Bacterial Contamination of a Batch of Dragon Boat Brand Canned Shiitake Mushrooms

Thursday 23 May 2002

Category B: 'For Action'

Food authorities were advised in Food Hazard Warnings 10/2002 and 10/2002 Update 1 about bacterial contamination of Po-Ku Pagoda Brand canned mushrooms (with distribution only to Northern Ireland), and Dragon Boat Brand canned Shiitake mushrooms respectively. Both brands are produced by the same manufacturer in China.

In Food Hazard Warning 10/2002 Update 1, food authorities in England, Wales and Scotland were advised of action being taken in Northern Ireland because of known distribution there of an implicated batch of the Dragon Boat Brand Shiitake mushrooms, and that further investigations were being made into whether the brand and batch was available elsewhere in the UK. In addition to these investigations, further analysis of cans has been undertaken by Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA). The purpose of this Food Hazard Warning is to advise food authorities of the outcome of this work and the action now requested by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) regarding the below product.

Product: Shiitake Canned Mushrooms
Brand Name: Dragon Boat
Can Size: 284grammes/10 ounces
Can Coding (on the lid): L 7 1
011026
846

The FSA has been advised that the ‘011026’ part of the code indicates the production date of 26/10/2001. The remainder of the code above this is the factory number, province and shift number, and below this is the product code.

Can coding (on the base): 3300/01007

Action taken by the FSA:

The supplier of the above implicated batch to Northern Ireland has confirmed distribution to a number of other food businesses in Great Britain.

The food authorities for these businesses have already been contacted by the FSA and any cans found withdrawn from sale.

However, this is believed to have only recovered a small proportion of the total consignment, so the remainder has either been sold to other food businesses or direct to the final consumer.

Two unopened cans and one opened can was sent to CCFRA for can integrity testing, and failed to meet the Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association (MPMA) guidelines due to excessive wrinkle in the seams. This excessive wrinkle could increase the likelihood of bacterial ingress post processing, and may explain the bacterial contamination previously found.

The FSA is also issuing a press release to publicise the issue for consumers.

The FSA is continuing to investigate other batches of Dragon Boat and Pagoda brand canned mushrooms and will be testing these for can seam defects also.

Action to be taken by local authorities:

Food authorities are asked to make contact with all Chinese food businesses in their area and ask for any cans of the above implicated brand and batch to be withdrawn from sale and destroyed. However, if food authorities are aware of any non-Chinese food businesses who might use such a product, including specialist catering suppliers, they should also make contact with those businesses.

Food authorities will wish to be aware that reference has been made previously to a best before end Oct 2004 sticker on the cans of the implicated batch sampled in Northern Ireland. However, more recent information from FSA Northern Ireland suggests that this may not be the only best before date for the same production date code.

It is hoped that food business proprietors will voluntarily surrender cans. However, should there be any resistance, the FSA's advice is that the cans should be detained under the Food Safety Act 1990 and the food authority contact the FSA on the telephone number given at the end of this food hazard warning.

Unless they deem it necessary to do so, there is no need for those food authorities, who have already been contacted by the FSA and visited the food businesses supplied by the importer direct, to contact those businesses again.

It is expected that action by local authorities will be initiated as soon as possible after receipt of this food hazard warning.