FDA has confirmed that lead and chromium detected in the cinnamon in applesauce pouches imported from Ecuador are from lead chromate. Three brands of applesauce pouches, manufactured in Ecuador and sold under WanaBana, Weis, and Schnucks brands, were recalled last November due to lead contamination.

Historically, lead chromate has been illegally added to certain spices increase to their weight and enhance their color, which increases the monetary value of the adulterated spices, the agency said in a February 29 statement. FDA’s leading hypothesis remains that this was likely an act of economically motivated adulteration.

FDA has limited authority over foreign ingredient suppliers who do not directly ship product to the U.S. This is because their food undergoes further manufacturing/processing prior to export. Therefore, FDA has limited ability to take direct action with Negasmart, the supplier of cinnamon to Austrofoods, or Carlos Aguilera, the processor of the cinnamon sticks.

Ecuadorian officials in Agencia Nacional de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria (ARCSA) have reported that Carlos Aguilera of Ecuador, is the likely source of contamination and is not in operation at this time.

The CDC has identified 468 total cases of contamination in 44 states. The investigation is ongoing.  

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Rizo-López Foods, a Modesto, Calif.-based dairy product manufacturer, has voluntarily recalled 61 of its products after a CDC investigation uncovered a link to an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections.

As of February 12, there have been 26 illnesses, including 24 hospitalizations and two deaths, associated with the outbreak. The outbreak has spanned nearly a decade—from June 2014 to December 2023—and run through 11 states. Of the known cases, eight cases were reported in California, with other confirmed cases in Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington.

The recalled products include cheeses, crema, and yogurt sold under the brand names Tio Francisco, Don Francisco, Rizo Bros, Rio Grande, Food City, El Huache, La Ordena, San Carlos, Campesino, Santa Maria, Dos Ranchitos, Casa Cardenas, and 365 Whole Foods Market. Additionally, the products were sold at retail deli counters at El Super, Cardenas Market, Northgate Gonzalez, Superior Groceries, El Rancho, Vallarta, Food City, La Michoacana, and Numero Uno Markets. A full list of recalled products can be found on FDA’s website.

The CDC began investigating the listeria outbreak in 2017 and reopened the case in 2021, but both times even though evidence pointed to queso fresco and similar cheeses as the probable source of the outbreak, there wasn’t enough information to pinpoint any specific brand.

Since the revelation, FDA has initiated an on-site inspection at Rizo Lopez Foods, which is still on-going. The company has temporarily ceased the production and distribution of these products. while their investigation continues.

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BrightFarms, an Irvington, N.Y.-based salad greens growing company, has issued a voluntary recall of select spinach and salad kit products due to possible Listeria contamination, FDA announced. As of January 26, no illnesses have been reported.

The recall is limited to spinach grown by BrightFarms’ supplier Element Farms in its Pompton Plains, NJ farm and distributed under the BrightFarms name. A routine sampling conducted by Element Farms yielded a positive result for Listeria monocytogenes. Due to a potential cross-contamination at BrightFarms’s Selinsgrove, Penn.-based facility, the company also recalled a limited quantity of four select salad kit products.

As such, BrightFarms has temporarily suspended the distribution of Element Farms-grown spinach until it is satisfied that all issues have been fully corrected.

The products included in the recall are BrightFarms Baby Spinach in 3.5 ounces; BrightFarms Mediterranean Crunch Kit in 6.35 ounces; BrightFarms Chickpea Caesar Crunch Kit in 6.5 ounces; BrightFarms Bacon Ranch Crunch Kit in 6.7 ounces; and BrightFarms Southwest Chipotle in 5.8 ounces.

The recalled products were sold in seven states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert out of an abundance of caution due to concerns about Salmonella illnesses that may be associated with ready-to-eat (RTE) charcuterie meat products in Busseto brand Charcuterie Sampler and Fratelli Beretta brand Antipasto Gran Beretta.

FSIS has been working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health partners to investigate a multistate outbreak of 47 Salmonella-related illnesses in 22 states with onset dates ranging from November 20, 2023, through January 1, 2024. FSIS will continue the investigation and issue new information as it becomes available.

