Author: Phyllis Entis

Why I STILL Don’t Eat Sushi

Four years ago last month, I wrote an article titled “Why I Don’t Eat Sushi Or Sashimi” after ten patrons of a restaurant in Kisai, Japan were diagnosed with cholera contracted as a result of having eaten contaminated sashimi.

I was taken to task by a reader who pointed out that FDA and the European Union require that fish used for sushi and sashimi be frozen before consumption in order to kill parasites. “So while there might be issues in Japan and other places,” my reader opined, “the EU and USA are relatively safe places to eat sashimi and sushi.”

In response to this comment, I explained that freezing the fish does not provide any protection against food poisoning bacteria such as Salmonella, unsanitary handling practices, cross-contamination or poor temperature control.

I suggest that the 258 victims of this year’s Salmonella Bareilly/Salmonella Nchanga outbreak would agree that eating raw sushi may be a risky business – especially when the sushi contains Nakaochi Scrape.

Today’s update from CDC revealed that the Salmonella outbreak now covers 24 states, including California, where the importer of the contaminated tuna is located. Thirty-two out of 258 outbreak victims have been hospitalized.

Sushi Case Count Map As of May 2, 2012 (source CDC)

Victims of this outbreak range in age from 4 to 86 years (median age of 30). More than half (57%) of the confirmed case patients are female. Illness onset dates range between January 28th and April 20th.

The Epi curve (a bar chart showing illness onset dates) clearly indicates that additional cases are likely to be reported. The shaded area in this chart indicates the time frame within which additional cases may have developed, but have not yet been confirmed or reported to CDC.

Confirmed infections by date of illness onset as of May 2, 2012 (source CDC)

While this outbreak plays out, CDC continues to offer the following advice:

CDC’s Advice to Consumers

  • Do not eat the recalled frozen raw yellowfin tuna product, known as Nakaochi Scrape, from Moon Marine USA Corporation. This product is tuna backmeat that is scraped from the bones of tuna and may be used to make sushi, particularly “spicy tuna” sushi.
  • If you purchase “spicy tuna” or other sushi, sashimi, ceviche, or similar dishes that might contain Nakaochi Scrape tuna product from a restaurant or grocery store, check with the establishment to make sure that it does not contain raw recalled product from Moon Marine USA Corporation. When in doubt, don’t eat it.
  • Persons who think they might have become ill from eating possibly contaminated raw Nakaochi Scrape tuna product should consult their healthcare providers.
  • Infants, older adults, pregnant women, and persons with impaired immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe illness and should not eat raw or partially cooked fish or shellfish. If you are unsure of your risk, ask your healthcare provider.

CDC’s Advice to Retailers and Establishments

  • Do not serve raw recalled frozen raw yellowfin tuna product, known as Nakaochi Scrape, from Moon Marine USA Corporation. If you do not know the source of your raw scraped yellowfin tuna product, check with your supplier.

CDC and FDA have been close-mouthed, as usual, regarding the retail distribution of the Nakaochi Scrape tuna product that is behind this Salmonella outbreak. California, though, has published a list of restaurants and sushi bars that are known to have been supplied with the implicated tuna.

Recalls and Alerts: May 2, 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.

United States

  • Food Safety Recall: Henry’s Farm, Inc. expands its April 27th recall of Soybean Sprouts to include Grown In Natural Spring Water Natto Soybean Sprouts (1-lb clear plastic packages; No lot or date codes), because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled sprouts were distributed to retail stores in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Liberté Brands Inc. recalls Liberté Plain Goat Yogurt 2.7% M.F. (500g; Lot #13AL12P5; Best before MA 23), due to drug residues. The recalled product was distributed in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Ontario.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Tulip Food Company recalls Steff-Houlberg Bavarian Sausages (435g/7 pcs; Best before 24/5-2012; Packaged 24/4-2012; Manufactured in Germany), because small black soft plastic pieces were found in some of the sausages. The recalled product was sold in a few Spar stores and in Rema 1000 and Kiwi stores throughout Denmark.
  • Food Safety Recall (UK): PepsiCo recalls Tropicana Kids Orange Juice Drink (4 x 200ml multipack; No batch or date codes), as they contain only water, rather than the orange juice blend. The water in these packs is of an unsatisfactory quality due to microbiological contamination.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Withdrawal (Finland): Active Nutrition International Oy withdraws WNT Super Mineral Tabs (60 tablets/bottle), because the mineral supplement contains nickel, vanadium and cobalt, none of which are approved in the EU for addition to food supplements or foods. The product is sold online in Finland.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Allergy Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Food Safety advises consumers who are allergic to milk protein not to eat Thin Pizza Mix With Rice Flour – Muji (150g; Best before November 1, 2012; Manufactured in Japan by Ryohin Keikaku Company Limited; Imported by Muji), because the product contains undeclared milk protein. Warning letters have been issued to importer and to the vendor where the sample was purchased.

