FDA sampling assignment update identifies Cyclospora in herbs
For fiscal year 2018, the FDA has been sampling fresh herbs, specifically basil, parsley, and cilantro, along with processed avocado and guacamole, with samples coming from both domestic and imported sources.
As part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDAs) risk-based and preventive approach to food safety, which is at the core of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, the agency began developing a new, more robust approach to deploying its sampling resources in 2014. The goals of the surveillance sampling are to keep contaminated products from reaching consumers and to facilitate a greater understanding of hazards.
The agency has already applied the new approach to sprouts, whole fresh avocados, raw milk cheese, cucumbers, and hot peppers. For fiscal year 2018, the FDA has been sampling fresh herbs, specifically basil, parsley, and cilantro, along with processed avocado and guacamole, with samples coming from both domestic and imported sources.
The FDA plans to collect 1,600 fresh herbs samples (761 domestic and 839 of international origin) under this assignment. As of April 1, 2018, the agency had collected 128 domestic samples (16.8%) and 166 import samples (19.8%) of the totals. The results of this increased surveillance sampling so far this summer have been that two samples of cilantro offered for import from two producers in Mexico were positive for Cyclospora. In response to the finding, the FDA refused entry for these shipments, and will take action to prevent contaminated cilantro from those firms from entering the United States. As part of a broader effort under the FDA Produce Safety Partnership with Mexico, the two countries are working closely to investigate the cause of contamination.
Domestically, a cilantro sample collected at a distributor in July tested positive for Cyclospora. Following that finding, the FDA initiated an investigation and another sample was collected on the farm that also tested positive for Cyclospora. In response, the FDA worked closely with state officials to voluntarily recall and embargo potentially affected product and has been working with the farmer on corrective actions geared toward common routes of contamination.
The FDA also plans to collect 1,600 processed avocado and guacamole samples (800 domestic and 800 of international origin) under this assignment. As of April 1, 2018, the agency had collected 171 domestic samples (21.4%) and 55 import samples (6.9%) of the totals. Of the 171 domestic samples tested thus far, three came back as positive for Listeria. For the international samples, only one has tested positive for Listeria. All samples tested thus far have been negative for Salmonella.