Month: December 2012

Recalls and Alerts: December 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.

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United States

  • Food Safety Recall: Procesadora de Productos Marinos Delifish S.A. recalls Black Bear of the Black Forest Smoked Salmon (1 lb.; UPC 810230000493; Lots 249 thru 291), Food Service Cold Smoked Salmon Trim (1 lb.; Lots 249 thru 291), Einstein Darn Good (4 oz Retail package; UPC 099892315200, Lots 249 thru 291), Food Service Whole Smoked Side (3-5 lb.; Lots 249 thru 291), Silver Source Smoked Salmon Foodservice (2-3 lb. smoked fillet; Lots 249 thru 291), Royal Fjord Smoked Toppers (6oz; UPC 810230000561; Lots 249 thru 291), Royal Fjord Sliced Smoked Salmon Loin (12-14 oz.; Item # 42925; Lots 249 thru 291) and HEB smoked salmon (4 oz.; UPC 041220630417; Lots 249 thru 291), after Listeria monocytogenes is found in “a few” of the recalled batches. The recalled product, which was produced by Marine Harvest Chile S.A. for Delifish S.A. and distributed by Marine Harvest USA, LLC (Miami, FL), may have been sold in California, Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico.
  • Animal Feed Safety Recall: ADM Alliance Nutrition, Inc. recalls MoorMan’s® ShowTec® 18 Elite Lamb DC (Product #80939MPS; Lots BF23512, BF27812, and BF29312), because the product has high levels of copper. The recalled sheep feed was shipped between Aug 24, 2012 and Nov 21, 2012 to distributors and customers in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
  • Outbreak Alert (Illinois): CBS reports that more than approximately 140 prisoners at Stateville Correctional Center have been infected with norovirus gastroenteritis. The source of the outbreak is under investigation.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Kinnikinnick Foods Inc. (Edmonton, AB) recalls Kinnikinnick Foods Pie Crusts (2 x 8″ pie crusts per 290g pkg; UPC 6 20133 00600 9; Best before 2013NO20, 2013NO21, 2013DE11, 2013DE14), due to undeclared egg. The recalled product was distributed in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, but may have been distributed nationally.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Germany): Pilzversand Zollner recalls Dried Morels (100g; Best before 31.12.2014), because the product is contaminated with toxic mushrooms. The recalled Dried Morels were sold on eBay from between early October 2012 and December 23, 2012.
  • Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Fromagerie de Jussac recalls a range of cheeses made from cow’s milk, goat milk and sheep milk, due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled cheeses were sold between October 31, 2012 and December 26, 2012 under the following brands: Brique de Jussac, Brique du Forez, Brique d’Auvergne, Brique de la Besse, Brique de Pays (mixed goat and cow’s milk), and Gerbizon.
  • Food Safety Recall (Netherlands): Dupont Belgium and Fromagerie de Jussac (France) recall Jussac brand Brique lait de vache (250g), Brique lait de brebis (200g), Brique lait de chèvre (200g), Mini briques panachées and Gerbizon cheeses, due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. All of the recalled products carry Best before dates between 28/12/12 and 19/02/13, inclusive and were sold in EMTÉ, Jumbo, and wholesale Gligro supermarkets, and in cheese shops. No related illnesses have been reported in the Netherlands.
  • Food Safety Recall (Switzerland): Fromagerie de Jussac recalls Briques de Jussac (3 x 60g, brebis, chèvre, vache; Best before dates 09.01.2013, 12.01.2013, 23.01.2013; Item #2125.063.000), due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recalled cheeses were sold in Migros stores in Genève, Vaud, Neuchâtel-Fribourg and Valais.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • OTC Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (Philippines): Pascual Laboratories recalls CALCHEWS Chocolate Flavor (Lot #382BWA & 382BWB; Expiry date 8/2014), due to contamination with Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus.
  • Food Safety Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Food Safety advises the public not to consume Shui Kou Preserved Chili Bean Curd (350g/bottle; Best before December 30, 2013; Product of Guangdong Province, China), due to contamination with high levels of Bacillus cereus.
  • Cosmetic Products Safety Alert (Philippines): The Philippines FDA advises the public that several unapproved cosmetic products containing levels of mercury above the allowable limit have entered the Philippine market . These products should be avoided. Please refer to the Update for a list of implicated products.
  • Outbreak Alert (Japan): The fatal norovirus epidemic at Yokohama Denentoshi Hospital has grown to 112 cases, according to The Japan Times. As of today, 82 patients and 30 staff members have been infected. Four elderly bed-ridden patients have died as a result of the infectious gastroenteritis outbreak.

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.

