07/30/2022
Food Recall Due to Listeria Monocytogenes
by Maria Zamora
We haven’t posted any updates recently on recalled food products because so far, or at least until today, there haven’t been any noteworthy widespread recalls affecting such a large portion of the population; that is until now. But before I go into the details of the recall in question, let me explain some findings of what the pathogen known as Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is, and also what some scientific studies have provided to the food services industry regarding food safety.
Some of the earlier scientific discoveries of the pathogen Listeria and associated outbreaks goes back to the early 90’s, and the common denominator was a link to deli meats and hotdogs. Scientifically, the bacteria are a facultative, intracellular, gram-positive rods that are responsible for causing the infection we know as listeriosis. High risk populations (infants, pre-school age children, elderly, diabetics, transplant recipients, HIV positive, and cancer patients) are among the most susceptible to this illness. Today, the Lm has been found in food products including our dairy and produce food product. Most recently recorded investigative outbreak discoveries have been traced to soft cheese, celery, sprouting seeds and beans, cantaloupe, and ice cream.
Now, keep these next tips in mind, because they could save your life, or the life of one or more of your loved ones. Remember to share this information because it only does anyone any good if it is communicated and shared among family, friends, and anyone else interested in knowing about Lm and food safety. To help prevent a foodborne illness due to Lm:
• Try to eat pasteurized food products rather than farm-fresh, raw, genetically modified, or non-pasteurized when ever possible (like juices, eggs, milk, cheese, etc.), especially if you are a high risk
• Make sure the label says, “Made with Pasteurized ___ (Milk)”
• Be aware that although a label on the food product may indicate that it is “pasteurized,” but if the food product is processed in a contaminated environment, the product will therefore also be contaminated
• Stay away from sprouting seeds and sprouting beans- the warm, humid conditions that they need to grow in are ideal for pathogens such as Lm, Salmonella, and E.coli. If you MUST eat them, ensure that a thorough cooking has taken place, but be aware that it is best to avoid them altogether. Thorough cooking reduces but does NOT eliminate the chance of one becoming sick. Be aware of the myth that rinsing makes them safer- it is not proven to be true with sprouting seeds and sprouting beans.
• Cut melons should be refrigerated at 41°F or lower and must NOT be allowed to remain in the Temperature Danger Zone (41°F to 135°F) for a longer period than 4-hours, and in never longer than 7-days in a refrigerator.
• For deli meats and hotdog products, do NOT allow the juices from those meat products to come into contact with any other foods or food contact surfaces.
• Always wash your hands after handling deli meats and hotdogs
• Never keep hotdogs inside open packages inside a refrigerator for longer than one week. No more than two weeks, if the package is unopened.
• Store lunch meats/deli meats for no longer that two weeks in a refrigerator, even when factory sealed, and no more than 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator if the package is opened.
• People with compromised immune systems, high risk populations, should not eat cold, smoked fish products unless they are canned or shelf-stable, or inside a long-time cooked dish such as a casserole
• Some food products such as yogurt, ice cream, and soft cheese, are all made from milk; if the milk is NOT pasteurized, they can be dangerous for some people.
I should note here that oftentimes, the general public is not made aware of problematic situations that take place inside any given food operation, at least until the violations of which they are cited for are corrected, and that occurs most often within a timeframe previously allowed by regulating authorities before they make it public information. In this particular instance, the FDA held on to the below incident/information until almost a year later. The issue that I am writing about today is still however, an ongoing issue, as now a death has occurred because of 1). The amount of time allowed by regulatory authorities for faulty food operators to “fix” their known problems; 2). The degree of leniency that health inspectors give to failing food operations teams, and 3). Withholding important information regarding critical violations evidently documented as the result of random inspections inside food establishments.
Now, let’s get down to the recalled food product of which I write about today.
Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc, based out of Claremore, Oklahoma has yet again made it into the crosshairs of the federal health authorities. And it appears that this time, they’re in a heap of trouble. They have plenty on their plate, and a whole bunch of wrongs to make right. That is to say, there are very serious violations that the actual plant operation as a whole has officially been warned by the FDA to correct. They’ve been hit with virtually everything that would lead to them having to close their doors for good. Violations include, Current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food Consumption (Lm plan). What happened for all this to go south, you might ask?
The bacteria we call Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) seems to have found a decent home environment at the Swan Brothers Dairy facility in Oklahoma, and past and current health inspections of the facility continue to demonstrate that the facility should be closed down.
TimeLine of Violations
June 2021- MDHSS conducts an epidemiological investigation on a patient hospitalized with listeriosis, whereby patient purchased and consumed unpasteurized cow’s milk coming from Swan Brothers Dairy prior to becoming ill. The patient died from his foodborne illness. Subsequently, health authorities collected two samples from the deceased person’s home and after laboratory testing, they returned a confirmation for Listeria monocytogenes.
