Recall of Cold Smoked Salmon

[daveomak.fs]

Mill Stream Corp. (Sullivan Harbor Farm) Issues a Voluntary Recall of Cold Smoked Salmon

Mill Stream Corp. (Sullivan Harbor Farm) of Hancock, Maine is voluntarily recalling ten lots of Cold Smoked Salmon because it has the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause life-threatening illness or death. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled. Botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning, can cause the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention. No illnesses have been reported to date. The recall was initiated because the product’s water phase salt (WPS) tested below 3.5%. This was discovered upon re-review of laboratory certificates, which were found to have incorrectly reported WPS levels. Labeling instructions state to keep refrigerated at or below 38ºF and that the product may be frozen. Because the WPS is under 3.5% the product must remain frozen until ready to consume. Product stored in the refrigerator after thawing has the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum.

 

[daveomak.fs]

I find this article interesting because.......
I had forgotten the 3.5% salt, controls certain bacteria...
Seems I have read that amount is important when dry curing meats , or something like that.... Then I have read where 2.75% salt is fine + added cure#1... which can raise the % to at least 3%... If you read the FSIS sheets, cure additions in dry cured meats up to 625Ppm are allowable, which would raise the salt content 0.25% for each additional 156Ppm of cure#1 ... So 2.75% salt + 625Ppm nitrite would then be 3.75% salt... To me, this verifies the dissipation of nitrite in meats, over time, as dry cured meats can be months in waiting to be consumed..
NOTE... this is NO WAY addresses sausages, which are cured for a "relative" immediate consumption.. so don't go there...
This is just a discussion for thoughts about dried cured meats.... Helping me/us learn just a bit more about curing meats.... and refreshing a certain parts of my brain, that needed refreshing, and passing on those re-learning experiences...

When adding cure#2, the nitrite and nitrate leave us with a problem... I have seen NITRATE %'s from 0.5% to 3.63%... FORTUNATELY, nitrate is not close to the lethality that nitrite presents..

As a side note... There can be a problem with vacuum packed/cryo packed foods...
When stored in the refer, there are bacteria that are alive and doing their thing... Whatever that is.. Consequently, from doing their thing, they are consuming any oxygen in the packaging... When the oxygen level gets low enough, they may go into a suspended animation mode while at the same time, activating botulism bacteria to grow... so it says in fine print somewhere... That's the disclaimer in the above note...
Product stored in the refrigerator after thawing has the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum.
So, please open any vac-packed foods, when they go from the freezer to the refer...

I hope this made sense to a few of the members... This stuff can get VERY confusing at times as the rules change between methods of curing.. The rules are VERY specific to different methods.. Don't assume because you do something for sausage, it's the same for dry aging or fermenting....

OK... I'm done for now.... unless I think of something else... Dave

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