Pesticide residues found in Quebec strawberries

Despite the many efforts from the strawberry producers in Quebec to distance themselves from the American strawberries which rank among the most highly contaminated by…

Cyclosporiasis outbreak hit patients in 11 states

22 people sick in Florida- linked to basil

A parasitic illness outbreak has sickened at least 22 Florida restaurant customers in the last month. The cyclosporiasis outbreak has hit patients in 11 states, sending four…

Uganda National Association of Community and Occupational Health study

Report: Highly contaminated Ugandan tomatoes

Up to eight harmful pesticide contaminants have been found in tomatoes sold in major markets in Kampala and other parts of Uganda. The study by the Uganda National Association…

Consumer study shows:

Pre-cut salads should always be washed before use because of germs

Practical and delicious: Pre-cut lettuce (also known as "fresh cut") are often presented as a side dish during summer barbecues. But ready-to-eat salad mixes from the bag that were cut, washed and packed days before are among the most perishable foods. Although refrigerated, there is a possibility that…

Canadian government invests to reduce pesticide applications

Today, Jean-Claude Poissant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, on behalf of the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced an investment of…

New traceability technology can give consumers peace of mind

While the traceability of retail items in the consumer goods industry has been in place for some time, the industry is now moving to serialised and unique identification at…

16% increase in number of interceptions of harmful organisms in the EU

According to the agricultural organization Asaja Málaga, in 2018, the number of interceptions of harmful organisms in the European Union grew by 15.9% compared to the previous…

10,000 t of peas held up until the facts are verified

England: Employee urinates on the frozen pea line on his last day of work

An employee at a frozen food factory in Hull, England, is suspected of having urinated on the pea production line and of having recorded a video committing the alleged crime.…

No processing facilities were tested

FDA releases results of romaine lettuce sampling assignment in Yuma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released the results of a sampling assignment that tested romaine lettuce grown in the Yuma, AZ agricultural region for pathogenic…

States sue Trump EPA to stop its OK of toxic pesticide

Seven states, led by Massachusetts, California, and New York, are suing the Trump Environmental Protection Agency to stop its regulatory OK of letting a toxic pesticide,…

Dole Fresh Vegetables announces precautionary limited recall of baby spinach

Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. is voluntarily recalling a limited number of cases of baby spinach. The products being recalled are 6 oz Dole Baby Spinach bag, Lot code W20308A…

Fyffes release statement on TR4 situation in Latin America

Fyffes released a statement in the form of a Q&A session on its website. In the statement, Fyffes addressed the TR4 situation in Latin America, claiming none of their…

Health concerns not addressed

Six US states sue EPA over pesticide

Several states sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday over the agency's decision to allow further use of a pesticide linked to brain damage. California, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Maryland and Vermont argued in court documents that chlorpyrifos, a common pesticide, should…

Russia bans Chinese fruit due to contaminated products

Russia will suspend imports of pome and stone fruits from China starting August 10 due to cases of contaminated products’ deliveries. A representative of the country’s veterinary and phytosanitary watchdog Rosselkhodnadzor told reporters on Wednesday the ban will be extended on plums, nectarines,…

Consumer Reports finds listeria on leafy greens sold in major US supermarkets

Recent tests done by Consumer Reports found listeria on six samples of greens randomly purchased at grocery stores. The consumer watchdog tested 284 samples of lettuce, spinach, kale and other leafy greens purchased between June 3 and 19 at grocery chains in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York including…

US food-safety inspectors begin visits to produce farms, packing houses

The 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act calls for inspectors to visit produce farms and packing houses under the act’s Produce Safety Rule. The rule opens the way for inspections, which began in July this year, for farms and orchards making more than $500,000 in annual gross product sales. Smaller farms…

Steaming process effect on carotenoids and folate in sweet pootato roots

Carotenoids and folate are two mandatory supplying micronutrients for children or pregnant women. Inadequate intake of these two nutrients is relevant to a higher mortality of both children and pregnancies. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are still about 250 million preschool…

