A new partnership between Trace Register and Foa and Son International Insurance Brokers provides incentive for the seafood industry to receive product contamination and recall insurance by applying half of insurance premiums toward Trace Register seafood traceability subscription costs.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has officially named Taylor Farms onions served at McDonald’s as the source of the recent Escherichia coli outbreak, and has reported 90 illnesses, 27 hospitalizations, two cases of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, and one fatality.
Testing has shown no sign of Escherichia coli contamination in McDonald’s Quarter Pounder beef patties, and traceback and epidemiological data have ruled out beef as the cause of the ongoing E. coli outbreak. Quarter Pounders have returned to the menu at affected McDonald’s locations—without slivered onions.
Amid the ongoing E. coli outbreak, Taylor Farms has been confirmed as the onion supplier to the affected McDonald’s locations. As a result, national restaurant chains are proactively pulling onions from their menus. FDA is still investigating whether onions are the vehicle of illness.
A foodborne illness outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders contaminated with Escherichia coli has caused 49 illnesses, ten hospitalizations, and one death in ten states. Slivered onions used on the sandwiches are the probable vehicle of illness.
A recent study analyzed U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food product recall data from 2002–2023, drawing conclusions from more than 35,000 product recalls.
The rising number of product recalls suggests that a more comprehensive, adaptive approach to prevention is needed. Organizations must evaluate several key areas, including robust operational and quality programs, clear standard operating procedures (SOPs), and comprehensive training programs.
Many food manufacturers are already benefiting from deploying x-ray inspection systems to carry out a wide range of quality control and compliance duties and these additional capabilities also should be factored into the equation when considering the cost of an x-ray inspection system.
Boar’s Head has appointed Frank Yiannas, former FDA Deputy Commissioner of Food Policy and Response, as its interim Chief Food Safety and Quality Assurance Officer (CFSO) and Chair of its Food Safety Advisory Council. Both the CFSO role and advisory council are new additions to Boar’s Head’s structure, established in response to the fatal listeriosis outbreak of 2024.
Following the deadly listeriosis outbreak tied to its product, Boar’s Head announced that it is indefinitely closing the facility and is discontinuing the liverwurst responsible, and has established a council of industry-leading experts to enhance the company’s food safety and quality programs.