The problem was discovered during routine FSIS surveillance activities of imported products, and it was determined that the products were not presented for reinspection.

FSIS is concerned that these products may be available in retailers’ deli counters and available for consumers to purchase. Also, these products may be in retailers’ freezers.

The recalled items were shipped to retail locations in California.                 

Recalled products:

• 19- to 24-lb. box containing “Chicharrón con carne/Pork Skin with Meat” with lot codes 2193CON0281, 2203CON0283, 2213CON0285, 2223CON0287, 2233CON0289 and use by date between August 7-11, 2024, and shipping mark 176.
• 24- to 30-lb. box containing “Carnitas de Cerdo/Seasoned Pieces of Pork Meat” with lot codes 2123CON0272, 2133CON0273, 2193CON0282, 2203CON0284, 2213CON0286, 2223CON0288, 2233CON0290 and use by date between July 31, 2024-August 1, 2024, and between August 7, 2024-August 11, 2024, and shipping mark 177.

The products subject to recall bear Mexican establishment number “TIF No. 681” inside the Mexican mark of inspection. Product labels can be viewed here.

As of the posting of this recall, there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

Retailers are urged not to serve these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

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Researchers from the Quadram Institute and the University of East Anglia in England isolated Salmonella from 42 food samples.

Salmonella isolates collected from food using whole genome sequencing (WGS) were compared to isolates from humans in the UK.

Raw foods were collected at retail in Norfolk, including 311 samples each of chicken, leafy greens, and pork, 279 prawns, and 157 salmon between May 2018 and November 2019.

Positive chicken results

Work was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and published in the journal Microbial Genomics.

A previous study by some of the same scientists found that imported chicken and salmon were more likely to be contaminated than domestic products.

In the latest work, 17 percent of 88 imported chicken samples contained Salmonella related to human-derived isolates, but in domestic chicken, the figure was only 2.3 percent of 214 samples. However, most imported chicken samples were frozen while domestic chickens were mainly chilled, so that the differences may be due to unsafe cooking practices associated with frozen chicken. Chicken samples that contained Salmonella Enteritidis originated from multiple countries, including Poland.

Salmonella was isolated from 30 chicken, eight prawns, and four pork samples and included 14 serovars, of which Salmonella Infantis and Salmonella Enteritidis were the most common. Salmonella Enteritidis was only isolated from imported chicken.

Salmonella Newport twice and Salmonella Enteritidis (nine times) were only isolated from imported chicken samples. Salmonella Kedougou and Salmonella Mbandaka were found once and Salmonella Ohio twice from domestic samples. Salmonella Infantis was isolated 14 times from both domestic and imported chicken.

Linking food and human samples

Monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium was the only type found in multiple commodities. Isolates were collected from two domestic pork and one domestic chicken sample from three supermarkets.

All Salmonella Weltevreden-positives in the study were four samples of black tiger prawns from Vietnam, one from Indonesia, and one of unknown origin. Other samples were positive for Salmonella Bovismorbificans, Brunei, Derby, Newport, Reading, and Schwarzengrund.

Closely related human isolates were collected up to three years before or a year after those from food samples. According to researchers, further epidemiological data are required to assess the source of human cases.

Only monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Enteritidis, and Salmonella Infantis found in food were similar to isolates from sick people.

A quarter of contaminated foods harbor diverse Salmonella strains that wouldn’t have been detected if only a single isolate were sampled.

“Whole genome sequencing identified foods associated with clinically important Salmonella and foods with genetically diverse Salmonella, which may hinder outbreak investigations and source attribution,” said Dr. Samuel Bloomfield from the Quadram Institute and lead author of the study.

Researchers looked at each sequence for genes that confer resistance to antibiotic drugs. They found 5.1 percent of chicken and 0.64 percent of pork samples had genes that would make them resistant to multiple antibiotics. This information could be useful for directing treatment.

”Food sources, farming and production practices, and consumer behavior are constantly changing, altering the types of foods associated with foodborne disease. Preventing future salmonellosis outbreaks relies on continued surveillance of Salmonella on retail food with the high resolution of WGS to relate food and human isolates.”

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Related samples of bacon and dried chorizo sausage were positive for Trichinella spiralis. Products came from the factory of Agroindustria Los Andres S.R.L., located in the municipality of Salliqueló, with the brand name Don Andrés, said authorities.

Affected items were distributed in Daireaux, Hipólito Yrigoyen, Coronel Suárez, Saavedra, Tres Lomas, Trenque Lauquen, Puan, Rivadavia and Adolfo Alsina.

Broader analysis

The epidemiological alert from officials in Buenos Aires came after the detection of suspected cases of trichinosis (or trichinellosis) in districts of the region. In total, 29 people had been exposed but only 15 developed symptoms. They live in Adolfo Alsina and Salliqueló. Trichinellosis is transmitted by eating raw or undercooked pork contaminated with the parasite Trichinella.

From the start of 2023 until July, 27 suspected cases of Trichinosis were reported in the province of Buenos Aires. Six were confirmed, two were probable, and 19 are still under investigation. Confirmed cases lived in Junín and Chivilcoy. An outbreak was also recorded in Chivilcoy linked to a homemade pork dish called bondiola.

This is down from the same period in 2022 when 52 cases were reported and 18 had been confirmed. Also, five outbreaks were registered.

In another incident in early July, health officials in Córdoba reported three cases of trichinosis. One ill person was from the city of Córdoba and two from Río Primero.

Sick people were said to have recovered after being treated in different health centers. Patient interviews pointed to consumption of contaminated salami and chorizo from the Río Primero region.

Initial symptoms of infection are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, fever, and abdominal discomfort. Headaches, fevers, chills, cough, swelling of the face and eyes, aching joints and muscle pains, itchy skin, diarrhea or constipation may follow. Patients may have difficulty coordinating movements, and have heart and breathing problems.

Abdominal symptoms can occur one to two days after infection. Further symptoms usually start two to eight weeks after eating contaminated meat. Freezing, curing or salting, drying, smoking, or microwaving meat may not kill the organism. The best way to prevent trichinosis is to cook meat to a temperature of 71 degrees C (160 degrees F).

HUS figures

Data published by Argentina’s Ministry of Health has shown a downward trend in hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) cases and notification rates for the country as a whole in the last decade, going from 402 cases per year in 2012 to 304 in 2022. A higher number of cases were seen in the warmer months every year.

HUS is a severe complication associated with E. coli infections that causes kidney failure. Every year on August 19, Argentina has a national day to raise awareness about HUS and ways to prevent it.

In children under 5 years old, there was also a downward trend in cases and rates in this period from 324 cases in 2012 to 222 in 2022.

In 2022, Buenos Aires had the most cases with 127 but the highest rate per 100,000 population was in Rio Negro.

So far this year, 159 cases have been recorded and 126 were in children under the age of 5. At least 122 people required hospitalization and 57 needed intensive care treatment with three deaths recorded.

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The report was produced by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) under contract with the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

In 2021, 105 samples of fresh beef and pork on retail sale in the UK were sampled between October and December and investigated for E. coli. In previous surveys, 300 samples were tested throughout one year. Reduced numbers were because of the delayed start following exit from the EU and because of lab capacity.

E. coli isolates are useful indicators of AMR. They are ubiquitous in animals and allow scientists to monitor the presence of AMR typically circulating in food-producing animals.

Resistance levels found
Less than 1 percent of beef and 4 percent of pork samples possessed an Extended Spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) or AmpC-expressing E. coli. No meat samples, before enrichment, had background or AmpC-/ESBL-phenotype E. coli counts above EU detection levels, indicating low numbers of these bacteria. However, post-enrichment, one beef, and four pork samples yielded AMR E. coli. Results were similar to the 2015, 2017, and 2019 surveys.

Two pork samples were positive for AmpC-producing E. coli, and two were positive for ESBL-producing E. coli. The beef isolate had an E. coli with an AmpC + ESBL-expressing phenotype.

ESBL and AmpC enzymes confer resistance to cephalosporins. No beef and pork samples were positive for E. coli with resistance to last-resort carbapenem or colistin antimicrobials.

In the five E. coli isolates, resistance was seen to some antibiotics. The beef isolate was resistant to all four cephalosporin antibiotics it was tested against (cefepime, cefotaxime, cefoxitin, and ceftazidime), while the pork isolates were resistant to at least two of these antibiotics. All five E. coli isolates resisted ampicillin but not amikacin, temocillin, or tigecycline.

Most beef samples were from the UK, but some came from Ireland, Brazil, Poland, Scotland, and Spain. Most pork samples were domestic, but others were from Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Samples were collected from retail across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Pet food AMR study
Another survey is gathering data on antimicrobial resistance in bacteria found in raw dog and cat food on sale in the UK.

Raw pet food does not undergo heat treatment meaning the final retail product can be contaminated with microorganisms, including pathogens and AMR bacteria.

Findings will enable the FSA to identify any risk to the public by cross-contamination during storing and handling of such products.

The survey involves collecting 280 dog and 100 cat food items on sale in the UK from March 2023 to February 2024. Before testing for AMR, samples will be tested for the detection and enumeration of E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, and Livestock-associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Screening of AMR will include Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamases (ESBLs), AmpC, Carbapenems, and fluoroquinolones, as well as analysis for colistin resistance and the colistin-resistant MCR genes.

Another 140 dog and 50 cat products will have the packaging swabbed before opening and testing for the above contaminants. This data will indicate whether raw dog and cat food packaging is appropriate to prevent microbiologically contaminated meat liquid seepage during thawing and the potential to cross-contaminate other foods and surfaces within the home.

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Public Health Seattle & King County announced the investigation into the outbreak on July 10. All six outbreak patients have been tested using whole genome sequencing and have shown infection from a specific type of Salmonella. The testing shows that all of the patients were likely infected from the same source,

According to the health department, patients’ symptom onset ranges from April 12 through June 5.

“Public Health conducted interviews with the people sick with salmonellosis to identify potential common exposures and identified that some common exposures were pork and seafood. Environmental Health Investigators began traceback of meat products on June 21, 2023. They collected invoices from different places where some people got food and conducted inspections. A common location or source has not been identified,” according to the department’s outbreak notice.

The investigation is ongoing.

The patients live in different households and range in age from 2 to 65 years old. All the people developed one or more symptoms consistent with salmonellosis, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, bloody stool, fever, and chills, according to the public health department.

