Recalls and Alerts: March 7, 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.

Europe

• Food Safety Recall (Germany): Wasgau Metzgerei GmbH recalls Feine Streichmettwurst (Lot identification X3 and X8), due to Salmonella contamination. Only those products labeled with both X3 and X8 (i.e., produced on the 3rd day of the 8th week) are affected by this recall.
• Dietary Supplement Withdrawal (Denmark): Pharma West recalls Frisk Hals, halsmikstur (200 ml bottle; Batch #1032111, Produced by Propharma A/S) due to the presence of two paraben preservatives, which are not permitted as preservatives in food supplements.
• OTC Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (France): Laboratoire Pfizer Santé Familiale recalls Advil Enfants et Nourissons/Advil Children and Infants, 20 mg/ml oral suspension in bottles (Lot 451; Expiry May 2014), due to the presence of foreign particles in one bottle of the product.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Outbreak Alert (Philippines): The number of cases of typhoid in the town of Tubaran, Cebu has risen to 900, according to health officials. Drinking water in Tubaran has tested positive for Salmonella.
• Outbreak Alert (Zimbabwe): Local media are quoting the Harare city health services director as saying that more than 3000 cases of confirmed and suspected typhoid have been reported in the Zimbabwean capital city.
• Outbreak Alert (Guinea): Western Guinea has experienced 83 cases of cholera in the last month; 14 people have died.

Australia and New Zealand

• Food Safety Alert (New Zealand): The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is advising importers of a recall of Korean manufactured biscuits (Crown Pie ‘Chocolate Pie with marshmallow cream’ in 180gm packs each containing 6 individually wrapped biscuits), because the recalled products may have been imported independently by more than one importer. The recalled biscuits contain undeclared egg, an allergen that has the potential to cause illness in consumers allergic to egg. One New Zealander already has experienced an allergic reaction after consuming the product.
• Outbreak Alert (Australia): Several state cricketers and an umpire have been felled by food poisoning after a match between teams from Tasmania and South Australia. The source of the food poisoning is not yet known.

Latin America and the Caribbean

• Outbreak Alert (Chile): An outbreak of food poisoning at San Javier El Almendral and Educational Center St. Mary Catholic Didascalio has left more than 150 people complaining of severe abdominal pain, vomiting and dizziness. The incident occurred after the victims lunched at the schools.

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.