Dive Brief:
- Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, which instituted a full recall of its products last month, has found the source of the listeria outbreak: a machine spout in its Columbus, OH, production facility.
- While Jeni's' CEO John Lowe says he's not sure how the machine became contaminated, the company is taking measures to fix the issue, including destroying millions of dollars worth of ice cream, making an investment to improve the Columbus kitchen, and providing additional training for the entire kitchen team.
- Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration has issued draft guidance explaining its mandatory recall authority for food products (effective since January 2011 per the Food Safety Modernization Act), which should clear up questions about mandatory recalls for food companies.
Dive Insight:
In the guidance, the FDA said that upon discovery of a health-threatening or misbranded product, the agency can demand a mandatory recall. The FDA will first, however, allow the company in question to voluntarily recall the product(s) first. But "if the company refuses, FDA can order them to stop distributing the food and allow them an informal hearing. After these steps are completed, FDA can order a recall from commerce," Food Safety News reported.
The guidance follows recalls like Jeni's and Blue Bell Creameries' full product recall and shuttering of all its creameries last month. Other food companies should take notice of how these recalls were handled and what food safety measures are available to prevent the same situation happening to them.