BrucePac of Durant, OK, is recalling 9,986,245 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The problem was discovered after FSIS performed routine product testing of finished product containing RTE poultry products produced by BrucePac and confirmed those products were positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Subsequent FSIS investigation identified BrucePac RTE chicken as the source of the Listeria monocytogenes.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be available for use in restaurants, institutions, and other establishments. These other establishments may have used affected meat and poultry in RTE products that may be on store shelves or in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers.

The ready-to-eat meat and poultry items were produced from June 19, 2024, to Oct. 8, 2024. These products were shipped to other establishments and distributors nationwide then distributed to restaurants and institutions.

A list of products subject to this recall can be found here. As yet no photos of recalled products are available.

About Listeria infections
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any recalled product and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure.

Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop.

Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses.

Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.

Recalled product:

• The products subject to recall bear establishment numbers “51205 or P-51205” inside or under the USDA mark of inspection.

As of the posting of this recall, there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider.

Restaurants, institutions, and other establishments are urged not to serve or use these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

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Source: Food Safety News

Canadian cultivated farmland values rose by an average of 5.5 per cent in the first half of 2024, according to the mid-year farmland values review by Farm Credit Canada (FCC). Over the 12 months from July 2023 to June 2024, there was a 9.6 per cent increase, representing a slowdown compared to the previous 12-month period (January to December 2023).

“Farmland values increased at a slower rate, yet 5.5 per cent growth in six months is still a very strong number,” said J.P. Gervais, FCC’s chief economist.

For the second consecutive year, Saskatchewan and Quebec have recorded the highest average six-month increases in the country, at 7.4 per cent and 5.4 per cent, respectively. The rates in New Brunswick, British Columbia, and Alberta all settled in the same range, 5.2 per cent, 5.0 per cent, and 4.6 per cent, respectively. Manitoba recorded a growth rate of 3.9 per cent, closely followed by Nova Scotia at 3.8 per cent. Ontario recorded a lower increase at 2.1 per cent, with Prince Edward Island concluding the list at 1.7 per cent.

Elevated borrowing costs, lower commodity prices and the increased price of land hasn’t deterred some buyers. Looking ahead, declining borrowing costs and a limited supply of available farmland should sustain the current high prices for farmland.

“The continued rise in farmland values highlights a positive and robust long-term outlook for the agriculture sector. As we move into the latter half of 2024, the trends in farm revenues and interest rates will be key indicators of where farmland values might head next,” said Gervais.

Gervais noted that farm cash receipts are projected to decline overall in 2024 by 3.3 per cent as commodity prices show few signs of a quick rebound, possibly limiting farmers’ willingness and capacity to assign higher valuations to farmland.

“Understanding economic and financial trends is essential for making informed decisions. FCC is committed to providing the industry with data-driven insights that can help producers and investors navigate the current economic headwinds,” added Gervais. For more economic insights and analysis, visit FCC Economics at fcc.ca/Economics.

About FCC

FCC is proud to be 100 per cent invested in Canadian agriculture and food. The organization’s employees are committed to the long-standing success of those who produce and process Canadian food. FCC provides flexible financing and capital solutions, while creating value through data, knowledge, relationships and expertise. FCC offers a complement of financial and non-financial products and services designed to support the complex and evolving needs of the industry. As a commercial Crown corporation, FCC is a stable partner that reinvests profits back into the industry and communities it serves. For more information, visit fcc.ca. 

The healthy dietary choice seems easy.

Consuming fish oil or seafood along with their omega-3 fatty acids — good. Consuming too much red meat along with its omega-6 fatty acids — bad. In reality, however, the impact of arachidonic acid, an omega-6 polyunsaturated fat found only in animal products, upon human health remains a complicated, poorly understood matter.

A Purdue University collaboration led by James Markworth, assistant professor of animal sciences, will carefully test the health effects of omega-6 in laboratory experiments. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the experiments also will clarify which omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil and seafood are responsible for yielding their health benefits.

Both omega-3 and omega-6 are long-chain, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and some of these fatty acids are also essential fatty acids. “These polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential because you need to acquire them through the diet,” Markworth said. “They can’t be made in the body. And in particular it’s the long-chain versions, which are found in products of animal or marine origin, that are thought to potentially influence human health.”

The long-chain omega-6 fat arachidonic acid is found only in meat, poultry and eggs. “You can’t get it from vegetable sources, and you can’t get it from fish. We think that these nutrients found in meat and poultry products might have similar benefits as, say, fish oil or fish products. And that’s something you don’t hear very often,” Markworth said.