New Zealand: Northland kiwifruit orchards tested for chemical Hi-Cane

WorkSafe will conduct spot testing of Northland kiwifruit orchards over the use of a toxic chemical. The chemical spray, known as "Hi-Cane", is legal but locals claim it's not…

Russia prevents entry of almost 27 tons of Egyptian oranges

26.88 tons of oranges, which had arrived at the Novorossiysk Sea Port from Egypt, were prevented from entering the Russian Federation, as reported by the correspondent of the…

Norovirus most often responsible for foodborne outbreaks in Finland

More than 130 foodborne outbreaks were recorded in Finland between 2014 and 2016. Data comes from a register of foodborne and waterborne outbreaks maintained by the former…

Mycotoxins put dried fruit and nuts at risk

Dried fruit and nuts are the two segments affected by mycotoxins, along with cereal, flours and wine. This is why nut importers and dried fruit processors must perform multiple analyses on their products. Weather and storing conditions also have an effect on the presence of mycotoxins "Europe issues…

United Fresh to review Harmonized Standard

United Fresh has announced plans to refresh the current version of the Harmonized Standard, ten years from its original inception. In its original charter, published in…

Increased levels of aflatoxins

Bosnia and Herzegovina forbids walnut imports

On Tuesday, the phytosanitary inspection of Republika Srpska (RS), one of the entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), has forbidden imports of 20 tons of walnut from Romania…

GlobalG.A.P. Harmonized Produce Safety Standards (HPSS) updated

The GLOBALG.A.P. Harmonized Produce Safety Standard (HPSS) is a robust food safety standard that includes verbatim the Produce GAP Harmonization Initiative’s Harmonized…

Number of foodborne illnesses associated with outbreaks in tomatoes decreased since 2001

About 48 million episodes of foodborne illness and 3,000 deaths occur per year in the United States. The most common foodborne pathogens cause an estimated annual burden of $14 billion to $36 billion. Produce has been implicated in 46 percent of foodborne illness outbreaks. Tomatoes have been the source…

Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination

Growers Express expands recall of Select Fresh Vegetable Products

Growers Express takes issues of food safety seriously and in an abundance of caution and in the interest of protecting consumers is expanding the list of select fresh vegetable products affected by a voluntary recall that was issued on July 1, 2019. After further testing of an additional product lot from…

Brazil: Tracking food from the farm to the supermarket

The trends show that the profile of consumption is changing around the world. In Brazil, data from the Brazilian Association of Supermarkets (ABRAS) show an increasing demand for products considered healthy, such as fruits and greens. In 2014, these items accounted for 6.4% of purchases in the…

Reducing listeria contamination from salad vegetables

Research conducted in 2010 found that Listeria monocytogenes was not predominantly spread by water and chicken manure, two common farm inputs in Australian vegetable farming. It is however more prevalent in summer and in particular in Victoria. Silage and baled hay produced high numbers of L.…

US: FDA investigators surprised by Salmonella linked to vegetable trays

Federal officials say their investigation into a Salmonella outbreak linked to Del Monte vegetable and dip trays has not identified “a single source or potential point of contamination for this outbreak.” Five people from Minnesota and Wisconsin were confirmed infected with Salmonella Infantis in the…

Possible listeria contamination

Canada: Eat Smart kale salads recalled

According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the 794-gram salad bags with best before dates of July 17 are being recalled in six provinces–Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The agency says the recall was triggered by test results and it…

Supreme Court issues interim order to stop import of Indian vegetables

The Supreme Court (SC) has issued an interim order instructing the government to not implement the decision to stop testing Indian fruits and vegetables for pesticides. A…

Spain's spinach production threatened by ban on the use of lenacil

The ban on the use of the herbicide lenacil in spinach cultivation and the need to look for alternatives and strategies to continue with the crop's production and supply has brought together 25 producers of spinach from different parts of Spain, several operators of the productive chain and a…

US withdraws alert for Salmonella in Mexican papayas

The Food and Drug Administration of the United States (FDA) informed the National Food Health, Safety, and Quality Service (Senasica) that the recommendation issued on the…

"We have had to throw away all our papayas"

