Australia Recalls a Food and Liquid Thickener Over Cronobacter Contamination

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) announced on September 26 the recall of a food and liquid thickener due to microbial contamination with Cronobacter. The product was sold in three pack sizes (325 grams, 900 grams and 4.5 kilos) through a health care product distributor and online across the country, with a presence in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. The authority asked consumers not to consume the product and to return it to the place of purchase for a refund.

Cronobacter is an environmental bacterium best known for its association with powdered infant formula, where it can cause serious infections in newborns. Its most relevant characteristic for industry is its ability to survive for long periods in dry, low water activity products, and to persist in dry processing environments such as dryers, hoppers and powder packaging lines.

Thickeners for foods and beverages are commonly used in the diets of people with swallowing difficulties, a group that often includes older adults and patients in hospitals or residential care. Although the FSANZ notice does not detail the source of the contamination or report any illnesses, the profile of the consumer of this type of product amplifies the risk of a Cronobacter finding beyond what it would be in a food for the general population.

For TAAG, this recall confirms that Cronobacter control should not be limited to infant formula: any powdered ingredient intended for vulnerable populations requires environmental monitoring for Enterobacteriaceae and Cronobacter in the dry areas of the plant, because in these products the absence of a subsequent cooking step leaves safety in the hands of process hygiene control.