Previous research has well established that fish oil fatty acids have metabolic benefits. But which fatty acids convey those benefits and how remains unclear. The major ones are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

“When you take fish oil supplements or you eat fish, it’s a complex mixture of these different nutrients and we don’t really know which ones are doing what. We don’t know precisely which essential fatty acids benefit metabolic health, obesity, insulin resistance and how they may do so by impacting upon skeletal muscle as the largest organ in the body,” Markworth said.

Collaborating with Markworth on the project are: Tzu-Wen Cross in the College of Health and Human Sciences, along with Tim Johnson and Kolapo Ajuwon, both in the College of Agriculture’s Department of Animal Sciences. Cross, an assistant professor of nutrition science, and Johnson, an associate professor of animal sciences, specialize in gut microbiome. Ajuwon specializes in animal nutrition.

“What we’re suggesting is when you eat these lipids in the diet or dietary supplements, the systemic response your body has might depend on the resident microbes first encountered in the gastrointestinal tract,” said Markworth, a muscle biologist. “And we’re proposing that the systemic response is largely mediated by the effect on the skeletal muscle.” As the largest site of glucose disposal and insulin sensitivity, the skeletal muscle determines metabolic health, obesity and diabetes, he noted.

Previous research shows that if mice are given antibiotics together with fish oil, the fish oil works differently than it does without antibiotics. “What is it about consuming antibiotics that stops fish oil supplements from having their metabolic benefit on peripheral metabolic health in mice or potentially in humans? That study suggests that the gut bacteria are required, and we don’t know why,” he said.

About a decade ago, scientists were just beginning to recognize the importance of the microbiome. “Now we realize how much it impacts our health in various aspects,” Cross said. “A lot of the things that we do in using diet to promote health is actually through affecting our gut microbiome. But we still don’t understand enough to know how to modify the microbiome in a specific way to achieve our outcome.

“This is a good model for us to identify interactions between the microbiome and host to understand how the microbiome affects metabolism and physiology,” Cross said. “Through that, we can potentially identify mediators we can use as targeted therapeutics.”

Source: KFGO

BrucePac, a Durant, Okla. establishment, is recalling approximately 9,986,245 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The ready-to-eat meat and poultry items were produced from June 19, 2024, to October 8, 2024. These products were shipped to other establishments and distributors nationwide then distributed to restaurants and institutions. Information regarding product labels and the list of products will be provided when available.

The products subject to recall bear establishment numbers “51205 or P-51205” inside or under the USDA mark of inspection.

The problem was discovered after FSIS performed routine product testing of finished product containing RTE poultry products produced by BrucePac and confirmed those products positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Subsequent FSIS investigation identified BrucePac RTE chicken as the source of the Listeria monocytogenes.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider.

Consumption of food contaminated with L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, persons with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. Less commonly, persons outside these risk groups are affected.

Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.

FSIS is concerned that some product may be available for use in restaurants, institutions, and other establishments. These other establishments may have used affected meat and poultry in RTE products that may be on store shelves or in consumers’ refrigerators or freezers. Restaurants, institutions, and other establishments are urged not to serve or use these products. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

Media and consumers with questions regarding the recall can contact Jeff Golangco, VP Business Development at BrucePac, at 503-874-3000.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854) or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov. For consumers that need to report a problem with a meat, poultry, or egg product, the online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at https://foodcomplaint.fsis.usda.gov/eCCF/.

Source: USDA

The UK has successfully lifted a long-standing bird flu-related trade restriction with South Africa, allowing British poultry producers to export to the country for the first time in eight years. The embargo was lifted after the UK was declared free of avian influenza earlier this year.

This development is expected to inject an estimated £160m ($209.2m) into the UK poultry industry, according to government estimates.

UK food security minister Daniel Zeichner recently met with South African ministers Rosemary Capa and Andrew Whitfield to finalize the agreement. Zeichner emphasized that the deal will create significant opportunities for UK poultry exporters and contribute to economic growth. He stated, “This agreement not only opens new avenues for UK poultry traders but also strengthens the UK economy, marking a step forward in securing better trade deals for farmers and enhancing food exports.”

Before the export ban, South Africa was a key market for UK poultry, with exports exceeding £37m in 2016. The reopening of the market has been warmly received by representatives of the meat industry.

Katie Doherty, CEO of the International Meat Trade Association, expressed enthusiasm, calling the news “fantastic” for UK poultry producers and exporters. She noted that South Africa had been a vital market before the ban.

Richard Griffiths, Chief Executive of the British Poultry Council, added that the deal represents a successful collaboration between the government and industry to remove technical trade barriers. “Re-establishing trade with South Africa, one of our largest markets in the past, is incredibly exciting,” he said.