Month: March 2012

Recalls and Alerts: March 31, 2012

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: The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC and Giant Food, LLC recall Simply Enjoy Frozen Vanilla Cream Puffs (19.4-oz pkg; UPC 8826712409), due to the presence of undeclared milk. The recalled product was sold in Giant Food supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia, and in Stop & Shop supermarkets in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York and New Jersey.
  • Allergy Alert: Taylor Farms New Jersey, Inc. (Swedesboro, NJ) recalls GOOD & deLISH ISLAND SEASONED CHICKEN (10-oz plastic trays and 12.5-lb cases; Est. No. P-3453; Case codes 089512 or 119312; Use by dates from March 30 to April 4, 2012), due to the presence of undeclared wheat and milk resulting from a labeling error. The recalled products were shipped to a distribution center and retail locations in the New York City area.
  • Outbreak Alert: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting three overlapping multistate outbreaks of Salmonella infections linked to exposure to small turtles or their environments. Sixty-six people in 16 states have been infected with one of the outbreak strains – Salmonella Sandiego, Salmonella Pomona and Salmonella Poona – since September 2011. Eleven people were hospitalized; 55% of the confirmed victims are children 10 years of age or younger.
  • Outbreak Alert (New York): The New York City Department of Health is investigating two cases (one confirmed) of botulism that may be associated with unrefrigerated fresh bulk tofu, according to WABC New York. Both patients are Chinese-speaking residents of Queens, and purchased the tofu from the same store in Flushing, NY.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Canadian Natural & Specialty Brands (Gormley, ON) recalls Sunstart Brand Chocolate & Orange Cookies (198g pkgs; UPC 8 77099 00005 5; Lot code L11139; Best if used by 2013 APR 26), due to the presence of undeclared milk. The product was distributed nationally.
  • Food Safety Recall: Mumm’s Sprouting Seeds Ltd. (Parkside, SK) recalls Mumm’s brand Sprouting Seeds – Sunflower (75g; UPC 7 73295 07582 3; Lot #SF2020), because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled product is known to have been distributed in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario, and may have been distributed nationally.
  • Food Recall: Ontario Natural Food Co-op recalls Ontario Natural Food Co-op brand Organic Thyme, Organic Basil, Organic Italian Seasoning, Organic Savoury Seasoning, Organic Oregano and Organic Rosemary (21g pkgs; Best by May 2012), due to the presence of “non-harmful” extraneous material. The recalled products were sold in Ontario.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall/Alert (Multiple Countries): Health authorities in the United Kingdom, France and Italy NOT TO USE food-grade chemicals purchased from Mistral Laboratory Chemicals (Antrim, Northern Ireland) or bearing the Mistral brand name. This warning follows the death of a woman at a private medical clinic in Italy, and the serious illness of two other people in Italy who were reported to have consumed “Sorbitol Food Grade” from this company. Lab analysis has determined that the product actually consisted of sodium nitrite, a food additive that can cause cardiovascular problems if consumed in large doses. The company has ceased all food product sales and is cooperating with the UK Food Standards Agency investigation.
  • Food Safety Recall (Greece): Unison Hellas recalls Yummy Gummy brand Meyveler, Hot Dog, Alligator, and Tarantula candies. Please refer to the recall notice for details.

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.

*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.

