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The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and GS1 US have announced the launch of a new online service designed to facilitate the prompt exchange of accurate recall information between retailers, wholesalers and suppliers. When recalls are announced, the new system, known as the Rapid Recall Exchange (“RRE”), will allow suppliers to send specific, targeted information to retailers and wholesalers on how to remove recalled products, handle them safely and address reimbursement requirements.

According to the FMI, the new system was designed by the industry for the industry. The RRE replaces the existing Product Recall Portal, improves ease of use and adds numerous capabilities. In addition to complimenting existing recall practices and complying with the requirements of the FDA Reportable Food Registry, the RRE also features:

• Secure user-authentication;

• Two-way messaging between trading partners;

• Internet access anywhere, anytime;

• Email alerts about new information;

• Comprehensive, prioritized information with U.P.C. bar codes and product images for easy identification;

• Verification of notification;

• Universal notification of Class 1 recalls;

• Targeted notification to specific customers;

• Consistent, reliable communications; and

• Standardized forms, processes and instructions applying industry best practices

According to Bob Carpenter, CEO of GS1 US, the new system “will ultimately benefit the public as well as the companies that use it.” In turn, access to the Rapid Recall Exchange is available for a nominal fee imposed only to cover operating expenses.

To encourage quick and widespread adoption of the system, FMI and GS1 US are also offering free trial subscriptions to retailers and wholesalers that sign up by Oct. 30. The trial period runs through Dec. 31, 2009.

More information is available at www.rapidrecallexchange.org.

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It seems that the world has gone crazy for bacon.

Certainly I have always enjoyed it. Perhaps I even indulge in it more than I should. I have no problem sitting down to a plate of bacon with my eggs in the morning. I like it on cheeseburgers and wrapped around scallops.

I also saw that the Wisconsin State Fair was selling chocolate covered bacon this year. That seemed to be a stretch, but I tried it. It tasted like chocolate and bacon. I even came across bacon flavored vodka recently. I didn’t try that, though I imagine it would probably taste; well, like bacon and vodka.

The weirdest bacon laden food I have yet heard of is bacon and egg ice cream. This no doubt delectable treat can be found only the menu of The Fat Duck restaurant in London. Other menu items include powdered pigeon, jelly of quail and salmon poached in liquorice.

Another specialty dish, now off the menu is shellfish ala pickle. According to the Health Protection Agency, the restaurant unknowingly (and, quite innocently) received a shipment of shellfish last February that had been contaminated with norovirus. Unfortunately, five hundred sick patrons caused the restaurant to shut down.

The Health Protection Agency released its final report last month, which noted that a total of 529 diners ultimately reported symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea in the weeks following the start of the February 2009 outbreak. The report also said restaurant employees who had been hit by the virus may also have returned to work before they had fully recovered. With powdered pigeon on the menu, it must have been nearly impossible to keep them away.

In any event, The Fat Duck maintains it is not liable for the outbreak, and also insists it followed all food hygiene procedures correctly. Notably, investigators agreed, concluding there were no breaches of hygiene at The Fat Duck. And, in the defense of the restaurant, it is very well known for the high quality food it serves and also its cleanliness. It has been given three stars by Michelin, and has received numbers awards and accolades.

The head chef, Heston Blumenthal, has also written a letter of apology to those patrons who fell ill and invited them—when the time is right—to come back and give the restaurant another go. He stated in the letter that, "It was deeply upsetting to all of us that your enjoyment of The Fat Duck was not as we had intended it to be, I would be delighted if you would consider returning to The Fat Duck at a time that is convenient to you."

So, on your next stop in London, I would strongly recommend visiting The Fat Duck. Although shellfish may no longer be available, nothing beats the powdered pigeon or jellied quail, capped -- before the check -- with a delectable serving of bacon and egg ice cream.

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It's not www.defendingfoodsafety.com.  But, it may be a close second.

Numerous food safety improvement measures have been initiated in the United States this year. One of the latest, unveiled by the FDA, USDA and Department of Health and Human Services, is a food safety website. The website, www.foodsafety.gov will provide a broad variety of information relating to food safety, including recall information and food handling tips. It will include news and information from each of the governmental agencies including FDA, USDA and CDC responsible for overseeing food safety in the United States.

The site, which is described as a gateway to federal food safety information, provides a wide array of information and resources for consumers to utilize. Among the numerous tools available on the site, are food safety educational materials for download, information about pathogens, podcasts and also an “ask a question” link whereby a consumer can receive an answer to a specific question.. The food safety information is broken down by food groups. It is both easily navigable and readily accessible.

According to the Food Safety Working Group, the federal government will continue “to enhance www.foodsafety.gov to better communicate information to the public and include an improved individual alert system allowing consumers to receive food safety information, such as notification of recalls. Agencies will also use social media to expand public communications.”

Future plans include expanding the website to have mobile access and text alerts.

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According to the California Department of Public Health, Ippolito International (based in Salinas) has announced a voluntary and precautionary recall of select “Queen Victoria” and “Tubby” bunched spinach.

