Happy Apples...not!

[DFB]

Holy cow I just caught up this news. It originally happened just before the holidays and although nothing about it was in my immediate region it still concerns me somewhat considering I work for a decent sized regional apple producer and distributor with a tri-state market. Stuff like this is the whole reason why a business like ours has to come under compliance to GAP regulation (my boss generally thinks its all big joke) if for nothing more less to cover your *ss from possible consumer litigation with documented product traceability.

In September 2014 Bidart Bros. was given an acceptable rating by the USDA following its latest inspection." :shocked:

Kroger caramel apples added to recall - The Packer

Obviously the original outbreak was traced to a processed apple product aka prepackaged caramel apples but since then has been expanded to included ALL gala and granny smiths from the regional distributor and includes 14 states!

Bidart Bros. recall expands to all galas, granny smiths - The Packer

Happy Apple Co., California Snack Foods, El Monte, Calif., and Merb Candies, St. Louis, all recalled caramel and candy apples in December after Bidart Bros. notified them that its granny smith apples might be contaminated with listeria. Although the Happy Apple Co. and Merb Candies receive apples from other growers, the FDA ongoing traceback investigation has confirmed that Bidart Bros. is the only apple grower that supplied apples to both companies.

Surprisingly this has escalated beyond just mostly domestic issue and some Canadian distribution to include an import ban from one foreign country and some holding imports. Vietnam is testing and holding 100% of all apple varieties from the U.S. and Thailand is testing all U.S. galas and granny smiths, strengthening measures in Vietnam are temporary, with officials estimating they will return to normal sampling of only 10% in one to two months. Other places affected by the recall include the Philippines.

Asia expands efforts against U.S. apples in wake of Bidart recall - The Packer

Geez and they always said apples were good for you

 

[dave1949]

I really don't understand how listeria comes to be on apples, or on the cantaloupes a few years back. I assume the contamination vector is the water used in these storage and processing plants?

USDA inspection has not been confidence inspiring lately.

 

[texasjohn]

Dang, it's a sneaky booger.

so far, seems to be related only to candy/caramel apples .... wondering if it is the caramel, the apples, or the processor...

Listeria outbreaks are often difficult to investigate. The bacteria can stay in the body a long time -- even up to six weeks -- before making a person sick, allowing more people to be infected by the same food source and leaving a cold trail for disease detectives trying to locate the outbreakç—´ origin. But outbreaks are detected regularly, despite the difficulties, and litigation is part of the system we have in the United States to make food safer in the long run.

FDA Investigates <em>Listeria monocytogenes</em> Illnesses Linked to Caramel Apples

Listeria Recall : Food Poisoning Law BlogListeria Recall : Food Poisoning Law Blog

Seems it can occur anywhere...smoked salmon, cheese, candy apples, organic grown, whole foods, sprouts, HEB, grape tomatoes, cantaloupes, chicken, turkey, lobster.....

 

[DFB]

I'm curious to the "root cause" of that myself. Our business doesn't use water after harvest. Apples are machine cleaned with dry brush rollers before grading, packing, and distribution. And one of the things we need to do now daily is wipe down the packing equipment with food grade approved sanitizers. Apple storage coolers have a lot moisture laden air Every crate we pick now is documented as to date and exact location of harvest on the 50 acres and every field handler has a code to use for further traceability. At processing every single box is date coded and recorded again. Regulations require the use of new packaging material...boxes, liners, sleeves, etc. each and every time. No recycling of used distribution products. The biggest future concern that they haven't instituted yet is the replacement of the historic wooden apple crate with another material that can be properly sanitized. That is going to be a huge industry changeover. Food grade poly handling crates are used in almost every other area of produce handling and believe it or not a crate sized to meet the existing standard dimensions of apple industry doesn't yet exist. :scratchchin:



I believe the cantaloupe problem was traced back to improper storage and handling
Doing a quick search the first link I read says the exact cause of contamination has never been pinpointed

Listeria deaths rise to 29 in cantaloupe outbreak - CNN.com

But the blame game is still ongoing and stakes are high too!

7. Jensen Farms listeria lawsuits - The Packer

 

[DFB]

This was from second link in my original post

“Several” samples collected at the Bidart Bros. apple packing facility tested positive for listeria monocytogenes, but additional tests are ongoing to determine if it is the same strain of the pathogen that has killed six and sickened at least 34 people in the U.S. and Canada.



We did caramel & candied apples at work for an open house at the new barn store we just built. Originally they were sealed in a cellophane wrapper but one of the girls got the bright idea to use a folding cardboard container...guess what all the coating melted off inside the box. :laughing:

 

[aczlan]

The biggest future concern that they haven't instituted yet is the replacement of the historic wooden apple crate with another material that can be properly sanitized. That is going to be a huge industry changeover. Food grade poly handling crates are used in almost every other area of produce handling and believe it or not a crate sized to meet the existing standard dimensions of apple industry doesn't yet exist. :scratchchin:

MacroBin would beg to differ (no they aren't exact, but we deal with 5-6 sizes of 20 bushel bins anyways, so whats one more), although the guys who schlep them around on forklifts would prefer that the growers not use them (especially on a wet day) as they are SLIPPERY when wet.
I suspect that the growers who sell by weight prefer the wood bins because they make it easier to bring in soaking wet wood bins of fruit and get a little more money for their fruit...

Aaron Z

 

[DFB]

Update still no answers

Apple-related listeria outbreak over; investigation ongoing - The Packer

Aaron somehow I missed your post. We don't use the large bins. They are easy enough to get. They are an industry standard. All the boxes we use are single bu. none of our doorways are sized for a 40" bin. or forklift use. I sourced some samples from a couple of places but nothing is even a close match to the currently used bu. box

 

[aczlan]

Update still no answers

Apple-related listeria outbreak over; investigation ongoing - The Packer

Aaron somehow I missed your post. We don't use the large bins. They are easy enough to get. They are an industry standard. All the boxes we use are single bu. none of our doorways are sized for a 40" bin. or forklift use. I sourced some samples from a couple of places but nothing is even a close match to the currently used bu. box

Ah, we deal with the large bins at work (usually 4 at a time on a forklift when full, or 6-12 at a time when empty). We might have a few bushel bins here and there, but 99.9% are 20, 22 or 25 bushel bins (with a few 12 bushel bins thrown in for good measure).

Aaron Z