Prompt Prose: The Fiscal Cliff

“The fiscal cliff,” George grumped as he flipped through the channels on his 55-inch high-definition TV. “Is that all anyone is talking about these days? What about world peace, the cholera epidemic in Haiti, starvation, or the lack of sanitary toilets in India? What about the Oscar nominations? Who cares about the ‘fiscal cliff’ anyway? Just a bunch of Washington politicians playing their usual games.”

“Huh?” asked Paris, looking up from examining her new pedicure. “Fisted Clique? What’s that – some new rock group? Never heard of ’em.”

Sighing, George turned back to the TV, flipping channels as quickly as his remote control would allow. Trancelike, he watched the various talking heads flash by, the images hypnotic in their monotonous diversity.

“RAUS!”

George jumped as a harsh voice suddenly yelled in his ear. “Where am I?” he asked, “Who are you?”

“In India, of course, with the cholera expedition. Dr. Koch is waiting for you. You’ve held up the day’s schedule by half an hour. Get up. RAUS! We have work to do!”

George pried his eyes open and looked around at the tent, its six canvas cots neatly stowed, with a tidy stack of bags and baggage beside each one. Slowly, he rolled off his cot, and stumbled to his feet on the dirt floor.

“Koch?” he asked, groggily. “Who’s that?”

“Dr. Robert Koch, of course. What are you thinking? You signed on for his expedition. Koch is studying the cholera epidemic. He is trying to isolate the bacillus that he believes to be the cause of this dread disease.”

George shook his head to clear it. None of this sounded familiar. Koch? Looking for the origin of cholera? That was during the 19th century, not the 21st. Somehow, he had teleported back in time more than 150 years.

He threw open the tent flap and walked into the camp. Directly across the clearing was a large lean-to with canvas walls. He strode over and looked inside. And there they were. The superheroes of bacteriology: Koch peering into his microscope, Petri pouring small quantities of gelatinous liquid into his eponymous glass dishes, and Walther Hesse carefully smearing small bits of brown sludge over the surface of what looked like Jell-O.

“Dr. Koch, I presume?” George extended his right hand as he approached the legendary father of German bacteriology. “My name is Clooney, and I’d like to talk to you about the movie rights to your story.”

©2012 Phyllis Entis. All rights reserved.

A Note of Explanation: We were asked to choose a famous person from a list of twelve names, and combine the person with a superpower selected from a separate list to form the basis for a story. I chose to combine teleportation and George Clooney, with a cameo appearance by Paris Hilton.

More Arguments For ‘Hold and Test’

On December 10th, I praised the introduction of the new ‘Hold and Test’ policy announced that day by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) while, at the same time, lamenting its limitations. And I asked eFoodAlert readers to respond to a survey on what FSIS should do to improve food safety.

Here are the results of that survey:

  • Mandate ‘hold and test’ for all meat and poultry processors: 35%
  • Add Salmonella to the list of beef adulterants: 21%
  • Increase USDA’s sampling frequency at meat and poultry establishments: 19%
  • Test every shipment of meat or poultry imported into the USA: 22%

Three readers submitted their own suggestions, which were:

  • Publish in stores for customers to view
  • Fruits and veggies need HOLD too
  • Ensure meat and poultry used for pet food is completely safe as well.

I thank everyone who took the time to respond to the poll, especially, those who submitted their own suggestions. I have long thought that giving maximum publicity to recalls – including posting recall information in stores – would both improve the effectiveness of recalls and encourage food manufacturers to undertake preventative measures in order to avoid the adverse publicity that such recall notices would mean.

I also endorse completely the extension of ‘hold and test’ to all foods, including perishable produce. As I’ve stated in the past, current lab methods provide fast answers. And the tests continue to improve as kit manufacturers compete to develop and market the fastest possible lab tests. Finally, as the human companion of a ten-year-old Australian Labradoodle, I am always mindful of the importance of ensuring the safety of ingredients used in the manufacture of pet food.

Since my December 10th post, there have been at least two more recalls that illustrate the value of ‘hold and test’ as a fundamental food safety policy.

  • On December 14, 2012, Ocean Beauty Seafoods LLC recalled two brands of Nova Cold Smoked Salmon after “…internal testing by the company revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in samples…” of the recalled products. The Nova Salmon was imported into the USA from Chile.
  • On December 28, 2012, the French cheesemaker Fromagerie de Jussac recalled nearly two months worth of cheese production after Listeria monocytogenes was found in “certain lots” of nearly twenty varieties of its cheeses. The cheeses were sold in France and were exported to a number of countries, including: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Spain, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and Vietnam.

Although no illnesses were reported in connection with either of these recalls, there is no question whatsoever that releasing food into the retail market before test results are available places consumers at risk unnecessarily. If the food industry and its regulators make just one resolution for the New Year, it should be to ‘Hold and Test’ all batches of finished product.