New Category : Food/Cooking
Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA) - Urgent Product Recall Notice
Thu, Feb 29th 2024, 11:25 AM
On February 12th, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a recall by Fratelli Beretta of an undetermined amount of ready-to-eat (RTE) meat charcuterie products containing Coppa that may be under-processed and which may have resulted in possible contamination with foodborne pathogens. An initial recall of the products were made by Fratelli Beretta on January 3, 2024, related to possible Salmonella contamination followed by a public health alert by FSIS on January 18, 2024, related to additional charcuterie products. Various RTE Coppa products Best By dates have been implicated and can be viewed on the FDA Recall site.
Recalled products will bear establishment numbers “EST. M47967 or M7543B” inside the USDA mark of inspection or in inkjet print on the front of the package. These items were shipped throughout the U.S., however, BAHFSA was notified on February 21, 2024 by the Caribbean Basin Agricultural Trade Office, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, indicating that some of the products may have been shipped to The Bahamas. BAHFSA has initiated the process of notifying the retailers that were identified.
Salmonella is a bacteria that is naturally found in the gut of humans and animals and may spread by exposure to fecal matter that can cause serious harm to vulnerable, at risk groups, including infants under 5yrs of age, the elderly (65yrs and above) and those who are sick with compromised immune systems. Common symptoms of a Salmonella foodborne illness (Salmonellosis) include fever, diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, headaches, and can be more severe for at risk groups. Healthy persons tend to recover without treatment after about 4-7 days. If you or anyone in your family becomes ill as a result of consuming any of these contaminated products, you are urged to contact the nearest health professional who will in turn, inform the Ministry of Health Communicable Disease Surveillance Unit. To date, there have been no reported illnesses in the country.
Some of the affected products may already be in retailers’ and consumers’ refrigerators. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them, but to discard and/or return them to the place of purchase. The Department of Environmental Health Services has also been notified and have confirmed that some of the products have been identified and removed from the market. The inspection process is ongoing.
Local merchants, including retailers, wholesalers and distributors are asked to promptly contact BAHFSA whenever they have been made aware, by a notice, of having received any recalled products and also ensure their customers are informed and provided with the affected product/s UPCs, expiry dates, sale dates in question and to which stores and on which islands the goods may have been shipped or distributed.
Please send all other concerns and queries to bahfsa@bahamas.gov.bs
Visit us on facebook and at www.bahfsabahamas.com.
You may also find recalled food products on BAHFSAs website at www.bahfsabahamas.com by clicking onto NEWS and then ALERTS in the drop down window.
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Tue, Nov 28th 2023, 11:05 AM
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,I AM HONOURED TO BE HERE TODAY AS THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND MARINE RESOURCES, THE BAHAMAS AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION (BAIC) AND ACCESS ACCELERATOR SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE PARTNER TO, ONCE AGAIN,BRING FOCUS TO THE ISSUE OF FOOD SECURITY, TO ADVANCE FARMING AND MARINE VENTURES IN THE COUNTRY AND TO GENERALLY AID BAHAMIAN ENTREPRENEURS IN THESE VITAL INDUSTRIES.
FOOD SECURITY AND THE LOWERING OF OUR FOOD IMPORT BILL ISONE OF THE MAIN PRIORITIES OF THE DAVIS ADMINISTRATION. THEIMPORTANCE OF SUCCESSFULLY FURTHERING THE EFFORTS OF THEGOVERNMENT OVER THE YEARS IN ENSURING THAT THE BAHAMASAND BAHAMIANS CAN SUSTAINABILITY UTILIZE, DEVELOP AND BENEFITFROM THE RESOURCES FOUND IN OUR SEAS AND THE LARGE AMOUNTOF ARABLE LAND WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH CANNOT BEOVERSTRESSED. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT THE AVERAGE BAHAMIANUNDERSTANDS THAT THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE FOOD SECURITYOF THE COUNTRY BY STARTING A BACKYARD FARM AND BYSUPPORTING DOMESTIC FARMERS AND FISHERMEN.
