Letter of the Day | Regulatory agencies must take urgent action

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Re: Quaker Oats recalls granola products over salmonella contamination concerns.

I write in response to the recent Quaker Oats and Granola Bar product recall published in The Gleaner on December 20, 2023, due to Salmonella presence in these foods. This recall was also posted on December 15 by the FDA, notifying consumer that “a variety of Quaker Oats Company granola products, namely bars and cereals, were being recalled, due to Salmonella contamination; a type of bacteria that normally lives in human and animal intestines and is shed through stool”. https://www.today.com/health/quaker-recall-list-rcna130227.

Jamaica is on the list of the countries affected by this recall through the distribution chain. We are therefore relying on the regulatory agencies to be active in communication and follow through to ensure that the supermarkets and grocery stores take urgent action to remove these products from display.

Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) is a common but serious bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract, causing diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, fever, abdominal cramps within 12-72 hours after infection. Salmonellosis is particularly dangerous to the vulnerable group, i.e., pregnant women, infant and children, the elderly, the sick, and the immune suppressant.

RISK-BASED APPROACH

Typical causes of salmonella in ready-to-eat products are usually through poor hygiene and handling practices, and cross-contamination between raw and cooked products. Salmonella can also be found in a variety of foods, including chicken, beef, pork, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and undercooked processed foods. This organism is killed by heat at 72 degrees Celsius and above, therefore, thorough cooking and handling of food is very important in its prevention and control. Food that is contaminated with salmonella bacteria usually look, taste and smell normal, and this is why it is not possible to determine affected food with our senses.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that salmonella causes more than one million food-borne illnesses in the US every year.

Food businesses must educate, train and supervise food handlers into practising high standards of hygiene in the workplace. This training should ideally start on the farm, in the pack houses, storage and distribution, and at every step in the process of food; from the farm to the fork. Businesses must develop and have implemented a proactive and risk-based approach to food safety– such as Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system – in place, to ensure contaminated foods are controlled. This system, based on accurate and up-to-date procedures, records and documentation, will assist in traceability of affected products and help to mitigate the damage to brand. Organisations without such a system place their customer health and safety at risk, and face the risk of prosecution and lawsuit.

Let us pray for a safe and enjoyable holiday for all our consumers.

MARVA HEWITT, MSc FRSHH, MRes PhD

Food Hygiene Bureau

www.foodhygienebureau.org