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.

United States

• Allergy Alert: General Mills recalls Almond Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bars (6-count boxes; Better if used by date 26FEB2013) because the product may contain undeclared peanuts, due to a packaging error.
• Food Safety Recall: Chattanooga Bakery Inc. recalls MoonPie® Crunch brand Peanut Butter Crunchy Chocolate Cookie Sandwich (9.6 oz/272g; Best By dates of 02/26/13, 03/25/13, and 04/29/13) and MoonPie Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie Sandwich (2.4 oz/68g; Best By dates of 02/26/13, 03/25/13, and 04/29/13), because the products contain peanut butter supplied by Sunland, Inc., and may be contaminated with Salmonella.
• Food Safety Recall: Forever Cheese Inc. recalls Marte brand Ricotta Salata Frescolina cheese (Product of Italy; All lots and production codes, including T5086/440220, T5520/440315, T6048/440417, T6528/440519, T7012/440703, T7452/440601, T7939/440822, T8419/441003, T8899/441020, T9425/441202, T9962/441227, U1392/450126), because the cheese may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled cheese was sold between September 1, 2011 and August 31, 2012 to distributors for retailers and restaurants in AL, CA, CO, CT, D.C., FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MN, MT, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, TX, UT, VA, and WA.
• Food Safety Recall: Whole Foods Market recalls Peanut Butter Cookie (3-oz; sold in self-serve pastry case), Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie (3-oz; sold in self-serve pastry case) and Mini Peanut Butter Cookie (12 pk; PLU 22096100000), because they were made using peanut butter that may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled cookies were sold before Sept. 29, 2012 in all Whole Foods Market stores in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.
• Food Safety Recall: Gretchen’s Shoebox Express recalls Evolution Fresh Cinnamon Apple & Almond Butter Sandwich (5.75 oz; UPC 762111926371; Enjoy By 07/26/12 – 09/25/12) and Evolution Fresh Almond Butter (2 oz; UPC 762111-26838; Enjoy By 08/07/12 – 10/07/12), because the Almond Butter contained in both products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled products were supplied to two Evolution Fresh stores in Seattle and Bellevue, Washington from 7/24/12 to 9/23/12.
• Food Safety Recall: Fresh & Easy recalls several nut butters marked with Best Before dates from May 1, 2013 to September 24, 2013 due to potential contamination with Salmonella. The recalled items, which were sold at fresh&easy, include: Sunland Creamy Peanut Butter Salt Free (16 oz), Sunland Tahini (16 oz), fresh&easy Crunchy Almond Butter (16 oz), fresh&easy Creamy Almond Butter (16 oz), fresh&easy Crunchy Peanut Butter (18 oz), fresh&easy Creamy Peanut Butter (18 oz), fresh&easy Creamy Peanut Butter (40 oz), fresh&easy Organic Crunchy Peanut Butter with Sea Salt (16 oz), fresh&easy Organic Creamy Peanut Butter with Sea Salt (16 oz), fresh&easy Goodness Creamy Valencia Peanut Butter (8 / 1.1 oz cups), fresh&easy Deli Box Protein Power Lunch, and fresh&easy Creamy Cashew Butter.
• Food Safety Recall: Safeway expands its earlier recall of ground beef products to include all fresh ground beef sold from the self-service meat cooler and full-service meat counter with Sell By dates of 08-28-12 to 09-23-12, as these products include trimmings that were subject to XL Foods Inc.’s expanded recall and may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. This includes all items that use fresh ground beef as an ingredient, such as meatballs, sliders and gourmet burgers. The expanded recall also includes additional pre-packaged products distributed by Interstate Meat Distributors. The expanded recall includes Safeway stores in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington (State).
• Food Safety Recall: Publix Super Markets recalls Publix Hearts of Romaine (Chopped Hearts of Romaine), supplied by Ready Pac (10-oz pkg; UPC 41415 03886; Distributed to Publix stores between September 8, 2012 through September 20, 2012), because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled Romaine was supplied to Publix stores in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and in the following Florida counties: Alachua, Baldwin, Bay, Beaufort, Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Clay, Coffee, Columbia, Dougherty, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Glynn, Houston, Jasper, Lee, Leon, Lowndes, Marion, Nassau, Okaloosa, Putnam, Santa Rosa, St. Johns, Suwannee, Thomas, Tift, Volusia and Walton.
• Food Safety Recall Update: USDA releases updated retail distribution list for ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
• Food Safety Recall: Fresh Express Incorporated recalls Hearts of Romaine salad (18 oz.; expired Use By Date of September 26, 2012; Product Code H256808), because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled product was distributed in the Northeast and Midwest USA, possibly including CT, DE, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, VT, VA, WV, and WASHINGTON D.C.