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Several non-governmental organizations who are not satisfied with that 5-year-old decision have opted to jump over FSIS, and even the Secretary of Agriculture by taking up their “downer” pigs concerns directly with the White House.

“The spread of pathogens such as Salmonella and Yersinia enterocolitica often occurs when pigs are held in waste-filled pens awaiting slaughter,” the letter to the White House said. “Because downed pigs are unable to rise, they are held for long periods in these filthy pens, often lying in fecal matter, making exposure to Salmonella and other harmful pathogens more likely. Studies show that many downed pigs are infected with H1N1 swine flu8 and commonly harbor antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter.”

In its policy decision in 2019, FSIS said work by such renowned experts as Colorado State Univeristy’s Temple Grandin supports giving pigs time to recover before their suitability for slaughter is determined. Handling pigs should avoid and control stress, FSIS said.

Pigs represent 75 percent of all livestock slaughtered in the United States, with an estimated 500,000 downed pigs arriving at meat processing plants annually.

In a letter to President Joe Biden, the activists are demanding the removal of downed. pigs from the food supply in the interest of food safety and protecting slaughterhouse employees.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year pork containing pathogens leads to about 525,000 infections, 2,900 hospitalizations, and 82 deaths in humans.

“The slaughter of downed pigs for human consumption constitutes a significant food safety risk,” the letter claims.

The USDA adopted regulations protecting non-ambulatory adult cattle in 2007 and then calves in 2016. In 2014, seven organizations petitioned the USDA to make a similar rule for downed pigs, which is the petition that was denied in 2019 because USDA found that downed pigs passing inspection pose no greater public health risk than ambulatory pigs.

‘Given the serious consumer and food safety concerns . . ., it is long past time for downed-pig regulations that mirror those for downed cattle and calves,” the letter concludes. “Accordingly, we respectfully request that your administration make our food system safer for everyone and implement such regulations.”

The letter says consumers have no way to determine whether the pork products they consume originate from downed pigs.

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The Environmental Health Department in Jersey said the number of sick people is low. Jersey is the biggest of the Channel Islands and is near France.

An association has been made with undercooked pork, based on food history information obtained from sick people in interviews.

All cases have been adults and most of those sick are aged over 50. There have been hospitalizations but no deaths have been recorded.

Patient confidentiality reasons were cited for not providing details on exactly how many people were sick, their age range, gender or when they became ill.

Hepatitis E infection is a disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV). Advice to avoid infection includes thoroughly cooking all meat, especially pork, before eating it and washing hands after touching uncooked meat or meat products.

People with compromised immune systems or liver disease, the elderly, pregnant women and children are advised not to eat raw or undercooked pork meat products. Those who have the virus should avoid preparing food for others for two weeks after symptoms begin.

Symptoms of hepatitis E can include fatigue, poor appetite, stomach pain, nausea, and jaundice. However, many people, especially young children, have no symptoms. They usually appear from two to six weeks after exposure to the virus and last from one to four weeks.

Belgium study
Meanwhile, researchers have looked at the HEV RNA positivity rate of pork meat products in Belgian supermarkets.

Overall, 54 samples of pork liver pâtés, raw dried hams and raw dried sausages were purchased from Belgian supermarkets and analyzed by RT-PCR. Findings were published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology.

Seventeen products tested positive. HEV RNA was found in 65 percent of the pork liver pâtés and 15 percent of raw dried hams but no raw dried sausages.

Analysis of four isolates from pork liver pâté samples showed similarities with human cases from Germany and Belgium.

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Now that the Food and Drug Administration has authorized letting gene-edited pigs enter the human food chain, that may be the case for a vastly different sort of pig than the one in the Mother Goose poem. 

As a starter, German-style sausages, made from five 2-year-old genetically edited pigs, which were cooked up earlier this month at Washington State University, were a test case. Jon Oatley,  a professor in the college’s School of Molecular Biosciences, said he went through the FDA food-use authorization process for the pigs to show that food made from the animals using a CRISPR application is safe to eat. 

Oatley explained that the “base genetics” of the pigs was a mix of commercial breeds and reflective of what a standard pig operation would have.

“The CRISPR editing application targets a specific gene that is conserved in all mammals, so this would definitely be relevant to all types of pigs,” he said.

For Oatley and his fellow researchers, the overall goal is to develop desirable traits for improved food production and meat quality, which will help feed the planet’s growing population. This, in turn, is an important goal for boosting protein sources in developing nations.

But the research goes beyond pigs. 

“We are working as well on cattle, goats, and sheep, all of which are important food-producing animals,” he said. “But the research on pigs has advanced faster compared to other livestock we work with because they bear litters and the generation interval is comparatively faster.”

Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world. Pigs are usually butchered for meat at only 5 1/2 to 6 months of age, whereas beef cows are generally butchered at 30 to 42  months.

The FDA authorization is investigational and limited to the pigs in Oatley’s research. 

“But in the future, we will be seeking food-use authorization for the other species as well,” he said.

Food safety?
As for food safety, Oatley said there is no concern about food safety from the CRISPR edits that were made. 

“The DNA changes were not in any part of the genome that would make the animals more susceptible to infectious disease compared to normal non-edited pigs,” he said. “The USDA FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service) inspected the animals prior to processing and the carcass after processing using the standards applied to all processed livestock and found no abnormalities.”

Oatley also confirmed that as long as standard food-safety practices are used in raising, slaughtering, packaging, and cooking the meat, the pork will be free of foodborne pathogens.

What is this all about
In the gene-editing technology, known as CRISPR that Oatley used — a 2-year process that cost $200,000 for collecting data for the FDA authorization — the male pigs were “gene-edited in a way that let researchers use them to produce offspring with traits from another male pig. That was done by making the pigs sterile by knocking out a gene called NANOS2, which is specific to male fertility. With that much done, the animals were implanted with another male’s stem cells that created sperm with those other males’ traits, which can be passed on to the next generation.

To see a YouTube video about CRISPR, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pp17E4E-O8.

The offspring of the pigs in Oatley’s research are not gene-edited and have not yet been reviewed by FDA for possible inclusion in the food chain. 

But Oatley said that in the future, the research team will be seeking food-use authorization for the other species as well. 

It won’t happen overnight, of course. Oatley conceded that scaling up to a large production setting is one of the next challenges ahead.

“My estimation is that we can achieve commercial scaling within 5 years,” he said.

Surrogate studs
Some are referring to this procedure as a “high-tech form of selective breeding,” and the pigs as “surrogate sires.” Traditionally, producers had to rely on selective breeding . . . or even just time, often a long time, . . . for the sort of improvements that Oatley and his fellow researchers achieved. 

The pigs are not genetically modified animals (GMOs), which involves a different technology that involves inserting DNA from an outside species into the genome of an organism.

In the case of genetically modified salmon, for example, the salmon have an added gene from the ocean pout fish that acts as an “on switch” to produce the growth hormone year-round. This, therefore, shortens the time it takes to grow a mature salmon.

Oatley said that the GMO salmon possess foreign DNA that could never have arisen in nature without humans purposely inserting the foreign DNA.

“Our gene edits did not involve incorporation of foreign DNA, rather they were changes that could arise in nature,” he said. “Gene-editing is a modern cutting-edge technology that works only within a species’ own DNA and that can make changes that could come about naturally or through traditional breeding practices,” he said.

A genome is the complete set of DNA (genetic material) in an organism. In the case of humans, for example, almost every cell in the body contains a complete copy of the genome. The genome contains all of the information needed for a person to develop and grow.

Two sides of the coin
Any artificial manipulation that invades living cells for the purpose of altering its genome in a direct way, including gene editing, constitutes genetic engineering, according to a Friends of the Earth report (https://foe.org/news/gene-editing-risks-health-environment/).

Going one step further, the report points to the importance of human acceptance of gene editing.

“While it is critical for more scientific studies to be conducted about the specific impacts of the unintended consequences of gene editing on agricultural systems, ecological systems, human and animal health, the discussion regarding the use of gene editing in agriculture also needs to go further than a science-based risk assessment to encompass wide public discussion about the future of agriculture.”

The report also calls for more safety assessment and oversight of gene editing..

The Institute for Responsible Technology’s website describes gene editing as a cheap, easy, prone to side effects, poorly regulated and can permanently alter nature’s gene pool — a Recipe for disaster. Go here for a video outlining the organization’s concerns.

Labels?
As for the need to label genetically edited foods, Oatley said that currently labeling is not required, which he believes is the best way to go.

“The DNA changes we are making with CRISPRs are changes that can arise in nature to be propagated via selective breeding, but it would take screening thousands of animals to identify those with the desired combination of genetics and then decades to breed out a pure line for eventual use in a production setting,” he said. “Therefore, from my perspective, if a label would be required on edible products from an animal with CRISPR edited DNA, we should also apply a label to all products because traditional selective breeding also generated genetic combinations that have arisen by way of human intervention.

The future
Charlie Arnot of the Center for Integrity describes gene editing as one of the many tools agriculture can use to produce the healthy affordable food consumers expect using fewer natural resources.

“It can allow breeders to make genetic improvements more quickly and precisely than other breeding methods,” he told Food Safety News in an earlier interview. “Being able to make improvements more quickly and precisely to produce the food we need with less environmental impact is an important social benefit.”

He also said that gene editing has “tremendous potential to help farmers grow the food we need using less land,  water, chemicals and other resources. 

The Coalition for Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture continues to refine the Framework for Responsible Use of Gene Editing in Agriculture as a market assurance program that organizations can follow to demonstrate their commitment to the safe and transparent use of gene editing technology. 

“We designed the process with a focus on continuous improvements and an annual review to ensure the program remains credible, workable and affordable and the technology and applications evolve over time,” said Arnot.

When Oatley looks to the future, he believes that over the next 30 to 50 years, food animals will need to be more resilient in changing climate conditions and more efficient in how inputs like water and feedstuffs are converted to outputs for human consumption.

“Conventional production practices will not be sufficient for feeding the global population in 2050,” he said. To address the future of food security, adoption of biotechnologies like CRISPR gene editing will be critical.