Recalls and Alerts: March 30, 2012

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: Topnotch Cookies & Cakes (Westland, MI) recalls 550 Chocolate Chip Chunk Cookies (3.4 oz, individually wrapped; Expiration on or before April 13, 2012), due to the presence of possible traces of milk. The recalled cookies were distributed to retail stores in Detroit (MI), Lansing (MI), Cleveland (OH), and Chicago (IL).
  • Food Safety Recall: Castellini Company LLC recalls Jalapeno Peppers distributed from its Wilder, Kentucky facility (full case, 1/2 case, 20-lb, 10-lb, 5-lb, 2-lb and 1-lb package sizes; Distributed during March 8th through 20th, 2012), after the Ohio Department of Agriculture found Salmonella in a Jalapeno pepper sample taken at random from an Ohio store. The recalled Jalapenos were distributed to military commissaries, retailers (Including Walmart stores) and foodservice distributors in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
  • Food Safety Recall: South Florida Produce, LLC recalls Jalapeno Peppers (bulk 1 1/9-bushel cartons; Lot #J000010995, J000010996, J000010997, J000010998, J000010999, J000011000, J000020135, J000020136, J000020137, J000020138, J000020139 and J000030053), because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled peppers were supplied to distributors in Oxford (NC), Lake Worth (FL), Washington (DC), Pompano Beach (FL), Fairlawn (NJ), and Toronto (Canada) between March 5th through March 7th, 2012.
  • Food Safety Recall: Mosul Kubba (Chicago, IL) recalls Kubba of Wheat (2-lb vacuum-packed packages containing 2 x 10-inch pieces, and 20-lb cases, each containing 10 x 2-lb packages; Case code 12-82; Est 21576; Produced March 20, 2012), due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled product was shipped to a single distributor in Detroit, Michigan.
  • Pet Food Safety Recall: Hartz Mountain Corporation (Secaucus, NJ) recalls Wardley® Advanced Nutrition™ Perfect Protein™ Tropical Flake Fish Food (1-oz size; Lot codes PP34911, PP34912, PP35011 and PP35012), manufactured at the company’s Pleasant Plain, Ohio facility, after random sampling revealed the presence of Salmonella contamination in each of the four lots.
  • Food Safety Recall: Crown Wholesale (Paramount, CA) recalls Vagabundo Paletas Candy (453g package; Imported from Mexico; All date codes), due to unacceptable levels of lead. The recalled product was sold in nine retail locations in Southern California.
  • Food Safety Recall: Wegmans recalls various Wegmans Pita Breads and Thin Sandwich Rolls (Purchased on Wednesday, March 28th only), because they may contain a foreign object from a damaged conveyor belt.
  • Food Safety Alert: California has lifted its quarantine of Claravale Farm raw milk products after determining that the dairy has met state sanitation requirements and food safety regulations. The quarantine order had been issued after Campylobacter bacteria were detected in raw cream.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: TWI Foods Inc. (Mississauga, ON) recalls Pistachio Cookies (400g; UPC 6 27265 00601 3), due to the presence of undeclared almonds and milk, and recalls Almond Cookies (400g; UPC 6 27265 00120 9), Coconut Cookies (400g; UPC 6 27265 00121 6) and Almond Cake Rusk (750g; UPC 6 27265 00217 6), due to the presence of undeclared milk. The recalled products were distributed nationally.
  • Allergy Alert: Bramic Sales recalls Koh-Kae brand Peanuts, Chicken Flavour Coated (240g; All codes; UPC 8 852023 665399), Peanuts BBQ Flavour Coated (240g; Code 5510 BM 59/09; UPC 8 852023 665511) and Peanuts Coconut Cream Flavour Coated (265g; Code 5512 BM 48/11; UPC 8 852023 664248), due to the presence of undeclared milk. The recalled products were distributed in New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec.
  • Allergy Alert: Boulangerie Boutin (Saint-Fabien-de-Panet, QC) recalls several bakery products due to the presence of undeclared milk, egg, soy, and/or sulfites.
  • Food Safety Recall: Veg-Pak Produce Ltd. (Toronto, ON) recalls Jalapeno Peppers (1 bushel boxes bearing the South Florida Produce logo or 1/2 bushel boxes bearing JALAPENO PEPPERS, PRODUCT OF USA and Veg-Pak’s name and address; Product of USA; sold by Veg-Pak Produce at the Ontario Food Terminal from March 8th to 15th inclusive), because the peppers may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled peppers were known to have been sold between March 8th and March 28th in bulk from Ontario stores, including: Food Basics, Ho Long Supermarket, Kitchen Table Grocery Stores, Longo’s, Metro, Michael Angelo’s, Oak Ridges Food Market, Oceans Fresh Food Market, Oriental Food Market, P.A.T. Mart, Starwind Supermarket, and Trinity Supermarket.
  • Food Safety Recall: Lordford Inc. recalls Koh-Kae Peanuts Coconut Cream Flavour Coated (255g; All codes) and Koh-Kae Peanuts Nori Wasabi Coated (240g; All codes) due to the presence of a chemical additive. The recalled products were distributed in Quebec.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (UK): Musgrave Retail Partners GB withdraws Supervalu Italian Bolognese Ravioli (250g; All date codes), because of inconsistent allergen labeling; specifically, the product contains undeclared celery.
  • Allergy Alert (Ireland): Musgrave Retail Partners withdraws Supervalu Italian Bolognese Ravioli (250g; All date codes; Product code 398515) and Centra Italian Bolognese Ravioli (250g; All date codes; Product code 719676), due to celery not having been declared in the allergen warning/advice panel of the labels.
  • Food Safety Recall (Finland): Dutch Heuschen & Schrouff, Oriental Foods Trading recalls Six Fortune Tofu & Chili (300g; Product of Taiwan; All codes) and Six Fortune Preserved Tofu (370g; Product of Taiwan; All codes) due to contamination with Bacillus cereus. Consumers are strongly advised not to eat these tofu products.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Food Safety Recall (Australia): Simplot Australia recalls John West Tuna Tempters Sweet Seeded Mustard Flavour (95g tinned product with ring pull lid; Batch 4ER12; Product of Thailand), due to the presence of glass fragments. The recalled product was sold nationally in Coles, Woolworths, IGA and other independent supermarkets.