The spinach affected by the precautionary recall was packed in 12-count and 24-count spinach bunches in cardboard boxes with “Spinach” printed on the side panel, in wire bound crates or reusable plastic containers. The cartons of recalled spinach were also labeled with the following Code Date Stickers which can be located on the outside edge panel of the carton:

• 10522441 5 205 (harvested September 1, 2009);

• 10522451 5 205 (harvested September 2, 2009);

• 10522461 5 205 (harvested September 3, 2009).

The Tubby label was packed only on Code Date 10522451 5 205.

In turn, the individual 12-count and 24-count spinach bunches were bound with a twist tie which says “PLU 4090 UPC 33383-65200.” The twist tie associated with the “Queen Victoria” label has the Queen Victoria logo on it. The twist tie for the Tubby label has a generic spinach band on it.

Of the 1,715 cartons of bunched spinach recalled, a total of 1,515 cartons were packed under the “Queen Victoria” label and distributed to California, Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and to British Columbia, Ontario, and Manitoba in Canada. The remaining 200 cartons were packed under the “Tubby” label and distributed in California and New York. The recalled spinach was distributed to retail, food service and wholesale buyers.

Ippolito International immediately announced the precautionary recall following the discovery of Salmonella during routine product testing. It is also important to note that, to date, there have been no illnesses associated with the consumption of these products. Nevertheless, consumers who purchased these products should discard them or return to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumers with questions, or who need additional information on where the recalled products were sold, are also invited to contact Ippolito International at 1-831-772-9991.

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The USDA has published new rules for a proposed program, under which select State-inspected establishments (with 25 or fewer employees) will be eligible to ship meat and poultry products in interstate commerce. Click on the following link to view the Proposed Rule.

The new program was created as part of the 2008 Farm Bill to supplement the existing Federal-State cooperative inspection program to allow State-inspected plants with 25 or fewer employees to ship products across State lines. This announcement is part of the USDA's new Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative, which seeks to better connect consumers with local producers to help develop local and regional food systems to spur economic opportunity.

"This new cooperative interstate shipment program will provide new economic opportunities for many small and very small meat and poultry establishments, whose markets are currently limited," said USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Jerold Mande. "We can provide new markets for these establishments, while maintaining the integrity of the Federal mark of inspection."

Currently, 27 states operate State Inspection Programs for meat and poultry, and FSIS verifies that the State programs are implementing requirements that are "at least equal to" those imposed under the Federal meat and poultry products inspection acts. Click on the following link to view the Current List of Qualifying States. For these programs, FSIS provides up to 50 percent of the State's operating funds and provides oversight and enforcement of the program.

Under the proposed rule, selected establishments will receive inspection services from federally trained and/or supervised State inspection personnel who will verify that the establishments meet all Federal food safety requirements. Meat and poultry products produced under the voluntary cooperative program will bear an official USDA mark of inspection, thereby enabling interstate shipment of the products.

State-inspected establishments that are not selected for the voluntary cooperative program, including state-inspected establishments with more than 25 employees, are only eligible to sell and ship their products within their State.

Comments must be received on or before Monday, November 16, 2009, through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov, by mail to: FSIS Docket Room, USDA, FSIS, OPPD, Docket Clearance Unit, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Stop 5272, Beltsville, MD 20705.

All comments must identify FSIS and the docket number FSIS-2008-0039. Once received and published, interested parties will be able to View All Comments Online.

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According to the FDA, Muranaka Farms has announced a voluntary recall of 1005 cases of 60 count bunched Parsley because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

The recall was trigged as a result of a voluntary sampling program conducted by the California company in cooperation with the FDA, which revealed that certain finished products could potentially contain the bacteria. Click on the following link to view the FDA Recall Release.

The specific products affected by the recall include 60 count fresh bunched parsley Lot Code 0023909. The products were shipped in a brown wax carton under the Muranaka Label with a parsley silhouette on the side. In turn, individual parsley bunches were banded using a red rubber band. The lot code 0023909 is on a sticker on the outside of the carton.

The affected products were distributed in the following 10 states: Arizona (30 cases), California (574 cases), Colorado (35 cases), Florida (60 Cases), Iowa (3 cases), Illinois (1 case), Missouri (7 cases), Tennessee (5 cases), Texas (278 cases) and Wisconsin (12 cases). These cases were distributed within both retail and foodservice outlets.

Because of Muranaka Farm's trace recall program the company was able to immediately determine which customers purchased the product in question. Muranaka's food safety protocols also ensure the company was able to determine the amount of cases harvested, the crew harvesting the product, and the field on which the parsley was grown and harvested. The company is continuing to work with the FDA to determine a potential cause.

It is also important to note that, to date, there have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these products. Moreover, although the product is over two weeks old, and likely past its useable shelf-life, the company is nevertheless working diligently with customers to ensure that the products are fully accounted for and out of the supply chain.

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The FDA has announced a new tool it believes will help prevent future cases of food-borne illness – the Reportable Food Registry.

In 2007, former President Bush signed into law the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act (Public Law 110-85). The Act, which amended the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by creating a new section 417 (21 U.S.C. 350f), required the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a mandatory reporting registry for potentially dangerous foods. The stated purpose of the amendment was to provide FDA with “a reliable mechanism to track patterns of adulteration in food.” Implementation of the new law, however, was delayed while the FDA worked on developing an effective electronic reporting system.

