Numerous food recalls have been granted the highest warning level offered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) so far in November.
In all, 12 products have been awarded a Class I recall status, the highest risk level available. It is issued when there is a "reasonable probability" that the use of or exposure to a product could "cause serious adverse health consequences or death."
Food recalls are made by the FDA and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) for a variety of reasons, including contamination with harmful bacteria, undeclared allergens and mislabeling, and foreign object contamination.
This month, the most common reason for Class I recalls was harmful bacteria—Listeria and E.coli—which was responsible for nine voluntary recalls granted Class I status in November alone. Recent outbreaks of both in contaminated food have resulted in deaths across the U.S. in this year.
"Foodborne diseases can be quite serious—even deadly," Lisa R. Robinson, vice president of global food safety and public health at Ecolab, told Newsweek. "The challenge is that the pathogens responsible for foodborne illness are all naturally occurring. Salmonella and E. coli, for example, can be found in the gut biome of chickens and cattle. Cronobacter and listeria are even more present—they can be found in soil and fields, so they're easily tracked from one environment to another."
Undeclared allergens also feature, with two products being withdrawn due to undeclared sesame and egg. Allergens can cause serious and sometimes deadly reactions, and the nine major allergens—peanuts, wheat, milk, tree nuts, soy, egg, crustaceans (shellfish), fish and sesame—are all required by law to be clearly marked on all products.
The following products have been subject to a Class I recall notice in November:
- Shirakiku Korean Seasoned Seaweed - undeclared allergen (sesame)
- Joseph Seviroli: Chicken Alfredo Kit - Listeria contamination
- Dakota Toms: Pepperjack Cheese Burger - Listeria contamination
- Dakota Toms: Bacon Cheeseburger - Listeria contamination
- Dakota Toms: The Gambler - Listeria contamination
- Taylor Farms: raw, yellow onions (sliced/diced/slivered/ringed) - E.coli contamination
- Taylor Farms: raw onions (whole and unpeeled) - E.coli contamination. Two package sizes: 5lb and 50lb.
- Taylor Farms: raw, yellow onions (whole and peeled) - E.coli contamination
- FreshPoint: Fresh onions (julienne/diced) - E.coli contamination
- "IMPERIALFRESH PROC FAJITA GRN PEPRED PEP" - E.coli contamination
- Bowl & Basket: onion soup and dip mix - undeclared allergen (egg)
Twenty-six states are covered by at least one of the recalls. Eight states, namely Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming, are subject to five Class I recalls. Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota all have four currently in place, while Arizona, California, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington all have three or less.
The current recalls are only ones that have been classified in November, while there are other graded food items that are still being withdrawn from previous months.
English (US) ·