“We’re just driving to the ballpark,” said John Dombrosky, CEO of Ag Tec Accelerator in an interview with Bloomberg News. “Gene editing will be free to do tremendous things across the ag continuum, and the promise is just gigantic. We’ll be able to fine-tune food for amazing health and nutrition benefits.”

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“FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase,” according to the recall notice.

The raw, boneless pork products were imported from Canada, and further processed by another company into barbeque pork products. Click here to view labels.

The following products are subject to recall:

• 16-oz. plastic packages containing Park Street Deli “SWEET CHIPOTLE Boneless Pork Ribs with Sauce” with Lot # 3115, Use By 07/08/23; Lot # 3123, Use By 07/17/23; or Lot #3114, Use By 07/08/23 on the packages.
• 16-oz. plastic packages containing Park Street Deli “HAWAIIAN STYLE Boneless Pork Ribs with Sauce” with Lot # 3115, Use By 07/08/23; Lot # 3123, Use By 07/17/23; or Lot #3114, Use By 07/08/23 on the packages.
• 16-oz. plastic packages containing “marketside READY TO HEAT BBQ PORK BURNT ENDS” with Lot #3116, Use By 08/29/23; Lot #3117, Use By 08/30/23; or Lot #3122, Use By 09/04/23 on the packages.

The products subject to recall have establishment number “EST. 4800” printed inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide in the United States.

The problem was discovered by FSIS inspection personnel who determined that the products were not presented for FSIS import reinspection.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about a reaction should contact a healthcare provider.

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The Class 1 recall by Prem Meats in Prairie du Sac, WI, impacts some pork and beef products sold at its retail store. The implicated products have establishment number No. 793 printed in the mark of inspection.

Products subject to this recall are:

• Bacon-wrapped pork loin, sold in one or two pieces in vacuum-sealed packages
• Bacon-wrapped tenderloin (beef), sold in one or two pieces in vacuum-sealed packages
• Pork squealers, sold in one or two pieces in vacuum-sealed packages

“This is a Class I recall, initiated based on evidence collected during routine inspection activities,” according to the recall notice posted by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

“Evidence shows that the products were produced without an approved formula and without the benefit of inspection.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a Class 1 recall signifies that the recalled product is a health hazard where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.

As of the posting of the notice, no illnesses had been confirmed as a result of consuming these products. Anyone with signs or symptoms of a foodborne illness should contact their doctor. Consumers who have these products should discard them. Consumers with questions about this recall can contact Gavin Prem, Prem Meats, at 608-588-2164.

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The suspected illegally imported products were discovered in a white van going from Romania into Great Britain, via the Port of Dover.

The discovery was made during multi-agency spot checks of vehicles, in Lowestoft, in early February, with details just released.

East Suffolk Council’s food and safety team investigated the contents of the vehicle following a request from Suffolk County Council trading standards colleagues.

The van contained meat, which was mainly pork, eggs, and other food, which the defendants claimed was for personal consumption. Officials also found weighing scales and a refrigerator.

African swine fever risk
It is against the law to personally bring pork or pork products weighing more than two kilograms into Great Britain unless they are produced to the EU’s commercial standards. This does not apply to commercial imports.

Occupants of the vehicle voluntarily surrendered all products that were taken to an incineration plant for destruction.

“Since September, strict controls restricting the movement of pork and pork products into Great Britain have been in place to help safeguard Britain’s pigs from the threat of African swine fever. This was great work by all involved to take this imported food out of circulation and remove any possible risks to animal and human health,” said Mary Rudd, of East Suffolk Council.

Andrew Reid, from Suffolk County Council, said the incident is a reminder of the threat of African swine fever (ASF) if care is not taken to stop it. The disease can be fatal to pigs but does not affect humans.

“Food crime and fraud can take many forms, affecting food quality, authenticity, and, most importantly, safety. In addition to posing a danger to public health, food crime undermines legitimate businesses and the food industry’s reputation,” he said.

Evidence from inspections at UK ports suggests there are vehicles illegally bringing pork meat into the country from some parts of the EU affected by ASF. A few of these involved large quantities of pork products, some of which appear to be home-slaughtered and arrive from an undisclosed origin as a non-commercial import, with poor levels of biosecurity and food hygiene, according to an assessment by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Romanian meat controls
In late January, the European Commission was made aware of poor traceability records and an absence of labeling on a variety of foods going to Northern Ireland from Romania and Moldova.

Earlier in the month, more than 6 tons of frozen beef were seized in Romania following a control action.

Inspectors of the National Veterinary Sanitary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) and the Veterinary Sanitary and Food Safety Directorates (DSVSA) from Ilfov, Bucharest, and Giurgiu carried out an operation on the marketing of imported frozen meat. They targeted 29 cold storage warehouses authorized for trade in the three counties.

Officers looked for illegal practices, such as freezing meat for which the manufacturer put on the label that it should be sold refrigerated. Freezing is sometimes carried out close to the end of the shelf life. This tactic is used to extend the shelf life of the product and another label with information on frozen meat with a different shelf life is attached.

Hygiene conditions, compliance with accompanying documents, maintaining temperature storage conditions, ensuring traceability, and labeling of products were also checked.

Inspectors discovered several batches of frozen beef which had been imported into Europe from countries such as Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and the United States in a refrigerated state and frozen in cold storage in the EU, with the expiry date given by the manufacturer having been changed.

The main non-conformities found included double labeling of items. In addition to the manufacturer’s label, another one was applied after the change in the product through freezing. In some cases, there was a lack of product traceability.

Inspectors applied 20 sanctions and detained more than 6,000 kilograms of beef. Findings also prompted authorities to extend official controls on this topic at the national level.

Misleading or fraudulent practices identified during official controls are entered into the Administrative Assistance and Cooperation system, a platform used at the European Union level to exchange information on cross-border violations of rules.

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Researchers said the work, published in the journal Food Microbiology, demonstrated the diverse pathogens present in various foods of animal and plant origin.

They looked at the prevalence and co-occurrence of E. coli as an indicator organism, Klebsiella, Salmonella, and Vibrio in chicken, pork, shrimp, salmon, and leafy greens. The role of Klebsiella from food as a risk to human health is not known.

Imported frozen chicken was 6.4 times more likely to contain Salmonella than domestic chilled chicken, and imported salmon was 5.5 times more likely to be contaminated with E. coli. Factors linked to the presence of individual bacteria are relevant for food safety risk assessments and the design of surveillance programs, according to the study.

E. coli and Salmonella results
Seasonality was associated with E. coli and Klebsiella contamination in leafy greens, with higher detection in summer and autumn. Scientists said contributing factors might be the growing conditions, water sources, or weather patterns in different growing regions throughout the year.

The odds of Klebsiella contamination were higher in summer in chicken and pork samples. 

Between May 2018 and November 2019, 203 retail outlets were visited in Norfolk, England, and 1,369 food samples were purchased. In total, 311 raw chicken and raw pork, 157 raw salmon, 217 raw shrimp, 62 cooked shrimp, and 311 leafy greens were bought. The method used indicated presence rather than overall bacterial load.

E. coli was detected in the majority of raw chicken and raw pork samples and at a lower frequency in leafy greens, salmon, and shrimp. The odds of detection were higher in imported salmon than in domestic or unlabeled products.

Packs of washed leafy greens had a significantly higher prevalence of E. coli than unlabeled wash status packages but there was no difference between washed and unwashed items.

Salmonella was detected in chicken, pork, and raw shrimp. The frozen chicken was more often contaminated than chilled. All frozen chicken contaminated was imported and packed in the same country by nine suppliers.

Four samples of domestically produced pork were positive for Salmonella. Of the eight raw shrimp positive, seven were black tiger shrimp of which five were from conventional aquaculture.

Vibrio and co-detection
In the seafood tested, raw shrimp mainly were contaminated with Vibrio followed by cooked shrimp and salmon. Contamination of raw shrimp varied between imported and unknown origin with no domestic products sampled.

“The prevalence of Vibrio detected in this study warrants further inclusion of Vibrio as a microbial hazard into food risk assessments, a sentinel species of climate change effects on food systems and public health surveillance systems,” said researchers.

Klebsiella was found in all commodities, most often in washed leafy greens and least often in cooked shrimp. Risk factor analysis did not identify food presentation, store type, or origin of a product for any commodity as associated with its presence.

“The relatively high contamination observed in this study and the possibility of hypervirulent and multidrug-resistant strains in ready-to-eat foods such as leafy greens and other fresh produce warrants further investigation,” said researchers.

More than 30 percent of samples contained at least two target bacteria in chicken, pork, and raw shrimp. Salmonella was always detected with other bacteria, primarily E. coli, and to a lesser extent with other organisms.

The most common co-occurrence was E. coli – Klebsiella. In raw shrimp, the top co-occurrence profiles included Klebsiella – Vibrio and E. coli – Vibrio. Five samples of raw shrimp contained all four tested bacteria.

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ERS found the policies have focused on the housing of animals involved in the pork, veal, and egg industries, often restricting production practices or sales of noncompliant animal products.

The law to impose housing standards on all farms without regard to their location if they wish to produce for the California market is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court in the Proposition 12 case.

ERS sought to “better understand the timing, scope, and geographic distribution of market impacts on livestock industries, as well as the legal and legislative environment surrounding these policies.”

Among the findings:

— Eleven states have passed bans on the use of veal crates or gestation crates for sows. By 2026, gestation crate bans will cover 7 percent of the U.S. breeding sow herd, but nearly 18 percent of breeding operations. Veal crate bans covered 13 percent of U.S. operations by the end of 2022.

— Ten states have enacted policies that prohibit the confinement of hens beyond a minimum space requirement on the use of cases in poultry and egg production. By 2026, 17 percent of U.S. egg-laying operations will be covered by these restrictions, an increase from 3 percent of operations in 2021.

Sales bans on eggs produced in non-compliant operations will reach nearly 25 percent of the U.S. population by 2026. Cage-free egg production increased in recent years, along with more legislation and retailer and food-service pledges with 24 percent of U.S. laying hands kept in case-free operations as of 2021.

The ERS study says international trade can also be affected by animal welfare standards. States with bans on confined or caged egg production account for more than 41 percent of U.S. shell egg exports.

The ERS reports that state policies do not impact shell egg imports to the United States. And all pork imports to the states with impending retail sales restrictions originate in the European Union or Canada where production policies or voluntary commitments are driving a trend toward gestation-crate-free production

Animal welfare issues do come up in trade agreement negotiations, according to the ERS study.

