Recalls and Alerts: March 19-21, 2022

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.

Interested in learning more about food safety and the history of foodborne disease outbreaks and investigations? Click on the TAINTED menu at the top of the page to read a short excerpt, then follow the buy links to add a digital, print or audio copy to your personal library.

United States

Allergy Alert: St. Benoit Creamery recalls French Vanilla Yogurt (4.75 oz; Lot 2054; Best by 8/22/2022; UPC 6 49241 92910 9) due to undeclared egg.

Food Safety Recall: Continental Mills recalls Walmart’s Great Value Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix (Lot #KX2063; Best by 09/01/2023; UPC 078742370828) due to potential foreign matter contamination (fragments from a cable used to clear the processing line).

Food Safety Recall: Fruit Fresh Up, Inc. recalls all fresh cut fruit and vegetable products and ready to eat dips processed at its Depew, NY production facilities due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: T Fresh Company recalls Enoki mushrooms (5.25oz (150g) and 7.5oz (200g); Lots 6021053 & 6021052, respectively; Product of China) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Jan Fruits Inc. recalls Enoki mushrooms (200g/7.05oz; Lot 3322; Product of Taiwan) due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Top Quality Produce Inc. recalls Enoki Mushrooms (200g/7.05oz; Sold 3/1/22-3/16/22; Product of Taiwan) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Canada

Food Safety Recall: Stellar Bay Shellfish recalls certain Stellar Bay oysters due to Norovirus contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products. The recalled products were sold in British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and Ontario and may have been distributed in other provinces and territories.

Europe

Allergy Alert Update (Belgium): AFSCA orders recall of Sau Tao brand Nouilles aux épinards / Spinach noodles (454g) due to undeclared egg.

Allergy Alert (France): Carrefour recalls Reflets de France brand Confit de canard et pommes de terre à la sarladaise / Duck confit with sarladaise potatoes (300g; Best before 23/05/2023) due to undeclared milk and wheat.

Allergy Alert (Ireland): FSAI reports that Sau Tao Spinach Noodles (454g; All Best before dates) contain undeclared egg.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Leader Price recalls three varieties of BUITONI FRAICH’UP frozen pizza due to E. coli contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Finland): Oatly AB recalls Oatly kaurajuoma / Oatmeal drink (1 L; Lot 1335T4; Best before 01.12.2022) due to Bacillus cereus contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Finland): Foodin Oy recalls various snack bars due to possible aflatoxin contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (France): La cave des petits plaisirs recalls BERTIZ/ KAMIKU brand Fromages / Cheese (Lot 210922077; Best before 11/12/2022) due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Buitoni recalls all Fraich’Up frozen pizzas (All lots purchased before the end of March 2022) due to E. coli contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Auchan recalls Auchan brand 4 nems crevettes, merlu, crabe / Spring rolls with prawns, hake and crab (4/pack (300g); Lot H22/066; Use by 04/04/22) due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Netherlands): Unilever recalls Conimex Panklare Nasi / Ready-to-cook Nasi (230g; Expiration dates 13/07/2022, 17/08/2022 & 18/08/2022) due to possible defective packaging that could result in product spoilage.

‘Tainted’ audiobook now available

This story by Jonan Pilet first appeared on Food Safety News and is reposted here with permission.

“Tainted” by Phyllis Entis is available in book, digital and audiobook formats.

Phyllis Entis’s new book “Tainted” is now available as an audiobook. The book is narrated by Entis herself.

The book is particularly topical as the first chapter talks about Cronobacter sakazakii, a dangerous bacterium that has caused an ongoing outbreak. The Cronobacter outbreak has sickened at least five infants, killing two, and has been linked to Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare infant formulas recalled Abbott Nutrition.

“Tainted” tells readers that when it comes to food safety, conventional wisdom isn’t always enough. As Entis puts it, “the food preparation skills we learned from our parents and grandparents are no longer good enough to keep us safe.”

The audiobook can be found here.

