IA #24-17 - 7/15/93, "Automatic Detention of Canned Jalapeno Peppers From Transcafe Int'l S.A., Costa Rica, Because of Botulism" TYPE OF ALERT: Automatic Detention PRODUCT : Canned Jalapeno Peppers PRODUCT CODE : 24FEE08 HTSUSA CODE : 2005 90 5590 PROBLEM : Clostridium botulinum (botulism) (PSCB) SAMPLE PAC : 03003 COUNTRY : Costa Rica (295) MANUFACTURER/ SHIPPER : Transcafe International S.A. P.O. Box 505 Zapote San Jose, Costa Rica FCE #10174 FIRM MID # : CRTRAINT505SAN IMPORTER'S I.D. # : N/A CHARGE : The article is subject to refusal of admission pursuant to Section 801(a)(1) and (a)(3) in that it appears to bear or contain a poisonous or deleterious substance, C. botulinum toxin, in such a quantity that ordinarily renders it injurious to health [Adulteration, Section 402(a)(1)]; and to have been prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have been rendered injurious to health [Adulteration, Section 402(a)(4)]." RECOMMENDING OFFICE : Division of Import Operations & Policy, HFC-170 Import Alert #24-17 7/15/93 Page 2 REASON FOR ALERT : New Orleans District sampled a shipment of #10 cans of jalapeno peppers, halves, after a field exam found abnormal cans. Atlanta Regional Lab analyses of the sample revealed pH levels greater than 4.6 and swollen cans. One can was found to contain preformed C. botulinum toxin, Type A, using BAM, 7th Edition (1992), Chapter 17, (confirmed by CFSAN). This product is considered to be a potentially life-threatening acute health hazard because of the presence of C. botulinum toxin. This firm/product is also subject to automatic detention under Import Alert #99-04, "Automatic Detention of Manufacturers of Low-Acid Canned Foods." This separate alert is needed to prevent this firm/product from being overlooked within the long list (approx. 440 firms/thousands of products) currently in Import Alert #99-04. INSTRUCTIONS : Automatically detain all canned peppers and any other LACF/ALACF products manufactured by Transcafe International S.A., San Jose, Costa Rica. Private lab test results would not be sufficient to remove the appearance of a violation. Therefore, shipments must not be released until satisfactory corrective actions are documented and have the concurrence of CFSAN. PRIORITIZATION GUIDANCE : Priority I FOI : No purging required KEYWORDS : Botulism, Jalapeno Peppers, Transcafe, Costa Rica PREPARED BY : Doug Randes, DIOP, 301-443-6553. ATTACHMENT TO IMPORT ALERT #24-17, 7/15/93 FIRM PRODUCT Transcafe International S.A. Jalapeno Peppers,Halves P.O. Box 505 Zapote in #10 cans San Jose, Costa Rica FCE#10174