A series of acute toxins caused by Listeria contamination of chicken-based frankfurters has led to mild measures against the Veronesi Group-AIA, after false accusations against some producers of Asiago cheese (which instead complied with food safety requirements). Insight.
1) Listeria monocytogenes, the pathogen.
Listeria monocytogenes, as it turns out, is an exclusively foodborne pathogenic bacterium. (1) Rather rare, compared to others, such as Campylobacter and Salmonella, yet dangerous to vulnerable segments of the population (YOPI. Young, Old, Pregnant, Immunosuppressed). (2)
The pathogen can develop in products with high water activity and/or pH close to neutrality (e.g., soft cheeses, blue cheeses, smoked fish products). It is able to multiply even at low temperatures and inactivates with appropriate cooking (>70°C). (3)
2) Listeriosis in Italy, the first news.
The first report of listeriosis, notified by Italy in the RASFF system on 2.8.22, reported the identification of ‘12 cases, 8 in Lombardy and 4 in Emilia-Romagna, through routine surveillance ( …)
all confirmed by genomics. Another 17 genomes belonging to the cluster were identified in the ISS IRIDA database, which contains Listeria genomes from across the country. The cluster includes 29 total cases from 9 regions.
Regarding the 12 cases from Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna,
two deaths have been determined. A considerable proportion of the cases have been concentrated in recent months, and to date, no food associated with the cluster has been identified. (…) we believe that its health significance is significant because it is very likely to be an active source of high contamination of the food chain‘.
3) RASFF alert, public news.
The RASFF alert under review, no. 2022.4497, has so far involved 34 countries (21 EU member states and 13 non-EU countries), with 187 follow-ups as of 9/29/22. The information sheet published on the RASFF portal still reports to:
- foodpoisoning (food poisoning),
- product ‘cheese‘,
- ‘milk and milk products‘ category,
- measure undertaken by Italy, public recall of products,
- 73 follow-ups (114 fewer than actual as of 9/29/22), all strictly withoutsummary information.
Italian cheese is thus exposed, worldwide, as the cause of 3 deaths and 66 toxins.
4) RASFF, the appeal of Asiago cheese.
The RASFF registry–in the area area reserved for health authorities in EU and non-EU countries–first reports on analyses conducted by the IZSLER of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna (Cremona) on cheese samples taken on 6.7.22 (one month before notification to the RASFF).
Health authorities–on the basis of the above, but without conducting an appropriate risk analysis–arranged a public recall in Italy of products from two dairies at 54 distribution outlets (wholesale and retail), a maturing warehouse and a packaging plant.
5) Sausages, the real cause of listeriosis.
Among the undated follow-ups-because the RASFF portal does not provide for their inclusion, even in the restricted area for authorities-we then note the breakthrough in the investigation. An inspection of a listeriosis victim’s refrigerator identified the real cause of the food safety crisis. Not cheese but sausages produced by the Three Valleys Agricultural Cooperative S.c.r.l., therefore noted in the RASFF on 12.9.22.
Subsequent tests at the dairies later confirmed that the charges against them were unfounded. Asiago cheese was and is safe, while the strain of Listeria that caused the sequence of toxins is the same as that identified in the Tobias brand sausages, Wudy – AIA, Wurs Pavo, Salchicha – with establishment identification mark IT 04M CE and expiration dates between 9/20/22 and 12/5/22.
6) Dangerous frankfurters, ‘voluntary’ and omerto withdrawal
The Ministry of Health (DGISAN, Office 8) – having noted that the sausages above are likely to cause a food crisis with some deaths and dozens of toxins – welcomed the ‘precautionary withdrawal on a voluntary basis‘ of sausages based on mechanically separated poultry meat, produced by Agricola Tre Valli S.c.r.l., at 50 distribution outlets and 2 storage centers.
However, the consumer notice does not identify the products, as it should, with their trademarks:
- the Ministry of Health only reported the recall of a single batch of Tobias brand sausages, on sale at Eurospin, on 9.9.22. (4) To later mention a second batch subject to ‘voluntary recall‘ by Agricola Tre Valli S.c.r.l., without specifying the brand name, in an article published on 9/23/22, (5)
- Agricola Tre Valli in turn, in a ‘press note,’ refers to the ‘voluntary and precautionary recall of some batches of sausages produced in the summer season.’ Without identifying either the brands of sausages at risk or the batch numbers involved. (6)
7) Further investigation, omertà of the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Health itself – so zealous in publishing the recall of a number of safe food products in July 2022 on the basis of a false alert about allergens that were not even tested (7) – merely refers to some ‘clinical cases’ of listeriosis (not also to deaths) associated with the consumption of sausages of Three Valleys Farm. (5) Without mentioning any of the trademarks under which these products were marketed (see supra, para. 5).
