Author: Phyllis Entis

Recalls and Alerts: November 26, 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.

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

For current information on international and retail distribution of peanut butter products recalled due to Salmonella Bredeney, please consult the Trader Joe’s/Sunland Peanut Butter Recalls tab.

United States

  • Allergy Alert: Legendary Baking (Denver, CO) recalls Private Selection Apple Lattice Pies (9-inch; UPC 1111060195; Lot code 12296; Sell by dates November 4 – 26, 2012, inclusive), because the pies may contain undeclared eggs. The recalled pies were distributed to Quality Food Centers in Washington State and Oregon.
  • Allergy Alert: Newman’s Own, Inc. recalls Newman’s Own Lite Honey Mustard Dressing (16 fl oz bottles; Sell by 16 OCT 13 M; Time stamp 12:47 – 13:30; UPC 0 20662 00292 1), because the product contains undeclared milk. The recalled dressing was sold in retail stores in the Eastern to Midwestern US.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Soloway Hot Dog Factory Inc. recalls all varieties of All Beef Weiner, Soloway’s Weiners, Halal Beef Weiner, Bratwurst Sausages, Soloway’s Supreme Weiners, and Chicken Weiners (all codes where mustard is not declared in the ingredient list), due to the presence of undeclared mustard. The recalled products were distributed to hotels, restaurants and institutions in Ontario.
  • Food Safety Recall: Arla Foods Incorporated recalls Tre Stelle Grated Cheese 100% Parmesan (125g; Best before 2013/JN/01; UPC 0 59441 00428 3), due to microbiological spoilage. the recalled product was sold through retailers in Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec.
  • Personal Care Product Safety Recall: Energizer Personal Care expands its earlier recall of continuous spray sun care products because there is a possibility that these sunscreens could ignite on the skin if the consumer comes into contact with an open flame or spark before the spray has completely dried. The complete list of recalled products includes: Banana Boat Sport Performance 30 Spray Sunscreen (180 mL; UPC 079656008784), Banana Boat Ultra Defense SPF 30 Spray Sunscreen (180 mL; UPC 079656008371), Banana Boat Sunscreen Oil Spray SPF 15 (UPC 079656009798), Banana Boat Ultra Defense SPF 60 Spray (180 mL; UPC 79656 04991-6), and Banana Boat Sport Performance SPF 60 Spray (180 mL; UPC 79656 04990-9).

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Germany): Märsch Importhandels GmbH recalls Ground Hazelnuts (200g; Best Before dates 06.06.2013 and 06.07.2013), because the product was found to be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled product was sold exclusively at Lidl in early September.
  • Outbreak Alert Update (Norway): Public health officials in Norway are reporting 10 cases of salmonellosis due to a single, rare strain of Salmonella Mikawasima.  The patients all are adults (aged 20-50 years), and live in six different counties (Akershus Aust-Agder, Vest-Agder, Hordaland, Oppland, Oslo and Nordland). The source of the outbreak is still undetermined.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

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: Mardi Gras

Jaimie lay in bed, curled up on her side, feeling miserable. She had arrived in New Orleans the day before – just in time to catch the end of Mardi Gras. “It must be the hangover,” she groaned. “I couldn’t have seen him. He died before I was born.”

She had caught just a glimpse at first – recognized him from pictures that her Mom kept around the house. It was on Bourbon Street, just out front of Preservation Hall – the home of New Orleans jazz. He was beckoning to her, silently imploring her to come with him.

Jaimie tried to follow him, straining to keep him in sight. The kaleidoscope of colors and characters whirled all around – sometimes out of focus, sometimes in shocking clarity. But he was always out there somewhere ahead, leading her onward. “Where are we going?” she wondered.

At first, his movements seemed random; up one street, then down another, weaving through the crowds that went on and on. Then she understood. He was leading her back to her hotel room in the French Quarter. He was taking her away from the crowds. Away from the noise. Away from the groping hands and sloshing cups of beer that splashed her as she struggled to keep up with him.

She had almost caught up with him now. She saw him enter her hotel. And then he vanished. Jaimie went up to her room, half expecting to see him there. But the room was empty – a quiet oasis in the constant chaos known as New Orleans. “Must have been my imagination after all,” she thought. “May as well go to bed. I’m more wasted than I thought.”

And now it was morning. Had she imagined the whole thing? Had her subconscious mind protected her by drawing her back to her room?

“I need some air,” Jaimie thought as she opened the door and stepped onto her balcony. She surveyed the street below, littered with the detritus of last night’s revels: empty beer cups, stray strings of beads, sticky puddles of evaporated beer. A typical morning in the French Quarter.

