Recalls and Alerts: May 21, 2011

Here is today’s list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals, allergy alerts and miscellaneous compliance issues. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the sidebar link.

United States

  • Allergy Alert: Narala Bakery Inc. (Brooklyn, NY) recalls Halal Plain Cake and Halal Fruit Cake, because the products contain undeclared eggs. The recalled cakes were sold to various locations in the five boroughs of New York City.
  • Food Safety Recall: Atalanta Corp. (Elizabeth, NJ) recalls Nazareth Classic Cheese and Nazareth Light Cheese (Product of Belgium; Lot Nos. 5030008, 5030009, 11350044, 11350045, 11350046, and 10840120; Expiry 3/13/2011 through 7/29/2011) because the cheeses may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products come in bulk and were distributed in the North East region for sale in retail stores in random weight cuts.
  • Food Safety Embargo (Illinois):  The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has embargoed all products from Tran’s Tofu in Chicago after learning during a routine inspection that the company had been operating without hot water. IDPH inspectors also found a rodent infestation problem at the Tran’s Tofu facility. Embargoed products include all date codes of Fresh Tofu (Dau Hu Tuoi), Fried Tofu (Dau Hu Chien) and Fresh Soybean Drink (Sua Dau Nanh). The products are sold mainly to Asian grocery stores and restaurants in the Chicago area.
  • Food Safety Enforcement Action: FDA seeks seizure of cheese products distributed by Brunkow Cheese of Wisconsin, Inc. (Darlington, WI) after FDA finds evidence of rodent infestation.
  • Food Safety Alert: FDA warns the public not to feed SimplyThick (a thickening product) to infants born before 37 weeks, after receiving reports that some premature infants who were fed this product developed a life-threatening intestinal inflammation known as necrotizing enterocolitis. The cause of the adverse reaction is under investigation.
  • Food Safety Alert: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Department of Health (DOH) today issued a warning to consumers to avoid eating carnivorous gastropods (snails, such as whelks, conchs and moonsnails) and the hepatopancreas (tomalley) of blue claw crabs and lobsters harvested from the following areas: Western Shinnecock Bay (Town of Southampton) and Huntington Bay, Huntington Harbor, Lloyd Harbor, Northport Bay, Northport Harbor, Centerport Harbor and Duck Island Harbor (Town of Huntington), due to the presence of marine biotoxins.
  • Outbreak Alert: CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program is reporting back-to-back outbreaks of gastroenteritis on board the Coral Princess (Princess Cruises). The first outbreak occurred during the April 24th to May 4th cruise. It affected 66 passengers and 3 crew members, and was due to Enterotoxigenic E. coli. The second outbreak developed on the May 4th to May 19th cruise, and affected 64 passengers and 3 crew members. The cause of the second outbreak is still under investigation; onboard Norovirus tests were negative.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Pro-Amino International Inc. recalls Protilife Chocolate Truffle & Cream Bar (5 x 45g; Lot code PCC 12 11A, 2013 07), because the product contains undeclared peanuts.
  • Allergy Alert: Quality Natural Foods Ltd. recalls Quality Brand Lemon Juice (250mL & 750mL; Lot #L-120410) MTR Garlic Pickle (300g; Lot 90829.QNF-02BB: SEP 2011), MTR Mixed Vegetable Pickle (300g; 91221.QNF-05BB: DEC 2011), and MTR LIme Pickle (300g; 91221.QNF-05BB: DEC 2011), because the products contain undeclared sulfites.
  • Allergy Alert: CFIA warns the public that Ravi brand Amritsari Punjabi Wadi contains undeclared wheat, and has been recalled by the importers.
  • Food Safety Alert: Health Canada warns parents, caregivers and healthcare providers not to feed SimplyThick to premature infants. FDA reports 15 cases of necrotizing enterocolitis, including two deaths, involving infants who were fed this product. Health Canada is not aware of any Canadian illnesses.
  • Boil Water Advisory (Alberta): Alberta Health Services warns residents of Red Earth, Gift Lake and the Town of Slave Lake to boil water used for drinking, cooking or bathing/washing, or to use an alternative water source until further notice. The advisory was issued as a result of disruptions caused by wildfires.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (France): CERF recalls unbranded Frozen Cheeseburgers sold in Auchan’s Self Discount department (6 x 125g packages; Expiry dates 26/04/2012, 27/04/2012, 06/05/2012, 09/05/2012), because the meat is contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket’s recall web site.

