Recalls and Alerts: October 4, 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.

United States

• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Grand BK Corp (Maspeth, NY) that an August 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing and importer establishment 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 Lebanese Arak Corp (Glendale, CA) that an April 2011 inspection of the company’s manufacturing facility revealed serious violations of the juice Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for food.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns K. Heeps, Inc. (Allentown, PA) that an August 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 Herbal Nitro Inc. (Yucaipa, CA) that a May 2011 inspection of the company’s dietary supplement firm revealed significant violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation for Manufacturing, Packaging, Labeling or Holding Operations for Dietary Supplements.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Nutrition Center, Inc., dba Nutri-West (Douglas, WY) that an April 2011 inspection of the company’s dietary manufacturing facility revealed violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation for Manufacturing, Packaging, Labeling or Holding Operations for Dietary Supplements.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns High Quality Organics (Reno, NV) that a March 2011 inspection of the company’s food manufacturing and repackaging facility revealed that four of the company’s products – organic ground ginger, organic ground chili pepper, organic sandia chile powder, and organic ground coriander – were adulterated, in that they were found to be contaminated with Salmonella. The contaminated products were recalled in March 2011.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Merex Inc. (Halifax, Canada) that a February 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 Willharvdoit Corporation (Milwaukee, WI) that a May/June 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.

Europe

• Food Safety Recall (Ireland): P & B (Foods) Ltd. recalls Heera Milk Powder (200g and 700g; all batches; all best before dates), because the product was repackaged at an unapproved premises in the UK.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1350): Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in red paprika pigment from Hong Kong; distributed to France.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1354): Aflatoxins in whole egusi seeds from Ghana; distributed to the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1355): Aflatoxins in peanuts from Ghana; distributed to the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1356): Unauthorized operator for Heera brand milk powder from France, packaged in the United Kingdom; distributed to Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1357): Mercury in fish from Senegal; distributed to Germany.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Food Safety Recall (Singapore): Fonterra recalls Chesdale Processed Cheese Slices (250g; Best before 16 July 2012), after a fragment of metal was found in a pack of the cheese in New Zealand.

Australia and New Zealand

• Pharmaceutical Product Safety Alert (Australia): The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) advises health professionals and consumers that TGA has not approved the use of topiramate to assist with weight loss. Use of the drug for weight loss is associated with “serious adverse events.”

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.