The discovery of salmonella in certain brands of papaya shipped to the United States from Mexico has resulted in papaya suppliers having had to start over again in terms of building inventory. The CDC recently issued an update advising to avoid Cavi brand papayas, adding that it no longer was advising…

EU audit conclusions

Egypt’s food control system is in a transitional phase

The system instigated in Egypt to control microbiological risks in food of non-animal origin for export to the European Union is in a phase of transition and reform, according…

Andrew Steele - GS1

Australia is in the process of revolutionising its barcode system

GS1 Australia is in the process of revolutionising its barcode system, providing more information and traceability, regarding the identity of loose produce items. Account Director, Andrew Steele told the Hort Connections conference that the project has been in work for two years now, and is in the…

CDC update for Salmonella outbreak: Linked to papayas from Mexico

A CDC update for an outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to papayas imported from Mexico has been posted at www.cdc.gov. Epidemiol ogic and trace-back evidence indicates…

French potatoes recalled by Lidl for insecticide risk

Bags of French-grown potatoes have been recalled by supermarket group Lidl after the produce was found to have breached the maximum allowed limit for residues of the insecticide fosthiazate. The recall affects “Nouvelle Récolte”-branded bags of Colomba variety potatoes (below), sold in Lidl by the…

Nepal Agriculture Cooperative Central Federation:

‘Don’t revoke decision to test pesticides in vegetables from India’

The Nepal Agriculture Cooperative Central Federation (NACCFL) is an umbrella organisation representing the country’s small farmers. On Friday, it urged the government not to…

EFSA lists food safety research needs

The European Food Safety Authority has identified research priorities in food safety for the next 5 to 10 years. The agency listed its regulatory research priorities under…

US and 15 others criticize EU regulation of farm products at WTO

The United States and 15 other countries came with some serious criticism aimed at the European Union on Thursday, saying its “hazard-based” approach to regulating pesticides and other “critical tools” used by farmers was damaging livelihoods worldwide. Their statement, submitted to the World Trade…

India: Scientists use machine learning to find bat species with Nipah virus

This year’s outbreak of Nipah virus in Kerala, which follows one that occurred in 2018, has turned the focus back on bats; the hosts of the virus. An international group of scientists has identified the bat species with the potential to host the Nipah virus using machine learning. Based on the traits of…

Punjab, India: More than 11 tons of fruit and vegetables destroyed

Special teams formed under the Tandrust Punjab Mission conducted checks at fruit and vegetable markets across Punjab. They destroyed over 11.3 tons of fruit and vegetables…

Australia and New Zealand get revised produce safety guidelines

Fresh Produce Safety Centre Australia and New Zealand –an industry-led organization established in 2013- has published updated food safety guidelines for t he industry. The…

Is it hygienically justified to skip plastic produce packaging?

Going plastic-free might be environmentally friendly, but grocery stores have a dirty secret. Luckily, the solution is sustainable. Many retailers are shifting away from…

Argentina and Chile join forces to build up phytosanitary intelligence in the Southern Region

Specialists from the National Service for Agrifood Health and Quality (SENASA) of Argentina and the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) of Chile met in Mendoza to lay the foundation for the sanitary and phytosanitary intelligence systems that they will jointly implement with support from the…

Italian and Serbian authorities bust organic fraud case involving rotten apples

European authorities have uncovered an operation allegedly making products out of decomposed apples, contaminated with mycotoxins and other toxic chemicals. These fruits are…

Nepal: Poorly equipped chemical testing labs delay imports of fruit and veg

The Nepalese government has made it mandatory for imported fresh vegetables and fruits to undergo chemical testing before getting customs clearance. However, most of the…

Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination

Growers Express: Voluntary recall of multiple fresh vegetable products

Growers Express takes issues of food safety seriously and is issuing a voluntary recall of select fresh vegetable products in an abundance of caution and in the interest of protecting its customers and end consumers. The fresh vegetable products include packaged varieties of butternut squash,…

CDC warns against papayas from Mexico amidst new outbreak

More than 60 people are confirmed sick with Salmonella infections in a multistate outbreak linked to fresh papayas from Mexico, according to a public alert issued on Friday.…