Now that the Reportable Food Registry (“RFR”) is up and running, the mandatory reporting requirements have gone into effect. The new FDA rules apply to any company that is required to submit registration information to the FDA for a food facility “that manufactures, processes, packs, or holds food for human or animal consumption in the United States.” In turn, the rules extend to any food or animal feed regulated by the FDA, except for infant formula and dietary supplements which are covered by other regulatory requirements.

Under the new FDA rules, a food company is now required to alert the FDA – through the RFR Portal – within 24 hours of becoming aware it has sold and shipped a "reportable food." According to the FDA, a reportable food is defined as any food product that has a “reasonable probability” of causing health problems or death in humans or animals.

As explained by the FDA, some examples of reasons a food may be reportable include bacterial contamination, allergen mislabeling or elevated levels of certain chemical components.

In turn, once a food company discovers a problem with a product it has shipped, and submits a report through the RFR, it will be required to cooperate with the FDA to help determine the cause and prevent potential health problems. Companies will also be required to notify relevant suppliers and distributors of any potential safety issues, be ready to submit further data and tests to the FDA, and initiate their own investigation if the problem is thought to have originated internally.

Notably, however, the new reporting requirements apply only to products that have been shipped into commerce. For this reason, a food company is not required to report a problem to the FDA if it discovered the problem before a food product was shipped, and then corrected the problem or destroyed the food.

Although Michael Taylor (senior advisor to the FDA commissioner) stated that industry should be able to easily judge when a food product is “reportable” under the new guidelines, the Grocery Manufacturers Association quickly responded raising concerns over what it called “questions and ambiguities” in the registry. In turn, the GMA urged the FDA to remain flexible, and to help work through potential ambiguities, as the new regulations go into effect.

For additional information on the registry and reporting requirements, please visit www.fda.gov/ReportableFoodRegistry

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According to the FDA, Kellogg has announced a voluntary and precautionary recall of various waffle products produced at its Atlanta facility.

During routine sampling of a product that had not been distributed into commerce, Listeria was discovered in a product sample. In turn, Kellogg elected, in an abundance of caution, to issue a voluntary and precautionary recall of a limited number of products produced at the same facility. Click on the following link to view the FDA Recall Release.

The following waffle products are affected by the precautionary recall:

• Kellogg's® Eggo® Cinnamon Toast waffles, 10-count package, UPC code 3800040440 with Best If Used Before" dates beginning with:NOV22 10 EA, NOV23 10 EA and NOV24 10 EA.

• Kellogg's® Eggo® Toaster Swirlz™ Cinnamon Roll Minis eight-count package, UPC code 3800023370 with a "Best If Used Before" date beginning with NOV15 10 EA.

Following the discovery of the single positive sample, Kellogg also immediately and voluntarily ceased production at its Atlanta facility, began an investigation to determine a possible cause of the contamination, and also initiated a regimen of cleaning and sanitizing. According to reports, Kellogg plans to fully execute its hygienic restoration plan under GDA before it resumes any production at the facility.

It is also important to note that the recall is a precautionary measure and, to date, no reported illnesses have been associated with the consumption of any Kellogg waffle products.

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The battle for food safety continues to be waged on multiple fronts.

In addition to testing and developing new technologies (beyond cooking) to reduce naturally occurring pathogens in food, researchers are now looking for ways to defeat pathogens in our bodies.

As we reported previously, continuing NASA research might soon lead to a Salmonella vaccine. And now, we have learned, the United States military has joined the fight. According to the Washington Post, a new scientific breakthrough recently announced by the Naval Medical Research Center suggests that a Campylobacter vaccine may be on the way as well.

Campylobacter is well known as a leading cause of food-borne illness. According to some studies, the pathogen may be responsible for as many as two million cases in the United States each year, and cause several hundred million more worldwide. The infection can also (in some instances) be difficult to treat because of widespread antibiotic resistance.

Nevertheless, after a quarter century of research, Navy scientist Patricia Guerry may have discovered the path to a vaccine which will inhibit the bacteria’s ability to attach to our intestinal lining and cause illness. Indeed, as explained by the Washington Post:

Guerry, a molecular microbiologist, began her work in the 1980s and over time created new research tools that allowed her to identify the pathogen's unique genetic, biochemical and structural features. This led to the development of a vaccine that neutralizes the bacteria's ability to attach to the intestinal lining.

The vaccine candidate against the pathogen Campylobacter jejuni, developed by Guerry, her colleagues at the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center in Silver Spring and Canadian scientist Mario Monteiro, successfully protected against infection in monkeys during testing last year and is slated for human clinical trials.

If true, this may be the first known (and, promising) food-borne illness vaccine actively tested on humans. And, although Guerry has been conducting her research as part of an ongoing effort to better protect U.S. soldiers oversees, her research, of course, may very well have a profound impact on the rest of the nation – and world. Click on the following link to read the Full Story.

In any event, this is great news for industry and consumers alike. We proudly salute Guerry and, of course, the rest of her team.

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