Belgian Cheese Recall Goes Multinational – Update

A couple of months ago – March 19th to be precise – Belgomilk (Moorslede, Belgium) announced the recall of a single lot of Nazareth Classic rectangular “half-cheese” (approx. 3Kg, plastic-wrapped; Lot ID #0520018301 or 0520018302). The recalled cheese was distributed in Belgium and Germany (RASFF Reference #2011.0374).

The reason for the recall? The company found Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of this batch of cheese.

About a month later, France notified RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) member countries that it had detected Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of cheese from Belgium (RASFF Reference #2011.0511; released 18/04/2011 and updated 11/05/2011). The Alert indicated that there had been “distribution to other member countries.”

It, therefore, should not have come as a shock when Belgomilk announced a greatly expanded cheese recall on May 10th, as a result of having found Listeria monocytogenes in an unspecified number of production lots of cheese manufactured at its Moorslede facility. The new recall encompassed cheeses purchased by consumers prior to May 11th.

This list of recalled cheeses includes the following brands and formats:

  • Affligem Tranches/Affligem Slices, ± 400g
  • Belgolight Jeune/Belgolight Young, 200g
  • Brugge d’Or Tranches/Brugge d’Or Slices, ±375g
  • Brugge d’Or Bloc/Brugge d’Or Wedge, ±450g/250g
  • Corsendonk Cubes, 250g
  • Grimbergen Tranches/Grimbergen Slices, ±350g
  • Grimbergen Cubes, ±315g
  • KV Light Fromage Tranches/KV Light Cheese Slices (Light 16% fromage jeune/Light 16% young cheese), ±300g
  • Nazareth Classic Bloc/Nazareth Classic Wedge, ±425g/250g
  • Nazareth Classic Cubes, 150g/250g
  • Nazareth Classic Tranches/Nazareth Classic Slices, 200g/180g
  • Nazareth Light Tranches/Nazareth Light Slices, ±300g
  • Nazareth Tranches/Nazareth Slices, 200g/150g
  • St. Maarten Classic Tranches/St. Maarten Classic Slices, 200g

In addition, the following cheeses were sold “cut to order” at creameries or dairy stands, and as “freshpack” cheese in supermarkets: Belgolight, Bocholter fromage à pain, Brugge d’Or and Nazareth Light & Classic.

Part of the Milcobel dairy cooperative, Belgomilk is headquartered in Kallo, Belgium, and is the largest milk processor in the Milcobel corporate family. Its three factories produce a variety of milk products, including milk powders, butters and cheeses. The Moorslede location produces Belgomilk’s branded and Gouda-style cheeses for distribution in Belgium and for export.

According to the RASFF notification (EU #2011.0619) – issued on May 11, 2011 and updated on May 13, 2011 – the cheeses that were recalled by Belgomilk on May 10th were distributed in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The RASFF notice does not specify which brands of cheese may have been distributed in which countries. Nevertheless, some of this information can be gleaned from recall notices posted by individual countries. The following list is current, as of May 14th, and will be updated if and when more information becomes available.

Belgium

Recalled cheeses were distributed in Colruyt, OKay, Spar, Alvo and Delhaize stores, as follows:

