Month: July 2012

Recalls and Alerts: July 23, 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/Outbreak Alert: Cargill Meat Solutions (Wyalusing, PA) recalls 29,339 pounds of Grnd Beef Fine 85/15 (3 x 14-lb chubs per case; Est 9400; Produced May 25, 2012), because the ground beef has been linked to a 33-case, seven-state outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis infections. The chubs were shipped to distribution centers in Connecticut, Maine and New York for further distribution and were repackaged into consumer-size packages for sale under different retail brand names. At least a portion of the recalled meat was consigned to Hannaford Supermarkets, and sold in their stores in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont.
  • Food Safety Recall: Hannaford Supermarkets recalls Ground Beef (Sell by dates of May 29 through June 16, 2012), because the meat may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis. The ground beef is implicated in a 7-state outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses and has been recalled by Cargill Meat Solutions.
  • Outbreak Alert: Forty people who at a turkey dinner at the Denver Rescue Mission were taken to hospital after becoming “violently ill” an hour after their dinner, according to the Denver Post.
  • Outbreak Alert Update: Dayton & Montgomery County Public Health has now identified at least 75 individuals who became ill with E. coli O157:H7 (including 18 with lab-confirmed infections) after eating food at a picnic at Neff’s Lawn Care in Germantown, Ohio. Fourteen people have been hospitalized, including three in serious condition who are suffering from hemolytic uremic syndrome. Two secondary cases (person-to-person transmission) have been reported. The source of the infections is still undetermined.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Germany): Milupa GmbH recalls Pre Aptamil formula (800g; Expiry 01/11/2014; Production time between 02.14 and 05.00), due to contamination with Cronobacter sakazakii.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Danish Supermarket recalls E ‘Bindstouw Sausage (500g; Product of Poland; Package date 16.07.2012; Best before 17.08.2012), due to the presence of excessive numbers of bacteria.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Plant Riet ApS recalls Plantedrik Nr. 4 og Plantedrik nr. 5 fra Planteriet ApS (250ml plastic bottle; Best before 24th July 2012), due to mold growth in some bottles.
  • Outbreak Alert (Scotland): Fifty-seven people became ill with norovirus after taking part in an open water swimming event at Strathclyde Loch, according to Wishaw Press. Some of the victims tested positive for norovirus. The loch has been closed to water sports and boating as a result of the outbreak.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1038): Chlorpyriphos in cauliflower from Poland; distributed to Lithuania.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Notification (EU #2012.1041, 2012.1042, 2012.1043): Unauthorized 1,3 dimethylamylamine in food supplement from the USA; distributed to Ireland.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Enforcement Action (Abu Dhabi): Inspectors of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority ordered the destruction of 77 kilograms of food products found unfit for consumption in Al Ain during a comprehensive inspection campaign in Ain.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Food Safety Enforcement Action (Argentina): The National Health and Food Quality Service seized more than 50kg of pork that was being smuggled into Argentina from Paraguay at the Posadas-Encarnación International Bridge. The contraband was hidden under passenger seats. The federal agency is proceeding to denature and destroy the seized pork.

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.

Cargill Beef Sickens 33 People

Ground beef supplied to Hannaford Supermarkets by Cargill Meat Solutions (Wyalusing, PA) has been linked to 33 cases of Salmonella Enteritidis infections in seven states.

Earlier today, Cargill recalled 29,339 pounds of fresh ground beef products (14-lb chub packages of “Grnd Beef Fine 85/15” packed 3 chubs to approximately 42-lb cases). The recalled product was produced on May 25, 2012 and shipped to distribution centers in Connecticut, Maine and New York for further distribution.

The recalled meat was repackaged into consumer-size packages and sold under different brand names. We know so far that Hannaford, a regional supermarket chain in the US Northeast, sold the repackaged ground beef in its stores in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont.

Illnesses were reported in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia and Vermont. Investigations by federal and state health and agriculture departments were able to tie five of the illnesses to Cargill’s ground beef epidemiologically and via traceback. Onset dates for those five illnesses ranged from June 6th to June 13th; two of the five victims were hospitalized.