The egg shortages sweeping the United States are first blamed on the Avian Flu outbreaks that began in North America at about this time 2022, and the switch over to cage-free systems that at this time is not keeping up with demand.

In its latest update, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta reports almost 58 million birds in domestic poultry flocks in 47 states have been lost to avian flu during the past year. Another 5,552 wild birds in all 50 states were found infected.

There was one human case of Avian Flu last year. The patient fully recovered.

California is clearly bearing the brunt of the current egg shortage. USDA reports the price for a dozen large eggs jumped to $7.37 last week in California, up from $4.83 a month earlier. The shortages will continue until the supply of cage-free eggs catches up with demand, and that could take most of 2023.

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It was the largest listeriosis outbreak in Spain and one of the biggest in Europe. Based on hospitalization records, Spain has seen a rising trend in such infections since 1997, reported the study published in the journal Eurosurveillance.

Between July and October 2019 in Andalusia, an outbreak with 207 cases of listeriosis was identified. Confirmed cases had a median age of 44 with a range of 0 to 94 years old and 114 were women.

Four provinces were affected with 163 confirmed patients in Seville, 29 in Huelva, 11 in Cadiz and four in Malaga. In Andalusia, stuffed pork is popular, as it is a low-cost, traditional ready-to-eat (RTE) food. It consists of a cold cut of roasted pork with garlic, spices, and salt.

Patient details
Most sick people had mild gastroenteritis, 141 required hospitalization and three died; five of 34 pregnant women had a miscarriage. The three patients who died were above the age of 70. The median incubation period was one day with a peak of 43 patients notified on a single day in mid-August.

Stuffed pork, an RTE product consumed unheated and contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes sequence type 388 was identified as the source of infection. The “La Mecha” brand chilled pork was produced by Magrudis. Most cases reported having purchased the stuffed pork at a variety of establishments but primarily supermarkets and bars.

Facua, a consumer group, is representing about 80 sick people, as part of a civil action. A criminal trial is ongoing with certain staff at the company facing up to 10 years in prison and a local veterinarian who carried out inspections at Magrudis also facing charges.

Active case finding identified 16 additional WGS-confirmed patients before the outbreak started by several months with illness onset dates from November 2018 to June 2019. Epidemiological interviews revealed only one sick person had contaminated meat. So, they have deemed historically associated cases and are not included in the outbreak investigation.

An additional 11 outbreak cases came from six different regions in Spain. French authorities notified a confirmed case of an individual who had consumed pork meat in Seville in mid-August. A link to several cases of listeriosis in Germany could not be established by public health authorities.

Investigations by authorities
The outbreak strain was identified in 189 human samples, 82 food, and five environmental samples.

The first inspection at the Magrudis plant in mid-August 2019 found no positive samples. However, there were four contaminated food and five environmental samples were identified within the first 10 days. During the next two months, 55 additional food samples from the factory were found to be contaminated. Most were taken between mid and the end of August.

Listeria monocytogenes was quantified in 42 food samples with values well above the limit set by European Union regulations of 100 colony-forming units per gram (CFU/g).

A public health alert was announced in mid-August 2019. The next day, cleaning and disinfection of the Magrudis plant were done and stuffed pork from the site was recalled. A few days later, production was stopped and the recall expanded to any meat produced in the facility before it was extended again to include every food product. The recall was estimated to include more than 8 tons of meat products.

By the end of the outbreak, Listeria monocytogenes were detected in 87 samples. Most positives came from products involving stuffed pork and other pork items.

The remaining five samples were environmental, mostly from machinery surfaces. These included an oven trolley, meat injectors, which are metal syringes used to add condiments to meat, and an air conditioner vent. Eight food samples were shown to harbor the outbreak strain by WGS.

Poor hygiene conditions at the site could explain the contamination of meat products, which might have happened after thermal treatment and before delivery to grocers or sellers. There is also a need to improve food distribution records. Identification of all the establishments to which the stuffed pork had been sent was not as fast as desired, said researchers.

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The problem was discovered after the firm notified FSIS that it had received two complaints from restaurant staff reporting they found hard pieces of plastic in the product. FSIS is concerned that some product may be in the refrigerators and/or freezers of restaurants and food service operators.

The recalled products were shipped to distributors in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska and Virginia and further distributed to restaurants and other food service operations.   

Recalled product:

The raw, frozen cubed pork loin steak fritter item was produced on June 16, 2022.

The product subject to recall bears the establishment number “EST. 2260Y” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

• 10.14-pound bulk cases containing 27 pieces of “GOLD LABEL AdvancePierre Our Deluxe Cubed Pork Loin Streak Fritters” and lot code 1672AFE06.

As of the posting of this recall, there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to the consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.  

Restaurants and food service operators are urged not to serve this product. This product should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

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A judge certified the case in recent days. It seeks compensation for people who were sickened after consuming pork products from The Meat Shop at Pine Haven, which is a meat packing and retail store at the Pine Haven Hutterite colony near Wetaskiwin. 

One person died and 42 others were sickened in the outbreak during the spring of 2018. The cases were linked to pork products contaminated with E. coli  O157:H7. Fourteen of the patients had to be hospitalized and five developed a kind of kidney infection known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which frequently causes lifelong injuries and sometimes death.

About half of the cases involved people who had eaten at Mama Nita’s, a Filipino restaurant in southeast Edmonton that has since closed. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency traced the pork products to The Meat Shop at Pine Haven, according to court documents.

“The defendants owed a duty of care to the plaintiff and other class members to ensure that its products were safe for consumption and that ingestion of those products would not cause illness or injury,” the plaintiffs say in their complaint.

In total, the plaintiffs seek $15 million in damages and another $1 million in special damages.

Edmonton lawyer Rick Mallett represents the plaintiffs. He expects the case could take up to two years to reach trial.

About E. coli infections
Anyone who has developed symptoms of E. coli infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctor about their possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific tests are required to diagnose the infections, which can mimic other illnesses.

The symptoms of E. coli infections vary for each person but often include severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Some patients may also have a fever. Most patients recover within five to seven days. Others can develop severe or life-threatening symptoms and complications, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, feeling very tired, decreased frequency of urination, small unexplained bruises or bleeding, and pallor. 

Many people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent injuries or death. This condition can occur among people of any age but is most common in children younger than five years old because of their immature immune systems, older adults because of deteriorating immune systems, and people with compromised immune systems such as cancer patients. 

People who experience HUS symptoms should immediately seek emergency medical care. People with HUS will likely be hospitalized because the condition can cause other serious and ongoing problems such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, brain damage, and neurologic problems.

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From a list of 18 food sources, eggs and egg products were the most important source of salmonellosis outbreaks, followed by pork and general meat products.

Salmonella outbreak data in 34 European countries from 2015 to 2019 collected by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) were assessed. In Europe, Salmonella is the leading cause of outbreaks.

There was a significant increase in outbreaks in the period. This was driven by more reports in Eastern Europe, found the study published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology.

Most incidents in Eastern Europe
There were 939 outbreaks caused by Salmonella Enteritidis, 130 by Salmonella Typhimurium and its monophasic variant, 107 by other known serotypes, and 332 by unknown types.

After a significant decrease between 2008 and 2014, the incidence of salmonellosis stabilized in most European countries from 2015 to 2019. Identifying the main sources of outbreaks helps guide public health interventions.

Complex food categories such as bakery products, buffet meals, mixed food, other foods, sweets and chocolate, canned food products, and drinks were grouped together as unknown sources in the analysis because it was not possible to pinpoint the exact components responsible for infection.

In total, 1,508 Salmonella outbreaks were included in the analysis. Of these, 1,040 were caused by simple foods and 468 by unknown food sources. The number of ill people involved in outbreaks was not considered.

The majority of outbreaks were reported in Eastern Europe, followed by Southern, Western and Northern Europe, and the highest was 366 in 2018.

The top serotype associated with outbreaks was Salmonella Enteritidis. This might be related to the largest EU multi-country outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis ever documented, which was linked to contaminated eggs from Poland and involved 14 countries since 2016, said researchers.

Regional and Salmonella type differences
The proportion of outbreaks attributed to unknown sources was largest in Eastern Europe. In Northern and Southern Europe, outbreaks caused by Salmonella Enteritidis decreased during the study period.

Eggs were the top food source in all regions but pork was the second most common source in Northern and Western Europe, and it was meat products in Eastern and Southern Europe. The amount of cheese and fish outbreaks decreased steadily over the years. 

Cereal products including rice and seeds and pulses, herbs and spices, and tap water were behind the fewest outbreaks.

The rate of salmonellosis attributed to eggs did not differ much over the study period. Eggs accounted for a higher proportion of outbreaks in Southern and Eastern Europe.

Outbreaks caused by Salmonella Enteritidis and other known serotypes were mostly attributed to eggs, whereas those caused by Salmonella Typhimurium and the monophasic variant were mainly traced to pork.

An increasing trend in Salmonella outbreaks can also be explained by the wider use of advanced molecular methods, such as whole genome sequencing (WGS), for outbreak detection and source tracing. This has likely helped in identifying more clusters of cases in routinely collected Salmonella surveillance data, said the study.

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All of these little details were contained in Massachusetts Question 3, which was on the ballot in 2016. The ballot initiative was supposed to take effect on Aug. 22, 2022.
But on Aug. 11, Federal Judge Mark Wolf agreed to delay the enforcement of Q3 until the Supreme Court decides the Prop 12 case.

Veal and egg provisions in Q3 were allowed to take effect.

A case brought in federal court in Massachusets will also be idled while the parties wait on the Supreme Court’s Prop 12 ruling.

It was brought by the National Pork Producers Council, National Restaurant Association, and several others from New England’s hospitality industry. They say Q3 is flatly unconstitutional.

While Prop 12 and Q3 are similar, the Massachusetts law banishing any uncooked pork from the state’s borders if it is not up to the housing standards is harsher.

The problem with trans-shipments of pork in New England was not apparent until the state released rules on July 11.

“This is a significant outcome as NPPC continues to push to preserve the rights of America’s pig farmers to raise hogs in the way that is best for their animals and maintains a reliable supply of pork for consumers,” said the NPPC’s Terry Wolters, president and owner of Stoney Creek Farms in Pipestone, MN.

