Recalls and Alerts: August 20, 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: Tanimura & Antle Inc. recalls Tanimura & Antle Field Fresh Wrapped Single Head Romaine lettuce (Best buy date of 08 19 12; UPC 0-27918-20314-9) after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency finds E. coli O157:H7 in a single random sample. The recalled lettuce was distributed throughout the USA, Puerto Rico and Canada starting on August 2nd, and was available at retail locations Aug 2-19, 2012. The product was shipped to consignees in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington. Wegmans and Publix have both announced that none of the recalled romaine was sold in their stores.
• Food Safety Recall Update: Costco advises its customers that Real Mex Foods, LLC has recalled El Torito Chicken Caesar Salad Kit  (UPC 5889724203; Sell by dates 082312, 083012, 090612, 091412), after being notified that the cilantro used in the Cilantro Pepita Dressing may have been contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled product was sold in Costco Wholesale locations.
• Food Safety Alert (California): The California Department of Public Health advises consumers not to eat recreationally harvested mussels and clams, commercially or recreationally caught anchovy and sardines, or the internal organs of commercially or recreationally caught crab and lobster taken from Ventura County, due to the presence of the neurotoxin domoic acid in some of the species.
• Outbreak Alert Update: CDC reports that 163 people in 26 states were infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Infantis, Salmonella Newport and Salmonella Lille as a result of contact with infected chicks and ducklings from Mt. Healthy Hatchery in Ohio. Two deaths have been reported; 33 people have been hospitalized. This outbreak began in March, 2012 and is still in progress.

Canada

• Food Safety Recall: Supermarché Akhavan (Montreal, QC) recalls Basilic/Basil (variable weights; sold from Feb 1, 2012 to August 10, 2012 inclusive), because the basil may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled basil was supplied by Shah Trading Co. Ltd.
• Food Safety Recall Update: Canadian distributors are recalling Tanimura & Antle brand Romaine Lettuce (Product of USA; Plastic package containing 1 head of lettuce; UPC 0 27918 20314 9), due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7. The recalled lettuce was sold at retail from August 8, 2012 through August 17, 2012 in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Nunavut, Yukon and Northwest Territories.

Europe

• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Urtekram Int A/S recalls Organic Sage (50g plastic bag; Batch No. 0187966, 0186831, 0185149 and 0183665), Organic Sage (1kg; Best before 21/5-2014), Italian seasoning-organic (45g black metal can; Batch No. 0188862, 0188532, 0185743 and 0184742), and Lene H. Italian Mix-organic (30g glass bottle with black screw cap; Batch No. 0183169; Best before 26/10-2013), due to Salmonella contamination.
• Outbreak Alert (UK): BBC reports that a potential outbreak of E. coli in Orkney is being investigated. Two cases are being treated in hospital; three others are under investigation. The source of the infections is not yet known.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1186): Unsuitable organoleptic characteristics of organic semi-skimmed milk from Belgium; distributed to France.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1187): Ochratoxin A in liquorice root from Poland; distributed to the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Poland.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1189): Unauthorized cefalexin in frozen black tiger shrimps from Vietnam; notified by Switzerland.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1190): Parasitic infestation of monkfish from France; distributed to Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1191): Mercury in frozen swordfish slices and fillets from Spain; distributed to Italy, Portugal and Spain.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1192): Excessive doxycycline in chilled chicken breast from Slovakia, with raw material from Poland; distributed to Slovakia.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Dietary Supplement Safety Alert (Hong Kong): The Department of Health alerts the public not to buy or consume a slimming product bearing the name “Sheng Yuan Fang” printed in Chinese on its green capsules, as it may contain undeclared and banned drug ingredients sibutramine and phenolphthalein.
• Outbreak Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Health Protection is investigating a suspected food poisoning outbreak involving 13 people who dined at a restaurant in Yau Tsim Mong District on August 11th.
• Outbreak Alert (Sierra Leone):  BBC reports that an outbreak of cholera has infected more than 10,000 people in Sierra Leone and has killed at least 176 since January. Six thousand cases were reported in the past five weeks, and 100 people have died in the capital city of Freetown in the last month.

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.