Acute foodborne illnesses cost the United States a staggering $152bn a year, with almost a quarter of this burden attributed to fresh, canned and processed produce, said a report from Produce Safety Project (PSP). (foodnavigator-usa.com) The study, Health-Related Costs from Foodborne Illness in the United States, examined healthcare, workplace and other economic losses in reaching the multi-billion dollar figure. The latest estimate dwarfs a previous widely... read more →
Austrian and German health authorities have revealed that six people died last year after eating listeria contaminated cheese made by Prolactal. (foodanddrinkeurope.com) Four of the deaths occurred in Austria, where the health ministry said this week that its research had narrowed down the source of the cases to Prolactal’s acid curd cheese. German health authorities have also confirmed that two people died after contracting listeriosis from cheese made... read more →
Huntington Meat Packing Inc has recalled a further 4.9 million pounds (2.2m kg) of meat that was not processed in line with the company’s HACCP plan over the course of almost a year, said US authorities. (foodnavigator-usa.com) The announcement followed the recall of over 800,000 pounds (390,000 kg) of beef last month by the same company on fears the product could be contaminated with E.coli. Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro said the incident showed... read more →
Kellogg has been warned over a raft of food hygiene violations after the discovery of widespread Listeria contamination at a waffle plant, said US food regulators in a document released yesterday. (foodnavigator-usa.com) Kellogg was guilty of “significant deviations from the current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations” at its Eggo Buttermilk Waffle plant in Georgia, said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in it warning letter sent to the... read more →
Poultry and food processing company Moy Park has been fined tens of thousands of pounds after a maintenance engineer’s arm was crushed in an industrial conveyor. (foodmanufacture.co.uk) After the incident, which happened in April 2009, Michael May sustained severe injuries and his arm was broken in several places. Grantham Magistrates’ Court fined the company £35,000 and ordered it to pay £3,115 in costs. “This incident could have so easily been avoided... read more →
Typically less than 10 per cent of food manufacturers have product recall insurance, with the majority relying on traditional product liability cover, according to insurance broker Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT). (foodnavigator.com) While some had deliberately opted for product liability insurance to reduce costs, others were unaware that it only insured against liability for third party damage and bodily injury, said Kevin Smith, JLT food sector practice leader,... read more →
The UK Food Standards Agency has urged supermarkets to overhaul their poultry purchasing policies in a bid to combat the problem of campylobacter throughout the supply chain. (foodproductiondaily.com) The agency’s chief executive Tim J Smith said the retail sector could influence the food standards and quality of poultry processors and producers by increasing the prices it pays to suppliers. Smith revealed he had urged the heads of Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury,... read more →
Elanco has announced plans to launch a food safety division focused on the meat and poultry sectors in response to heightened concerns over foodborne pathogens. (foodproductiondaily.com) The US-based company said its Elanco Food Solutions will work to develop new technologies for meat packing and processing plants. The unit will look at ways of helping those in the food chain tackle foodborne pathogens such as E.coli 0157: H7, salmonella and Listeria. Elanco,... read more →