“The impact of Question 3 would have been particularly harmful to those in surrounding New England states who did not have a vote in the 2016 Massachusetts referendum, nor any notice of the dramatic steps that activists had taken trying to force these harmful initiatives on voters in other states.”

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healy and the
Plaintiffs agreed that the Q3 rule prohibiting sales of non-compliant pork should be put on hold at least until 30 days after the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling on Prop. 12.

The agreement is limited to only the pork sales provision of Q3, and producers located in Massachusetts are still required to comply with the in-state housing standards.

The agreement and court order mean “New Englanders can still enjoy their favorite pork products — from bacon to ribs and BBQ — this Labor Day weekend and throughout the rest of the year.”

The pork producers say that “nearly all pork produced in the United States fails to meet Massachusetts Q3 standards.

“This ruling ensures that until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on this issue, no major changes will take place in the Massachusetts pork supply,” explains Stephen Clark, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. “We have heard from countless restaurant owners and suppliers across Massachusetts concerned about the availably and cost of pork in the coming months. Of particular concern, is restaurant owners in the Latino and Asian restaurant community, pertaining to the availability of or more importantly, lack of compliant pork.”

“This stay is the outcome that Rhode Island restaurant operators may not have even realized they needed,” explains Dale J. Venturini, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association. “The supply chain in our state is so challenging right now that this far-reaching regulation in Massachusetts would have been an uncontrollable and unexpected blow locally. For now, the status quo remains in place and diners in Rhode Island can be sure they’ll still be able to get bacon for breakfast or on top of their Friday night burger.”

Angelo Amador, executive director of the Restaurant Law Center, says by getting this stay of enforcement, the industry has ensured that until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on this issue, restaurants in Massachusetts and surrounding states will not have to make significant changes to their menus or disappoint their diners.

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Frozen, breaded, ready-to-cook chicken products have a browned, cooked external appearance, which may be perceived as ready-to-eat, leading to mishandling or undercooking by consumers.

Concerns about these products led the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to look at the prevalence of Salmonella, E. coli and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in items such as nuggets, dippers and goujons, at retail in the UK.

Overall, 310 samples were tested between April and July 2021, and Salmonella was detected five times. When samples were cooked according to instructions on the packet, Salmonella was killed. Another 20 similar products that contained Salmonella during a previous study in 2020-21 were also cooked based on the instructions, and no Salmonella was detected after cooking.

Link to illnesses

However, since many illnesses have been associated with such chicken products in the UK and other countries, it appears that either people do not always apply effective cooking processes or cross-contamination plays a significant role, according to the study.

Salmonella Infantis was found in three samples and Salmonella Java twice. One of the Salmonella Infantis isolates was linked to three recent cases; the second was behind two infections in early 2021. The two Salmonella Java isolates matched cases with sample dates between 2014 and 2018. Countries of origin of the five Salmonella contaminated samples were Hungary, Ireland and the UK. 

EU rules state that preparations made from poultry meat intended to be eaten cooked should not have any Salmonella in a 25-gram sample when placed on the market and examined during their shelf-life.

Higher concentrations of generic E. coli in foods are commonly recognized as an indicator of poor hygiene. E. coli was found in 113 samples, but only 15 had levels that indicated problems in the hygiene of the tested products. One E. coli isolate showed resistance to colistin and possessed the mcr-1 gene.

A study by Public Health England, now UKHSA, in 2020 found Salmonella in 40 of 456 samples of frozen, reformed chicken products, with Salmonella Enteritidis isolates from 17 samples linked to an outbreak. A series of outbreaks involving Salmonella in breaded chicken products from Poland in 2020 and 2021 affected more than 1,000 people and a number of products and brands.

Data from the latest study suggests there has been a decline in Salmonella contamination rates in frozen, breaded chicken products between 2020 and 2021. Affected supermarkets changed suppliers which appears to explain at least some of the improved results, as Salmonella contamination was linked to only a few producers.

AMR findings

Three Salmonella Infantis isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline, with one also showing resistance to ampicillin, so was classified as multi-drug resistant. The Salmonella Java isolates were resistant to trimethoprim but also had reduced susceptibility to sulfamethoxazole.

E. coli with a presumptive AmpC or Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) (or both) phenotype were detected in 18 of 310 samples.

Resistance to three or more groups of antimicrobials, called multi-drug resistance, was seen in 22 of 110 isolates. Of these, one isolate was resistant to six different antimicrobial groups.

Results showed it is important to cook breaded and battered chicken products properly in line with instructions on the packaging. Adequate cooking, good kitchen hygiene such as handwashing between handling uncooked and cooked foods, and cleaning preparation surfaces and utensils properly after using them for uncooked food items, significantly reduces the risks posed by Salmonella and E. coli.

AMR in E. coli on beef and pork

In another survey, beef and pork on retail sale in the UK was sampled between October and December 2021 and investigated for the presence of AMR E. coli. Results showed the prevalence was low. E. coli isolates are useful indicators of AMR.  

A total of 105 beef and 105 pork samples were tested. Samples post enrichment yielded E. coli in one beef sample and four pork samples. The survey had lower sample numbers than previous studies because of a delayed start following the UK exit from the EU, and because of lab capacity.

Two pork samples were positive for AmpC-producing E. coli and two for ESBL-producing E. coli. The beef isolate had an E. coli with an AmpC + ESBL-expressing phenotype.

No meat samples, prior to enrichment, had background or AmpC-/ESBL-phenotype E. coli counts above EU detection levels, indicating low numbers of bacteria on samples.  

No beef or pork samples were positive for E. coli with resistance to so-called last resort carbapenem or colistin antimicrobials.

Resistance was seen to some cephalosporin antibiotics. The beef isolate was resistant to all four of the cephalosporin antibiotics it was tested against, whilst the pork isolates were resistant to at least two of these antibiotics. All five E. coli isolates were resistant to ampicillin, but showed no resistance to amikacin, temocillin or tigecycline.

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Officials in Seyé, in the Mexican state of Yucatan, said the incident involves up to 500 people but no deaths have been reported. The first alert about the poisoning was made this past week.

Patients were seen by the district’s doctor and sent to a hospital in the town of Acenceh but the local town hall also had to be converted into a temporary medical facility to handle the number of people who were sick.

Preliminary analyzes suggests a high probability that people were poisoned because of the presence of Clenbuterol in meat they ate, but some test results are still pending.

Clenbuterol is used in livestock to promote growth, despite being banned, but can cause symptoms including headaches, increased sweating, insomnia, nausea, possible muscle spasms, and increased blood pressure. Symptoms usually occur shortly after consuming contaminated food, and last for two to six days.

Illness has been linked to consumption of Cochinita Pibil, which is a traditional Yucatan dish that includes pork.

Officials have closed the outlet where the food that poisoned dozens of residents was believed to have been prepared and they are visiting suppliers of the business to carry out checks to try to find the source of the problem.

In 2020, more than 50 people fell sick in the Mexican state of Morelos after eating meat contaminated with Clenbuterol. 

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Efforts were led by scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in England who looked at antibiotic resistance in Salmonella strains isolated from pork meat at food retail outlets.

Researchers studied multi-drug resistance — when a strain shows resistance to different antimicrobials and looked for the mcr-1 gene, which can give high-level resistance to the last-resort antibiotic colistin.

They found high levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the emergence of colistin resistance, an antibiotic used to treat against multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogens. Findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Sciences.

The study investigated the antibiotic susceptibility of 69 Salmonella isolates collected from retail outlets and slaughterhouses in Vietnam during 2014 and 2018/19. Isolates came from the PigRISK project, conducted from 2012 to 2017, and SafePORK project, from 2017 to 2022, which aims to reduce the burden of foodborne illness in Vietnam.

Scientists looked at slaughterhouses and pork samples from retail outlets classed as wet markets, supermarkets or “boutiques” – where retailers claim the pork is high quality, traceable and environmentally friendly. These outlets typically target higher income consumers and were created in 2016 to address public concerns about food safety and provide products that meet safety requirements.

Seventeen different serotypes were identified, of which Salmonella Typhimurium was the most common, followed by Salmonella Rissen, London, Anatum, and Derby.

At least half of the isolates were resistant to ampicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol and trimethoprim. MDR was present in 41 isolates from 12 serotypes.

Colistin and high end retail findings
Niamh Holohan, from the department of infection biology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the research helps quantify the problem.

“Pork accounts for 70 percent of the total meat consumed in Vietnam, meaning contaminated pork poses a risk to a large number of consumers there. The prevalence of colistin resistance is particularly concerning, as this is really the last line of defense to treat invasive infections in a clinical setting. It’s important that we have this data and quantify the problem accurately, so that we can design the best strategies to try and combat the development of further drug resistance.”

The Vietnamese government introduced a national action plan to monitor AMR in 2017 and a law on animal husbandry in 2018 aiming to eliminate antimicrobial use in animal feeds by 2020.

MDR strains were most common in slaughterhouses and supermarkets and lowest in traditional markets and convenience stores. Colistin resistance was identified in 18 strains with mcr-1 found in seven isolates and mcr-3 in two isolates.

Boutique stores had high levels of MDR including five isolates with mcr-1. The study showed pork from stores like supermarkets or boutiques still contained Salmonella with high levels of AMR.

Richard Stabler, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “The Vietnamese government is working to reduce the use of antimicrobials used in pork production and to give consumers better information on how their food is produced. This work showed that these retrospective samples, even from high end outlets, had concerning levels of drug resistance and further work is needed to see if the situation has improved.”

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This column addresses Docket No. FSIS-2019-0023 “Changes to the Salmonella Verification Testing Program: Proposed Performance Standards for Salmonella in Raw Comminuted Pork and Intact or Non-Intact Pork Cuts and Related Agency Verification” For more information, or to comment on the docket, click here. Comments close on April 18.

The introductory paragraph, “Salmonella bacteria are among the most frequent causes of foodborne illness” is excellent in that it defines the problem that, “Currently, events that cause contamination of pork carcasses cannot be completely eliminated from commercial slaughter, fabrication, or further processing operations.” (FSIS 2022)

The proposal does not address preventing Salmonella contamination. A core principle of control programs, including HACCP, is prevention, not simply testing (Zwietering 2016). Although testing can provide a regulatory incentive, prescribing scientific risk-based preventive measures would offer needed improvement. FSIS could promote pathogen control incentives by modernizing inspection similar to current European Union initiatives, e.g. “Risk-based Meat Safety Assurance System” (RB-MSAS) (Cavalheiro, 2022, Alban 2021, Blagojevic 2021, Riess & Hoelzer, 2020). This would also promote USDA’s One Health approach. 

