Recalls and Alerts: October 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.

United States

• Allergy Alert: ALDI recalls Carlini Baking Spray (5-oz) due to incorrect gluten-free labeling). The recalled product was an ALDI Special Buy that was available in stores beginning Oct 28, 2012.
• Food Safety Recall: Food Source L.P. (McKinney, TX) recalls Bremer Party Size White Meat Chicken Enchiladas (57-oz boxes; Ext P-13130; UPC 0-41498-16921-3; Best by 09/30/13), because the product may contain plastic fragments. The recalled product was packaged August 31, 2012 and  shipped to retail stores in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
• Food Safety Recall: Wegmans recalls Wegmans Pumpkin Roll (21-oz whole roll, 10-oz half-roll, 6-oz 2-slices; UPC 77890-00686, 77890-36693, 77890-36684, respectively; All date codes), because the product may contain pieces of plastic.
• Dietary Supplement Safety Recall: Zi Xiu Tang Success, LLC (Trexlertown, PA) recalls Classic Zi Xiu Tang Bee Pollen Capsules (UPC 6937000700019; Lots 04/15/2012, 05/15/2012, 06/15/2012), and Ultimate Formula Capsules (UPC 793573041401; Lots 05/25/2012, 07/29/2012 and 08/05/2012), because the products contain undeclared sibutramine. The recalled products were distributed nationwide to consumers and distributors.
• Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: Ameridose recalls all unexpired products remaining in circulation after an on-going FDA inspection of the company’s facility resulted in FDA notifying Ameridose that the agency will be seeking improvement in Ameridose’s sterility testing processes. According to a report from Associated Press, Ameridose was founded by the same pair of individuals who founded NECC, the compounding pharmacy that is linked to the current outbreak of fungal meningitis.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Anderson America, Inc. (Hayward, CA) that a June 2012 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Ipswich Shellfish Co. Inc. (Ipswich, MA) that a September 2012 inspection of the company’s seafood processing and importer establishment found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation, and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.

Canada

• Allergy Alert: Palmoqua Distribution recalls Kakao Berlin Brandenburg Dark 75% Chocolate (5kg & 25kg; All codes) and Kakao Berlin Stuttgart Dark 64% Chocolate (5kg & 25kg; All codes), due to the presence of undeclared milk. The recalled products were distributed to hotel, restaurant and institutional customers in Quebec.
• Food Safety Recall: Costco Canada (Store #512, Kitchener, ON) recalls Kirkland Signature Stewing Beef (Packed 12/OC/19; UPC starts with 2 21931) and Kirkland Signature Top Sirloin Grilling Steak (Packed 12/OC/19; UPC starts with 2 21853), due to contamination with metal particles. The recalled products were sold only at the Costco Canada Warehouse store (#512) in Kitchener, Ontario.

Europe

• Allergy Alert (Italy): Agricola Alimentare Italiana recalls Pork chops (Lot #2247271, 2247903, 2259061, 2259377; Expiry 04.11.2012), due to the presence of undeclared wheat flour.
• Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Het Dischhof recalls Keiems Bloempje met Kruiden soft curd cheese (Lot #40.1 and #41.3; Best before dates 6/12/12 and 13/12/12, respectively), due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Bornholmerslagteren ApS recalls Finely chopped ham salad (Produced 24 October; Best before 14 November 2012), after Listeria monocytogenes is detected in the product.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): AP Grønt recalls Italian Arugula Tricolori Salad, lettuce, bulls blood and rocket (Product of Italy; 100g tray with film; Lot 297, Packed 23/10 2012), Rucola (Product of Italy; 75g tray with film; Lot 44A; Packed 23/10 2012) and Rucola (Product of Italy; 100g tray with film; Lot 297 and 298; Packed 23/10 2012 and 24/10 2012, respectively), after Salmonella is detected in the products.
• Food Safety Recall (Netherlands): Prins & Dingemanse recalls mussels imported from Ireland, due to contamination with marine biotoxins. The problem came to light after Belgian authorities reported an outbreak of food poisoning among more than 100 residents of a nursing home. Although Prins & Dingemanse did not supply mussels to Belgium, the company’s mussels originated from the same shellfish harvesting area as those implicated in the Belgian outbreak.
• Outbreak Alert Update (Northern Ireland): As of October 31, 2012, the Public Health Agency has recorded 134 confirmed and 165 probable cases of E. coli O157 illnesses linked to Flicks restaurant in Cityside Mall, Belfast.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1508): Salmonella szentes in chilled mixed salad from Sweden, with raw material from Denmark; distributed to Sweden.
• Pet Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1509): Salmonella in dog chew from Thailand; distributed to Belgium.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1510): Salmonella in chilled veal meat from the Netherlands; distributed to Sweden.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1511): Vibrio cholerae in frozen, cooked black tiger prawns from Bangladesh; distributed to Denmark.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1513): Listeria monocytogenes in cheese from Belgium; distributed to Belgium and Germany.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1515): Excessive benzoic acid in red pepper paste from Hungary; distributed to Finland.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1519): Salmonella in crushed organic spearmint from Egypt, packaged in Denmark; distributed to Denmark and Sweden.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1520): Listeria monocytogenes in smoked trout from Spain; distributed to France.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1521): Listeria monocytogenes in ham from Belgium; distributed to the Netherlands.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1522): Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli O103 in frozen bovine lungs from Belgium; distributed to Belgium and the Netherlands.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Allergy Alert (Israel): רטבים Food Products Ltd. recalls Sweet chili sauce (700g bottle), Pizza Sauce (720g jar) and Spaghetti sauce (720g jar), because the products were accidentally identified on the label as “gluten free,” even though they contain gluten.

Australia and New Zealand

• Food Safety Recall (Australia): B.-d. Farm Paris Creek Pty Ltd. recalls B.-d. Farm Paris Creek Yoghurt Apricot (White plastic tub with apricot image on front; Use by 14.11.2012), due to E. coli contamination. The recalled product was distributed in South Australia and New South Wales in Foodland, IGA and some health food stores.

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.