Tyson’s Dakota City Plant Announces Beef Recall for E coli O157:H7

Tyson Fresh Meats at Dakota City, NE is recalling approximately 16,000 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The ground beef involved in the recall was produced on May 16, 2015. The following products are subject to recall:

• 5 lb. chubs of “80% Lean Ground Beef.”

The products subject to recall bear the establishment number “EST. 245C” inside the USDA mark of inspection and a “best before or freeze by” date of June 5, 2015. These products were shipped to one distribution location in New York.

FSIS discovered the problem during a routine sampling program. Neither FSIS nor the company has yet received any reports of illnesses associated with consumption of this product. FSIS and the company are concerned that some product may have been sold and stored in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps 2–8 days (3–4 days, on average) after exposure the organism. While most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children under 5-years old and older adults. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website.

Tyson Fresh Meats, a subsidiary of Tyson Foods, Inc., and the world’s leading supplier of premium beef and pork. It is headquartered in Dakota Dunes, SD. Tyson Fresh Meats operates 17 production sites throughout North America and employs nearly 41,000.

from Food Safety News » Food Recalls http://ift.tt/1IiDzhY

Tyson Fresh Meats Recalls 8 Tons of Lean Ground Beef for Possible E. Coli Risk

Tyson Fresh Meats of Dakota City, NE, is recalling approximately 16,000 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Wednesday. Tyson Fresh Meats is a subsidiary of Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale, AR.

The ground beef was produced on May 16, 2015. The following products are subject to recall:

• 5 lb. chubs of “80% Lean Ground Beef.”

The products subject to recall bear the establishment number “EST. 245C” inside the USDA mark of inspection and a “best before or freeze by” date of June 5, 2015. These products were shipped to one distribution location in New York.

FSIS discovered the problem during a routine sampling program. Neither FSIS nor the company have received any reports of illnesses associated with consumption of this product. FSIS and the company are concerned that some product may have been sold and stored in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers.

Consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact the Tyson Fresh Meats consumer hotline at (866) 328-3156.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps 2-8 days (3-4 days, on average) after exposure to the organism. While most people recover within a week, some develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). This condition can occur among persons of any age but is most common in children younger than 5 and older adults. It is marked by easy bruising, pallor, and decreased urine output. Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately.

FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume product that has been cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees F. The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature.

from Food Safety News » Food Recalls http://ift.tt/1IiDBWY

Chinese Five Spice Chicken Salad

This recipe was inspired by a meal that I had at a locally owned cafe. Their chicken salad had that distinctive five spice flavor. This is my adaptation with a bit more kick and colorful diced vegetables.

Chinese Five Spice Chicken Salad Rating: 0 Created: Jun 1, 2015 7:31:56 PM

from Food.com: Asian Recipes http://ift.tt/1FqjYWJ

Vietnamese Cashews Recalled Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination

The Hemisphere Group Inc. of Smithtown, NY, is recalling 14,000 lbs. of Vietnamese LP Cashews because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. (LP is a grade of cashews meaning “lightly blemished pieces.”) The firm has not received any reports of illnesses to date.

The Vietnamese Cashews being recalled were distributed to direct customers in Kalamazoo, Michigan; North Billerica, Massachusetts; Maspeth, New York, and Quebec and Scarborough, Canada. The direct customers were instructed to notify their accounts if the cashews had been distributed and to return them to The Hemisphere Group.

The recall was initiated as a result of a routine sampling program by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which revealed that the finished product was contaminated with the bacteria. The company has ceased the distribution of the product while FDA and the company continue to investigate what caused the problem.

The following product is being recalled:

Product: Vietnamese LP Cashew Kernels (shelled)
Net Weight: 50 lbs. bulk cartons
Packer: Hong Duc Company Limited
FDA No.: 16153193186 (on carton)
Hemisphere Code No. P95497

Consumers who have purchased the recalled Vietnamese LP Cashews are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact The Hemisphere Group Inc. at 1-800-339-8846, ext. 32, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT.