I had the chance to read the book this past December and talk with Entis about it. Whether it’s Salmonella in eggs, Listeria in deli meats, melamine in milk or Cyclospora in lettuce, “Tainted” illustrates that everyone has a responsibility to ensure that the food we eat is as safe as we can make it. Entis shows that everyone — government regulators, farmers, ranchers, food processors, food service workers, retailers, educators and consumers — are needed to accomplish this herculean task.

Phyllis Entis is a retired food safety microbiologist. “Tainted” is the update of her 2007 book, “Food Safety: Old Habits, New Perspectives.” The original version had an academic bent, but “Tainted” is more in line with Entis’s original vision of making food safety accessible to the lay reader.

In recent years, Entis has honed her storytelling abilities as she has been working as a mystery writer. She is known for the Damien Dickens Mysteries series, which includes “The Green Pearl Caper,” “The White Russian Caper,” “The Chocolate Labradoodle Caper,” “The Gold Dragon Caper,” “The Blue Moon Caper,” and “The Silver Star Caper.” Her debut novel, “The Green Pearl Caper,” was a Library Journal SELF-e Selection.

Writing mystery novels prepared her well to write “Tainted,” as food safety illnesses often function as mysteries. “Tainted” often reads like a true crime novel, where laymen and authorities uncover clues to save the public from future poisonings and reveal the culprits of past poisonings.

After reading “Tainted,” I asked Entis if she has a particular story from the novel that she finds most memorable. She pointed to the Regent Chocolate episode.

In January 1974, a Salmonella Eastbourne outbreak was linked to Regent Chocolate. Entis’s lab with Canada’s Health Protection Branch was responsible for checking all of the suspect chocolate stored in warehouses in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. “I am a chocoholic and it was torture to be surrounded by all those giant Easter bunnies and chocolate Christmas tree ornaments and not be able to nibble,” she said.

Entis was able to watch Regent’s response firsthand and see how effective the company’s approach and changes were. She explains in the book how Regent could serve as a model for how companies can learn from their mistakes.

Though “Tainted” is a great book for those interested in learning more about food safety, it’s also a book for those who simply want to be entertained by the drama behind the scenes of food safety.

If you read “Tainted” and have been spurred to read more about food safety, Entis recommends Nicols Fox’s 1997 book, “Spoiled, The Dangerous Truth About a Food Chain Gone Haywire,” Jeff Benedict’s “Poisoned,” and Deborah Blum’s “The Poison Squad.”

“Tainted” was released Dec. 2, 2020, and can be ordered on Amazon. Entis’s book reached No. 1 overall in the Microbiology category on Amazon during the first week of its release.

TAINTED. From Farm Gate to Dinner Plate, Fifty Years of Food Safety Failures is available in ebook and audiobook formats from all major on-line retailers. The paperback and hardcover editions can be ordered from Amazon or through your local bookstore.

Recalls and Alerts: March 17-18, 2022

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United States

Allergy Alert: Cavendish Farms Corporation recalls Original Hash Brown Patties (42.3 oz; Best before 2024 FE 01; UPC 0 56210 34217 1) due to undeclared wheat.

Allergy Alert: The Salsa Texan recalls Coconut Flour Tortillas with “Gluten Free” on the package label due to undeclared wheat. No lot code or expiration date information was provided in the recall notice. The recalled tortillas were distributed nationwide through the mail, following orders made via the social media platforms, FaceBook and Instagram. The tortillas also were sold at various Farmers Markets in Texas the months of August and September 2021.

Food Safety Recall: Continental Mills recalls Kroger Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix (2 lb; Lots KX2063 and KX2064; Best by 09/01/2023 and 09/02/2023) due to foreign matter (fragments from a cable used to clear the processing line) contamination.

Canada

Food Safety Recall: Charcuterie Europe-Déli (L’Île-Perrot, QC) recalls Porc confit / Pork confit (500 ml & 1 L: All units sold up to 16 March 2022) due to absence of mandatory storage temperature information on the product label.

Food Safety Recall: Épicerie Le Butterblume (Montréal, QC) recalls GRAVLAX DE SAUMON MAISON / Homemade salmon gravlax (Sold up to 16 March 2022) due to absence of expiration date information.

