public consumption, which it has not yet officially done.

“By making commitments to not sell genetically engineered salmon, Kroger and Safeway have joined the large number of grocery chains, from Trader Joe’s to Target, that have wisely chosen to listen to the majority of consumers who do not want to eat genetically engineered fish,” said Dana Perls, food and technology policy campaigner with Friends of the Earth, a member of the consumer coalition. “Now Costco, Walmart, Albertsons and other retailers need to catch up and provide their customers with what they want: natural, sustainable seafood that isn’t genetically engineered in a lab.”

“Today’s announcement by major grocery retailers makes it even more clear that there is no demand for GE salmon,” Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, said in a statement. “It’s time for the FDA to deny the application for this unsustainable and unnecessary new genetically engineered food.”

Other retail grocers such as Target, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have also pledged not to sell GMO salmon, andCostco is being pressured to join them.

The GMO salmon, developed by MA-based AquaBounty Technologies, contains a growth gene from the Chinook salmon which the company says could allow its GMO salmon to grow to market size in half the time of a conventional Atlantic salmon.

FDA has made a preliminary finding that approving AquAdvantage® salmon for human consumption would not have a significant impact on the environment if, as planned, it is raised in tanks away from the ocean.

Meanwhile, U.S. consumer reaction to the GMO salmon has been critical and extensive. FDA received more than 1 million public comments asking it not to approve the GMO salmon last year. There have also been concerns raised about the overall effect on wild salmon stocks and the potential interbreeding of wild salmon with GMO salmon.

Richard Gilmore's quotes in the article of Infozone

What Richard Gilmore, the president of GIC Trade, Inc. said in Farm Foundation Forum on Feb. 19 was excerpted in Infozone article! GIC Group is actively participating in Food Safety Forums, including being a panel.

To read the article, click the LINK.

China's food safety lapses create oppourtunity for Malaysia

China's food safety issues and the subsequent turn by middle-class consumers towards quality imports have made it a hot market for Malaysia's halal foods, according to a top Malaysian government official.

Dato Seri Kamil Bidin, chief executive of the Halal Industry Development Corporation, told FoodNavigator-Asia that China is now the top export market for Malaysian halal foods. 

Established in 2006, the HDC works for the overall development of the halal industry in Malaysia.

"China's halal market is worth US$2bn and is growing exponentially," said Bidin, who was speaking at Gulfood, the world's largest annual food and beverage industry show.

Halal opportunity
China has a minority population of Muslims that tops out at 20 million, but according to Bidin, with all the food safety issues that China has had in the recent years, an opportunity has been created for halal foods.

"Halal is seen as an assurance of safety and quality in China. When all the food scandals started happening (and received media coverage), people there started placing more emphasis on halal foods," Bidin said.

According to Bidin, the majority of the halal foods being exported are in the confectionary and snacks segment.

"Now when people see the halal certification label from Malaysia, they know that it has gone through stringent quality and safety checks,"  he added.

Malaysia jumps in
The certification muddle in China is another factor that has helped Malaysian halal foods. In China, halal producers must have their products certified by local provincial governments and ethnic affairs commissions.

This creates a situation where there are halal products on the market with various types of halal logos and certification, designated by province and region on the packaging.

However, Malaysia is one of the pioneers in halal certification, having introduced a national standard about four decades ago, said Bidin, which has been accepted by CODEX and also replicated by many other nations, making it one of most recognized type of standards in the world. 

China's growing appetite fueling Australian red meat exports

China's consumption of lamb and beef has grown explosively over the last 12 months, making it one of Australia's top red meat markets, an industry official said.

Jamie Ferguson, regional manager for the Middle East and North Africa at Meat and Livestock Australia, told FoodNavigator-Asia that China had gone from being the number 8 market for Australian red meat to number 3 in under a year.

 "The growth has been phenomenal," said Ferguson, who was speaking at Gulfood 2014, the annual food and beverage industry show for the Middle East.

Meat and Livestock Australia is the peak marketing and development body for Australia's cattle, sheep and goat producers.

"What has happened in China is that they have depleted their cattle (both beef and lamb) stocks heavily," said Ferguson. "So they have decided to top up from other countries."

Ferguson pointed out that only three countries are legally allowed to supply China, the other two being New Zealand and Uruguay. "So we have been in a great position to take advantage of this opportunity." he said.

Opportunity well tapped
Data from the government backs this up. According to the Department of Agriculture, Australian beef, veal, lamb and goat exports to China surged during 2013, to 256,993 tonnes, accounting for 17% of Australia's total exports, compared to 6%, at 79,153 tonnes in 2012.

Of these, Australian beef and veal exports to China during 2013 climbed significantly, to 154,833 tonnes, up 371% year-on-year. The beef cut in the greatest demand was brisket, at 29,960 tonnes, up 423%.

In terms of Australian sheepmeat exports during 2013, lamb shipments were up 34% year-on-year, to 39,535 tonnes, while mutton exports surged 254%, to 57,888 tonnes, accounting for 34% of Australia's total exports.

According to Ferguson, the market in China has seen an even mix between the retail and food service industry. 

Perception of safety helping
"We are seen as country that is clean and safe. There probably has been some uptake based on their food safety standards and that is why we are one of only three countries allowed to legally sell there," said Ferguson, when asked if China's food safety issues have inadvertently opened the door to Australian exports.

On the rest of Asia, Ferguson said that the country was seeing high growth in Indonesia, Australia's closest neighbor, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Date from the government revealed that Australian red meat exports to the wider Southeast Asia region during 2013 surged 85% year-on-year, to 448,838 tonnes. 

One dead and seven hospitalized in listeria outbreak

One person has died and seven others have been hospitalized after an outbreak of Listeria linked to cheese.

Five of the illnesses (2 mother-newborn pairs and a newborn) were related to pregnancy and all patients are Hispanic.

Further investigation is needed to determine the source of the patients' illnesses, including whether they relate to food products that tested positive for Listeria, said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Detection in Virginia
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) and the Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratories (DCLS) detected Listeria monocytogenes in cheese produced by Roos Foods Inc. of Kenton, Delaware.

It was isolated from a sample Cuajada en Terron (Fresh Cheese Curd) manufactured by Roos Foods and collected by VDACS food safety inspectors at Mega Mart, a retail store in Manassas, Virginia.

Seven people have been sickened in Maryland and one death was reported in California.

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is being used alongside whole genome sequencing. The 5 isolates already sequenced are closely related, said the CDC.

Available information shows illness dates range from 1 August to 27 November 2013.

All patients in Maryland reported consuming soft or semi-soft Hispanic-style cheese and shopped at different locations of the same food store chain, said the CDC.

Brands produced by Roos Foods include: Santa Rosa de Lima, Amigo, Mexicana, Suyapa, La Chapina and La Purisima Crema Nica.

Presumed positive
As part of an ongoing investigation, testing of cheese products my the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) is presumptively positive for Listeria bacteria. 

While confirmatory testing is underway, DHMH advises consumers not to eat any cheese products made by Roos Foods, or foods that have been made with these cheeses.
The DC Department of Health (DOH) advised district residents not to purchase or consume Roos cheese products. 

No lot or date coding information has been identified; but as a measure of precaution district food safety officials pulled the products from shelves.

Any individuals who purchased the product should not consume and should discard any remaining portions, said the agency.