Author: Phyllis Entis

Allergy Alerts: October 1 – 16, 2018

The FoodBugLady is back after a two-week holiday, and it’s time to play catch-up.

Here is a list of recalls relating to allergy alerts for the first half of October. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices containing detailed information for each 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.

USA Allergy Alerts

October 15th: Clackamas Bakery has recalled Fred Meyer Bakery Angel Food Cake Bar (12 oz.) sold in its retail stores because the product may contain milk and soy not listed on the label.

October 15th: Feel Good Foods Inc. of Brooklyn, NY is recalling six lots of “Vegetable Fried Rice” frozen meals, UPC 00899039002129 because they may contain undeclared egg.

October 11th: Forager Project is recalling three dates of Nuts and Vanilla – Organic Plant Protein Shake because the product contains almond flour which is not declared on the label.

October 9th: Kemps of St. Paul, Minn., is voluntarily recalling Sweet Me Creamery Brookie Dough ice cream, individual pints and pint four-packs, because it may contain an undeclared peanut allergen

October 2nd: Apollo Food International Inc. of Long Island City, NY, is recalling its 2.469 ounce packages of “Mini Roll” food treats because they may contain undeclared eggs.

Canada

October 12th: J. L. Trading Co. Ltd. recalls Coconut Town brand Coconut Wafer Roll due to undeclared milk.

October 9th: Ten Ten Dim Sum recalls Ten Ten Dim Sum brand Dumplings due to undeclared egg.

October 9th: AJ International Trading (2372761 Ontario Inc.) recalls Rice Cracker (Barbecue Flavor) and Squid Snack (Hot & Spicy) due to undecalred sesame and squid.

October 4th: 9355936 Canada Inc. recalls various Carstairs Ideal Weight Loss brand and Nutritional Ketosis brand Protein Bars due to undeclared soy.

October 3rd: La Galette de Montréal recalls crêpes de sarrasin due to undeclared gluten.

October 3rd: Guruji Foods Inc. recalls Guruji brand Amritsari Punjabi Wari Spice Chunkes Spiced Lentil Dumplings due to undeclared wheat.

October 2nd: Magasin Coop de Ste-Perpétue recalls spaghetti sauce due to undeclared soy and wheat.

October 2nd: La Glutinière inc recalls various products due to undeclared soy.

Europe

October 13th (Belgium): Hema recalls rouleaux de spéculoos au beurre due to undeclared soy.

October 12th (Belgium): Colruyt recalls boulettes de poulet aux légumes / chicken & vegetable balls due to undeclared wheat and celery.

October 6th (Belgium): Aviko recalls Cheese Croquettes due to undeclared shellfish.

October 12th (Denmark): Lantmännen Cerealia recalls Simply Great Granola Blueberry, Date & Cardamom due to undeclared nuts.

October 2nd (Finland): Lidl Suomi Ky recalls Sportyfeel Naturally Raw Bar Orange & Raw Cocoa due to undeclared milk.

October 4th (France): Auchan recalls various sheep’s milk cheeses due to undeclared egg.

October 12th (Ireland): Various batches of Brady Family Glazed by Hand Real Irish Ham recalled due to undeclared mustard.

October 1st (Ireland): Various batches of Uncle Bok products recalled due to undeclared wheat gluten, fish and/or sulphur dioxide.

October 11th (Italy): Nutriops S.L. recalls Ecomil brand Coconut Milk Nature due to undeclared nuts.

October 15th (Luxembourg): Colruyt recalls boulettes de poulet aux légumes / chicken & vegetable balls due to undeclared wheat and celery.

October 15th (Luxembourg): HEMA recalls rouleaux de spéculoos au beurre due to undeclared soy.

October 11th (Netherlands): HEMA recalls Cream butter gingerbread bars due to undeclared soy.

October 2nd (Sweden): ICA recalls Grilled Chicken in Soft Tortilla Bread due to undeclared tuna.

October 16th (UK): John & Pascalis Ltd recalls Four Seasons Sesame Tahini due to undeclared peanuts.

October 15th (UK – England only): Southern Synergy recalls Arnott’s Shapes Originals Savoury, Arnott’s Shapes Originals Cheddar and Arnott’s Cheds due to undelcared celery and mustard.

