Recalls and Alerts: August 8 – 10, 2019

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.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the sidebar link.

United States

Food Safety Recall: Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. recalls Dole Baby Spinach (6-oz bag; Lot code W20308A; Use by 08-05-2019; UPC 0-71430-00964-2) and Dole Baby Spinach (10-oz clamshell; Lot code W203010 ; Use by 08-05-2019; UPC 0-71430-00016-8) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Taylor Farms Inc. recalls approximately 342 pounds of breaded chicken products due to a processing defect that may have led to undercooking of products. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Canada

Allergy Alert: FV Foods recalls FV Foods brand Mini Pandeleche Milk Bun (520g; All batch codes; UPC 8 29604 01004 4) due to undeclared egg.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): DUMORTIER recalls BOUTON D’OR brand Sauce ALGERIENNE (350g; Lot #L19190; Best before 07/2020) due to undeclared mustard.

Allergy Alert (France): Industry recalls Fidafruit brand Mendiants avec raisins / nut and raisin snack (Best before 06/08/19) due to undeclared sulfur dioxide in the raisins.

Allergy Alert (UK): Sainsbury’s recalls Deliciously Free From 4 Fruity Hot Cross Buns (280g; Best before all date codes up to and including 16 August 2019) due to undeclared soy.

Allergy Alert (UK – England and Wales specific): Lidl GB recalls SPEEDFEAST Quarter Pounder with Cheese (195g; Best before 23 August 2019) due to undeclared egg, milk and sesame.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): LDC – SABLE recalls Le Gaulois brand 2 ESCALOPES DE DINDES EXTRA FINES / 2 extra-thin turkey breast slices (~200g; Lot #0119337096; Best before 15-08-2019) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Industry recalls Castérieu brand cheeses made from cow and/or sheep milk due to Listeria contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for additional details on the recalled products.

Food Safety Recall (France): E.-Leclerc recalls AZAY brand
Spécialité de saucisson sec / Specialty dry sausage (200g; Lot #119192009; Best before 19/10/10) due to foreign matter (soft plastic pieces) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): IOD SEAFOODS recalls various IOD SEAFOODS brands smoked salmon products due to a processing error. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (France): HARDY AFFINEUR recalls La sélection GUILLAUMIN brand Chèvre fermier au lait cru Selles sur Cher / Selles sur Cher goat cheese made from raw milk (Lot #49-179; Best before 14/08/2019) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Magasins U recalls COOPERATIVE BEURRIERE brand Beurre pasteurisé 82% MG and Beurre pasteurisé 82% MG Type cuisine 250G (Lot 200; Best before 18 09 2019) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Les Fromageries Occitanes recalls 2 euros brand Bethmale au lait cru / raw milk cheese ( Lots 2019211131, 2019204125 & 2019204124; Best before 19.09.2019, 13.09.2019 & 12.09.2019, respectively) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): L’ASSIETTE BLEUE recalls L’Assiette Bleue brand Haché de colin d’Alaska citron et oignon / Chopped Alaskan pollock patties with lemon and onion (180g; Lot #01190808; Best before 08/08/2019) due to a processing error.

Australia and New Zealand

Allergy Alert (New Zealand): Eclipse 2000 Ltd recalls Morish brand Oven Baked Croutons (Classic, Garlic, and Herb flavours; 120g; All best before dates up to and including 23 Jul 20) due to undeclared soy.

Food Safety Recall (New Zealand): TDM Meats – New Zealand Co Ltd recalls TDM Meats brand New Zealand Beef Jerky (all sizes, batches and flavours) due to a lack of process control.

Food Safety Recall (New Zealand): Woolworths New Zealand Ltd recalls Woolworths brand Crunchy Natural Almonds (225g; Best before 02 JAN 20; Product of Australia) due to aflatoxin concentration above acceptable level.

Recalls and Alerts: August 4 – 7, 2019

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the sidebar link.

