A Review of Pet Food Recalls from 2003 Through 2022.

This is a review of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalls of products that are for dogs and cats which took place from 2003 through 2022. It includes recalls for pet foods (food, treats, and chews), ingredients, supplements (vitamins and minerals), and drugs. There were 3,691 recalls during this period: 51% were Class I, 35% were Class II, and 14% were Class III. Food items and ingredients accounted for the majority or 68%, drugs for 27%, and supplements (vitamins and minerals) accounted for 5% of these recalls. Recalls that could be associated with dogs only accounted for 42%, with cats only 18%, and with multiple species 40%. The primary reasons for the recalls were biological contamination at 35%, chemical contamination at 32%, and cGMP violations at 8%. Almost 25% of the total recalls in the past 20 years were due to a melamine incident in 2007/2008 (73% of those were Class I). Salmonella recalls for the 20 years accounted for 23% of the total recalls (94 % of those were Class I). Although the recalls for vitamins and minerals accounted for only 5.6% percent of the total, 70% of those were Class I and 30% Class II. Pet food is a complex part of the processed food industry, and the processing of pet food is subject to at least 40 different federal regulations. To avoid recalls and be successful, pet food manufacturers need a robust food safety culture to meet all of these requirements to produce a safe product. In contrast, the melamine contamination (an adulteration event) in 2007/2008 which resulted in animal deaths and recalls is a prime example of the need for an effective and robust supplier approval program in order to avoid fraudulent suppliers in the future.

An Analysis of Seafood Recalls in the United States, 2002 Through 2022.

This review analyzes the seafood recalls registered by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) from October 2002 through March 2022. There were more than 2,400 recalls for seafood products over this 20-year period. Biological contamination was the listed root cause for about 40% of these recalls. Almost half were designated as Class I recalls, due to the high risk of the recalled seafood to cause disease or death. Independent of the recall classification, 74% of the recalls were due to violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) regulations. The most common cause for these seafood recalls was due to undeclared allergens (34%). More than half of the undeclared allergen recalls were for undeclared milk and eggs. Recalls for Listeria monocytogenes accounted for 30% of all recalls and were all Class I. Finfish comprised 70% of the recall incidents, and salmon was the single most recalled species (22%). Improper cold smoking treatment that resulted in Listeria monocytogenes contamination was the most common reason reported for the salmon recalls. The goal of this review was to evaluate the main causes of food safety failures within the seafood manufacturing and distribution sectors. Human errors and failures to control food safety risks during the processing of food are the main driving factors for most reported recalls in the U.S. Properly applying the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) approach and procedures are needed to identify the potential food safety risks. The key to reducing the risks of human error and loss of process control is the development and implementation of an effective food safety culture program at the manufacturing facility, which must require strong senior management support at corporate and enterprise levels.

Review and Analysis of Tuna Recalls in the United States, 2002 through 2020.

ABSTRACT: This review covers 18 years of voluntary recalls of tuna sold commercially in the United States. Recall information is a valuable indicator of failure to implement procedures for food safety. The voluntary recalls involve tuna that was fresh, frozen, processed, hermetically sealed, retorted in a shelf-stable pack (i.e., canned), and formulated into other tuna products. U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations address the capture, processing, transportation, and sale of raw and processed seafood. These regulations include current good manufacturing practices, the Food Modernization Act, emergency permit controls, and guidelines for low-acid canned foods, seafood hazard analysis and critical control points, food labeling, and sanitary food transportation. Traceability and the food safety culture are important for successfully preventing or implementing recalls. The recalls themselves were separated into product treatment groups: uncooked products, canned shelf-stable products, and products in which tuna was used as an ingredient. The recalls were further categorized and summarized by reason or cause, such as biological and chemical contamination, undeclared ingredients, underprocessing, and foreign materials. The primary causes of recalls of the reviewed tuna products were (in order) Listeria monocytogenes, undeclared allergens, elevated histamine concentrations, and underprocessing of retorted tuna products. The recalls for elevated histamine concentrations primarily affected uncooked (raw) tuna. Recalls for Listeria contamination and the presence of undeclared allergens were primarily class I recalls, and recalls for elevated histamine concentrations and underprocessing were almost always assigned to the less serious recall class II.

Histamine Limits by Country: A Survey and Review.

Histamine is a biogenic amine and a food safety hazard, and it is the only biogenic amine regulated by statute or hazard analysis and critical control point guidance. This article reviews the regulations for histamine levels in fish in countries around the world, including maximum limits or levels and sampling procedures in different fish preparations. The maximum histamine levels, sampling plans, and fish products are listed. The country-by-country regulations for maximum histamine acceptance levels in some food products vary by a factor of 8, from 50 ppm in some countries to a maximum of 400 ppm in other countries. For similar food products, the maximum histamine levels vary by a factor of 4 (from 50 ppm to 200 ppm) in, for example, fresh tuna. The country-by-country sampling plans vary widely as well, and these, too, are covered in detail.