October 13th (UK): E H Booths & Co Ltd is recalling Booths Honey & Spelt Bread because it contains barley (gluten), lupin and sesame which are not mentioned on the label.

October 13th (UK – England and Wales): Milegate Ltd is recalling Noury Individually Quick Frozen Prawns because they contain crustaceans and sulphites which are not mentioned on the label.

October 10th (UK): E H Booths & Co Ltd is recalling Booths Chicken Tikka Masala with Pilau Rice Pot because it contains cashew nuts which are not mentioned on the label.

October 9th (UK – England): Southern Synergy is recalling Arnott’s Shapes Originals Barbecue and Arnott’s Shapes Originals Pizza because they contain celery and/or mustard which are not mentioned on the label.

October 9th (UK –  England): Farmhouse Biscuits Ltd is recalling Honey & Oat Biscuits because they contain wheat which is not mentioned on the label.

October 5th (UK): The National Trust is recalling a range of biscuits that may be contaminated with traces of peanuts or treenuts.

Australia and New Zealand

October 4th (Australia): Coles recalls Big Yum Beef Pie due to undeclared egg.

October 6th (New Zealand): Wilson Consumer Products Ltd recalls Hershey’s Caramel Syrup Sundae Dream due to undeclared milk.

Israel – Food Safety Travel Alert

Anyone who has stayed in one of the high-end Israeli hotels will know instantly what is  meant by an “Israeli breakfast.” At it’s best, it is opulent and can fuel an entire day’s tourist activities. Even modest Israeli hotel breakfasts put to shame the ‘complimentary’ breakfasts offered by hotel chains in the USA and Canada.

When my husband and I applied to renew our US passports several weeks ago, we decided that our first trip with the new documents would be to Israel. As soon as the passports arrived in the mail, we solidified our plans.

Our only previous visit to Israel was twenty-three years ago, and I could still recall the sight, smell and taste of those Israeli hotel breakfasts, complete with several choices of egg dishes, a variety of salads, sweet melons and juicy oranges, freshly baked breads and rolls, and decadent breakfast pastries.

We landed at Ben Gurion Airport on the evening of October 3rd, and took a taxi directly to the Orchid Okeanos Boutique Hotel, situated right by the beach in Hertzliya. Following an abbreviated night of sleep, we arose, eager to begin the day with one of those amazing breakfasts.

The offerings at the Orchid were neither opulent nor decadent by Israeli hotel standards. Nevertheless, we partook of freshly squeezed orange juice, freshly baked rolls and croissants, smoked salmon, halvah, and fresh melon. I drank cappuccino and my husband, who is not partial to coffee, opted for soy milk.

We decided to work off some of the calorie intake by walking to the car rental agency offices, some twenty minutes away. An hour or so after breakfast, while we were waiting our turn at the car rental desk, my husband became violently ill. Volunteer first responders from the Magen David Edom arrived at the scene with incredible speed, followed a few minutes later by an ambulance.

We spent the rest of the morning at the ER of the closest hospital. Fortunately, the doctors could find nothing organically wrong, and my husband recovered quickly. As we rode our taxi back to the hotel, I began to suspect he had been the victim of Bacillus cereus food poisoning.

Bacillus cereus (B. cereus for short) is a multi-talented, spore-forming microbe. One of its talents is the production of an enterotoxin – a heat-stable protein that can trigger vomiting in as little as thirty minutes after ingestion.

For the microbe to multiply in a food sample and produce its toxin, the food must be held at room temperature for several hours. But the soy milk – the most likely culprit – was kept in a small refrigerator in the breakfast room. Might the refrigerator have been defective?

We had our answer the next morning when I reached into the refrigerator and discovered it to be at room temperature. The LED status display on the front of the unit was flashing “OFF” in bright red letters.

With Israel’s reputation as a world leader in so many areas of medicine, science, and technology, it is easy to forget that this is still a third-world country in other respects. I have since learned from a reliable source that Israel is not equipped to test food for bacterial toxins. Test kits for these toxins are readily available and are relatively easy to use. This is not rocket science.

We allowed ourselves to forget that we were in the Middle East. I let down the food-safety guard I always have maintained during our travels to places such as Myanmar, Thailand and Bora Bora. And my husband suffered the consequences.