United States

Allergy Alert: PreGel America, Inc. recalls Lemon 50 powdered flavoring (2 kg bags, 8 bags/case; Lot #381081U279N) due to undeclared milk.

Food Safety Recall: Top Taste Food Warehouse recalls an undetermined amount of pork and chicken dumpling product because they were produced, packed, and distributed without the benefit of USDA inspection.

Canada

Food Safety Recall: La Boucherie Clément Jacques recalls RAGOÛT DE PATTE (1L; Best before January 30, 2020) due to improper storage temperature and lack of correct storage temperature labeling.

Europe

OUTBREAK ALERT/FOOD SAFETY RECALL (Germany): Ozean GmbH recalls dried salted fish after a consumer who ate some of the fish was diagnosed with Type E botulism poisoning. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Colruyt & OKay recall Bûche ardennaise / Ardennes rolls (4 x 125g & 500-560g pkgs; Best before 10/08/2019) due to undeclared soy.

Allergy Alert (France): Intermarché recalls BOUTON D’OR brand Sauce Algérienne (350g; Lot #L19190; Best before 07/2020) due to undeclared mustard.

Allergy Alert (France): La SCOP GOURMANDES Et CIE recalls Le Collectif des Gourmandes brand Biscuit au piment d’Espelette / Biscuits with Espelette peppers (100g; Lot #K160419; Best before 31/03/2020) due to undeclared gluten.

Allergy Alert (Germany): EDEKA recalls GUT&GÜNSTIG brand Delikatess Schinken Bockwurst / Delicatessen ham sausage (400g; Best before 13.08.2019) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (Italy): NARDONE PRODUZIONI DOLCIARIE SRL recalls LE DOLCI PASSIONI brand CROSTATA AI FRUTTI DI BOSCO (~180g; Lot #62019; Best before 15/02/2020) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (Italy): NARDONE PRODUZIONI DOLCIARIE SRL recalls LE DOLCI PASSIONI brand CROSTATA ALL’ALBICOCCA (~180g; Lot #71119; Best before 07/03/2020) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (Italy): NARDONE PRODUZIONI DOLCIARIE SRL recalls LE DOLCI PASSIONI brand CROSTATA ALLA CILIEGIA (~180g; Lot #62019; Best before 07/03/2020) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (Luxembourg): Colruyt recalls Colruyt brand Bûche ardennaise (500-560g; Best before 10/08) due to undeclared soy.

Allergy Alert (UK – England & Wales specific): COOK Trading Ltd recalls COOK Green Thai Chicken Curry (540g; Batch code 000255; Best before 22 March 2020) due to undeclared milk.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): ELEMENTI recalls LIFJALLA brand Water (10L and 5L bag-in-box; Lot #L-190325POC55; Best before 26/03/2021) due to possible contamination with disinfectant residue.

Food Safety Recall (France): LUNOR Distribution recalls Saint Eloi brand Betteraves entières cuites sous vide à la vapeur / Whole beets steamed under vacuum (500g & 2 x 500g vacuum packs; Lots #L193, L196, L197 & L207; Best before 15/01/2020, 20/01/2020 & 01/02/2020) due to potential product instability.

Food Safety Recall (France): LUNOR DISTRIBUTION recalls Eco+ brand Betteraves entières cuites / Cooked whole beets (2 x 500g; Best before 15/01/20 to 01/02/20, inclusive) due to potential product instability.

Food Safety Recall (France): LUNOR DISTRIBUTION recalls Notre Jardin brand Betteraves entières cuites / Cooked whole beets (500g; Best before 15/01/20 to 01/02/20, inclusive) due to potential product instability.

Food Safety Recall (France): LUNOR DISTRIBUTION recalls LUNOR brand Betteraves entières cuites sous vide /Whole beets cooked under vacuum (2 x 500g; Lots #190 to 211, inclusive; Best before 09/07/2019 to 02/08/2019, inclusive) due to potential product instability.