The Croatian agency for food safety – in disposing instead of the mandatory public recall of 32 types of sausages a ‘Wudy’ and ‘Tobias’ brands – has introduced on its website web (not also in the RASFF) the name of the A.I.A. group, Agricola Italiana Alimentare S.p.a., S. Martino Buon Albergo (VR), Italy. Other member states also logically displayed photos of the products.
8) False accusations against Asiago cheese
However, Office 8 of DGISAN at the Ministry of Health, the point of contact with the European Commission and member states in the Rapid Alert System on Food and Feed, did not bother to delete the false and defamatory reports against the famous Asiago PDO cheese.
The European Commission (DG Sante), in turn, continues to operate theRapid Alert Systemon Food and Feed (RASFF) as a mere paper-pusher. Omitting to filter and/or remove manifestly unfounded news, such as in this case the false identification of Asiago as the cause of the toxins.
9) Interim Conclusions
The reckless management of the rapid alert system on food and feed does not appear to be adequate to ensure consumer safety or the protection of food business operators. As noted, among other things, in a previous case of widespread listeriosis that occurred in Spain in 2019. (8,9)
It is essential to ensure:
– consumers and stakeholders accurate and up-to-date information about the products under alert. Which, following effective risk analysis, must be identified accurately on the public portals of the RASFF and national health authorities,
– food business operators and distributors, the immediate removal of their names and products from the said portals. And compensation for direct and indirect damages caused by the mishandling of alerts, by national authorities and the European Commission.
Post Scriptum
‘The law is the same for everyone but not everyone is equal.’ The various episodes of maladministration reported in this article and in the several others-on risk analysis, food fraud, and food safety crisis management, in Italy and in the EU-show another aspect worthy of attention.
When crises involve large industries-as most recently seen in the case of the contamination of wheat, pasta and bakery products with the mustard allergen (10)-national authorities tend to take late and bland measures, while the European Commission continues to sleep on it.
Inspections conducted over the past month at dozens of wholesalers and retailers in every region of Italy revealed how some of them had not received notice of the recall from AIA SpA. Conditions for ordering a public recall of the products existed and remain, (11) but the Ministry of Health failed to do so. And DG Sante, what does she do?
Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) Silvia Bonardi, Dario Dongo. Listeria and listeriosis, an in-depth study. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 3.9.18
(2) Ilaria Salvatori. Listeriosis. Microbiology Italy. 21.2.21
(3) Silvia Bonardi, Dario Dongo. Listeria and frozen vegetables, here’s why. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 10.7.18
(4) Ministry of Health. Recall 9.9.22. https://bit.ly/3SjKuOt Chicken turkey and cheese frankfurters, lot 1810919
(5) Ministry of Health. Foodborne listeriosis, clinical cases reported in different regions. https://www.salute.gov.it/portale/news/p3_2_1_1_1.jsp?lingua=italiano&menu=notizie&p=dalministero&id=6004 23.9.22
(6) Three Valleys Farm. Press note. Voluntary and precautionary recall of certain batches of frankfurters produced in the summer season. https://www.agricolatrevalli.it/pdf/Nota_Stampa_Ritiro_volontario_e_precauzionale.pdf 23.9.22
(7) Dario Dongo. False alerts, passing the buck, abuses of power and social disasters. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 2.7.22
(8) Alerta por presencia de Listeria monocytogenes en salchichas procedentes de Italia (Ref. ES2022/270). https://www.aesan.gob.es/AECOSAN/web/seguridad_alimentaria/ampliacion/2022_270.htm AESAN (Agencia Española de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición). 24.9.22
(9) Dario Dongo, Marta Strinati. Listeria, the Spanish outbreak and the faults of Brussels. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 24.8.19
(10) Dario Dongo. Mondeleaks, here’s how industry and institutions handled the mustard allergen in wheat. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 29.9.22
(11) In fact, the General Food Law requires recall when any other measure would be inadequate to ensure a high level of public health (EC Reg. 178/02, Article 19)
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
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