Preventive measures start with the hazard analysis (9 CFR 417.10(a)), identifying the sources. The hazard, Salmonella, and other enteric pathogens come from the preharvest environment. Food animals carry Salmonella and other enteric pathogens in their feces, lymph nodes (Harvey 2020) and tonsils: “Carcasses entering the clean area showed a Salmonella contamination rate of 96.7% in the oral cavity and 55.0% in the rectum content samples.” (Zeng 2021)

The problem(s):
The primary problem is the non-visible fecal material carrying enteric bacteria including Salmonella. The classic example is Blankenship (1993). The ARS project was to demonstrate that visible fecal contamination on broilers could be eliminated by washing and the bacterial load would be no more than the carcasses with no visible fecal contamination. The ARS researchers reported that the differences in bacterial counts and Salmonella prevalence between reprocessed and regular carcasses were not significant. Unsaid was the carcasses, with no visible fecal contamination, contained non-visible feces and the fecal bacteria.

To review the fecal contamination problem on pigs, start with the observation that during dehairing, “The carcass is subjected to vigorous treatment, and in the process, fecal leakage from the completely relaxed anus inevitably will occur.” (Galton 1954). And skip to a quantitative microbial risk assessment “. . . on Salmonella in slaughter and breeder pigs. . . . The model outcome represents an increase in average prevalence of Salmonella contamination and Salmonella numbers at dehairing and a decrease of Salmonella numbers at scalding. These results show good agreement when compared to several other QMRAs and microbiological studies. (Swart 2016). Then finish with a review “Several studies showed an increase in prevalence and level of Salmonella spp. contamination at the dehairing step and a decrease of Salmonella spp. level at scalding [23,25,32,35,50,58]…” (Hdaifeh 2020). 

Over the past two decades, FSIS has been discussing the problem of non-visible feces but has not taken the next step to solving the problem, detection. There are methods for detecting the non-visible fecal matter with fluorescence imaging devices that ARS has been developing for decades (Feng 2012). A recent paper shows some success (Gorji 2022). Detection would require removal. Removal using pulsed washes could work but have had limited success with poultry. Prevention such as ARS demonstrated with poultry carcasses by plugging the cloaca or eviscerating before defeathering might work (Berrang 2001, 2018). However, preventing or removing all fecal material from pig carcasses would not address the problem of lymph node and tonsil carriage. 

Preharvest controls would solve many problems. In 2013, FSIS wrote, “Control of Salmonella begins on the farm. A  review of Danish pork production has shown  that Salmonella prevalence in the herd is a  significant factor for determining the  Salmonella prevalence and levels on  carcasses (Alban and Stark, 2005).” In a review of strategies, PEW wrote, “Pre-harvest measures are the first step to effectively controlling food safety hazards and improving public health, and they should begin as far up the supply chain as possible. . .” (PEW 2019). There are numerous roadblocks to implement preharvest controls including regulatory, economic and logistical issues (PEW 2017). 

How to overcome the roadblocks and incentivize preharvest controls has been discussed for decades. One way could have FSIS identify which sources bring outbreak strains of Salmonella to slaughter. FSIS could assign analytical resources to sampling animals in lairage for Salmonella and link outbreak positives to sources. This would better enable FSIS to make three choices: 1. Prevent the hazards, 2. Remove the hazards, or 3. Negate the hazards.

1. Prevent the hazards
The hazards originate in the preharvest environment. FSIS has no jurisdiction there but can influence actions e.g. 9 CFR 310.21 “Carcasses suspected of containing sulfa and antibiotic residues; sampling frequency; disposition of affected carcasses and parts.” FSIS could tag future animals from preharvest sources that have been positive for outbreak strains and subject them to more intensive inspection to remove or negate the hazards similar to the EU’s RB-MSAS. 

Plugging the anus or eviscerating before dehairing could prevent fecal contamination but would not address pathogen carriage in the lymph nodes and tonsils.

A review of preharvest controls for pigs would require more words than this article allows but here is a list of recent reviews: (Koyun 2022, Bearson 2022, Rodrigues da Costa 2021, Bernad-Roche 2021, Sargeant 2021, Ostanello 2020, Peeters 2020, FAO/WHO 2016, FSIS 2013)

2. Remove the hazards
The dehairing process is a primary source of fecal contamination. It’s a well documented and ignored problem. The tumbling and paddling press fecal material out of the anus and the paddles press some fluid into the empty follicles. Thus, any enteric pathogens carried by this non-visible fecal material are protected from interventions such as singeing, polishing, and washing. Handling the carcass during cutting, presses some liquid from the follicles and increases the prevalence of Salmonella on parts. Implementing a fluorescence imaging device would aid verification that fecal material was not present (Gorji 2022, Sueker 2021).

Excising the lymph nodes, as described for cattle, might be practical or too intensive. (Koohmaraie and Wheeler 2019)

3. Negate the hazards
FSIS would tag carcasses from sources that have been positive for outbreak strains. Require all tagged carcasses and their parts to be treated to inactivate enteric pathogens. Treatment could be cooking, high hydrostatic pressure, irradiation, or other validated processes. 

The processes of negating or removing the enteric pathogens would likely reduce the value of the animals and thus provide an economic incentive for preventing the hazards. The costs for those producers who have implemented preharvest interventions would be justified and in the spirit of 21 USC 602.

References
Alban, L., Poulsen, M.K., Petersen, J.V., Lindegaard, L.L., Meinert, L., Koch, A.G. and Møgelmose, V., 2022. Assessment of risk to humans related to Salmonella from bile on pig carcasses. Food Control, 131, p.108415.

Bearson, S.M.D.. 2022. Salmonella in Swine: Prevalence, Multidrug Resistance, and Vaccination Strategies. Annual Review of Animal Biosciences.10:373-393 

Bernad-Roche, M., Casanova Higes, A., Marín Alcalá, C.M., Cebollada Solanas, A. and Mainar Jaime, R.C., 2021. Salmonella infection in nursery piglets and its role in the spread of salmonellosis to further production periods. Pathogens, 10:123.

Berrang,M. E., R. J. Buhr, J.A. Cason, and J.A.Dickens. 2001. Broiler carcass contamination with Campylobacter from feces during defeathering. J. Food Prot. 64:2063–2066.

Berrang, M. E., Meinersmann, R. J., & Adams, E. S. (2018). Shredded sponge or paper as a cloacal plug to limit broiler carcass Campylobacter contamination during automated defeathering. J. Applied Poultry Research, 27:483-487.

Blankenship, L.C., Bailey, J.S, Cox, N.A, Musgrove, M.T, Berrang, M.E, Wilson, R.L, Rose, M.J, Dua, S.K. 1993. Broiler Carcass Reprocessing, a Further Evaluation. J. Food Prot. 56:983-985. doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X-56.11.983

Cavalheiro, L.G., Gené, L.A., Coldebella, A., Kich, J.D. and Ruiz, V.L.D.A., 2022. Microbiological Quality of Pig Carcasses in a Slaughterhouse Under Risk-Based Inspection System. Available at SSRN 4011027. doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4011027

Feng, Y.Z., Sun, D.W. 2012. Application of Hyperspectral Imaging in Food Safety Inspection and Control: A Review, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 52:1039-1058, DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2011.651542 

FSIS 2022a. Changes to the Salmonella Verification Testing Program: Proposed Performance Standards for Salmonella in Raw Comminuted Pork and Intact or Non-Intact Pork Cuts and Related Agency Verification Procedures. 02/16/2022 87 FR 8774

FSIS 2022b Changes to the Salmonella Verification Testing Program: Proposed Performance Standards for Salmonella in Raw Comminuted Pork and Intact or Non-Intact Pork Cuts and Related Agency Verification Procedures. A Notice by the Food Safety and Inspection Service on 02/16/2022  https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/02/16/2022-03301/changes-to-the-salmonella-verification-testing-program-proposed-performance-standards-for-salmonella

FSIS 2021: FSIS Seeking Proposals for Pilot Projects to Control Salmonella in Poultry Slaughter and Processing Establishments  

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/news-events/news-press-releases/constituent-update-december-3-2021

FSIS 2013: Compliance Guideline for Controlling Salmonella in Market Hogs. First Edition December 2013. FSIS-GD-2013-0023 https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/import/Controlling-Salmonella-in-Market-Hogs.pdf

Galton, M. M., W. V. Smith, H. B. McElrath, A. B. Hardy. (1954). Salmonella in Swine, Cattle and the Environment of Abattoirs. J Infect Dis. 95(3):236-245.

Gorji, HT, Shahabi SM, Sharma A, Tande LQ, Husarik K, Qin J, Chan DE, Baek I, Kim MS, MacKinnon N, Morrow J. 2022. Combining deep learning and fluorescence imaging to automatically identify fecal contamination on meat carcasses. Scientific Reports. 12:1-1. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-06379-1 

Harvey, R.B., Norman, K.N., Anderson, R.C., Nisbet, D.J. 2020. A preliminary study on the presence of Salmonella in lymph nodes of sows at processing plants in the United States. Microorganisms. 8:1602. doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8101602

Hdaifeh, A., Khalid, T., Boué, G., Cummins, E., Guillou, S., Federighi, M. and Tesson, V., 2020. Critical Analysis of Pork QMRA Focusing on Slaughterhouses: Lessons from the Past and Future Trends. Foods, 9:1704. doi.org/10.3390/foods9111704

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Koyun, O.Y., Callaway, T.R., Nisbet, D.J. and Anderson, R.C., 2022. Innovative Treatments Enhancing the Functionality of Gut Microbiota to Improve Quality and Microbiological Safety of Foods of Animal Origin. Annu. Rev. Food Sci. Technol., 13.

Ostanello, F. and De De Lucia, A., 2020. On-farm risk factors associated with Salmonella in pig herds. Large Animal Review, 26(3), pp.133-140.

