Author: Phyllis Entis

Recalls and Alerts: November 7, 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 retail distribution of peanut butter products recalled due to Salmonella Bredeney, please consult the Trader Joe’s/Sunland Peanut Butter Recalls tab.

For current information on retail distribution of beef products containing Canadian beef recalled due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination please consult the Canada/USA Beef Recall tab.

United States

  • Allergy Alert: The Kroger Co. recalls Kroger Deluxe French Vanilla Ice Cream (48 fl oz cartons; Sell by June 12, 2013; UPC 11110 50718), because the product may contain undeclared pecans. The recalled ice cream was sold at Dillons, Gerbes, Bakers, Fry’s, King Soopers, City Market and Smith’s stores in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
  • Food Safety Recall: Omya Inc. recalls Omya-Cal FG-10 AZ (50 lb bags bearing Lot #Z227510511, and 2500-lb & 2000-lb bulk bags bearing Lot #Z227500511), Omya-Cal FG-4 AZ (50-lb bags; Lot # Z227510409 & Z230310409), and Omya-Cal FG-15 AZ (2500-lb bulk bags bearing Lot # Z228400712 & Z228200712) foodgrade ground limestone products, because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled food grade ground limestone products were manufactured at Omya’s Superior, AZ plant and sold to distributors and/or manufacturers as ingredients for further processing in the USA.
  • Food Safety Alert: The California Department of Public Health warns consumers not to eat the following five preserved plum and/or prune products, after tests reveal the presence of lead in excess of state standards. Please follow the live links for additional information on each product. Dried Plum (Imported from Hong Kong), Sweet and Soure Prune (Imported from Taiwan), Ching Ling Dried Prune (Imported from Taiwan), Preserved Plum (Imported from China), and Dried Red Prune (Imported from Taiwan).
  • Food Safety Alert: The California Department of Public Health advises the public to avoid consuming sport-harvested clams and whole scallops from Del Norte County due to the presence of dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in this region.
  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. recalls Pradaxa® (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) Capsules, 75mg 60 US (NDC 0597- 0149-54, lot 201900, Exp January 2015), due to a potential packaging defect that may compromise product integrity and allow moisture to enter the bottle, impairing the quality of the active ingredient. The recalled product was distributed in the USA and Puerto Rico.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns St. James Smokehouse Inc. (Miami, FL) that a May-June 2012 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Caito Fisheries, Inc. (Fort Bragg, CA) that an August-September 2012 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns B & H Foods, Inc. (Charlotte, NC) that a May 2012 inspection of the company’s pimento cheese processing facility found serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation for foods.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Hana Gourmet, Inc., dba Beyond Gourmet (Dallas, TX) that a July 2012 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Bay View Packing Co. (Milwaukee, WI) that a September-October 2012 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Ritter’s Fish Market (Prairie Du Chien, WI) that a July 2012 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation, Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 123, and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Canada Bread recalls Dempster’s / Bon Matin Original Tortillas (15-pack, 10″ White SL28; 915 g; Best before 2012 OCT 15 – 2012 NOV 15; Item #272905), because the tortillas may contain metal shavings. The recalled products were sold in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada through various retailers, including Costco Canada, and were supplied to foodservice partners.
  • Personal Care Product Safety Recall: Avmor Ltd. expands its earlier recall of products to include four additional lots of X3 Clean Alcohol-Free Foaming Hand Sanitizer (Benzalkonium chloride 0.13%), due to potential bacterial contamination. Please refer to the complete list of recalled products for details.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2012.1524): Undeclared hazelnut and wheat in Fazer Dumle Original brand singly wrapped milk chocolates from Finland; distributed to Azerbaijan, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

Europe

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Recall (Singapore): The local importer has recalled Spring Bay Live Blue Mussels (Product of Tasmania, Australia), due to the presence of paralytic shellfish toxin, a naturally occurring marine biotoxin. Please refer to the AVA Food Alert for complete details on the affected products.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Allergy Alert (Australia): Woolworths Ltd. recalls Homebrand Choc Eclairs (300g; Product of China; All best before dates currently in the marketplace), due to the presence of undeclared peanut and gluten. The recalled product was distributed nationally at Woolworths, Safeway, Food for Less and Flemings supermarkets.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. recalls Pradaxa® (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) Capsules, 75mg 60 US (NDC 0597- 0149-54, lot 201900, Exp January 2015), due to a potential packaging defect that may compromise product integrity and allow moisture to enter the bottle, impairing the quality of the active ingredient. The recalled product was distributed in the USA and Puerto Rico.

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.

Recalls and Alerts: November 5, 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 retail distribution of peanut butter products recalled due to Salmonella Bredeney, please consult the Trader Joe’s/Sunland Peanut Butter Recalls tab.

For current information on retail distribution of beef products containing Canadian beef recalled due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination please consult the Canada/USA Beef Recall tab.

