No doubt longtime Longevity Readers are curious about the wealth of fascinating or exciting materials your columnist runs across, what with worldwide information pummeling us daily through email, social networks, TV, radio, neighbors, neighbor’s pets, etc. Well, happy readers, delight to know it’s time to share some of these shards:
*Note: Upcoming topics will also be mentioned. These appear in caps. (Oh, and did you know your columnist appears in an episode (#4) of “Portlandia,” Season Two, playing Carrie’s mom?)
Food Recalls:
Between Nov. 28, 2011 and Feb. 7, 2012, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service released almost a dozen food warnings or recall notices. No doubt everyone picked up on these in a timely manner from responsible media. Meanwhile, via the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Ohio Processors, Inc. felt compelled (Dec. 15, 2011) to warn consumers about a whipped topping with an undeclared allergen (milk).
By the way, the USDA distinguishes three recall levels. Class I and Class II are defined as a “health hazard.” A Class I recall is the worst, suggesting “adverse health consequences or death.” Class II recalls suggest there’s a definite hazard, yet kind of remote, and the hazard will be spelled out in the recall notice.
Class III kind of suggests the USDA recall people (Meat, Poultry & Egg Products) think some action is required, yet “This is a situation where the use of the product will not cause adverse health consequences.” Maybe the food supplier just burned the cookies, added too much pepper to the beef, or made some other culinary error. Or, it could be inspired by the packagers getting foods confused. Whatever not covered by Class I or II.
Of these almost dozen USDA actions, four were Class II recalls with a low risk to health, involving banger sausages, pureed chicken products, some chorizo sausage and meatloaf. Non-allergenic consumers will be pleased to note most of these recalls were due to undeclared allergens. To keep personally updated on meat, poultry and dairy recalls, sign up here.
Five recall notices involved products warranting Class I status, which, if ingested, may pose a high risk to one’s health, well-being and longevity. (If you’re reading this column, you’re probably still safe.)
Class I products and hazards included oven roasted chicken breast (hazard: Listeria), ground beef (Salmonella), more ground beef (E. coli O157:H7), chicken salad (Listeria). A marinated beef and chicken product (mislabeling AND undeclared allergens) shipped to some South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington schools as part of the National School Lunch Program also got a Class I recall (Jan. 14, 2012) though no risk level was indicated. The marinated beef/chicken product apparently had a run-in with a defective conveyer belt, the belt thereby adding various little parts to the product. The recall headline warned that the food “may contain foreign materials.”
Not to skip out on any holiday fun, another USDA communication (12/27/11) discussed preparing and eating chitterlings, a traditional Western New Year’s treat. Pig intestines can apparently harbor the dreaded bacteria, Yersinia enterocolitica, or even Salmonella and E. coli. No suggestions were given by the USDA on seasonings; focus was on preparation.
All of these recalls can involve thousands of pounds of food. Where does it go? What happens to it? Dog food? Wild horse vittles? Rosalyn Murphy-Jenkins, of the USDA Labeling and Program Delivery Division, kindly responded to the query:
“The recalling firm determines the disposition of the recovered items. The disposition of the recalled product really depends on the reason for the recall and what the recalling company chooses to do with the product. For example, if the recall involves d [sic] ready-to-eat products that contain a pathogen or a product that contains sharp foreign material, objects, a company may choose to destroy recalled product or send it to a landfill. Or, if the recall was the result of a labeling issue, a company may choose to re-label the product. It’s not uncommon for firms to have multiple disposition plans. It may be possible to re-label product at a warehouse (under reimbursable service), but not financially feasible to recover product that has reached the retail store level. A common fate of recalled items is destruction. Recovered items are most commonly destroyed. In many some cases, the majority of the product has already been consumed and is never recovered. If you have additional questions, please contact the Recall Management Staff 202-690-6389.”
And yes Portlanders, several groceries carry chitterlings or one can maybe try Food for Less. Apparently fresh bangers to make at home are a little harder to find.
Guess that’s all the time for now. Next: Trans-fat levels plummet, and more.
Comments