Then she saw him, standing below, looking up at her – the man she saw last night. The man in the photographs in her Mom’s house. It was Joe. Her long-dead grandfather. Her  protector.

And she knew. Jaimie rushed back into her room, grabbed her cell phone, and hit the speed dial. “Dad,” she stammered, as soon as she heard his voice, “what’s wrong? It’s Mom, isn’t it? Is she going to be OK? Yes, I know she’s worried about me. Tell her I’m safe. I’ll be home tonight.”

©2012 Phyllis Entis. All rights reserved.

A Note of Explanation: The “prompt” for this story was multi-stage. First, each participant was asked to write down one male name and one female name. Then, we each were asked to write down a location – a city, country, or any physical place – on a slip of paper and put the paper into a common envelope. Finally, each of us drew a slip of paper at random from the envelope. Our “prompt” was a combination of the names we had selected and the random location each of us drew from the envelope. The “prompt” for this story became “Joe and Jaimie on a wrought iron balcony in the French Quarter of New Orleans.”

Recalls and Alerts: November 23, 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.

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

For current information on international and retail distribution of peanut butter products recalled due to Salmonella Bredeney, please consult the Trader Joe’s/Sunland Peanut Butter Recalls tab.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Capital Packers Inc. (Est 231, Edmonton, AB) recalls Capital brand Ham Sausage (300g; UPC 0 64946 51100 6; Code 2012 DE 26) and Compliments brand Ham Sausage (375g; UPC 0 68820 10061 4; Code 2012 DE 26), because the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled Capital brand Ham Sausages may have been distributed nationally. The Compliments brand product was sold in Sobeys, IGA and Price Chopper stores in the West. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended Capital Packers’ license to operate at Establishment 231, and warns that additional food products may be added to the Health Hazard Alert recall list. All outstanding inventory at the plant is now under CFIA detention and control.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (Finland): CA-SA Välimeren Herkut Oy recalls Shrimp Chili-Aioli and Chili-Aiolissa (180g containers), due to the presence of undeclared celery.
  • Food Safety  Recall (Germany): Aerzener Brot und Kuchen GmbH recalls Natreen Strawberry Yogurt, Frozen Sections (4 x 100 pieces/pkg; Lot/Expiry dates L 12048 05/2013, L 12083 06/2013, L 12114 07/2013, L 12145 09/2013, L 12180 10/2013 and L 12297 01/2014), due to suspected hepatitis A virus contamination in the strawberry cubes from China.
  • Food Safety Recall (Greece): 58 Viofos Ltd. recalls Organic Radish Seeds for Sprouting (30g; Expiry 06-2015; Packaged by Bavicchi in Italy), because the seeds are contaminated with Bacillus cereus.
  • Food Safety Alert (Russia): The Office of the Ministry of Interior in the Sakhalin region has seized 200 Kg of salmon caviar that lacked the required manufacturer’s identification mark. Supporting documents verifying safety and quality parameters also were lacking.
  • Outbreak Alert Update (Norway): The Public Health Institute now has received reports of eight cases of infection with Salmonella Mikawasima from six different counties, including Akershus Aust-Agder, Vest-Agder, Hordaland, Oppland, Oslo and Nordland. All of the outbreak victims are adults (20-50 years of age). Salmonella Mikawasima is rarely seen in Norway.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1635): Salmonella in live mussels from Spain; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1636): Parasitic infestation of chilled salmon from Poland; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1637): Salmonella in chilled sausage from Italy; distributed to the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1639): Listeria monocytogenes in paté from Belgium; distributed to Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands and Switzerland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1640): Insects in fennel seeds from Italy; distributed to France and Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1641): Listeria monocytogenes in raw milk cheese from France; distributed to Belgium and France.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1642): Excessive coumarin in breakfast cereals from Lithuania; distributed to the Czech Republic.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Food Safety Alert (Australia): The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries warns that paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins above safe levels have been detected in Botany Bay. The Food Authority has warned the public agains eating oysters, mussels, cockles, clams, periwinkles, sea urchins, crabs or the gut of rock lobster or abalone taken from the bay or the Georges River.
  • Outbreak Alert (Australia): Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas was hit by an outbreak of norovirus that sickened some 135 passengers and eight staff members, according to The Telegraph. The ship arrived in Sydney from New Zealand with sick passengers aboard. Boarding of new passengers was delayed while “enhanced” cleaning operations were carried out.

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.