The Fratelli Beretta brand Antipasto Gran Beretta was sold at Costco in a 24-oz. twin-pack (two 12-oz. trays). The Busseto brand Charcuterie Sampler was sold at Sam’s Club in an 18-oz. twin-pack (two 9-oz. trays). Any lot code associated with either product is potentially contaminated. The products are no longer available for purchase at Costco and Sam’s Club. Label images can be found in the CDC’s food safety alert.

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A Salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupes sold in 34 U.S. states has, as of November 30, been responsible for two deaths, 61 hospitalizations, and 117 illnesses according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This most-recent update from the agencies expands the list of recalled products and shows an increase in the number of illnesses reported in the last update on November 24. Numerous companies have acted to remove their products from store shelves as a precaution and CDC recommends consumers not eat pre-cut cantaloupe if the product’s brand is unknown.

The impacted whole cantaloupes were sold with labels or stickers that read “Malichita” or “Rudy,” and may contain the words “Product of Mexico/produit du Mexique.” Other brands affected were sold in clear containers and cups, or pre-cut or sliced into cubes.

In Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued recall warnings for Malichita and Rudy-labeled whole and cantaloupe and, as of November 30, several new brands of fresh-cut cantaloupe sold in several provinces and territories. The Public Health Agency of Canada is reporting one death, 17 hospitalizations, and more than 60 illnesses as of November 24.

On November 17, the U.S. agencies reported determined the Salmonella Sundsvall straing as the source of infection. Whole genome sequencing analysis showed that clinical isolates from the ill people in Canada are genetically related to illnesses in the U.S. Since CDC’s update on November 24, the agency has added a second strain of Salmonella (Oranienburg) to this outbreak investigation.

The investigation is ongoing.

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Austrofood and Wanabana USA, distributors behind recalled applesauce pouches, say that cinnamon used to manufacture the products was supplied by Negocios Asociados Mayoristas S.A., operating as Negasmart, a third-party distribution company located in Ecuador.

FDA is continuing to work with Ecuadorian authorities to investigate the source of the contamination and to determine whether the cinnamon in the recalled products was used in other products or distributed as a raw ingredient to other countries. FDA has confirmed that Negasmart does not import cinnamon directly into the U.S.

As of November 30, there have been 57 reports of adverse events potentially linked to recalled product submitted to FDA. To date, those who have been confirmed to be impacted are younger than 5 years old.

FDA relies on self-reported information submitted by healthcare providers, consumers, and some state partners who submitted an adverse event report to FDA as an initial step in determining whether a product is a potential shared source of exposure amongst complainants. Unlike outbreaks of foodborne illnesses that are genetically linked to pathogens, there is no method to link lead exposure to a specific source, which can make establishing a causal relationship complicated. 

FDA’s investigation is ongoing to determine the point of contamination and whether additional products are linked to illnesses. At this time, the agency has no indication that this issue extends beyond these recalled products, but to further protect public health, FDA is screening incoming shipments of cinnamon from multiple countries for lead contamination and, as of November 30, there have been no screening results that have tested positive for higher levels of lead.

The list of recalled products can be found on FDA’s website.

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FDA and CDC are investigating a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to peaches, plums, and nectarines.

Samples from sick people were collected from August 22, 2018, to August 16, 2023. According to a case-case analysis conducted by CDC, people in this Listeria outbreak were 18 times more likely to eat peaches, plums, or nectarines. This suggests that these fruits are a likely source of this outbreak.

On October 23, 2023, FDA collected samples of 2lb bagged peaches at The HMC Group Cold Storage, Inc. in Kingsburg, Calif., and on November 7, 2023, the samples were reported positive and a match to the outbreak strain by whole genome sequencing.

In response to this investigation, HMC Farms has voluntarily recalled these fruits sold in retail stores from May 1, 2022 through November 15, 2022 and from May 1, 2023 through November 15, 2023. The recalled fruit was sold at retail stores as individual pieces of fruit bearing PLU stickers or in consumer packaging; however, the recalled fruit is no longer available for sale and any previously purchased fruit should be past shelf life.

FDA’s investigation is ongoing to determine the source of contamination and whether additional products are linked to illness. Food Quality & Safety will update this advisory as information becomes available.

