Recalls and Alerts: August 16, 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.

United States

• Food Safety Recall Update: USDA releases retail distribution information for beef products recalled by Dale T. Smith and Sons Meat Packing due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination.
• Food Safety Recall: Blount Fine Foods (Fall River, MA) recalls Wegmans Food Markets Chicken and Dumpling Soup (16-oz cups; Use by August 24, 2012) Wegmans Food Markets Italian Wedding Style Soup with Meatballs (16-oz cups; Use by September 3, 2012), Wegmans Food Markets Gazpacho Soup (16-oz cups; Use by September 2, 2012), Wegmans Food Markets Tomato Basil with Orzo Soup (16-oz cups; Use by September 3, 2012), Wegmans Food Markets Caribbean Black Bean Soup (16-oz cups; Use by September 3, 2012) and Wegmans Food Markets Lobster Bisque (16-oz cups; Use by September 3, 2012), because the products may contain fragments of plastic. The recalled soups were packaged on June 3, 2012 and sent to distribution centers in Pennsylvania and New York for redistribution to Wegmans stores in Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
• Food Safety Recall: Johnsonville Sausage LLC (Sheboygan Falls, WI) recalls Johnsonville Turkey Sausage with Cheddar Cheese (13.5-oz vacuum pkgs; Produced May 22, 2012; Best by 08/20/2012), because they may contain pieces of gloves. The recalled product was distributed to retail establishments nationwide.
• Food Safety Recall: Kroger recalls cut cantaloupe and various items containing cut cantaloupe (please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of products), due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products were sold in Kroger stores in Greater Memphis (TN), Arkansas, Mississippi and Western Kentucky.
• Outbreak Alert (Idaho): Southeastern Idaho Public Health warns the public that an employee of Tom’s Gyro (150 N. 3rd Ave., Pocatello, ID) has been confirmed to have been infected with hepatitis A virus. Individuals who patronized Tom’s Gyro during the period of August 2nd to August 14th may have been exposed to the virus. People who are not immune to hepatitis A and who consumed food or beverages at Tom’s Gyro between August 2nd and August 14th should receive hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin immediately, according to public health officials.
• Outbreak Alert (Kentucky): Kentucky health officials are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella illness that has sickened 44  individuals across the state, according to Marler Blog.

Canada

• Food Safety Recall Update: Canadian Food Inspection Agency warns the public, not to consume or serve Dried Basil (various weights; no UPC) sold from Cananut retail locations in Montreal, St-Leonard, Pierrefonds, and Laval, Quebec, because the dried basil may be contaminated with Salmonella.
• Food Safety Recall Update: The Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food alerts the public not to consume Basilic Sec/Dried Basil sold  in bulk bins between February 1, 2012 and August 10, 2012 inclusive from Marché Adonis Montreal retail locations in Brossard (Quartier Dix30) and Montreal (Boul. des Sources, Place Vertu and Sauvé) and from Persil et compagnie, inc., Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac (variable weight packages; sold between February 1, 2012 and August 8, 2012 inclusive), because the basil may be contaminated with Salmonella.

Europe

• Food Safety Alert (Ireland): The Food Safety Authority of Ireland warns locals and visitors in the West and South West Coast to avoid gathering and consuming wild shellfish growing on the seashore, after more than ten people in Galway, May and Sligo became ill with suspected shellfish poisoning. The reports are thought to be linked to algal blooms.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Food Safety Investigation (Taiwan): The China Post reports that the Council of Agriculture has convened an investigation into Guanxin Good Goat’s Milk Co. for allegedly manufacturing dairy products using expired milk powder.

Australia and New Zealand

• Medical Device Safety Recall (Australia): The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) announces a recall of all lots of L-Gel Ultrasound Transmission Gel manufactured between June 2011 and May 2012 (250ml and 5L bottles; Manufactured by Shanghai Shenfeng, China), after the TGA found bacterial contamination (Burkholderia (Pseudomonas) cepacia, Stenotrophomonas (Pseudomonas) maltophilia, and Raoultella (Klebsiella) planticolla) in Lot numbers 2011 06 17 to 2012 04 09 of the Gel.

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.