Don’t make the same mistake we did. Follow these safety rules whenever you travel, especially to third world countries.

1. Do not drink the water or use ice in your drinks;

2. Never eat food purchased from street vendors;

3. Avoid raw salads;

4. Be very cautious about the food you select from a buffet; and

5. Be watchful of holding temperatures for perishable foods.

By following these rules, you will miss some interesting taste experiences, but you will be more likely to remain healthy to enjoy the rest of your trip.

Recalls and Alerts: September 27 – 30, 2018

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.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Highwide International recalls Lavite brand Soft-Dried Mango (100g; Product code 2018 APR 20 / 2019 APR 20; UPC 8 936131 430107) due to undeclared sulfites.

Food Safety Recall: Ernie et Ellie (Montreal, QC) recalls various prepared foods that were manufactured under conditions that may have rendered them unfit for human consumption. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Le Fumoir d’Antan recalls various smoked fish products that were not maintained frozen, which may have rendered them unfit for human consumption. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Imperial Meat Products recalls Aoste Pain de Viande(100g; Best before dates 24/09/2018, 3/10/2018, 9/10/2018, 18/10/2018, 19/10/2018; Lots 004028, 004036, 004041, 004049, 004050) due to undeclared egg and gluten.

Allergy Alert (Netherlands): Hoogvliet recalls various products due to undeclared nut, shrimp, wheat and soy. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert (UK): N J Marketing Ltd recalls Lemon Bonbons (180g; Use by September 2019) due to undeclared soy and milk.

Food Safety Recall (France): Seeberger GmbH recalls Seeberger brand Popcorn (500g; Lots #L435136, L435137, L437018, L437019; Expiry dates 01/2020, 02/2020,  02/2020, 02/2020) due to elevated levels of mycotoxins.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): Glockenbrot Bäckerei GmbH & Co. OHG recalls BÄCKERKRÖNUNG Pro Vital Schnitte (500g; Batch code K264; Best before 01.10.2018) due to foreign matter (black plastic pieces) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): Seeberger GmbH recalls Seeberger brand Popcorn (500g; Lots #L435136, L435137, L437018, L437019; Expiry dates 01/2020, 02/2020,  02/2020, 02/2020) due to elevated levels of mycotoxins.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): Glockenbrot Bäckerei GmbH&Co. OHG recalls REWE Beste Wahl Pro Vital Schnitte (500 g; Best before 01.10.2018) due to foreign matter (black plastic pieces) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Ireland): Manufacturer recalls various spinach leaves and mixed leaves containing spinach due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Italy): GASTRONOMIA D’ITALIA recalls COUS COUS POLLO E VERDURE (200g; Best before 07-10-2018) due to risk of microbiological contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Seeberger recalls Seeberger brand Popcorn (500g; Lots L435136, L437059, L435137; Expiry date 31/01/2020) due to elevated levels of mycotoxins.

Food Safety Recall (UK-Northern Ireland only): Lidl Ireland recalls Lidl Baby Leaf Spinach (250g; Batch codes #260 & 261; Best before 23rd, 24th & 25th September 2018) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (UK-Northern Ireland only): Dunnes Stores recalls Fresh, Ready to wash, Spinach Leaves (100g; Use by 26th September 2018) and Fresh, Ready to Wash, Mixed Leaves (75g; Use by 26th September 2018) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Australia and New Zealand

Allergy Alert (Australia): V4 IMPORTS PTY LTD recalls Deli Spice Sesame Biscuit Black (150g; Best Before: 12/2019) due to undeclared peanut and gluten.

Allergy Alert (New Zealand): Harman Impex (NZ) Ltd recalls Idhayam brand Mantra Groundnut Oil (all batches; Product of India) due to undeclared peanut.

Allergy Alert (New Zealand): Bluerock Ltd recalls Veesey brand Egg Free Mayo (200g and 1kg; Best before 8/11/18, 15/11/18 and 19/10/18) due to undeclared egg.

Allergy Alert (New Zealand): Foodstuffs Own Brands Ltd recalls Pams brand Couscous (500g; Batch #NZ006577; Best before 06/08/2019) due to undeclared peanuts.