In a recent recall announcement, the FDA has notified consumers that a large number of peaches may be contaminated with salmonella. These peaches have been shipped by a major fruit producer and could have found their way into the supply chain for restaurants and other food producers. According to the CDC, there have been at least 23 cases of the strain in Minnesota, the most of any state thus far. How should certified food managers react to this outbreak?
Recall of Tainted Fresh Peaches and Certified Food Protection Managers
First, if certified food protection managers have any peaches that can be traced back to the recalled Wawona brand peaches or Wegman Food Markets, dispose of them immediately. The highest-risk establishments for this outbreak are grocery stores, but many restaurants supplement their fresh fruit supply in small batched from local markets. This means there may be a chance food-producing businesses may have them in their inventory.
If you have already processed these peaches into baked goods or other prepared items, you must dispose of any potentially contaminated product. According to the FDA, these peaches could have been on the market as early as June 1, so make sure you check your dates on any frozen items you have produced that contain peaches.
As always with such a widespread recall, if you have any doubts as to the safety of your produce or items made from potentially contaminated fruit, you should err on the side of caution.
Have you checked the FDA’s recent recall alerts or the embedded CDC Recall widget on the sidebar of this Safe Food For Thought Blog site to make sure you’re not using contaminated ingredients?