Food Safety Recall: La Boulangerie Owl’s Bread (Potton, QC) recalls LE CASSOULET DE OWL’S BREAD / Stew (1L; Sold up to 17 March 2022) because the product may not be safe to consume.

Food Safety Recall: Gourmand traiteur (Des Côtés Gourmands inc., Belœil, QC) recalls various soups and sauces (Sold up to 17 March 2022) because the products may not be safe to consume. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Europe

OUTBREAK INVESTIGATION UPDATE): Santé Publique France has established a possible link between an outbreak of 27 serious E. coli infections leading to HUS and the consumption of Buitoni Fraîch’Up frozen pizzas. Two children have died so far during the course of this outbreak. Consumers are urged to not purchase or serve the implicated pizzas and to destroy any of the product that may be in their freezers.

Allergy Alert (Belgium): AFSCA orders recall of Sau Tao ST Spinach Noodles (454g; All dates) due to undeclared egg.

Allergy Alert (Germany): Wojnar´s Wiener Leckerbissen Delikatessenerzeugung GmbH recalls Green Heart BIO Frischecreme Natur / Unflavoured organic fresh cream (Lots 039, 046 & 054; Best before 06.04.22, 13.04.22 & 21.04.22, respectively) due to undeclared soy.

Allergy Alert (Germany): KoRo Handels GmbH recalls KoRo Bio Cashewmus / Organic cashew butter (250g; Lots E213278 & E217689; Best before 31.01.2024 and 31.07.2024, respectively) due to undeclared peanuts.

Allergy Alert (Netherlands): Liroy B.V. recalls Sau Tao ST Spinach Noodles (454g; All dates) due to undeclared egg.

Allergy Alert (Spain): Liroy B.V. recalls Sau Tao ST Spinach Noodles (454g; All dates) due to undeclared egg.

Allergy Alert (UK): Liroy B.V. recalls Sau Tao ST Spinach Noodles (454g; All dates) due to undeclared egg.

Food Safety Recall (France): NESTLE FRANCE Buitoni recalls all varieties of FRaich’Up frozen pizza purchased before the end of March (All best before dates between 01/06/2021 and 31/03/2023) due to possible E. coli O26 contamination. This recall results from the investigation of an outbreak of serious E. coli illnesses and HUS (see Outbreak Investigation Update, above).

Food Safety Recall (France): AGIS recalls AUCHAN brand 4 nems crevettes, merlu, crabe / 4 spring rolls with prawns, hake and crab meat (300g; Lot H22.066; Use by 04/04/2022) due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): ELICO Intermarché recalls Jambon cuit supérieur / Superior cooked ham (Lot 421; Use by 19/03/2022) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): CORA VESOUL recalls Jambon cuit supérieur fumé, vendu à la coupe / Superior smoked cooked ham, sold by the slice (Sold between 05/03/2022 and 08/03/2022) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): ALIMENTATION GROS IMPORT DIFFUS RHONE-A EPICERIE recalls CHAO’AN brand Nouilles asiatiques / Asian noodles (400g; Lot 20210706; Best before 06/07/2023) due to foreign matter (metal pieces) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): SA SODIBAG LECLERC recalls Leclerc sapiac brand Joue de porc à mijoter / Pork cheek for stewing (Use by 10/03/2022) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): Die Zentrale Handelsgesellschaft mbH recalls “Jeden Tag” Mozzarella gerieben / Grated mozzarella (250g; Best before 03.05.2022 and 07.05.2022) due to foreign matter (hard plastic) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): GOLDSTEIG Käsereien Bayerwald GmbH recalls GOLDSTEIG Mozzarella schnittfest gerieben / Grated, firm mozzarella (200g; Best before 30.04.22 and 06.05.22) due to foreign matter (hard plastic) contamination.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Food Safety Recall (Hong Kong): Industry withdraws KANG SHI FU Pickled Vegetables Beef Flavor Instant Noodle Bowl (122g; Product of China), KANG SHI FU Pickled Vegetables Beef Flavor Instant Noodle Packet (117g / pack of 5; Product of China) and one additional product (Name not available in English; 125g; Product of China) due to unhygienic processing.