Peeters, L., Dewulf, J., Boyen, F., Brossé, C., Vandersmissen, T., Rasschaert, G., Heyndrickx, M., Cargnel, M., Mattheus, W., Pasmans, F. and Haesebrouck, F., 2020. Bacteriological evaluation of vaccination against Salmonella Typhimurium with an attenuated vaccine in subclinically infected pig herds. Preventive veterinary medicine, 182, p.104687.

Riess, L. E., Hoelzer, K. 2020. Implementation of Visual-only Swine Inspection in the European Union: Challenges, Opportunities, and Lessons Learned. J Food Prot. 83:1918–1928. doi.org/10.4315/JFP-20-157

Rodrigues da Costa, M., Pessoa, J., Meemken, D. and Nesbakken, T., 2021. A Systematic Review on the Effectiveness of Pre-Harvest Meat Safety Interventions in Pig Herds to Control Salmonella and Other Foodborne Pathogens. Microorganisms, 9:1825.

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The Ministry of Health of Córdoba is now reporting 46 cases of trichinosis, which is up from the 13 infections the agency reported earlier this month.

Most of those ill are from Córdoba but five live in Santa Rosa de Calamuchita and four in Deán Funes. Patients have been treated in different healthcare centers.

The Ministry of Health told people to take care when eating or selling pork products, adding that symptoms can initially be confused with the flu or COVID-19. The agency also warned against the consumption of raw meats or homemade sausages that have not been inspected prior to processing.

Public health officials urged people to check the label on all purchased pork products for information including the brand, company name, establishment authorization number, storage conditions and date of manufacture and expiry.

Patient interviews confirmed the consumption of salami and chorizo but no brand has been identified.

Origin of the food could not be established and investigations are ongoing, said authorities.

Past outbreak and about Trichinella
In late 2021, Córdoba had almost 250 cases of trichinosis linked to eating pork products.

Investigations found a link to pork meat, sausages and salami from different businesses in Villa del Totoral. In some cases, this meat was resold to other vendors. The presence of Trichinella Spiralis larvae was confirmed in one test from seized products.

Trichinellosis, or trichinosis, is a disease transmitted by eating raw or undercooked pork contaminated with the parasite Trichinella, which is not visible to the naked eye.

Initial symptoms of infection in people are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, fever, and abdominal discomfort. Headaches, fevers, chills, cough, swelling of the face and eyes, aching joints and muscle pains. Itchy skin, diarrhea or constipation may follow. Patients may have difficulty coordinating movements, and have heart and breathing problems.

Abdominal symptoms can occur one to two days after infection. Further symptoms usually start two to eight weeks after eating contaminated meat. Freezing, curing or salting, drying, smoking, or microwaving meat may not kill the organism. The best way to prevent trichinellosis is to cook meat to a temperature of 71 degrees C (160 degrees F).

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“Judge (James) Arguelles’ decision recognizes the complexity of the pork supply chain and the burdensome and costly provisions of Prop 12,” said President and CEO of the Meat Institute Julie Anna Potts. “To enforce the law without final regulations leaves the industry unsure of how to comply or what significant changes must be made to provide pork to this critical market.”

The ruling delays enforcement of the square footage and sales requirements for whole pork products until 180 days after the final Prop 12 rules go into effect. The judge’s order came in California Hispanic Chambers Of Commerce vs. Karen Ross, found here.

Economists predicted a 2022 shortage of bacon and other pork products in California because few producers complied with Prop 12 housing requirements for pigs.   

Federal courts permit California to impose its animal housing requirements on other states seeking access to the Golden State market. California is a large consumer market for pork but cannot meet that demand without out-of-state producers.

Pork producers and industry groups like the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) oppose Prop 12. The 350 meatpacking and processing companies represented by NAMI produce 95 percent of the nation’s meat products and 70 percent of the turkey products.

NAMI said California needs to delay Prop 12 implementation because the sketchy law includes criminal sanctions and civil litigation for non-compliance.

Prop 12 amended Prop 2, California’s first ban on three forms of animal confinement, including gestation crates for pregnant pigs, veal crates for calves, and battery cages for egg-laying hens. Prop 2 did not prohibit sales of food derived from animals “wrongfully” confined.

Prop 12, adopted by California voters in 2018, expands the Cruelty Act to ban the sale of food from “covered animals” from both within and outside California. The law applies to all business owners and operators.

The law could see a restaurant manager ordering bacon from a supplier face criminal sanctions but provide a “good faith” defense if the manager holds a written certificate from the supplier.

The California business groups led by the Hispanic Chambers of Commerce did not get everything they wanted. They suggested 28 months after California promulgates final rules before any enforcement. The judge went with 180-days or six months without any enforcement.

That could change, however.

“After final regulations are enacted, the parties may return to this court for an appropriate adjustment to the date,” the 11-page order says.

For the reasons cited in the ruling, the court found that promulgation of the regulations necessary concerning square footage requirements for governing whole pork sales   The judge the  responsibility for the regulations is “a mandatory ministerial duty.”  The order includes a writ barring state and local prosecutors from enforcing the prohibition on the intrastate sale of work pork until the regulations are enacted and the 180-day delay concludes.

The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) recorded a rise in cases of hepatitis E virus (HEV) between January and May 2021.

A total of 105 cases were reported across the country, which is almost triple the number compared to the same period in previous years. More men than women were affected and patients ranged in age from 18 to 87 years old. A total of 29 people were hospitalized with or following an HEV infection and two died.

Possible pork link
An investigation by FOPH, also known as OFSP, BAG and UFSP, included a case-control study and analyzing foodstuffs but no source could be identified.

However, the infections were shown to be caused by an HEV subtype which is found in pigs in Switzerland. More than half of cases were detected following blood donations and almost a third were asymptomatic.

Among patients, three clusters of linked cases were identified with 16 belonging to the first cluster, nine to the second and six to the third while 14 samples were not associated with any cluster.

From mid-April to late May, the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) tested meat products, in particular raw pork, raw pork liver and raw deer meat, for hepatitis E. From 198 samples, two pig livers and three sausages were positive. Sequencing virus isolates from food proved difficult but none of the pig liver positives matched those from human samples.

FSVO is looking at whether other measures or recommendations around the preparation and production of meat are necessary following the investigation.

Authorities advise that people with compromised immune systems or liver disease, the elderly, pregnant women and children should not eat raw or undercooked pork or wild boar meat products.

Symptoms of hepatitis E can include fatigue, poor appetite, stomach pain, nausea, and jaundice. However, many people, especially young children, have no symptoms. They usually appear from two to six weeks after exposure to the virus.

Hepatitis E model
Meanwhile, a model to predict thermal inactivation for HEV has been published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Glasgow Caledonian University, Campden BRI, Jorvik Food Safety Services and the University of Strathclyde were part of the project.

Hepatitis E infection is an emerging issue in the UK and there is evidence to suggest an association with undercooked pork products. There is no standardized method for evaluating the stability of HEV that may be present in food during cooking processes or a suitable method to detect only intact HEV that can cause an infection.

Published evidence suggests heating does have an impact on HEV, but there is uncertainty on survival of the virus across a range of cooking times and temperatures and in different foods.

Minimum advice is to cook food to an internal temperature of 70 degrees C for two minutes. Data shows that HEV is more resistant than expected and that cooking at 70 degrees C to 75 degrees C (158 degrees F to 167 degrees F) may not fully eliminate the virus. However, it is unknown if it is still infectious.

The created model can help predict the amount of virus that will be degraded over a specific time and with cooking at a certain temperature. It can be adapted when advancements have been made in measuring HEV infectivity in food.

The model can be used to inform risk assessments, FSA advice to consumers and control measures in food safety management systems in industry.

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USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service on Jan. 5 released its remote ongoing verification audit of Poland’s pork products inspection system for May 25 through July 8, 2021.

“Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the audit was conducted remotely using video conferences to conduct interviews and records reviews,” according to the audit report. 

More than 4.1 million of Poland’s population of nearly 38 million have reported COVID-19 infections since the start of the pandemic in early 2020. More than 99,000 have died.

“The purpose of the audit was to determine whether Poland’s food safety inspection system governing raw and processed pork products remains equivalent to that of the United States, with the ability to export safe, wholesome, unadulterated products and correctly labeled and packaged,” it said.

 To the United States, Poland currently exports thermally processed, commercially sterile (TPCS) pork; ready-to-eat (RTE) pork fully-cooked without subsequent exposure to the environment; RTE fully-cooked pork; RTE dried pork; RTE acidified/fermented pork (without cooking); raw intact pork; and not ready-to-eat (NRTE) otherwise processed pork.

The audit focused on six system equivalence components, including:

1. Government Oversight (Organization and Administration).
2. Government Statutory Authority and Food Safety and Other Consumer Protection Regulations ( Inspection System Operation, Product Standards, Labeling, and Humane Handling).
3. Government Sanitation.
4. Government Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System.
5. Government Chemical Residue Testing Programs.
6. Government Microbiological Testing Programs.

The U.S. FSIS auditors concluded that Poland’s inspection system for raw and processed pork products provides ultimate control, supervision, and enforcement of regulatory requirements. 

Poland’s Central Competent Authority (CCA) has required that establishments certified as eligible to export products to the United States implement sanitary operating procedures and a HACCP system designed to improve the safety of their products. 

Polish authorities have implemented microbiological and chemical residue testing programs to verify its system. An analysis of each component did not identify any systemic findings representing an immediate threat to public health.

In addition to the FSIS Office of International Coordination, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) oversees requirements to control African Swine Fever (ASF) related to pork from Poland.

The audit report also said FSIS:

• reviewed and analyzed GVI’s Self-Reporting Tool (SRT) responses and supporting documentation before the remote equivalence verification audit. During the audit, the FSIS auditors conducted interviews and reviewed records to determine whether Poland’s food safety inspection system governing pork meat products is being implemented as documented in the country’s SRT responses and supporting documentation.
• applied a risk-based procedure that included an analysis of country performance within six equivalence components, product types and volumes, frequency of prior audit-related site visits, point-of-entry (POE) reinspection, and testing results in specific oversight activities of government offices, and testing capacities of laboratories.

 The review process included an analysis of data collected by FSIS over three years and information obtained directly from GVI through the SRT.

