Month: December 2020

Recalls and Alerts: December 28 – 31, 2020

Today we are bidding “farewell” to a year that all of us are happy to see in our rearview mirror. It is my hope that the new year will usher in better times ahead for all.

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

PET FOOD SAFETY ALERT AND RECALL: Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. recalls several Sportmix brand dog food and cat food products due to tests indicating levels of Aflatoxin that exceed acceptable limits. FDA is aware of at least 28 deaths and 8 illness in dogs that consumed the implicated pet food. Please refer to the recall notice and the FDA alert for additional information.

Allergy Alert: Lipari Foods recalls Backroad Country Spicy Cajun Mix (9 oz; Lots #M24501, M26902 & M28201; Expiration dates 11/2021 & 12/2021) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert: Divvies recalls Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting and Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting (6 oz; Lots VV303-1, VV304-1, or VC309-1) due to undeclared milk and egg.

Allergy Alert: Legendary Baking recalls French Silk Pie (Lot #CH20322CPS) due to undeclared pecans.

Allergy Alert: FSIS issues public health alert for FRESH THYME FARMERS MARKET CHICKEN RAVIOLI Ovals (16 oz; Best by 12/08/2021) due to undeclared soy.

Allergy Alert Update: Flowers Foods, Inc. recalls Canyon Bakehouse Everything Bagels (Lot #032220316) due to possible undeclared gluten.

Food Safety Recall: The Quinault Tribe (Washington state) recalls 57,891 pounds of live or un-eviscerated Dungeness crab (harvested from December 23, 2020, to December 28, 2020, from the Point Chehalis to Destruction Island GHPO056 zone) due to possible domoic acid contamination.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Dolson Marketing Inc. recalls Merrylady brand Blue Non-Dairy Whip Topping (1kg and 5kg; All packages where milk is not declared on the label) due to undeclared milk.

Food Safety Recall: Chez Vladimir recalls ESTURGEON FUMÉ À FROID / Cold-smoked sturgeon (Product sold up to 30 December 2020) due to lack of mandatory “store frozen” label instruction.

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Europe

Allergy Alert (Iceland): Heilsa ehf recalls Nudie Snacks Protein Balls – Salted Carmel Brownie (42g; Product of UK) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (Italy): The Lorenz Bahlsen Snack-World GmbH & Co KG recalls Fascinations Coated Peanuts Wasabi (100g; Lots 0171, 0172, 0291, 0322, 0352, 0381, 0421, 0451; 01.02.2021, 01.05.2021, 01.06.2021, 01.07.2021, 01.08.2021, 01.09.2021) due to undeclared mustard.

Allergy Alert (Italy): The Lorenz Bahlsen Snack-World GmbH & Co KG recalls Erdnusse / Peanuts (800g; Lots 0261, 0291, 0321, 0351; Best before 01.04.2021, 01.05.2021, 01.06.2021) due to undeclared mustard.

Allergy Alert (Italy): Plaza Italia SRL recalls ROM brand Baton cu crema / Cream stick (30g; Lot #18.08.21-1; Best before 18/08-21/10.21) due to lack of Italian language allergen information.

Allergy Alert (Italy): Gittis Naturprodukte GmbH recalls Prime Pappe brand Crema di riso mais e tapioca / Rice, corn and tapioca cream (200g; Lots CI & BI; Best before 02.03.2022) due to undeclared soy.

Allergy Alert (Italy): Gittis Naturprodukte GmbH recalls Prime Pappe brand Crema di cereali (200g; Lots CI, DJ, QK; Best before 01.03.2022 & 11.05.2022) due to undeclared soy.

Allergy Alert (Italy): GITTIS NATURPRODUKTE Pöll Beteiligungs- GmbH & Co KG. recalls Via verde bio primia brand Crema di riso, mais e tapioca / Rice, corn and tapioca cream (220g; Lots NK & OK; Best before 05.05.2022) due to undeclared soy.

Allergy Alert (Italy): GITTIS NATURPRODUKTE Pöll Beteiligungs- GmbH & Co KG. recalls Via verde bio primia brand Crema di riso, mais e tapioca / Rice, corn and tapioca cream (220g; Lots CF & DF; Best before 03.12.2021) due to undeclared soy.