Salmonella bacteria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (e.g., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. More information about Salmonella is available here.

from Food Safety News » Food Recalls http://ift.tt/1eMeUpm

Blue Bell Signs Agreement With AL Similar to Those With TX, OK

Blue Bell Creameries has signed a voluntary agreement with the Alabama Department of Public Health laying out a series of steps the company plans to take to control Listeria contamination before its products may legally be sold there again. The company has a plant in Sylacauga, AL, which is currently closed.

Paul Kruse, Blue Bell’s president and CEO, signed similar agreements May 14, 2015, with health and agriculture officials representing the states of Texas and Oklahoma, respectively. The company operates two production facilities in its headquarters city of Brenham, TX, and one in Broken Arrow, OK., which are also temporarily shut down.

Blue Bell’s plant in Sylacauga, AL.

In an announcement posted Monday, Kruse said the move “will reassure our customers that we are taking the necessary steps to bring Blue Bell Ice Cream back to the market. We are committed to making these changes so that we meet the high standards and expectations of our customers and our regulatory agencies. Blue Bell will also continue to work cooperatively and transparently with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”

Why the company’s agreement with Alabama officials took two weeks longer than the other two states wasn’t clear, although additional legal reviews likely played a part in the delay.

“We’ve got one or two minor little things that the attorneys want to put in based on our particular state,” G.M. Gallaspy, director of the department’s Milk and Food Processing Branch in Montgomery, told Food Safety News on May 18.

On April 20, 2015, Blue Bell recalled all of its products made at all of its plants. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Blue Bell products have been linked to 10 cases of listeriosis in four states, including three deaths. At this time, CDC recommends that consumers do not eat any Blue Bell brand products, and that institutions and retailers do not serve or sell them.

The Blue Bell agreement with Alabama health authorities states that the company will be:

• Conducting root cause analyses to identify the potential for Listeria or actual sources;
• Retaining an independent microbiology expert to help establish and review controls to prevent the future introduction of Listeria;
• Notifying the Alabama Department of Public Health promptly of any presumptive positive test result for Listeria monocytogenes found in ingredients or finished product samples and providing the state agencies full access to all testing;
• Ensuring that the company’s Pathogen Monitoring Program for Listeria in the plant environment outlines how the company will respond to presumptive positive tests for Listeria species, and,
• Instituting a “test and hold” program to assure that products are safe before they are shipped or sold.

After the product recall and facilities shutdown, Kruse announced May 15 that Blue Bell was laying off or furloughing a large segment of its workforce, including those in 13 distribution centers in 10 states.

He said then that about 1,450 full-time and part-time employees were being laid off and about 1,400 others were being furloughed. Those being laid off comprise about 37 percent of Blue Bell’s total workforce of about 3,900 employees.

Those workers considered “essential to ongoing operations and cleaning and repair efforts” were not laid off or furloughed but had their pay reduced. It was reportedly the first layoff in the 108-year history of the family-owned company.

Kruse has not publicly announced a schedule for the return of Blue Bell products to the marketplace but has said that when production resumes it would be limited and phased in over time.

FDA reports from inspections of Blue Bell facilities were recently posted in response to a public records request from a Dallas newspaper. Four were posted detailing inspections of company facilities from 2007-2012, joining recent FDA inspection reports of three Blue Bell plants performed before and after the company’s total product recall and noting a long list of problems.

While none of the earlier inspection reports indicated evidence of Listeria contamination, numerous violations of food safety protocols were observed by Texas state health officials, who reportedly did the 2007-2012 inspections under contract with FDA.

from Food Safety News » Food Recalls http://ift.tt/1eLSkNu

Filipino Chicken Stew

This recipe starts with a base of the glorious Philippine chicken adobo and then adds vegetables and spices then served over rice to make a wonderful warming meal you will make again and again.

Filipino Chicken Stew Rating: 0 Created: May 31, 2015 10:18:13 PM

from Food.com: Asian Recipes http://ift.tt/1HGaOGe

Ohio House okays ban on pure caffeine, powdered alcohol sales

According to the Associated Press, a bill banning the sale of pure caffeine products in Ohio cleared the state House on May 27, one year after a high school senior overdosed on a powdered form of the stimulant and died.

from IFT Daily News http://ift.tt/1SP5nxu