Month: May 2011

Recalls and Alerts: May 17, 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

  • Pet Treat Safety Recall: Boss Pet Products, Inc. (Maple Heights, OH) recalls Diggers Natural Treat Pig Ear pet treats, because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recall came after Keys Manufacturing Company, Inc. notified Boss Pet that several shipments of potentially contaminated products were included in Diggers brand products shipped by Boss Pet in November 2010 through April 2011. The recalled products were shipped by truck to distributors in Montana, California, Washington, Oklahoma, Tennessee, New York, Kansas, Ohio, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Oregon, Utah, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana and Minnesota.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Omar Seafood, Corp (Miami, FL) that a February 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Zuccaro’s Produce Company (Minneapolis, MN) that a January/February 2011 inspection of the company’s facility revealed a violation of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food (CGMP) regulation, causing the company’s shredded lettuce and frozen foods to be adulterated, in that they were prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Green Hope, LLC, dba Rosewood (Ann Arbor, MI) that a February/March 2011 inspection of the company’s food processing facility revealed serious violations of FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food (CGMP) regulation, causing the food products to be adulterated, in that they were prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have become contaminated with filth or rendered injurious to health.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company, Inc. (Wheeling, IL) that a December 2010 through February 2011 inspection of the company’s low-acid canned food manufacturing facility revealed misbranding. In addition, processing and production records for products manufactured in 2009 were not provided upon written demand, as required by the relevant regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Southeast Asian Food Product (San Francisco, CA) that a December 2010/January 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Dani Jacq, Inc. dba The Home Fresh Foods Company (Baltimore, MD) that a January 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Captain’s Fine Foods, LLC (Tampa, FL) that a February-March 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Triple A. Services, Inc. (Chicago, IL) that a January 2011 inspection of the company’s food processing and storage facility revealed serious violations of FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations for food.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Star Food Products Inc (Weston, FL) that an inspection of the company’s seafood importer establishment revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Mave Enterprises, Inc. (North Hollywood, CA) that a September/October 2010 inspection of the company’s food storage and processing facility revealed serious violations of FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food (CGMP) regulation.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Fruiterie Boucherie Longueuil (Longueuil, QC) recalls Hamburger Steak, Chicken Gumbo and Quatre-Quarts Carottes et Ananas, due to the presence of undeclared milk (Hamburger steak) or soy (Chicken Gumbo and Quatre-Quarts Carottes et Ananas).

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Mega Food recalls Kilic red lentils (Product of Canada; Best before 25-10-2012) and Kilic green lentils (Product of Canada; Best before 10-10-2012), after samples were found to contain glyphosate above the permitted level.
  • Pet Food Safety Recall Update (Multiple countries): B.K. SA (Versele-Laga) recalls Nutritional Balance Lamb & Rice all breeds Growth Petfood for puppies (see recall notice for package sizes and lot codes), after receiving reports that some dogs experienced behavioral problems, including on occasion epileptic seizures after consuming the foods. The recalled products were distributed to the following European countries (see RASFF #2011.0639): Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0642): Glass fragments in rice pudding (cherry, cinnamon and pure) from Germany; distributed to Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Slovakia and Slovenia.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0643): Bulging packaging, leaking cans and dirty labels of canned chicken ravioli in tomato sauce from Italy; distributed to Belgium.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0644): Salmonella in frozen chicken without giblets from the Netherlands, produced in Germany, via Austria; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0645): Parasitic infestation with Anisakis of tub gurnard from France; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0646): Diarrhoeic shellfish poisoning toxins in mussels from France; distributed to France and Spain.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0648): Ochratoxin A in dried figs from Greece, via Austria; distributed to the Czech Republic.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0649): Nitrosamines in barley malt from Germany; distributed to Austria and Germany.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0651): Salmonella in herbs from France, via Belgium; distributed to Sweden.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2011.0652): Salmonella Mbandaka in complete feed for aquarium fish from Taiwan; distributed to Finland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0653): Glass fragments in De Graal beer in bottles from Belgium; distributed to Belgium and Italy.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Pet Food Safety Recall Update (Multiple countries): B.K. SA (Versele-Laga) recalls Nutritional Balance Lamb & Rice all breeds Growth Petfood for puppies (see recall notice for package sizes and lot codes), after receiving reports that some dogs experienced behavioral problems, including on occasion epileptic seizures after consuming the foods. The recalled products were distributed to Israel and Japan (see RASFF #2011.0639).
  • Food Safety Alert (PRC): Sichuan peppers that release a red dye when soaked in water were recently found in some markets in Beijing, according to the People’s Daily Online.
  • Outbreak Alert/Expired Pharmaceutical (India): Seven railway employees were taken to hospital due to diarrhea and vomiting. The intravenous glucose solution with which they were treated was beyond its expiration date.

Latin America and the Caribbean

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.

Evanger’s Back In Hot Water With FDA

FDA weekly list of Warning Letters included an old familiar name this morning – Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company, Inc. (Wheeling, IL).

Readers of eFoodAlert who have been following the adventures of Joel and Holly Sher will remember that the company has been in and out of trouble with FDA since April 2008.

The latest problems revolve around misbranding and record keeping.