Canada

• Food Safety Recall: XL Foods Inc. (Est 38) expands earlier recall to include additional ground beef products and retail distribution information. The recalled products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
• Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert: Costco recalls Kirkland brand Strip Loin Grilling Steaks (Packed On dates 12/SE/04, 12/SE/05, 12/SE/06 & 12/SE/07), because the steaks may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The recalled product was sold September 4, 2012 through September 7, 2012 at Costco Wholesale store #156 (13650, 50th Street, Edmonton, AB). Alberta Health officials have linked this product to four cases of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses in Edmonton.
• Food Safety Recall: Kiosque Geneviève Gingras (Saint-Marc-des Carrières, QC), recalls sauce à spaghetti maison/homestyle spaghetti sauce (500ml glass  Mason jars; All lots), because the product does not carry a “Garder réfrigéré” warning and may not be safe for human consumption if stored without refrigeration.
• Food Safety Recall: JD Sweid Foods Ltd. recalls various beef patties and burgers supplied to the hotel/restaurant/institutional market in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, because the products contain beef that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The recalled products were sold under the White Spot, Burger King, DQ, Nossack Fine Meats, and W brands; some products were supplied unbranded.
• Food Safety Recall: Centennial Foodservice recalls various ground beef products supplied to the hotel/restaurant/institutional market in Alberta, because the products contain beef that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The recalled products were sold under the Keg Brands and Centennial Foodservice brands.
• Food Safety Recall: Groupe Phoenicia Inc. recalls Phoenicia Wildflower Honey Grade No. 1 Amber (500g / UPC 7 70338 19108 3 / Code 3421 E12-2014;  1 kg / UPC 7 70338 19111 3 / Code 0302 EX01-2015), due to the presence of drug residues. The recalled product was sold through retailers nationwide.
• Food Safety Recall: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency alerts Canadians to the recall of Sunridge Farms brand Energy Nuggets (Product of USA), because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled product was sold from the Organic Bulk section of Fortino’s (55 Mountainash Road, Brampton, ON) between September 5 and September 26, 2012).
• Food Safety Recall: Transilvania Trading (Vancouver, BC) recalls Trader Joe’s Almond Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds, Crunchy & Salted (16 oz/454g; UPC 0094 0795; All Best if used by dates between May 1, 2013 and September 24, 2013) and Trader Joe’s Valencia Peanut Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds, Crunchy & Salted (16 oz/454g; UPC 0098 9275; All Best if used by dates between May 1, 2013 and September 24, 2013), because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled products were sold at Transilvania Trading (Pirate Joe’s), 3474 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC.

Europe

• Allergy Alert (Denmark): La Cucina Italiana recalls all expiration dates of Irma Selected Spring Rolls with Vegetables and Chicken, frozen (2 pieces/380g), Irma Selected Spring Rolls with Vegetables and Beef, frozen (2 pieces/280g), and Irma Selected Spring Rolls with Vegetables, frozen (2 pieces/380g), because the products contain undeclared egg.
• Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Natur’Inov sprl recalls Holle Bouillie 3 céráles / Holle Babypap 3 granen (Product of Germany; 250g; Lot R11171; Expiry date 25/04/2013), after traces of Ochratoxin A in excess of the legal limit were found in the product.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Det Eksotiske Catering ApS recalls Wheat Kernel Salad (325g; Best before 28.09.2012), Exotic pasta salad with chicken (275g; Best before 28.09.2012), Humus (175g and 1 kg; Best before 22.10.2012) and Cacik, Tzatziki (175g and 1 kg; Best before 22.10.2012), because Listeria was detected in the products.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Tip Top Fiskeindustri A/S recalls Fresh Herring Fillets, bulk (Sold beginning on 11/9-2012), after high levels of histamine were found in the product.
• Food Safety/Outbreak Alert Notification Update (EU #2012.1302): Foodborne Salmonella Dublin outbreak suspected to be caused by raw milk cheese from France; distributed to Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Nigeria, Norway, Spain and Sweden.
• Food Safety Notification Update (EU #2012.1300): Ochratoxin A in Holle brand organic baby mash from Switzerland/Germany; distributed to Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1364): Salmonella enterica in beef meat from Germany; distributed to Sweden.
• Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2012.1366): Undeclared egg in spring rolls from the Netherlands; distributed to Denmark.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1367): Salmonella in moringa powder from India; distributed to Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1368): Parasitic infestation of ham from Italy; distributed to Bulgaria.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1370): Histamine in fresh vacuum packed tuna loin from Sri Lanka; distributed to Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1371): Salmonella in clams from Italy; distributed to Italy and Spain.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1372): Insect larvae infestation in dates from Tunisia; distributed to Italy.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Food Safety/Outbreak Alert Notification Update (EU #2012.1302): Foodborne Salmonella Dublin outbreak suspected to be caused by raw milk cheese from France; distributed to Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Nigeria, Norway, Spain and Sweden.

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.