Spudman

Birko, Crunch Pak partner for food safety

Birko, a provider of antimicrobial process aids and sanitation chemistry to the produce industry, has partnered with Crunch Pak to provide food safety solutions for fresh produce manufacture. Crunch Pak, Cashmere, Wash., provides organic and conventional sliced apples to supermarkets nationwide and in Canada. Birko recently installed its improved entryway foamers at Crunch Pak's Washington and Pennsylvania plants. Entryway foamers help keep E. coli, salmonella, listeria and other pathogens from migrating at processing plants. Placed…  » Read more

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FDA will step up inspection of cantaloupe packinghouses

FDA on Monday, Feb. 25 announced its intention to begin inspections of cantaloupe packinghouses during the 2013 growing season, with a special focus on preventing listeria outbreaks. “As we move forward over the next few years with implementation of the produce safety provisions of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), it is essential that the cantaloupe industry and the produce industry in general, observe best practices already recognized by FDA and the industry as…  » Read more

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Pathogen test program will cease operations

After months of uncertainty over the future of the program, the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Microbiological Data Program, which tests produce for disease-causing pathogens like E. coli O157:H7, salmonella, and listeria, has officially gone into shutdown mode, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official confirmed last week to Food Safety News. Department officials told states that participate in the $4.5 million program to stop pulling produce samples on Friday Nov. 9 to “ensure an orderly shutdown of…  » Read more

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Dole Fresh Vegetables announces precautionary recall of limited number of salads

Dole Fresh Vegetables has voluntarily recalled a limited number of cases of Dole American Blend salad in 12-ounce bags, coded A275208A or B, with a use-by date of Oct. 17 and UPC 7143000933, due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes. Dole Fresh Vegetables is coordinating closely with regulatory officials. No illnesses have been reported in association with the recall. The product code and use-by date are in the upper right-hand corner of the…  » Read more

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Spinach recall initiated by Kroger after bag tests positive for listeria

Kroger Co. is recalling Fresh Selections Tender Spinach in 10-oz. bags because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recall is limited to already-expired bags with a use-by date of Sept. 16 and UPC Code of 011110916495. The product was distributed in Kroger stores in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Knoxville and Nashville, Tenn., Greater Cincinnati, including Northern Kentucky, Dayton, Ohio, and Southeastern Indiana, Central and Northwest Ohio and N. West…  » Read more

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Spartan Stores conduct voluntary recall after routine tests show positive for listeria

Spartan Stores is initiating a precautionary recall of certain deli products, many containing fresh-cut produce, due to concerns of possible Listeria Monocytogenes contact. This recall is the result of a routine surface swabbing conducted by the FDA which resulted in positive samples of Listeria monocytogenes. No products have been identified as coming into contact with the Listeria monocytogenes organism. The deli products were distributed to Family Fare, D&W Fresh Markets, Glen's, VG's and a limited…  » Read more

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CDC updates count on illnesses, deaths from 2011 Jensen Farms cantaloupe outbreak

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has increased by three the number of people who died as a result of contracting listeria from eating contaminated cantaloupe from Jensen Farms in Holly, Colo., in 2011. In an addendum to its final report issued in December, the CDC says that 33 people are known to have died as a direct result of ingesting the cantaloupe. In addition, the CDC says, 147 people were sickened.…  » Read more

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