FOOD SECURITY GOES FURTHER THAN JUST THE AVAILABILITY OF FOODITEMS. IT INCLUDES THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE, QUALITY CONTROL ANDTHE PRICE OF FOOD AMONG OTHER THINGS. IN RECENT YEARS, WEHAVE WITNESSED THE FLUCUATION IN THE AVAILABILITY AND PRICE OFSTABLE ITEMS IN OUR NATIONAL DIET. THE OCCURANCE OF FOOD SCARITY AND THE UNAFFORDABLE COST TO SOME,CAUSESBAHAMIANS TO HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS PERTAINING TO WHETHER,WHAT AND HOW MUCH TO EAT AND IN SOME CASES IF TO EAT ATALL. INTERNATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS THE PANDEMIC, WAR,INFLATION, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES HAVE ADVERSELY AFFECTED FOODAVAILABILITY NOT JUST IN THE BAHAMAS BUT AROUND THE WORLD. ITHAS ALSO PLACED A SPOTLIGHT ON THE NEED FOR MORE ATTENTIONTO BE PAID TO AGRICULTURE, FISHING AND FOOD PRODUCTION,WHICH ARE VITAL SECTORS OF OUR ECONOMY. AND MORE OVER,VITAL TO OUR EXISTENCE AS HUMAN BEINGS.
IT IS MY AIM AS THE MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR AGRICULTURE ANDMARINE RESOURCES TO ASSIST BAHAMIANS IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE TOBEGIN AND SUSTAIN THEIR FARMS, FOOD PRODUCTION COMPANIESAND FISHING VENTURES. THE SUCCESS OF THESE TYPES OF BUSINESSESWITHIN THE LOCAL ECONOMY LEADS TO SUSTAINABLE JOBS, WEALTHCREATION AND, OF COURSE, THEY CONTRIBUTE TO DECREASING THEIMPORT OF ITEMS THAT CAN BE SOURCED DOMESTICALLY. I BELIEVE INTHE INGENUITY OF THE BAHAMIAN PEOPLE AND OUR ABILITY TO DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO SURVIVE AND EVEN THRIVE WHEN GIVEN THEOPPORTUNITY AND THE NEEDED GUIDANCE TO GO WITH IT.
THE SUSTAINABLE FOOD GROWTH GRANT IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS– 60 PERCENT FUNDING FOR FISHERS, WHERE WE RARELY SEE NEWBUSINESSES AND 40 PERCENT FOR FARMERS ESPECIALLY THOSE WHOWOULD LIKE TO USE CLIMATE SMART TECHNOLOGY TO INCREASETHEIR YIELDS. THE GRANT WILL ALSO HELP TO FOSTER INNOVATION,ENCOURAGE COLLABORATION AND PROVIDE ONGOING SUPPORTFOR SUSTAINABLE FOOD GROWTH PROJECTS. BY INVESTING INSUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, THE BAHAMAS CANREDUCE ITS RELIANCE ON IMPORTED FOOD, CREATE NEW ECONOMICOPPORTUNITIES AND PROTECT ITS NATURAL RESOURCES FOR FUTUREGENERATIONS.
THE FOOD CENTRAL WILL BE AN IMMERSION EVENT FOR THE SENSESFOR PATRONS WHILE CREATING A PLATFORM FOR FARMERS, FISHERSAND CHEFS TO COME TOGETHER TO SHOWCASE THEIR PRODUCEAND SKILLS – ALL WHILE BUILDING A GREATER CONNECTION TO THECOMMUNITY. UP TO 40 VENDORS WILL BE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE.
OUR COUNTRY HAS A RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE CENTRED AROUND ITS CUISINE. AND SO, I AM EXCITED TO SEE THE CULINARY SHOWCASEWHERE CHEFS WILL DEMONSTRATE THEIR CREATIVITY AND EXPERTISEUSING LOCAL INGREDIENTS. THIS IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FORLOCALS AND TOURISTS ALIKE TO EXPERIENCE THE DIVERSE FLAVOURSAND CULINARY TRADITIONS OF THE BAHAMAS. THERE WILL ALSO BE AFUN FARM TO TABLE CHEFS COMPETITION WHERE ATTENDEES WILLHAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE FOR THEIR FAVOURITE DISHES. ILOOK FORWARD TO THE ROLL OUT OF MORE DETAILS OF THISREMARKABLE EVENT.
TRULY, I AM EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLEVIA THE FOOD SECURITY INITIATIVE. BY SUPPORTING FARMERS, FISHERSAND FOOD BUSINESSES, THIS INITIATIVE WILL CREATE JOBS, STIMULATEENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BOOST AND DIVERSIFY THE LOCALECONOMY. THIS FOOD SECURITY INITIATIVE IS CRUCIAL FOR THEBAHAMAS TO ENHANCE ITS FOOD RESILIENCE, IMPROVE PUBLICHEALTH AND SAFEGUARD THE ENVIRONMENT. SO I ENCOURAGE ALLINTERESTED INDIVIDUALS OR COMPANIES TO CONTACT ACCESSACCELERATOR TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EXCITING INITIATIVE AND LET’SGET GROWING BAHAMAS. THANK YOU.
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