Allergy Alert (UK): ASK Italian recalls Ask Italian Christmas Crackers (Best before end September 2021) due to undeclared egg, gluten (barley, oats, wheat), nuts (almond), peanuts and soy.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Colruyt, OKay, Spar and Alvo recall Everyday cornichons aigres-doux / Sweet-sour pickles (670 g glass jar; Use by 21/7/2022, 22/7/2022 & 23/7/2022) due to possible foreign matter (pieces of glass) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Aldi recalls Tupelo farm brand Roulade de dinde surgelé / Frozen turkey roll (700g; Lot #25089; Expiry date 25/09/2021) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): La Salaison du Mont Pilat recalls Salaisonniers du Pilat brand Saucisse droite / Straight dried sausage (Lot #2031406; Best before 31/01/21 to 07/02/21) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): La Maison CAVET recalls CAVET brand Picodon AOP Bleus / cheese x 12 (60g; Lot #182_2411; Best by 24/01/2021) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Manufacturer recalls Tradition et Terroir du Sud-Ouest brand Langue de porc cuite vinaigrette / Cooked pork tongue vinaigrette (Lot #203429009; Best before 27/12/2020) due to Listeria contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): Alexander Eyckeler GmbH recalls Lamm-Kotelett geschnitten tiefgefroren / Frozen lamb cutlets (~0.5 kg; Lot #50 9051; Best before 30.01.2022) due to shigatoxin producing E. coli contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Italy): Az. Agr. Bertoli Giorgio Luigi recalls I SALAM ‘D GIORS brand SALAM D’LA TRADISSION (Lot #131020) due to suspected microbiological contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Colruyt recalls Everyday cornichons aigres-doux / Sweet-sour pickles (670 g glass jar; Use by 21/7/2022, 22/7/2022 & 23/7/2022) due to possible foreign matter (pieces of glass) contamination.

Pet Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Mars Belgique recalls Pedigree Vital au Boeuf et aux Légumes dog food (14 kg; Lot #046D9MIN05; Best before 12/11/2021) due to elevated levels of vitamin D.

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Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Food Safety Recall (Israel): Mizra Delicacies Food Industries Ltd. recalls Salami Kupecheski Servelat (1kg; Production code 20324; Best before 19.03.2021) due to foreign matter (metal piece) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Israel): Selected Agricultural Produce Ltd. recalls Frozen Ground Chicken (500g; Best before 01.02.2021) due to Salmonella contamination.

BREAKING NEWS-Pet deaths linked to aflatoxin-contaminated Sportmix Pet Food

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting pet owners and veterinary professionals to potentially fatal levels of aflatoxin in certain lots of Sportmix Pet Food dry dog food.

FDA is investigating this situation in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, which found potentially fatal levels of aflatoxin in samples of the Sportmix products.

FDA is aware of at least 28 deaths and 8 illnesses in dogs that consumed the implicated pet foods.

Sportmix is manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. of Evansville, Indiana.

Midwestern has committed to recalling the following products so far:

  • Sportmix Energy Plus, 50 lb. bag
    • Exp 03/02/22/05/L2
    • Exp 03/02/22/05/L3
    • Exp 03/03/22/05/L2
  • Sportmix Energy Plus, 44 lb. bag
    • Exp 03/02/22/05/L3
  • Sportmix Premium High Energy, 50 lb. bag
    • Exp 03/03/22/05/L3
  • Sportmix Premium High Energy, 44 lb. bag
    • Exp 03/03/22/05/L3
  • Sportmix Original Cat, 31 lb. bag 
    • Exp 03/03/22/05/L3
  • Sportmix Original Cat, 15 lb. bag
    • Exp 03/03/22/05/L2
    • Exp 03/03/22/05/L3

Lot code information may be found on the back of bag and will appear in a three-line code, with the top line in format “EXP 03/03/22/05/L#/B###/HH:MM”

The affected products were distributed to online retailers and stores nationwide within the United States.

This is an ongoing investigation, and the recall may be expanded as additional products are evaluated.

