SGS report compares pesticide monitoring in EU and U.S.

A new report from SGS compares pesticide monitoring in the United States and European Union. The analysis is based on the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), and the US’s FDA Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Report and Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC) Annual Report on Foodborne Illness Source Attribution Estimates.

European Union. The RASFF reports that there 2018 there were 3,699 notifications, which resulted in 1,118 alerts in the EU in 2018. There were 979 notifications for pathogenic micro-organisms, 655 notifications for mycotoxins and 276 notifications for pesticide residues.

Other major notifications in order were composition (224), allergens (207), poor & insufficient controls (179), foreign bodies (168) and food additives & flavorings (142).

A few of these notifications came from governments of non-member countries, for example an alert from Chile of 112.63 ppb oxytetracycline in frozen Atlantic salmon fillets exported to Germany, which notified Denmark where the receipt of the consignment was located.

For pathogenic micro-organisms, Salmonella is still the most frequently reported pathogen, with poultry meat and poultry meat products being the top notification because of the food safety criteria for the absence of Salmonella Typhimurium and Enteritidis in fresh poultry meat. Sesame seeds are another product reported with major Salmonella issues. Listeria monocytogenes is the second most notified pathogenic source, which is primarily found on food of animal origin but a major outbreak involving frozen corn indicates that there are other sources that must be considered. In Europe norovirus was number three, with most of this from French oysters but some six notifications were for various berries. Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) is fourth with most of these notifications occurring in non-treated meat products and cheeses.

Mycotoxin compliance is primarily an issue of non-member countries. The major issue is Aflatoxin occurring in nuts, nut products, seeds and dried figs. Ochratoxin A is the next mycotoxin, with issues occurring in raisins and dried figs.

For pesticides, this is primarily an issue of non-member countries. Fruit and vegetables are still the primary concern for failed pesticide residue compliance, followed by cocoa and cocoa preparations, coffee and tea.

United States. The IFSAC report of 2017 analyzes the data of outbreaks from 1998 to 2017 to assess which categories of food were most responsible for four specific pathogens:

The US government estimates, annually, 9 million people become ill, 56,000 are hospitalized and 1,300 people die from foodborne diseases. For Salmonella, 75.3% of the illnesses can be attributed to seeded vegetables such as tomatoes, chicken, fruits, pork, eggs, other produce and beef. For E. coli 72.15% of the illnesses are from vegetable row crops such as leafy vegetables and beef. For Listeria monocytogenes 77.7% is from dairy products and fruits. For Campylobacter, when excluding unpasteurized milk, 78.9% of the illnesses are attributed to chicken, seafood, turkey and other meat and poultry.

The US FDA 2017 pesticide monitoring program report views pesticides as those products domestically produced and those products imported. There are six major categories grains, dairy/eggs, fish/shellfish (only imported), fruits, vegetables and others. Samples are recorded as with no residues, with residues, no violations and in violation.

Domestic results in violation are:

The ‘Other’ group is largely comprised of cashew nuts, seeds, condiments/dressings, olive oil, refined oil, honey, beverages, spices, multi-ingredient products, tea and dietary supplements.

Imported items that may require special attention per the 2016 and 2017 annual report are onions, leeks, scallions, shallots, papaya, peas, hot peppers, prickly pears, rice (excluding powder and snacks), spinach and snap (string) beans. Imported items that may require special attention criteria, in 2017 meant commodities with at least 20 samples analyzed or with a minimum of 4 violations and a violation rate of 10% or higher.

There was a special sampling of 119 samples of corn, soybean, milk and eggs for glyphosate for which 70.6% of the samples were without residues, no residue was found in milk and eggs. Also, no sample was found in violation.

Comparison of the Top Ten pesticide residues found in the EU versus US.

Chlorpyrifos, which was the top residue found in the EU testing and seventh residue found for the US, is in the process of being banned in the State of Hawaii, awaits the governor’s signature to be banned in New York state, will no longer be sold in California as of February 6, 2020, and growers there will no longer be permitted to possess or use this product after December 31, 2020. Additionally, the Natural Resources Defense Council has ongoing ligation against the current administration for refusal to ban this residue use on food crops. A similar situation is taking place in the EU as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessment that identifies human health effects and the approval period for chlorpyrifos expires January 2020.

Salmonella tops both the EU and US pathogenic organism list. In the US, about 4.3% of import refusals from January 2014 to September 2019 are related to Salmonella as fully or part of the refusal.

In Washington Post OpEd, Stephen Ostroff recommends task force recommendations be implemented.

In the last two years there have been five multistate outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 linked to romaine lettuce. In an Op Ed in the Washington Post, former FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine Stephen M. Ostroff discusses the issue and poses some recommendations.  