United States

  • Allergy Alert: The Raymond-Hadley Corp (Spencer, NY) recalls Wegmans Gluten Free Double Chocolate Brownie Mix (17.2 oz; UPC 077890283363; Enjoy By Dates 30 OCT 2013 through 17 MAR 2014). Wegmans Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix (16 oz; UPC 077890303412; Enjoy By dates from 26 Mar 2014 through 24 Apr 2014), Wegmans Gluten Free Honey Cornbread Mix (16 oz; UPC 077890303436; Enjoy By dates 25 Mar 2014 through 16 Apr 2014), and Wegmans Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix (15.3 oz; UPC 077890283332; Enjoy By dates 30 Oct 2013 through 12 Apr 2014), because the products may be contaminated with undeclared milk, soy or pecan.
  • Food Safety Recall: Wayne Farms Inc. (Decatur, AL) recalls Wayne Farms Fully Cooked Grill Marked White Meat Chicken Strips (900lb combo cases containing 30 x 30lb bags; Case codes 372277174001 through 372277254005; Produced Oct 3, 2012 and once combo case each from Sept. 6, 2012, Sept 19, 2012 and Sept 24, 2012), because the product may contain pieces of a plastic pen. The recalled product was distributed to a facility in Kentucky for further processing into potential retail products.
  • Food Safety Recall (Amended): Bolthouse Farms recalls Bolthouse Farms Carrot Chips (16-oz bags; Best by NOV 12 2012 and Nove 13 2012; UPC 71464 17209; Code 04 T XXXX BF 212 J11 and 04T XXXX BF 212 J 12, respectively), Safeway Farms Carrot Chips (16 oz bags; UPC 21130 70217; Best by Nov 13, 2012; Code 06 T XXXX S2682 BF 212 J12 286) and Farm Stand Carrot Chips (16 oz bags; UPC 41163 45311; Best by Nov 12-13 2012; Code 04 T XXXX BF 212 J11-12), because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled products were distributed in the USA and Canada. Safeway Farms Carrot Chips are sold in Safeway stores in Ketchikan, Alaska; Arizona; California; Hawaii; Idaho; Montana; Nevada; New Mexico; Oregon; and Washington State, as well as Carrs stores in Juneau, Alaska; Pak ‘N Save stores in California; Randalls stores in Texas and Tom Thumb stores in Texas.
  • Food Recall: Price Chopper recalls Full Circle Penne Rigate Pasta (12 oz; UPC 36800043275) and Full Circle Rotini Pasta (12 oz; UPC 36800049789), because the products do not meet quality standards.

Canada

  • Outbreak Alert: CBC reports that an outbreak of norovirus at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital led to the temporary closure of the hospital’s neurology clinic. Approximately 45 staff members because infected after eating food that may have come from a staff-only coffee shop run by the hospital’s Atrium Café. The coffee shop will remain closed until the cause of the outbreak is determined.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): SuperGros recalls First Price Chopped Tomatoes (400g cans; All Lots), after a metal piece is found in one of the cans.
  • Food Safety Recall (France): Dia recalls Dia brand Smoked Trout (150g vacuum packs; Product of Spain; UPC 8 48 0017 032324; Expiry dates 14 November and 18 November), after Listeria monocytogenes is detected in the product.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Food Safety has been notified by Australian authorities that the following product may contain the toxin that causes Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning: Spring Bay Seafoods Pty Ltd Live Blue Mussels (Harvested from Spring Bay, Tasmania, Australia on or after October 22, 2012). Consumers are advised to refrain from eating these mussels.
  • Outbreak Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Health Protection is investigating three clusters of suspected food poisoning involving a total of five people who developed symptoms of gastroenteritis after consuming desserts purchased at a food premises in Aberdeen on October 31st. All five individuals were hospitalized and are in stable condition.
  • Outbreak Alert (Malaysia): The Malaysia Health Ministry reports that a total of 39 food poisoning episodes involving 849 students have been recorded in 16 schools in Sabah so far this year, according to the Daily Express.

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.

Wegmans Organic Spinach & Spring Mix Linked to 16 New York Illnesses

Sixteen people in New York state are suffering from E. coli O157:H7 infections, apparently as a result of eating Wegmans Organic Spinach and Spring Mix. The product was supplied to Wegmans by State Garden, Inc. (Chelsea, MA).

The outbreak victims are mostly from western New York state. Four people required hospitalization; three of those have already been released, according to Peter Constantakes of the New York State Department of Health. Food Safety News reports that the case patients are from Monroe, Niagara, Steuben and Wayne counties. No other states have reported outbreak-associated illnesses so far.

According to test results, only products with a use-by date of October 23 are implicated in the illnesses; however, Wegmans has removed all date codes from its stores as a precaution.

Wegmans has recalled approximately 31,000 lbs of its Organic Spinach and Spring Mix, sold in 5 oz and 11 oz clam shell packages in the produce department of its stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts between October 14 and November 1st.

Wegmans advises customers who purchased this product to discard any that remains in their homes. Customers should visit the service desk at Wegmans for a full refund.