Recommendations for retailers, pet owners and veterinary professionals

  • Retailers should not sell or donated the recalled products, and should contact the manufacturer for further instructions.
  • Pet owners should contact their veterinarian immediately if their pet has been fed any of the recalled products. A pet can suffer liver damage, even without showing any immediate or acute symptoms of poisoning.
  • Veterinarians treating a case of aflatoxin poisoning should ask the pet owner for a diet history. Veterinarians are encourage to submit case reports to FDA through the agency’s Safety Reporting Portal or by contacting the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator for their state.

PetSmart and other stealthy pet food recalls

Not all food-safety recalls are announced via a corporate news release and posted on-line. 

In some cases, news of a recall is shared only by telephone, email, letter or some other private means.

Nevertheless, all recalls that come under the jurisdiction of the FDA eventually find their way into the FDA’s Weekly Enforcement Report.

A survey of Enforcement Reports for 2020, conducted last week by eFoodAlert, turned up several recalls for which no public notice was issued.

The Smaller Fry

Boesl Packing Company recalled one batch of K9 Kraving Dog Food Beef and Vegetable Raw Dog Food due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recall was initiated on July 22, 2019 and classified six months later as a Class I recall on January 23, 2020. The product was shipped to one customer in North Carolina. The customer was notified by telephone.

G & C Raw, LLC recalled one batch of G&C Raw Ground Turkey due to possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes. The recall was initiated on May 20, 2019 and was eventually classified as a Class I recall on January 23, 2020. The recalled items were distributed only in Michigan and consignees were notified by email.

Grassland Beef recalled two varieties of Dr. Siegel’s S. A. F. E. Petfood, Ground Beef due to possible presence of E. coli O157:H7. The recall was initiated on October 20, 2020 and Classified as a Class I recall on November 23, 2020. The recalled products were shipped directly to consumers nationwide and to one retail location in Florida.

Stella & Chewy’s, LLC recalled one batch of Stella & Chewy’s Raw Blend, Kibble + Wholesome Grains Red Meat Recipe, with Pumpkin & Quinoa due to potential Salmonella contamination. The recall was initiated on October 14, 2020 and classified as a Class I recall on October 28, 2020. The product was distributed in four states and consignees were notified by telephone.

Available Now

Texas Tripe recalled multiple products in which Listeria monocytogenes and/or Salmonella were detected. The recalls were initiated in July 2019 and classified as Class I on January 23, 2020. FDA was sufficiently disturbed at the magnitude of the problem and the lack of a public recall notice to issue its own caution to pet owners on August 14, 2019.

Woody’s Pet Food Deli recalled one batch of Raw Chicken, Homemade Cat and Dog Food, with supplements, due to Salmonella contamination. The recall was initiated on August 30, 2019 and classified as Class I on January 23, 2020. Product was distributed in Minnesota and Colorado, and customers were notified by telephone.

The Major Leagues

The J.M. Smucker Company recalled several cat food products in December 2019, and one additional product on July 2, 2020, due to excessive levels of choline chloride. 

The public recall notice for the 2019 recall stated only that the recall was due to “ingredients believed to not meet the Company’s quality and safety standards.” 

Only the July 2020 recall advised the public that an excessive level of choline chloride was behind the recalls.

PetSmart Inc. recalled Authority Savory Blends Turkey Formula Cat Food and Authority Savory Blends Chicken Formula Cat Food (all lot codes) on November 11, 2020, due to elevated levels of the mycotoxin, Zearalenone. The products were distributed nationwide.

According to a spokesperson for the FDA, there is no established action level for Zearalenone in pet foods or animal feeds, and no adverse events relating to the recalled products have been reported to the agency. The PetSmart recall was classified as Class II, since Zearalenone is not considered to be as significant a health risk as certain other mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin.

The Bottom Line

Stealth recalls are not limited to veterinary products, pet treats and pet foods. Some recalls of human food also never enter the public spotlight, for a variety of reasons.

To keep up to date on all FDA-overseen recalls, whether publicized or not, check the FDA’s Weekly Enforcement Report page, which is updated every Wednesday.