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.
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United States
- Outbreak Alert: For the second time this year, Princess Cruises’ Crown Princess has been hit with an outbreak of what is probably (again) norovirus gastroenteritis. The ship reported what was confirmed as a norovirus outbreak on its January 28-February 4, 2012 cruise. CDC environmental health officers boarded the Crown Princess on its February 4th arrival in Ft. Lauderdale to evaluate the outbreak and the crew’s response activities. The ship was “turned around” that same day and embarked on its next scheduled cruise – one that has been cut short by two days due to a recurrence of gastroenteritis. The Crown Princess returned to port on February 9th for another CDC assessment and a super-sanitization cleaning and disinfection.” In all, 396 passengers and crew reported symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea during the January 28th – February 4th cruise; 356 passengers and crew experienced those symptoms during the abbreviated February 4-9 cruise.
Canada
- Food Safety Recall: Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd. recalls Fresh Veal Cubes (Item #50088; Best Before Feb 19th, 2012), because the meat may contain pieces of metal. The recalled Fresh Veal Cubes were sold in certain Costco warehouse stores in Eastern Canada on February 9th or 10th.
Europe
- Allergy Alert: Granovita UK Limited withdraws Granovita Mushroom Pateole Yeast Spread, labeled as gluten-free (Best before 21 April 2012), because the product contains levels of gluten that are above the limits allowed for foods labeled as gluten-free.
- Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0222): Salmonella spp. and Cronobacter sakazakii in dried milk formulae from Belgium; distributed to Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
- Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0223): Salmonella spp. in chilled beef trimmings from Ireland; distributed to Sweden.
- Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0225): Monocrotophos, omethoate and dimethoate in okra from India; distributed to Austria.
- Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0228): Tetradifon in oranges from Turkey, via Germany; distributed to Austria.
- Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0230): Unauthorized operator for frozen chicken pasta from Italy; distributed to Italy and the United Kingdom.
- Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0231): Salmonella enteritidis in frozen whole hens from Poland; distributed to Denmark.
- Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2012.0233): Undeclared gluten in mushroom yeast spread from Spain; distributed to the United Kingdom.
Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
- Food Safety Alert (China): Chinese authorities are reported to be investigating eggs that bounce after being boiled and are too hard to eat (referred to as “rubber eggs” or “ping pong eggs”) out of concerns that the eggs may be fake. Xinhua news agency adds that the hardness might also be explained by the laying hens consuming large quantities of feed enriched with gossypol, a residue of cotton seeds added to chicken feed as an extra source of protein.
- Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0222): Salmonella spp. and Cronobacter sakazakii in dried milk formulae from Belgium; distributed to Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
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.
- A&P
- Big Y® World Class Market®
- BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc.
- Bloom
- Brookshire’s
- Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
- Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
- EDEKA (Germany)
- Food City
- Food Lion
- Giant Food LLC
- Gros Cidac (Italy)
- Hannaford Brothers Co.
- Harris Teeter
- H-E-B
- The Kroger Company*
- Lucky Supermarkets
- Price Chopper
- Publix
- Raley’s
- Roundy’s Supermarkets, Inc.
- Safeway**
- Sainsbury’s
- ShopRite
- Stop & Shop
- Sweetbay Supermarkets
- Target
- Top Food & Drug
- Tops Friendly Markets
- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
- Wegmans
- Whole Foods Market
- WinCo Foods
- Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.
**Includes Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs and Pak N’ Save.
eFoodAlert 
Hi,I live in Falls Church, Virginia, about 6 miles from downtown D.C. I just cetenrly began a search for fresh gluten free baked goods in the area. With all the people in this area you would think that there would be at least one local bakery offering safe gluten free baked goods. Several of the cupcakeries advertise gluten free cupcakes but upon further investigation of their baking practices I find it questionable that the items are not contaminated. Even if you bake the cupcakes first in the morning, if you use the same facility, the same mixer and pans and then package them in boxes kept in the bakery near where you bake with gluten flours, how can these not be contaminated.However, my search did lead me to The Triple Oak Bakery, in Sperryville, Virginia. I have made several trips to the bakery (about 65 miles one way) over the last two months. I’ve had apple turnovers, cinnamon twirls, scones, biscuits, dinner rolls and cake and brownies, all delicious and without that gritty texture so prevalent in gluten free baked goods. As the bakery only bakes gluten free products, and the owner/baker has celiac, I am confident that due care is taken in making the products.Currently, I am trying to find retail outlets in the northern Virginia and greater D.C. area so that the bakery might profitably send a delivery truck here once a week. I really enjoy having a dinner roll with my salad, a breakfast pastry as a treat. I hope that anyone living locally reading this blog might contact me so that we can pool our orders for the bakery products, or maybe someone knows a buyer or owner of a store, coffee shop or restaurant that might try carrying the Triple Oak Bakery gluten free products.If you plan a return trip, I’d be glad to let you know where you might buy the products. After several years as a pastry chef, and six years as the owner/ baker for Triple Oak Bakery, Brooke Parkerhurst has developed recipes using gluten free flour substitutes but not using artificial dough enhancers and food colorings. ThanksAnn
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