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.

*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.

Recalls and Alerts: March 29, 2012

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

  • Food Safety Recall: Lowes foods advises its customers that Bailey Farms, Inc. (Oxford, NC) has recalled Loose Jalapeno Peppers (12 lb Fresh Jalapeno Hot Peppers) due to possible Salmonella contamination.
  • FDA Enforcement Action: FDA seeks permanent injunction against Fujino Enterprises, Inc., dba Blue Ocean Smokehouse (Half Moon Bay, CA) and against Blue Ocean’s president Erika Fujino, on the basis the company’s fish and fish products are adulterated, because they are processed under conditions that do not comply with FDA’s HACCP regulations and that failed to conform to the Current Good Manufacturing Practice requirements for food established to ensure that food is processed in a safe and sanitary manner. According to FDA, the company has ignored warnings from both FDA and the California Department of Public Health.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert Update: Euro Mediterranean Foods recalls Euro Mediterranean Foods Smoked Salmon Spread (227g; All codes; UPC 8 75977 20016 2), due to the presence of undeclared egg. The recalled product was distributed in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec.
  • Allergy Alert: Les Marchés Tau (Montreal, QC) recalls Brisures de caroube non-sucrées/Unsweetened carob chips, because the product contains undeclared milk and may also contain traces of wheat. The recalled product was sold on dates up to and including March 26, 2012.
  • Food Safety Recall: Transhing Investment Inc. (QC) recalls Koh-Kae Peanuts BBQ Flavour Coated (230g; all codes; UPC 8 852023 665511) and Koh-Kae Peanuts Coffee Flavour Coated (255g; All codes; UPC 8 852023 664255), due to the presence of a chemical additive. The recalled products were distributed in Ontario and Quebec.
  • Food Safety Recall: Commerce Caneast Inc. recalls Koh-Kae Peanuts BBQ Flavour Coated (230g; all codes; UPC 8 852023 665511) and Koh-Kae Peanuts Coconut Cream Flavour Coated (255g; All codes; UPC 8 852023 664248), due to the presence of a chemical additive. The recalled products were distributed in Quebec.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (UK): Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd. recalls Sainsbury’s Indian 4 Vegetable Samosas (200g; Use by 30 March 2012), due to the presence of undeclared milk. This is the result of a packaging error in which the packs may contain chicken samosas instead of vegetable samosas.
  • Food Safety Alert (UK): The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is advising companies and individuals who have bought chemicals used for food production from a company called Mistral Laboratory Chemicals not to use them. Italian authorities are investigating the circumstances of the recent death of a woman at a private medical clinic in Italy. Products for food use supplied by Mistral have been implicated in that investigation. The company has voluntarily ceased distribution of its food grade products.
  • Food Safety Recall (Greece): Lidl Hellas A.E. recalls Cottage brand Thyme Salami (500g; Lot No. 564780; Best by 05/04/2012; Product of Germany), due to the presence of a foreign body (small pieces of bone).
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0468 & 0470): Absence of health mark on egg powder from Poland; distributed to Lithuania.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0469): Methomyl in pepper from Turkey; distributed to Slovakia.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0471): Aflatoxins in organic figs from Turkey, via Germany; distributed to Austria and Germany.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Notification (EU #2012.0472): Unauthorized marketing of food supplement from Spain; distributed to Spain and Portugal.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Withdrawal (Abu Dhabi): The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority has initiated the withdrawan of Masafi Water (500ml bottles; Manufacturing date 17.2.2012; Expiry date 16.2.2013), due to the presence of bromide in excess of permitted levels.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Food Safety Recall (Australia): Fantastic Snacks recalls Fantastic 2 Minute Noodles Chicken Flavoured 12 Pack and Fantastic 2 Minute Noodles Beef Flavoured 12 Pack (1.02kg net (12 x 85g); All best before dates), following consumer complaints of unpleasant odour and stale taste. The recalled products were sold at Coles, IGA and other independent retail outlets across Australia.

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.

*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.