On August 19, 2010, FDA obtained samples of Lamb and Rice Dog Food from the company’s distributor. FDA’s analysis of the food failed to detect any lamb. Instead, the Lamb and Rice Dog Food contained beef.

On December 14, 2010, during its inspection of the company’s low acid-canned food manufacturing facility, FDA collected samples of Evanger’s Grain-free Duck Pet Food. Analysis of the food failed to detect any duck.

According to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, “…a food is deemed to be adulterated if any substance has been substituted wholly or in part therefore.” Also, offering a product for sale under the name of another food constitutes misbranding.

In addition to the adulteration/misbranding issue, Evanger’s still has not fixed its processing documentation problem. FDA’s warning letter states that the “…firm was not able to provide processing and production records upon written demand, as required by 21 C.F.R. 108.35(h), for products manufactured in 2009…” – the period during which Evanger’s was operating under a suspended “Emergency Operating Permit” while it was supposed to be correcting its processing documentation flaws.

The company has been given fifteen (15) working days to bring its operations into full compliance, or to provide a time frame within which the corrections will be completed.

In a letter to its “Dear valued customers and distributors” dated Friday, May 6, 2011, Evanger’s disputed FDA’s lab findings on the Duck Pet Food, but made no comment on the absence of processing and production records mentioned in the agency’s warning letter.

Evanger’s letter goes on to claim that there is “…ABSOLUTELY NO HEALTH OR SAFETY ISSUE…” associated with the misbranding. I beg to differ. Some dogs are allergic or sensitive to particular sources of protein. If my dog was allergic to beef, I would be very upset to learn that the premium lamb-based product I had chosen for him contained beef instead – or in addition to – lamb.

In my post of June 17, 2009, I wondered whether Evanger’s was being singled out by FDA in order to “send a message” to the pet food industry. If this was the case, I suggested that we might owe Evanger’s an apology.

Instead, I am now convinced that Evanger’s owes its customers an apology.

Recalls and Alerts: May 16, 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.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Belgium): La Brasserie De Graal recalls certain batches and varieties of beer (33 cl bottles), because of a manufacturing defect that could result in the lip of the bottle breaking during opening, with the risk of glass fragments falling into the beer. Please see the recall notice for a list of affected beers.
  • Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Alois Müller GmbH & Co. KG recalls Müller Diät Milchreis, Sorte Pur, Müller Diät Milchreis, Sorte Zimt and Müller Diät Milchreis, Sorte Kirsch (best before 23.05 only), after receiving consumer complaints of glass particles in a few containers of the products. The recalled products were sold in stores belonging to the Cactus supermarket chain.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Dansk Supermarked A/S recalls Smoked Pork Tenderloin (Product of Poland; Best before dates from 1/1/2011 up to and including 1/5/2011), because the product is suspected to have been the source of an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium DT120.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): DB OKS recalls several turkey products (produced between 9 May and 13 May 2011), because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0636): Salmonella Veneziana in mixed salad from the United Kingdom; distributed to Ireland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0637): Mold growth in blueberry fruit yoghurt from Germany; distributed to Austria, Germany and Hungary.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0640): Pine mouth syndrome caused by pine kernels from Norway, with raw material from China, via the Netherlands; distributed to Finland and Norway.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Chinese Herbal Medicine Recall (Hong Kong): Kwong Lung Hong recalls the Chinese medicinal herb Rhizoma Atractylodis (Batch 06010108; imported from the Mainland), because the product is contaminated with atropine and scopolamine. One illness has been reported.
  • Food Safety Alert (Taiwan): The Consumer Protection Commission has found that five lunchbox providers supplied elementary schools with six types of meat products containing chemicals banned by the Council of Agriculture. Four of the providers were CAS-certified companies. Of five meatball samples that were inspected, three contained chloramphenicol or enrofloxacin. A chicken sample was contaminated with doxycycline.
  • Outbreak Alert Update (Japan): The toll stands at four deaths, and nearly 40 hospitalized – more than 20 of them in serious condition – in the E. coli O111 outbreak that was traced to a shredded raw beef dish (yukke) consumed at outlets of the Foods Forus Co. restaurant chain. The restaurant chain and its meat wholesaler are pointing the finger of blame at each other. Police conducted searches of the restaurant chain outlets, its operator and the meat distributor in an effort to determine at what point the contamination occurred.
  • Outbreak Alert (India): Hospitals in Ludhiana are reporting that the seasonal increase in the number of gastroenteritis patients has begun early this year.
  • Outbreak Alert (Singapore): Seven teachers and 346 children from eight Pat’s Schoolhouse centers have now been reported to have been stricken with food poisoning on May 10th. Mum’s Kitchen – the caterer for the centers – has been fined $300 and given four demerit points following an inspection; its license also has been suspended while investigations continue. Twenty-six of the food poisoning victims are still in hospital.
  • Outbreak Alert (Jordan): A family of five children (ages 4-13) in Mafraq developed diarrhea and vomiting after eating a meal prepared at home.
  • Outbreak Alert (Cameroon): The capital city of Yaounde is experiencing an outbreak of cholera that has claimed more than 250 lives in the past two months.

Australia and New Zealand

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Outbreak Alert (Venezuela): An outbreak of hepatitis A has spread from the Arenas parish in the municipality of Sucre State Forest to three additional parishes. Approximately 400 people have been infected.

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.