Food Safety Recall (France): E. Leclerc recalls Bio Village brand Mix apéritif BIO non salé / Organic unsalted mixed cocktail nuts (120g bags; Lot #007128; Best before 26/03/2020) due to possible aflatoxin contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): La Société l’Atelier du Valois recalls Les Brasérades brand Saucisse provençale / Provencal sausages (6-pack; Lot #2 28024; Best before 24/07/2019) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Cora & Carrefour recall unbranded 12-slice Rosettes (150g; Lot #210117945; Best before 03/09/2019) due to unspecified hazardous foreign matter contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): TerraSana recalls TerraSana brand Peanut butter and Crunchy butter (Best before 24.03.2021) due to aflatoxin contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Italy): Smapp Spa recalls Salumi Pasini brand Salame Campagnolo (~270g; Lot #1056; All best before dates) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Italy): SÖBBEKE recalls Bio Schokopudding / Budino al cioccolato bio (150g; Best before 09/08/2019) due to foreign matter (glass) contamination.

Food Safety Recall Update (Luxembourg): Société recalls Roquefort Société (100g sliced; Best before 27/10/2019 & 03/11/2019; Product of France) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Netherlands): Société des Caves recalls Roquefort Société (100g; Best before 27/10/2019 & 03/11/2019) and Roquefort Société (200g; Best before 02/12/2019, 09/12/2019 & 16/12/2019) due to Salmonella contamination.

Pet Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Maxi Zoo Belgium recalls Real Nature Wilderness Adult Best Horse food for dogs (400g & 800g chubs; various lot numbers and expiration dates) due to elevated cadmium levels. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected product.

One more step forward in Hill’s class action lawsuits. Will DSM be next?

The Class Action suit against Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc., has taken another step forward in the legal process with the appointment on July 31st of Lead Counsels for the Plaintiffs and the Defendants.

Lead Counsels for the Plaintiffs are:

Gary E. Mason (Whitfield Bryson & Mason LLP)
Rachel E. Schwartz (Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP)
Michael R. Reese (Reese LLP)
Scott A. Kamber (KamberLaw, LLP)

The Multidistrict Litigation consolidates approximately 20 individual Class Action suits initiated by grieving dog owners whose pets died as a result of vitamin D overdose.

During the first half of 2019, Hill’s Pet Nutrition recalled 33 varieties of canned, wet dog food due excessive levels of vitamin D in the products.

At present, Defendants named in the Class Action include Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc., Hill’s Pet Nutrition Sales, Inc., and Colgate-Palmolive Company.

Hill’s is a subsidiary of Colgate-Palmolive.

The toxic concentrations of vitamin D were found to have originated from a formulation error in the vitamin D premix supplied to Hill’s by the Fort Worth, Texas facility owned by DSM Nutritional Products, LLC.

An employee at the Fort Worth plant added vitamin D to the premix instead of adding vitamin E, resulting in a 2900% excess of vitamin D in the premix.

FDA follow-up discussions with company management established that DSM did not have adequate systems in place to prevent this type of operator error. For example,

Although batch records were reviewed and signed off, the ingredient substitution was not caught either by the
The vitamin D and vitamin E ingredients were similar in color, and there was no color-code labelling system in place to differentiate the ingredients
DSM did not have a bar coding system in place to aid in identification and tracking of ingredients
DSM did not provide a Certificate of Analysis for each batch of premix supplied to Hill’s and does not test every finished batch

As of mid-April, DSM was preparing a revised food safety plan, which it promised to provide to FDA by the end of May.

DSM has not yet been named as a Defendant in the Class Action. It will be up to the Co-Lead Counsels to decide whether or not to do so.

The best last word in this saga belongs to Jessica Hensley of FDA, who told DSM representatives, “Your products killed life. Be sure that you have a process in place so that an employee can’t screw it up.“