Responding to the death, ODAFF conducted a series of inspections of the Swan Brothers Dairy in June, July, October, and in November 2021. Fourteen samples of product from a variety of places within the Swan Brothers Dairy facility were collected. Many of the milk and cheese products tested positive for Lm. Specifically, some of the products included: the food products were raw milk, cheddar cheese, raw Colby cheese, pasteurized whole milk, raw whole milk, skim milk, 2% milk, and raw cream.
July 26-30, 2021, Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc. recalls raw milk for contamination of Listeria.
July 26, 2021- one out of one hundred swabs collected and analyzed tested positive for Lm in raw milk products
July 30 & 31, 2021- NOTICE OF SUSPENSION of Permit to Operate Issued by ODAFF based on findings of Lm once again in raw milk products
August 6, 2021- Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc. submits written response to FDA describing their completed and planned corrective actions. However, after reviewing them FDA responded by outlining concerns.
August 20, 2021- Again, Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc. submits written response to FDA describing their completed and planned corrective actions. However, after reviewing them FDA responded by outlining concerns.
August 24, 2021- Once again, Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc. submits written response to FDA describing their completed and planned corrective actions. However as before, after reviewing them FDA responded by outlining concerns.
September 11, 2021- In another attempt, Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc. submits written response to FDA describing their completed and planned corrective actions. And then again, after reviewing them FDA responded by outlining concerns.
One can easily see what’s going on here, right? You’d think so. Read on.
September 17, 2021- FDA advised Swan Brothers Dairy of epidemiological findings, and traces of Lm. I should note, and I shall quote my findings, that FDA established “the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in their (Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc.) facility and their products is significant in that it demonstrates their sanitation efforts are inadequate to effectively control pathogens in their facility to prevent contamination of food.” One should know that controlling Lm and any pathogenic source, especially in any food processing plant requires food safety knowledge, expertise, and commitment to excellence to be capable of understanding the unique characteristics of those microorganisms and implementing the appropriate food safety practices in place through active managerial control. The FDA, through their very own WARNING letter issued to Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc. clearly identifies the facility as having failed its customer in the most egregious ways possible. And the operations facility is destined to become much worse, not better with time.
In their September 17, 2021 correspondence with Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc. FDA distinctively pointed out to Swan Brothers Dairy that the operation was “neither achieving satisfactory control against Lm within the facility, nor implementing effective methods and controls to eliminate the pathogen (Lm and others), or minimize its exposure to the food or food contact surfaces.” Pathogenic harborage sites and equipment, where pathogens hide, survive, and grow were NOT identified, so there were NO plans to take corrective action.
October 8, 2021- NOTICE OF SUSPENSION of Permit to Operate Issued by ODAFF based on findings of Lm yet again in the facility raw milk products
November 12, 2021- NOTICE OF SUSPENSION of Permit to Operate Issued by ODAFF based on findings of Lm.
December 6, 2021- ODAFF finds out (finally) that over the LAST 2-YEARS, Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc was issued 4-separate Notices of Suspension of Permit, which each one included the facility to recall adulterated (contaminated) raw milk products sold by Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc.
January 2022, FDA WARNING Letter is issued to Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc. describing the July 26-30, 2021 inspection of the facility’s RTE food products, and how the FDA’s facility inspection of the Swan Brothers Dairy facility had revealed serious violations (see them listed above). In it, FDA describes “RTE cheese products manufactured at Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc. are adulterated in the way they are prepared, packaged, or held.” As the facility is not practicing appropriate managerial controls the plant’s “processing conditions are insanitary, as they are determined to be contaminated with filth or rendered injurious to health.”
FDA points out to Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc. with extreme preciseness and accuracy, what Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc. must do to correct their broken process system, but they (Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc.) either elects or fails to comply in even the simplest attempt to demonstrate any effort.
In summary of FDA’s letter to Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc. and their written responses in August and September 2021, as a business model, they (Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc.) totally failed to do what they presented as corrective actions, and from floor to ceiling, from wall to wall, in the air, water, and personnel & equipment, their failure was atrocious, at best. Many of the employee habits are extremely flagrant. For example, FDA noted in their Warning Letter that “employees were found dipping their hands in the sanitizer sink where utensils and equipment were being sanitized.”
The FDA Warning Letter is eight pages long, and of that there are twenty-five paragraphs that in the simplest of terms imaginable spell-out what Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc. needs to do to be compliant with the regulations. All similar food processing plants in America comply with the FDA Model Food Code standards, HACCP principles, GMA, Lm plans, and Active Managerial Control measures. Why doesn’t Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc. get shut-down permanently?
FDA goes on in their letter to Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc to demonstrate in writing that the plant continues to fail on multiple fronts within their entire business model, specifically and in detail, clearly indicating that absolutely nothing that Swan Brothers Dairy, Inc. is doing is preventing contaminated food products from going into commerce for consumption to the paying public.
June 2022, raw milk was subject to statewide recall because of a detection of Campylobacter jejuni in at least 10 people who tested positive
In a June 2022 health inspection, Swan Brothers Dairy had to recall raw milk due to a detection of Campylobacter Jejuni. Ten individuals tested positive for the bacteria.
Conclusion
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