Noting that the natural reservoir for E. coli is ruminant animals, especially cattle, he states that one particular strain is occurring in the growing regions of central coastal California, returning each fall near the end of the growing season. However, the source of the strain is unclear.  “What is clear is that additional steps must be taken to make romaine safer,” he wrote.

Ostroff then references the recommendations of the Romaine Task Force, which was established by the United Fresh Produce Association and the Produce Marketing Association at the request of FDA following the November 2018 E. coli O157:H7 outbreak involving romaine.  One of the recommendations in the report was that:

“the romaine industry needs to consider any open water source as potentially contaminated and therefore steps need to be taken to treat the water to prevent potential contaminants from contacting edible plant tissues. The working group also considered the 21-day window that the CA LGMA has adopted; i.e. if an open water source is used to irrigate romaine and contacts the edible tissues of the plant within 21-days of harvest, the water must be treated using a validated process to control any potential pathogens.”

With E. coli O157:H7 found in untreated surface water in both the Yuma and 2018 Thanksgiving outbreaks, Ostroff sees this as one of the most significant recommendations, stating, “The task force recommendations should be immediately adopted and implemented. But even more should be done. Surface water used for romaine irrigation should be treated throughout the growing cycle, not just in the three weeks before harvest. The FDA should also quickly issue agricultural water standards that have been postponed but are required by FSMA’s produce-safety rules.”

Also stated as a concern to be addressed was concentrated animal feeding operations, “where tens of thousands of cattle potentially carrying E. coli O157:H7 are housed, if they are located near leafy green growing areas. Buffers between the cattle operations and growing fields are required, but bigger ones may be needed.”

Read the full article in the Washington Post. Read the Task Force Report at unitedfresh.org.

BRC is a globally recognized standard for food quality and safety.

PMR research predicts baked, instant, and organic products to uplift sales.

A study of the processed potato products market conducted by Persistence Market Research shows the market has seen significant growth in the past few years and is projected to reach $67 billion by 2019 end. Driven prominently by the thriving convenience food trend, the market will continue its growth at a stable 4% CAGR through forecast period of 2019-2029, the report states.

The factors expected to predominantly drive market growth in the next decade are the wide consumption of mashed potatoes, potato rolls, loaded sweet potatoes, smoked and fried potatoes by a majority of the consumer base; the preference for cutlets, mashed potatoes, and tater tots by children; and the increasing popularity of ready-to-eat, ready-to-cook, and frozen meals.

According to USDA statistics, usage of potatoes for processing applications in the country grew at the average rate of 1% during 2015-2017.

Manufacturers can profit from introducing processed potato products that offer health benefits along with taste as the market focuses on the impacts of the increasing shift to low-carb diets such as keto diet that continue to pose a major threat to product sales.

Manufacturers of processed potato products are developing market strategies in response to current trends in market, the researchers stated. Prominent manufacturers are emphasizing technological advancements to manufacture and market innovative processed potato products in terms of taste and texture. Leading market players use strategies such as strengthening their supply chains and increasing the production capacity of their units.

Global manufacturers are keen on expanding their presence in the global market whereas regional and small manufacturers are focusing on product diversification and improving their brand awareness. One example given is that of McCain Foods which announced investments worth of $100 million to build a new production plant in Brazil (2019). The company plans to establish this plant in Araxa which will particularly boost the company’s capacity and sales in Latin American region.

ELISA kit can test for traces of the allergen in foodstuffs, drinks, rinse waters and samples taken from surface swabs.

Romer Labs, a provider of diagnostic solutions for the agricultural, food and feed industries, is expanding its solutions for food allergen detection with the launch of the AgraQuant Mollusk ELISA test kit. With an LOD of 1.7 ppb mollusk tropomyosin, the new ELISA kit can be used to test for traces of the allergen in foodstuffs, drinks, rinse waters and samples taken from surface swabs.

One of the largest groups of invertebrates, mollusks, along with crustaceans, make up the food group colloquially known as “shellfish.” Tropomyocin is the most prominent major allergen in mollusks and is highly resistant to heat and other production processes, making the testing for mollusk traces necessary to protect allergic consumers. Mollusks or mollusk-derived ingredients are used in a variety of products such as baked goods, confectionery, sauces, and seafood other than mollusks. The AgraQuant Mollusk test kit is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and is extremely sensitive, the company said, adding, it is easy to use and shares virtually the same extraction procedure with all other allergen AgraQuant kits. “Accurately labeling food for allergenic content or producing allergen-free food are just two of the most formidable challenges that today’s food producers face,” said Romer Labs Managing Director Eva Wanzenböck. “Reliable, fast and quantitative diagnostic solutions are essential not only in helping them to do their job, but also in protecting millions of allergic consumers worldwide. With shellfish allergy estimated to affect up to 2.5% of the world’s population, AgraQuant Mollusk has an important role to play in informing consumers and keeping them safe.” For more information, visit www.romerlabs.com.