Although the outbreak strain has not yet been recovered from an unopened package, the Vermont Department of Health found the strain in a sample of leftover product with no packaging information, according to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The “use by” date of the recalled ground beef has expired, however, consumers may still have some of this product in their freezers. If you purchased fresh ground beef in late May or early June from a supermarket in one of the affected states, please check your freezer for any remaining product.

Recalls and Alerts: July 21, 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: Cass-Clay  Creamery (Fargo, ND) recalls Cass-Clay Maple Nut Ice Cream (1 gal/3.78L; UPC 70422-03404; Plant #38-25; all date codes), Cass-Clay Premium Light Maple Nut Ice Cream (1 gal/3.78L; UPC 70422-23404; Plant #38-25; all date codes) and Hornbacher’s Maple Nut Ice Cream (1/2 gal/1.89L; UPC 41130-21666; Plant #38-25; all date codes) due to the presence of undeclared Brazil nuts, and Cass-Clay Premium Light Double Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream (1/2-gal/1.89L; UPC 70422-24061; Plant #38-25; all date codes) due to the presence of undeclared peanut oil and soy lecithin. The recalled products were distributed in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
  • Animal Feed Safety Recall: PMI Nutrition International expands its earlier recall to include additional Mazuri® and LabDiet® animal feed products, because these products may contain elevated levels of vitamin D. The recalled products were distributed nationally in the USA and exported to customers in Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Taiwan, Singapore, Chile and Uruguay. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of affected products.
  • Animal Feed Safety Recall: Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC recalls Purina Fish Chow® Meal (50lb; Lot #May 05 12 1; Formula #5120), due to elevated levels of vitamin D. The recalled products were distributed nationwide.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Recall: Wellements LLC recalls Baby Move™ Prune Concentrate liquid dietary supplement (4 oz; UPC 729609019878; All lots up to and including Lot #12179), because one of the ingredients used in the product (Purimuni galacto-oligosaccharide) tested positive for Salmonella. The recalled product was distributed nationwide from January 2012 to July 2012 through retail stores and online retailers.
  • Food Safety/Outbreak Alert: FDA warns consumers not to eat raw or partially cooked oysters and clams with tags listing Oyster Bay Harbor, Nassau County, New York as the harvest area, following reports of Vibrio parahaemolyticus illnesses in several states. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation closed Oyster Bay Harbor to shellfish harvesting on July 13. Shellfish harvested from Oyster Bay Harbor were distributed in several states, including, but not necessarily limited to, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: TWI Foods Inc. (Mississauga, ON) recalls Crispy Just Baked Punjabi Cookies (800g plastic clamshell pkgs; UPC 6 27265 00152 0), due to the presence of undeclared milk. The recalled product was distributed nationally.
  • Food Safety Recall: Merrylynd Organics recalls Merrylynd Organics Maple Syrup – Medium (375 mL and 1L; Lots 12-1 and 12-2), due to the presence of heavy metal (lead) contamination. The recalled product was sold in Ontario.
  • Food Safety Recall Update: Canada Safeway Ltd., Loblaw Companies Ltd. and The Product People Inc. recall Gills Onions Fresh Diced Red Onions (198g; Lot code 22YAA1A2184; UPC 6 43550 00044 3; Best before 07/20/12), Gills Onions Fresh Diced Red Onions (198g; Lot code 22RAA1A2184; UPC 6 43550 00045 0; Best before 07/20/12) and Gills Onions Fresh Diced Celery & Onions (198g; Lot code 22YAA1A2184; UPC 6 43550 00046 7; Best before 07/20/12), because the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products were imported from the USA and sold in Alberta (all three retailers), British Columbia (Canada Safeway and Loblaw), Manitoba (Canada Safeway and Loblaw), Northwest Territories (Canada Safeway), Ontario (Canada Safeway and Loblaw), Quebec (Loblaw) and Saskatchewan (Canada Safeway and Loblaw).

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.