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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