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FDA, along with CDC and state and local partners, is investigating reports of elevated blood lead levels in individuals with reported exposure to apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches manufactured in Ecuador and sold under WanaBana, Weis, and Schnucks brands. As of November 16, there have been 34 reports of illness potentially linked to recalled product submitted to FDA, most of whom they agency says are children. The company announced a recall of the products in early November.

The agency and other state partners collected and analyzed additional product samples of fruit puree and applesauce pouches and detected elevated levels of lead in one finished product sample of WanaBana apple cinnamon puree collected from Dollar Tree. The level detected in the sample is 2.18 parts per million, which is more than 200 times greater than the action level the FDA has proposed in draft guidance for fruit purees and similar products intended for babies and young children.

To date, sample analysis of WanaBana, Weis, and Schnucks fruit puree pouches that do not contain cinnamon and are not part of the recall, have not shown elevated levels of lead.

FDA’s leading theory is that cinnamon used in these recalled pouches is the likely source of contamination; however, the agency has not yet been able to collect and test samples of the cinnamon used in the recalled products. It continues to work with Ecuadorian authorities to investigate the source of the cinnamon. At this time, while FDA has no indication that this issue extends beyond these recalled products, it is screening incoming shipments of cinnamon from multiple countries for lead contamination.

In addition to determining the source of cinnamon, FDA’s investigation is ongoing to determine the point of contamination and whether additional products are linked to illnesses. As of November 17, the agency says it is not aware of any other reports of illnesses or elevated blood lead level adverse events reported for other cinnamon or cinnamon-containing products.

Food Quality & Safety will update this advisory as information becomes available.

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FDA, in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state partners, is investigating seven human cases of Salmonella Kiambu infection potentially associated with pet food made by Texas-based Mid America Pet Food.

As of November 9, CDC reports that seven people have been infected with the pathogen in California, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, and Hawaii. Six cases involved children under the age of 1 year. Five of the incidents reported exposure to dogs and three reported feeding Victor pet food to their pets. CDC adds that people in this outbreak become sick after touching the recalled dog food, touching objects such as dog bowls that contained the dog food, or touching the feces or saliva of dogs that were fed the product.

Mid America Pet Food issued a voluntary recall in early November, expanding previous recalls made in September and October, for dog and cat food made at its Mount Pleasant, Texas, facility with best by dates before October 31, 2024, due to the products’ potential to be contaminated with the pathogen. The recalled products include Victor Super Premium Dog Foods, Wayne Feeds Dog Food, Eagle Mountain Pet Food, and two varieties of Member’s Mark pet foods that were sold nationwide in retail stores and online.

“We are taking this matter very seriously, and we have already implemented enhanced cleaning at our facility, additional product testing, and other important quality measures to ensure product safety,” the company said in a news release. “As we move forward, Mid America Pet Food is strengthening our commitment to food safety.”

FDA warns consumers who have any of the pet food on the recall list to throw it away in a secure container. Requests for comment from Mid America Pet Food were not immediately returned, and FDA’s investigation is ongoing.

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Tyson Foods, one of the world’s largest processors and marketers of chicken products, has voluntarily recalled 29,819 pounds of fully cooked chicken nuggets due to complaints from consumers about finding small pieces of metal in the product.

“A limited number of consumers have reported they found small, pliable metal pieces in the product, and out of an abundance of caution, the company is recalling this product,” a Tyson spokesperson said.

As of November 8, 2023, there has been just one reported minor oral injury as a result of the problem and the company hasn’t received additional reports of injury or illness from consumption of the product.

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued the recall on November 4, reporting that the products in question are fully cooked dinosaur-shaped chicken “Fun Nuggets” or Dino chicken nuggets that were produced on September 5, 2023, and sold in 29-ounce plastic bags labeled “fully cooked fun nuggets breaded shaped chicken patties.”

The affected nuggets were shipped to distributors in Alabama, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. FSIS will release a full retail distribution list of stores that received the product once it’s available. The agency is worried that some impacted product could be in consumers’ freezers as it’s an item that generally is used for future meals.

No other Tyson-brand products are affected, the company says.

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