Recalls and Alerts: November 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.

United States

• Allergy Alert: The Kroger Co. recalls Kroger Deluxe French Vanilla Ice Cream (48 fl oz cartons; Sell by June 12, 2013; UPC 11110 50718), because the product may contain undeclared pecans. The recalled ice cream was sold at Dillons, Gerbes, Bakers, Fry’s, King Soopers, City Market and Smith’s stores in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
• Food Safety Recall: Omya Inc. recalls Omya-Cal FG-10 AZ (50 lb bags bearing Lot #Z227510511, and 2500-lb & 2000-lb bulk bags bearing Lot #Z227500511), Omya-Cal FG-4 AZ (50-lb bags; Lot # Z227510409 & Z230310409), and Omya-Cal FG-15 AZ (2500-lb bulk bags bearing Lot # Z228400712 & Z228200712) foodgrade ground limestone products, because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled food grade ground limestone products were manufactured at Omya’s Superior, AZ plant and sold to distributors and/or manufacturers as ingredients for further processing in the USA.
• Food Safety Alert: The California Department of Public Health warns consumers not to eat the following five preserved plum and/or prune products, after tests reveal the presence of lead in excess of state standards. Please follow the live links for additional information on each product. Dried Plum (Imported from Hong Kong), Sweet and Soure Prune (Imported from Taiwan), Ching Ling Dried Prune (Imported from Taiwan), Preserved Plum (Imported from China), and Dried Red Prune (Imported from Taiwan).
• Food Safety Alert: The California Department of Public Health advises the public to avoid consuming sport-harvested clams and whole scallops from Del Norte County due to the presence of dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in this region.
• Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. recalls Pradaxa® (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) Capsules, 75mg 60 US (NDC 0597- 0149-54, lot 201900, Exp January 2015), due to a potential packaging defect that may compromise product integrity and allow moisture to enter the bottle, impairing the quality of the active ingredient. The recalled product was distributed in the USA and Puerto Rico.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns St. James Smokehouse Inc. (Miami, FL) that a May-June 2012 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Caito Fisheries, Inc. (Fort Bragg, CA) that an August-September 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 B & H Foods, Inc. (Charlotte, NC) that a May 2012 inspection of the company’s pimento cheese processing facility found serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation for foods.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Hana Gourmet, Inc., dba Beyond Gourmet (Dallas, TX) that a July 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 Bay View Packing Co. (Milwaukee, WI) that a September-October 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 Ritter’s Fish Market (Prairie Du Chien, WI) that a July 2012 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation, Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 123, and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.

Canada

• Food Safety Recall: Canada Bread recalls Dempster’s / Bon Matin Original Tortillas (15-pack, 10″ White SL28; 915 g; Best before 2012 OCT 15 – 2012 NOV 15; Item #272905), because the tortillas may contain metal shavings. The recalled products were sold in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada through various retailers, including Costco Canada, and were supplied to foodservice partners.
• Personal Care Product Safety Recall: Avmor Ltd. expands its earlier recall of products to include four additional lots of X3 Clean Alcohol-Free Foaming Hand Sanitizer (Benzalkonium chloride 0.13%), due to potential bacterial contamination. Please refer to the complete list of recalled products for details.
• Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2012.1524): Undeclared hazelnut and wheat in Fazer Dumle Original brand singly wrapped milk chocolates from Finland; distributed to Azerbaijan, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

Europe

• Allergy Alert (Finland): Fazer Confectionery Ltd. recalls Fazer Dumle Original Sweets (220g; Best before 16/08/2013), because some of the bags may also contain Geisha Dark-chocolate truffles. The truffles are made using wheat flour and hazelnuts, neither of which are declared on the Dumle Original list of ingredients.
• Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Match recalls Cora Râpé de poulet / Shredded Chicken (150g pkg; Lot #1243511; Best before 25/11/2012), due to Listeria contamination.
• Food Safety Recall (France): La Société Paul Valmeras recalls Roche Mazet Pays d’Oc Chardonnay (75 cl bottles; Lot #L2 279 A01) due to the possible presence of glass fragments inside the bottle.
• Food Safety Alert (France): France’s Institute of Health Surveillance (InVS) has received reports of 664 instances of food poisoning, including three deaths, caused by consumption of toxic mushrooms in the last three weeks. Most of the reports originated from Rhône-Alpes, Pays de Loire and Aquitaine. In the majority of cases, toxic mushrooms were misidentified as edible mushrooms. InVS urges members of the public never to eat a mushroom unless they are absolutely certain of its properties.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1523): Nitrofuran furazolidone in frozen shrimps from India; distributed to France.
• Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2012.1524): Undeclared hazelnut and wheat in Fazer Dumle Original brand singly wrapped milk chocolates from Finland; distributed to Azerbaijan, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1525): Carbendazim in peaches from Spain; distributed to Poland.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1526): Aflatoxins in unshelled raw pistachio from Syria, packaged in Italy; distributed to Italy and Slovenia.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1527): Oxamyl in chilled pointed cabbage from Portugal; distributed to the Netherlands.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1528): Benzo(a)pyrene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked sprat paté from Latvia, via Estonia; distributed to Cyprus and Greece.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1530): Suffocation risk as a result of consumption of HiPP Baby BIOMENU brand organic baby mash from Germany; distributed to Austria, Germany and Luxembourg.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1531): Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat pasta with chicken from France; distributed to Belgium and France.
• Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2012.1532): Salmonella Mbandaka in soybean meal from Italy; distributed to Austria.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1534): Hepatitis A virus in frozen strawberry cubes from China; distributed to Belgium, Netherlands and Sweden.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1536): Excessive Escherichia coli in basil leaves from Vietnam; distributed to Norway.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1537): Ochratoxin A in raisins from Iran; distributed to Poland.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1538): Listeria monocytogenes in raw milk cheese from Italy/France; distributed to Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1539): Mold growth in chilled chocolate mousse from Belgium; distributed to Denmark.
• Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2012.1541): Undeclared nuts in Asda brand caramel bites from Germany; distributed to the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1542): Excessive sulphite in chilled scampo from the United Kingdom; distributed to Italy.
• Pet Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1543): Salmonella Mbandaka in pet food from Italy; distributed to Sweden.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1544): Excessive Escherichia coli in chilled herb mint from Vietnam; distributed to Norway.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Food Safety Recall (Singapore): The local importer has recalled Spring Bay Live Blue Mussels (Product of Tasmania, Australia), due to the presence of paralytic shellfish toxin, a naturally occurring marine biotoxin. Please refer to the AVA Food Alert for complete details on the affected products.

Australia and New Zealand

• Allergy Alert (Australia): Woolworths Ltd. recalls Homebrand Choc Eclairs (300g; Product of China; All best before dates currently in the marketplace), due to the presence of undeclared peanut and gluten. The recalled product was distributed nationally at Woolworths, Safeway, Food for Less and Flemings supermarkets.

Latin America and the Caribbean

• Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. recalls Pradaxa® (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) Capsules, 75mg 60 US (NDC 0597- 0149-54, lot 201900, Exp January 2015), due to a potential packaging defect that may compromise product integrity and allow moisture to enter the bottle, impairing the quality of the active ingredient. The recalled product was distributed in the USA and Puerto Rico.

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.