Spread of disease was linked to contaminated dates

Germany hit hardest by last year’s Hepatitis A outbreak

Almost 40 people were part of a hepatitis A outbreak in Germany that was linked to dates from Morocco last year. France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Sweden…

Nepal puts curbs on fruit imports

India: Punjab litchi growers face huge losses after encephalitis deaths:

In Punjab, it is litchi-pic king season, but there are not many buyers. Farmers in the state are staring at huge losses and rotting produce after a video on social media…

Colombia: ICA and APHIS at final stage of establishing phytosanitary requirements

In 2018, Colombia exported US$ 178.285,4 of fresh peppers, which represented an increase of 47,8 % in relation to 2017. In the first two months of this year, the country…

United Fresh releases updated food safety guidelines for tomatoes

United Fresh Produce Association has announced the release of the updated version of the Food Safety Programs & Auditing Protocol for the Fresh Tomato Supply Chain,…

Thailand: 41% of sampled fruits & vegetables contaminated

The Thailand Pesticide Alert Network (ThaiPAN) and its partners - local health officials, farmers and residents - collected 286 samples of popular vegetables and fruits from retail stores and wet markets in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Sa Kaeo, Yasothon, Chanthaburi, Ratchaburi and Songkhla for toxic…

Damascus denies Jordanian claims of pesticides on Syrian fruit

Yesterday, President of the Syrian Federation of Chambers of Agriculture Mohammad Keshto denied claims alleging that fruit and vegetables from Syria contain pesticides. His…

India: PFA discards 1,262 kg artificially ripened mangoes in Punjab

This Wednesday, the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) discarded a huge quantity of mangoes from Punjab markets, owing to use calcium carbide for artificial ripening. The food safety…

Organic sanitizer kills bacteria on fresh veggies

Food scientists have found that a combination of lactic acid with food grade sodium hypochlorite is an effective sanitizer to process fresh organic vegetables. Organic foods like vegetable sprouts are getting more popular as people become more aware of the potential benefits to their health and well…

Netherlands: Residues of pesticides on fruits and vegetables continued to decrease between 2013 and 2017

The number of fruit and vegetable products with more pesticides than legally allowed has continued to decrease. In the period between 2003 and 2010, a decrease was seen, and…

Ministry bans Jordanians from bringing Syrian fruits & vegetables into Jordan

The Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture has banned Jordanian sailors from going back and forth from Syria and Jordan to bring their cars loaded with Syrian fruits and…

US: Frozen fruit recall for norovirus for Walmart and Save A Lot

Starting last Thursday, frozen berry products sold under the store brands of Walmart and Save A Lot were recalled, after FDA testing found Norovirus in the frozen blackberries. Walmart Pulled from Walmart freezers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arkansas, Puerto Rico, Virginia and…

Alma Pak recalls frozen blackberries due to possible health risk of norovirus

Alma Pak of Alma, Georgia is recalling specific lots of product containing frozen blackberries (noted below) due to the potential of their being contaminated with Norovirus. FDA testing of frozen blackberries was reported to have tested positive for Norovirus. Norovirus is a highly contagious virus.…

Canada: Calgary woman finds dead mouse in spinach

An unwelcome addition to her packet container of spinach has a Calgary woman rethinking her approach to pre-packaged produce. Hayley Huskinson purchased a sealed package of Dole's 'thoroughly washed' baby spinach from the No Frills store on Elbow Drive Southwest on Sunday evening and proceeded to use it…

India: Encephalitis costs litchi trade Rs 1 bln

With experts holding litchis responsible for aggravating encephalitis deaths in Muzaffarpur, the summer fruit, mainly produced in this Bihar’s district, is facing the heat as its industry is estimated to have suffered losses of around Rs 1 bln (€12.8 mln). The price of shahi litchi has dropped by 50 per…

Texas researchers study super-repellent surfaces for safer fruit & veg

Recently, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, TEES, were awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National…

UNFI recalls Woodstock Frozen Organic Grilled Red Peppers

UNFI is recalling its 10-ounce packages of Woodstock frozen Organic Grilled Red Peppers because they have the potential to be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. The product comes in a 10-ounce plastic package marked with a UPC code 4256301714, lot #60B, and a best by date of April 2020 stamped on…

Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination is the reason

Nature's Touch Frozen Foods (West) Inc. recalls Signature Select Avocado Chunks

Nature's Touch is voluntarily recalling Signature Select Avocado Chunks, with a best before date of Oct 11, 20, due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes (the "Product"). Nature's Touch is issuing this voluntary recall based on strict precautionary measures after the company was informed…

Karl Shackleton - White Air Solutions

Air purification system kills pathogens, reduces waste and removes Ethylene

White Air Solutions, which was established in 2015 have developed an air purification system using photocatalytic oxidisation which extends storage capabilities and reduces waste by removing Ethylene and other VOC gases as well as viruses, pathogens, bacterial and fungal spores. “We have been working on…

Small fruits, lettuce and IQF products are at risk

Intensified checks put in place to prevent virus contamination

When it comes to IQF products, like small fruits and salads it is essential that companies pay particular attention to the hepatitis A and norovirus GI and GII viruses, which are responsible for gastrointestinal infections. These viruses are highly contagious even in small amounts and are transmitted…

US: WinCo recalls frozen raspberries from 10 states because of norovirus test

WinCo Foods LLC is recalling frozen red raspberries because of potential contamination with the norovirus. The Food and Drug Administration found norovirus in a sample of WinCo brand raspberries and informed the Boise, ID, company, according to the recall notice. Rader Farms of Bellingham, WA, produced…

Sprouts Farmers Market recalls frozen cut leaf spinach and frozen organic cut leaf spinach because of possible health risk

Sprouts Farmers Market of Phoenix, AZ is recalling Frozen Cut Leaf Spinach conventional and organic 16oz bags, manufactured by National Frozen Foods of Oregon, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections…

India, state of Bihar

Litchis may not be responsible for child deaths in Muzaffarpur

As children have died of an unexplained mystery disease in the Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, people are looking at the litchi. Muzaffarpur, India’s “land of litchis,”…

Excessive sulfite levels

US: Florida date recall

Last Thursday Longwood, Florida-based Shivam Distributors has recalled a fruit product with too high a sulfite contents. The recalled product is 14-ounce packages of “Dry Dates.” The high sulfite…

Costco recalls frozen berries due to hepatitis A concerns

Costco follows the Kroger company in recalling frozen berries from Townsend Farms after the FDA found hepatitis A in a product sample. Costco said the recalled product involves its Kirkland Signature Three Berry Blend sold in California and Hawaii. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a…

Microbiological quality of vegetables in focus

Cucumbers, carrots and mushrooms good, mixed salads and sprouts problematic

In a three-year research project, the Max Rubner Institute has examined the microbiological quality of fresh, plant-based products. It has now presented its report. It focused…

Norovirus risk

Canada: Recall on Chilean raspberry products sold in Quebec

A norovirus risk in foods containing raspberries from Chile are part of an expanded Quebec government recall. The provincial Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food…

Interim report on prevention of Cyclospora outbreaks released

John P. Olivo, President of Fresh Express has announced the release of an Interim Report by its Blue-Ribbon Panel on the Prevention of Foodborne Cyclospora Outbreaks and the…

Kroger recalls select frozen Private Selection Berries for possible health risk

The Kroger Co. said today it is recalling Private Selection Frozen Triple Berry Medley (48 oz), Private Selection Frozen Triple Berry Medley (16 oz), and Private Selection…

PEI potato farmers observe World Food Safety Day

The inaugural World Food Safety Day is today June 7, 2019 and that gives the PEI potato farmers reason to be proud, as they shared they are very committed to growing the safest food possible. Island potato farmers have a very high enrolment in CanadaGAP, which is the nationally recognized food safety…

North-east India: Fear of Nipah virus in mangoes

With mango varieties like the Banganapalli, Malgova, Totapuri and Sindhoora from Tamil Nadu and Kerala flooding the north-east Indian markets, the fear of Nipah virus is becoming more prevalent. A 23-year-old youth in Ernakulam has been tested positive for the deadly Nipah virus, that killed 17 people…

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