Hi Mindy,
I quite like the information provided in the new Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food: Guidance for Industry by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition - January 2024
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Also see Table 3-3. Examples of Pathogens Identified from Outbreaks Attributed to Contamination with Environmental Pathogens, these include:
Chocolate - S. Napoli - Possibly contaminated water used in double-walled pipes, tanks and other equipment - Ref. Gill, et. al. (1983)
Chocolate - S. Eastbourne - From processing environment - Ref. Craven, etc
The Guidance lists all references cited in the chapters, for example:
Craven, PC, DC Mackel, WB. Baine, WH Barker, and EJ Gangarosa. 1975. International outbreak of Salmonella eastbourne infection traced to contaminated chocolate. Lancet 1 (7910):788-92.
Gill, ON, PN Sockett, CL Bartlett, MS Vaile, B Rowe, RJ Gilbert, C Dulake, HC Murrell, and S Salmaso. 1983. Outbreak of Salmonella napoli infection caused by contaminated chocolate bars. Lancet 1 (8324):574-7.
The Brussels Times. 2022a. Chocolate contamination: Salmonella traced to Hungarian delivery.
The Brussels Times. 2022b. Hundreds of tonnes of chocolate destroyed following salmonella outbreak.
I agree with GMO’s posts, if you google Salmonella and Chocolate I’m sure you will find many more examples, for me the Cadburys example is a classic: Cadbury pleads guilty in salmonella case
The outbreak was caused by Salmonella contamination but also by someone in Cadburys deciding that there was a “safe” level of Salmonella in chocolate which they have subsequently admitted was wrong.
BRCGS gives examples of processes that require an ambient high-care processing area and these include the manufacture of chocolate from raw cocoa beans, the production of milk powder from raw liquid milk, or the manufacture of peanut butter from raw peanuts.
Back to the Guidelines, there are also Physical Hazards (General) and Chemical Hazards (Cadmium, Lead & Ochratoxin) for you to consider:
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Physical Hazards General.png 443.09KB
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Kind regards,
Tony