“FSIS performed the remote audit to verify that the food safety inspection system meets requirements equivalent to those under the specific provisions of United States laws and regulations, in particular:

• The Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 United States Code [U.S.C.] Section 601 et seq.);
• The Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter Act (7 U.S.C. Sections 1901-1906); and
• The Meat Inspection Regulations (9 CFR Parts 301 to the end).
• The audit standards applied during the review of Poland’s inspection system for pork meat products included: (1) all applicable legislation originally determined as equivalent by FSIS as part of the initial review process and (2) any subsequent equivalence determinations that FSIS has made under provisions of the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.

FSIS import inspectors performed 100 percent re-inspection for labeling and certification on 359,794,555 pounds of pork meat products from Poland from Dec. 1, 2017, to Feb. 8, 2021. Including:

• 4,018,365 pounds of TPCS pork;
• 12,855,745 pounds of RTE pork fully-cooked without subsequent exposure to the environment;
• 47,620,386 pounds of RTE fully-cooked pork;
• 372,143 pounds of RTE dried pork;
• 339,439 pounds of RTE acidified/fermented pork (without cooking);
• 293,485,511 pounds of raw intact pork; and
• 1,102,966 pounds of NRTE otherwise processed pork exported by Poland to the United States.

Of these amounts, additional types of inspection were performed on 37,251,989 pounds of meat, including:

• 301,772 pounds of TPCS pork;
• 1,634,862 pounds of RTE pork fully-cooked without subsequent exposure to the environment;
• 5,838,741 pounds of RTE fully-cooked pork;
• 51,174 pounds of RTE dried pork;
• 32,671 pounds of RTE acidified/fermented pork (without cooking);
•  29,308,982 pounds of raw intact pork; and
• 83,787 pounds of NRTE otherwise processed pork.

The audit report continues by saying “These additional types of inspection included physical examination, condition of container examination for TPCS products, chemical residue analysis, and testing for microbiological pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) and Salmonella in RTE products). Since the previous FSIS audit of Poland in 2019, there have been seven public health critical violations identified at POE, resulting in the rejection of 390,221 pounds of pork products. The principal cause of these rejections was the presence of ingesta. In addition, there were five other consumer protection/non-critical violations related predominately to foreign materials (193,806 pounds). All identified POE violations were limited to two establishments, both of which were selected for in-depth review during the remote audit reflected in this report.”

The audit exit meeting via videoconference was held on July 8, 2021, with the finding that “Poland’s inspection system for raw and processed pork products is organized to provide ultimate control, supervision, and enforcement of regulatory requirements.”

In a brief response to the audit, Katarzyna Piskorz, Poland’s chief veterinary officer, said the project demonstrated “a great understanding of the operation of the meat inspection system in Poland and the implementation of U.S. regulations in Polish establishments of the pork sector approved for export to the indicated market.”

In 2019, 12 countries reported 141 cases of trichinellosis of which 96 were confirmed. Bulgaria with 55 confirmed cases, Italy with 10 and Spain with 40 but only 12 confirmed accounted for most of these. Romania recorded 21 cases but only six were confirmed.

Trichinellosis, or trichinosis, is a disease transmitted by eating raw or undercooked pork contaminated with the parasite Trichinella. It can take up to eight weeks for symptoms to develop.

The highest reporting rate was in males aged 25 to 44 years old. Higher rates in males than females were observed in five out of six age groups. Bulgaria was the only country to report cases in 0 to 4 years old with both being males, according to data published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

In 2018, only 66 infections were reported with 45 of these coming from Bulgaria. This was the lowest rate since the start of EU-level surveillance in 2007. The number of confirmed cases in 2019 was still lower than the five-year average in the European region.

Case numbers typically peak between January and February. This recurring peak may reflect the consumption of various pork products during the Christmas holiday period and the wild boar hunting season, said ECDC. In 2019, a peak in December was because of a foodborne outbreak in Italy caused by Trichinella britovi.

Five outbreaks recorded
Bulgaria reported two trichinellosis outbreaks to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) while Croatia, Italy and Romania all had one each.

The two foodborne outbreaks in Bulgaria were caused by unspecified Trichinella species and involved 27 people, including one person who required hospitalization.

Trichinella spiralis was implicated in the two outbreaks reported by Croatia and Romania that involved three and five cases, respectively, all of which needed hospitalization. The outbreaks in Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania were associated with pig meat and products including wild boar.

The outbreak reported by Italy was caused by Trichinella britovi and three out of nine people were hospitalized; wild boar meat products were the implicated vehicle.

Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Poland, Romania and Spain reported positive infections in domestic pigs not raised under controlled housing conditions. EU regulation requires tests for Trichinella in all slaughtered pigs, wild boars, horses and other farmed or wild animals susceptible to Trichinella infestation from sites not officially recognized as applying controlled housing conditions. Animals slaughtered for home consumption are not included in this law and national rules differ.

There is a relationship between the lack of awareness and low-income of consumers living in rural areas, an inadequacy of local veterinary meat inspection services, and the occurrence of Trichinella in domestic animals in EU and non-EU countries, said ECDC.

Consumption of undercooked meat from pigs raised under non-controlled housing conditions or hunted wild boar was the highest risk for acquiring trichinellosis in Europe.

About symptoms
Initial symptoms of infection in people are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, fever, and abdominal discomfort. Headaches, fevers, chills, cough, swelling of the face and eyes, aching joints and muscle pains, itchy skin, diarrhea or constipation may follow.

Abdominal symptoms can occur one to two days after infection. Further symptoms usually start two to eight weeks after eating contaminated meat. Freezing, curing or salting, drying, smoking, or microwaving meat may not kill infective worms.

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Danes travelled far less this past year because of COVID-19 restrictions, so going abroad was linked to just less than 20 percent of 614 Salmonella cases. Normally, about half of registered infections are travel related.

Danish pork was estimated to have caused 22 percent of illnesses followed by imported pork and duck meat with 9 percent and 6 percent of cases respectively.

A data management issue prevented the statistics being published earlier this year at the same time as the 2020 zoonoses report.

In total, 3,742 Campylobacter cases were recorded in 2020 which was 31 percent fewer than the previous year. Salmonella infections decreased by 45 percent to 614 followed by 448 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections and 413 Yersinia enterocolitica infections. One reason for the decline was people were less likely to visit the doctor with minor illness symptoms during lockdowns.

Pork increase impacted by other factors
A direct comparison of figures shows a large increase in the number of Salmonella cases caused by Danish pork from 8 percent in 2019 to 22 percent in 2020.

However, the primary reason for this is the drop in travel related cases from 419 to 111 between 2019 and 2020. The actual rise in cases attributed to Danish pork is much smaller.

Of 562 Salmonella isolates from the 614 infections, 462 cases were sporadic and 100 were associated with 10 outbreaks, including 25 as part of an international event. Sporadic cases included 111 travel related, 220 domestic and 141 with unknown travel history.

Overall, 140 of the 562 cases were attributed to Danish produced food, 94 to imported food and 127 to unknown sources.

A total of 35 outbreaks were registered in 2020 compared with 51 in the previous year. The number of people affected was 1,190 with an average of 34 per outbreak and a range of two to 200. More than 1,900 people were sick in 2019.

The number of Salmonella outbreaks was stable with 10 compared to nine in 2019. Five were caused by Salmonella Typhimurium or the monophasic variant but sources were not found.

The largest national outbreak was because of Salmonella Strathcona with 25 cases from May to July. Imported tomatoes were suspected to be the cause. An outbreak of Salmonella Kottbus occurred in a restaurant in Copenhagen in June. Of 36 patients, 14 were lab-confirmed. Pea purée was the likely source because of cross-contamination and inadequate temperature control on a hot summer day.

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The pork pellet products were imported on Sept. 15 and further processed into a variety of pork rind and chicharrones items. 

The products subject to recall are listed here.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 6030” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Washington.

The problem was discovered during routine FSIS surveillance activities of imported products.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about a reaction should contact a healthcare provider.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ pantries. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

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Health officials in Córdoba revealed that 244 cases of trichinosis had been registered in Totoral, Colón, Unión, Capital and Río Cuarto.

Trichinellosis, or trichinosis, is a disease transmitted by eating raw or undercooked pork contaminated with the parasite Trichinella.

Large rise in number sick
The Ministry of Health of Córdoba, said almost 200 of the sick people live in the town of Villa del Totoral. Patients were treated in different health care centers. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the National Service of Agrifood Health and Quality (SENASA) are monitoring the outbreak.

Investigations have found a link to pork meat, sausages and salami from different businesses in Villa del Totoral. In some cases, the resale of this meat to other merchants was identified.

Seizure of products was carried out in two businesses and the presence of Trichinella Spiralis larvae was confirmed in one test with other results pending.

An earlier warning revealed 22 people were sick in Villa del Totoral and the city of Córdoba.

Authorities seized about 800 kilograms — more than 1,700 pounds — of sausages and pork in a store in Villa del Totoral because of a lack of traceability documents.

Cases in Buenos Aires
In the province of Buenos Aires, eight cases of trichinosis had previously been confirmed in the town of Cañuelas with another five probable. Officials in Chascomus, also in Buenos Aires, reported some infections in the city and a number of people have fallen ill in the city of Chacabuco after eating sausages.

Initial symptoms of infection in people are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, fever, and abdominal discomfort. Headaches, fevers, chills, cough, swelling of the face and eyes, aching joints and muscle pains, itchy skin, diarrhea or constipation may follow. Patients may have difficulty coordinating movements, and heart and breathing problems.

Abdominal symptoms can occur one to two days after infection. Further symptoms usually start two to eight weeks after eating contaminated meat. Freezing, curing or salting, drying, smoking, or microwaving meat may not kill the organism. The best way to prevent trichinellosis is to cook meat to a temperature of 71 degrees C (160 degrees F).

E. coli in Córdoba
The Ministry of Health of Córdoba has also reported 16 cases and two deaths due to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by E. coli so far this year. There were 21 cases in 2020 and 25 in both 2019 and 2018.

About 5 to 10 percent of those diagnosed with E. coli infections develop a potentially life-threatening kidney failure complication, known as HUS.

In 2021, 15 patients were children under 5 years old, and the age group most affected was 2 to 3 year olds with seven cases. Ten of those reported were female and six male. Eight sick people lived in the city of Córdoba, and eight in other locations in the province.

Officials urged people to pay attention when handling food, wash hands frequently and use safe drinking water.

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