  • Grimbergen Tranches/Slices, ±350g (Colruyt & OKay)
  • Grimbergen Cubes, ±315g (Colyruyt, OKay, Alvo & Spar)
  • Affligem Tranches/Slices, ±400g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Bruges d’Or Trances/Slices, ±375g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Bruges d’Or Bloc/Wedge, ±400g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Nazareth Classic Bloc/Wedge, ±425g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Nazareth Fromage en Block/Wedge Cheese, ±250g (Delhaize)
  • Nazareth Light Tranches/Slices, ±300g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Kievit Light Tranches/Slices, ±300g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Delhaize Tranches de Nazareth/Nazareth Slices, 180g (Delhaize)
  • Delhaize Plateau de fromage Belgo-Français/Belgo-France Cheese Platter, ±400g (Delhaize)
  • Brugge Kaas Plateau de fromage Brugge/Brugge cheese platter ±450g (Delhaize)
Germany
The following recalled cheese was sold in Lidl stores in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony only:
  • St. Maarten Classic Belgian Cheese Slices, 200g

Luxembourg

The following recalled cheeses were sold in member stores of the Colruyt group in Luxembourg:

  • Grimbergen Tranches/Slices, ±350g (Colruyt, Collivery & OKay)
  • Grimbergen Cubes, ±315g (Colyruyt, Collivery, OKay, Alvo & Spar)
  • Affligem Tranches/Slices, ±400g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
  • Bruges d’Or Trances/Slices, ±375g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
  • Bruges d’Or Bloc/Wedge, ±400g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
  • Nazareth Classic Bloc/Wedge, ±425g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
  • Nazareth Light Tranches/Slices, ±300g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
  • Kievit Light Tranches/Slices, ±300g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
The following recalled cheeses were sold in member stores of the Delhaize chain in Luxembourg (updated May 26, 2011):
  • Delhaize brand Tranches de Nazareth (180g; all date codes)
  • Delhaize brand Plateau de fromage Belgo-Français (400g; Best before 18/04/2011 and 02/05/2011)
  • Nazareth brand Fromage Nazareth en bloc (250g; all date codes)
  • Brugge Kaas brand Plateau de fromage Brugge (450g; Best before 13/04/2011)
The Netherlands
  • St. Maarten Classic Belgian Cheese Slices, 200g – sold in Lidl stores in the Netherlands
United Kingdom
  • St. Maarten Classic Belgian Cheese Slices, 200g – sold in Lidl stores in the UK

USA (Updated May 21st)

  • Atalanta Corp (Elizabeth, NJ) recalls Nazareth Classic and Nazareth Light cheeses (Lot Nos. 5030008, 5030009, 11350044, 11350045, 11350046, 10840120; expiration dates of 3/13/2011 through 7/29/2011). The cheeses were distributed mostly in the Northeast, and sold in retail stores in random weight cuts.

Not all countries and retailers are equally prompt at posting recall notices – if they post them at all. If you have purchased one of the recalled cheeses and your country or store does not appear on the above lists, please discard the cheese and let me know where you found it, so that I can add the information to the list for the benefit of other consumers.

Please return to this site periodically for updates as more information becomes available.

Evanger’s – The Light Dawns

Ever since I received a copy from Evanger’s of their lab report (also posted on the company’s web site), I have been trying to figure out how FDA could possibly determine that there was no duck meat present in their sample of dog food, while Genetic ID – the third-party lab used by Evanger – found duck DNA in the sample that was submitted to them for testing.

My first thought was that there was may have been a significant difference in lab methods used by FDA and Genetic ID. That thought was quashed earlier today, when I ascertained from FDA that the agency used a PCR method – the same type of method as the one used by Genetic ID. Even a slight difference in technique would not be enough to explain a total lack of positive duck meat reaction in FDA’s hands.

I was stymied until I revisited the wording of the FDA warning letter and compared it to the wording of the information released by Evanger.

Here’s the relevant portion of the Evanger statement:

“Our results show that, in fact, Evanger’s brand Super Premium Duck was detected positive for duck…”

And here’s the relevant statement from the FDA warning letter:

“The labeling indicates that Evanger’s Grain-free Duck Pet Food contains duck, but the analytical sample results did not detect the presence of duck in the product.”

A quick review of Evanger’s website brought everything into focus. Super Premium Duck and Grain-Free Duck are two VERY different products!

I challenge Evanger’s to submit samples of the same batch of Grain-Free Duck dog food analyzed by FDA to a third-party lab for testing.

Anyone care to speculate on the outcome?