miércoles, 4 de abril de 2018

Vulto Creamery ordered to stop production over deadly listeria outbreak - UPI.com

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Vulto Creamery ordered to stop production over deadly listeria outbreak - UPI.com

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Published Date: 2018-04-04 09:23:52
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Listeriosis - USA: fatal, unpast soft cheese, aged 60 days
Archive Number: 20180404.5727237
LISTERIOSIS - USA: FATAL, UNPASTEURIZED SOFT CHEESE, AGED 60 DAYS
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[1]
Date: Mon 2 Apr 2018 1:43 PM EDT
Source: UPI (United Press International) [edited]
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2018/04/02/NY-creamery-ordered-to-stop-production-over-deadly-listeria-outbreak/2801522686078/


A New York creamery must stop producing and distributing products after _Listeria_-contaminated cheeses killed 2 people and sickened several others, the Department of Justice said [Mon 2 Apr 2018].

Vulto Creamery and owner Johannes Vulto violated the Federal Food, Drug and [FDCA] Act by manufacturing and selling the cheeses in Walton, New York, the department said in a statement.

A complaint from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the creamery prepared, packed, or held the contaminated products in unsanitary conditions. Additionally, company records indicated that Vulto officials detected _Listeria_ at the facility but failed to test cheese products, and used raw or unpasteurized milk to make the cheese.

"The presence of these dangerous bacteria at a cheese manufacturing facility in Upstate New York is of grave concern," US Attorney Grant Jaquith for the Northern District of New York said. "We will continue to use all available tools to ensure that our food supply is safe and violations of laws protecting public heath are addressed."

In order to begin making and selling products again, the creamery must comply with remedial measures under a consent decree with the Department of Justice. Vulto must hire a qualified independent expert to create a sanitation protocol for the creamery, and must received written approval from the FDA before resuming production.

[Byline: Danielle Haynes]

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[2]
Date: Mon 2 Apr 2018
Source: US Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs [edited]
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/district-court-enters-permanent-injunction-against-new-york-food-manufacturer-linked


District Court enters permanent injunction against New York food manufacturer linked to listeriosis outbreak
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A federal court permanently enjoined a Walton, New York, creamery and its owner from manufacturing and distributing adulterated food, the Department of Justice announced today.

In a complaint filed March 19 [2018] at the request of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States alleged that Vulto Creamery LLC and its owner, Johannes H Vulto, violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by manufacturing and distributing ready-to-eat cheeses contaminated with the bacterium _Listeria monocytogenes_ (L. mono). According to the complaint, a 2017 investigation by FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined Vulto Creamery cheese was the source of a multistate listeriosis outbreak that sickened at least 8 people, 2 of whom died. The defendants agreed to be bound by a consent decree filed with the complaint in US District Court for the Northern District of New York.

"L. mono is a serious health threat that can prove fatal," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A Readler of the Justice Department's Civil Division. "Consumers should be able to trust that the food they buy is safe, and we will continue working with FDA to take action against manufacturers that employ substandard practices."

"The presence of these dangerous bacteria at a cheese manufacturing facility in Upstate New York is of grave concern," said US Attorney Grant C Jaquith for the Northern District of New York. "We will continue to use all available tools to ensure that our food supply is safe and violations of laws protecting public heath are addressed."

The complaint alleged that the defendants' cheeses were prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions. According to the complaint, company records revealed positive tests for a type of _Listeria_ in the Vulto facility, but the defendants never attempted to identify the species of _Listeria_ or its source. The complaint alleged the defendants also failed to conduct microbial testing of finished cheese products despite finding indications of _Listeria_ on food contact surfaces. Vulto Creamery used raw, or unpasteurized, milk to make its ready-to-eat cheese.

The consent decree entered by the court permanently enjoins the defendants from violating the FDCA. Under the order, the defendants may not manufacture or distribute food unless they comply with specific remedial measures set forth in the decree. Among other requirements, the defendants must hire a qualified independent expert to develop an effective sanitation control program to adequately control for the risk of L. mono. Before manufacturing or distributing any food, defendants must first receive FDA's written determination that their manufacturing practices comply with the law.

This matter was handled by Trial Attorney Natalie Sanders of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant US Attorney Michael Gadarian of the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York, with the assistance of Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement Leslie Cohen of the FDA's Office of General Counsel, Department of Health and Human Services.

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[In 2016-2017, a multistate outbreak of _Listeria monocytogenes_ infections (listeriosis) involved 8 people, including 2 deaths, infected with the outbreak strain in 4 states (New York, Florida, Connecticut, and Vermont) was linked to eating soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk and aged for 60 days by Vulto Creamery in Walton, New York. The outbreak _Listeria_ strain was identified in samples taken from 3 intact wheels of cheese collected from Vulto Creamery.

FDA regulations permit interstate distribution of raw milk cheeses, if aged for more than 60 days. However, ageing raw milk cheese for 60 days may not totally ensure safety if _L. monocytogenes_ is introduced as a post-processing contaminant (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18724749), which apparently occurred at the Vulto facility. The news report above says that Vulto officials detected _Listeria_ on food contact surfaces at the facility but Vulto failed to test their cheese products. - Mod.ML

HealthMap/ProMED-mail map
Walton, New York, United States: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/48087]

See Also

2017
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Listeriosis - USA (02): fatal, unpast soft cheese, aged 60 days, recall 20170312.4896013
Listeriosis - USA: fatal, unpast soft cheese, recall 20170311.4893360
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