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Packaged meat voluntary recall – worker diagnosed with Hepatitis A

An Australian smallgoods manufacturer took appropriate precautionary measures when they voluntarily recalled ready-to-eat packaged meat on July 18, 2006. The manufacturer had learned that an employee had contracted Hepatitis A. The staff member works on the packing line for a range of shaved meats (ham, turkey, pastrami and chicken) at the company's Queensland factory. Although there was no contamination of food reported, the recall and subsequent publicity raised awareness of the potential risk and alerted doctors to keep watch for symptoms.

The symptoms of Hepatitis A include fever, fatigue, jaundice, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. The illness rarely causes death but complications can occur for those with pre-existing liver damage, including people with Hepatitis C or people over 50 years of age. Hepatitis A is generally transmitted through the faecal-oral route and is present in faeces at high levels during the asymptomatic incubation period (approximately 30 days). Upon the onset of symptoms the virus is shed in lower numbers for about two weeks.

In one experimental study, Hepatitis A suspended in a faecal solution was able to be transferred from fingertips to a hard surface four hours after the initial contamination (Journal of Clinical Microbiology 1999 30 4, 757-763). It is these transmission issues that make this virus of particular concern for food manufacturers and highlight the need for strict personal hygiene standards as part of a comprehensive food safety plan.

The recall is estimated to have cost the company up to $500,000. Jenny Young, Queensland Health Chief Health Officer said while it was highly unlikely any consumer would contract Hepatitis A from meat products, it was best to err on the side of caution. The company president stated that even though their employees follow strict hygiene practices (including hand sanitation and double-layer gloves), the company wanted to eliminate any possibility of consumer illness.

Standard 3.2.2 of the Australian Food Standards Code, Food Safety Practices and General Requirements, outlines specific requirements and responsibilities for food handlers and food businesses in the area of health and hygiene.

Food handlers must:

• Inform their supervisor if they have symptoms of or have been diagnosed with a foodborne illness;
• Avoid unnecessary contact with ready-to-eat foods;
• Wash and dry hands thoroughly before starting or restarting work, after using the toilet, after sneezing or blowing the nose, after handling raw food, after touching any potentially
• contaminated surfaces (including their own body); and
Change gloves routinely (eg. when changing tasks).

Food businesses must:

• Ensure that any employees known to be suffering from a foodborne illness are excluded from food handling activities;
• Provide easily accessible hand-washing facilities; and
• Ensure employees are informed of their health and hygiene responsibilities.

It is recommended that an employee infected with Hepatitis A stays at home until a doctor declares him/her fit to return to work. Other workers in the factory should be made aware of the issue and be monitored for the development of symptoms.

This recall of meat products highlights the importance of comprehensive food safety plans incorporating not only HACCP systems but underlying support programs. The Codex Alimentarius Recommended International Code of Practice-General Principles of Food Hygiene (CAC/RCP 1-1969, Rev. 4-2003) identifies the essential principles of food hygiene applicable throughout the food chain.