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: May 1, 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.

United States

  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert Update: Smiling Hara (Asheville, NC) recalls all Smiling Hara products manufactured between January 11th and April 11th, 2012, including unpasteurized soybean tempeh (Best by 7/11/12 through 10/25/12; Manufactured between January 11th and April 11th, 2012), after samples of the tempeh collected by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services during a routine inspection tested positive for Salmonella. The state’s Division of Public Health will be conducting tests to determine whether the Salmonella found in the tempeh matches the outbreak strain of Salmonella Paratyphi B that has sickened at least 37 people so far. Outbreak cases appear to have been associated with residence or travel to Buncombe County, NC since February 28th. Blue Ridge Food Ventures, a shared-use food production facility where Smiling Hara manufactured and packaged its tempeh, has temporarily halted its normal production schedule and has initiated extensive environmental testing of its facility.
  • Pet Food Safety Recall: Diamond Pet Foods expands its earlier recalls once again to include Diamond Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bags (Production codes DPP0401B22XJW, DPP0401A21XAW, DPP0101C31XME and DPP0401B21XDJ; Best by dates 6-Apr-2013, 6-Apr-2013, 11-Jan-2013 and 7-Apr-2013, respectively), Diamond Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food, 20-lb bags (Production codes DPP0401B22XJW, DPP0101C31XME, and DPP0101C31XRB; Best by dates 6-Apr-2013, 11-Jan-2013, and 11-Jan-2013, respectively), Diamond Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food, 8-lb bags (Production code DPP0401B2XALW; Best by date 7-Apr-2013), and Diamond Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food, 6-oz samples (Production code DPP0401), because sampling revealed Salmonella in the product. The recalled dry dog food was manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods in Gaston, SC and was distributed in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The product may have been further distributed to additional states through pet food channels.
  • Pet Food Safety Recall: Kaytee Pet Products recalls Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat and Hamster feed (please see recall notice for product details) after a random sample test conducted by FDA had a positive Salmonella result. The recalled batch was originally manufactured on January 5 and 6, 2012. The product was distributed to retailers and distributors in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, and also was exported to countries around the world.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Florida’s Finest Seafood Company (Lauderhill, FL) that a February/March 2012 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility revealed 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 Vince & Sons Pasta Company (Bridgeview, IL) that a February/March 2012 inspection of the company’s processing facility found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns SEI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Miami, FL) that a September 2011 inspection of the company’s dietary supplement manufacturing facility revealed significant violations of FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations in Manufacturing, Packaging, Labeling, or Holding Operations for Dietary Supplements.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Oriental Packing Co. Inc. (Miami, FL) that a December 2011/January 2012 inspection of the company’s spice processing facility documented serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation for foods.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: True North Salmon Co. Ltd. recalls True North Salmon Co. Ltd Mussels (50-lb and 10-lb; Lot #12011; Best Before May 3, 2012), due to the presence of marine biotoxin. The recalled mussels were distributed to retailers and institutions in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Quebec.
  • Pet Food Safety Recall: Kaytee Pet Products recalls Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat and Hamster feed (Product of USA; please see recall notice for product details) after a random sample test conducted by FDA had a positive Salmonella result. The recalled batch was originally manufactured on January 5 and 6, 2012 and was exported to Canada.

Europe

  • Pet Food Safety Recall: Kaytee Pet Products recalls Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat and Hamster feed (Product of USA; please see recall notice for product details) after a random sample test conducted by FDA had a positive Salmonella result. The recalled batch was originally manufactured on January 5 and 6, 2012. The product was exported to the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, the United Kingdom, Greece, Ireland, Russia, and Sweden.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Pet Food Safety Recall: Kaytee Pet Products recalls Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat and Hamster feed (Product of USA; please see recall notice for product details) after a random sample test conducted by FDA had a positive Salmonella result. The recalled batch was originally manufactured on January 5 and 6, 2012. The product was exported to Abu Dhabi, Brunei, China, Guam, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, and Thailand.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Food Safety Recall (Australia): Hans Continental Smallgoods recalls Hans Cocktail Franks, unpackaged (use by 26 May 2012), due to the presence of blue plastic in the products. The recalled franks were sold from Woolworths delicatessens between 18 and 30 April, inclusive.
  • Pet Food Safety Recall: Kaytee Pet Products recalls Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat and Hamster feed (Product of USA; please see recall notice for product details) after a random sample test conducted by FDA had a positive Salmonella result. The recalled batch was originally manufactured on January 5 and 6, 2012. The product was exported to Australia and New Zealand.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Pet Food Safety Recall: Kaytee Pet Products recalls Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat and Hamster feed (Product of USA; please see recall notice for product details) after a random sample test conducted by FDA had a positive Salmonella result. The recalled batch was originally manufactured on January 5 and 6, 2012. The product was exported to Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Dutch Antilles, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and Trinidad.

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.