Author: Phyllis Entis

Recalls and Alerts: April 18, 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: M.E. Thompson, Inc. expands its earlier recall (dated January 24, 2012) to include all of the following sub sandwiches, which may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes: Turkey & Ham Footlong (UPC 0543200194; Expiration dates from January 19th through May 2nd, 2012; Lot numbers 00112 through 10412), Italian Footlong (UPC 0543200196; Expiration dates from January 19th through May 2nd, 2012; Lot numbers 00112 through 10412) and Classic Cuban (UPC 0543200156; Expiration dates from January 19th through May 2nd, 2012; Lot numbers 00112 through 10412). The recalled sub  sandwiches were distributed on January 2nd through April 13th to convenience and grocery stores nationwide under the labels Anytime Deli, Sandwich Central and Dandee.
  • FDA Enforcement Action: U.S. Marshals, acting at the request of FDA, have seized Other-Sonic Generic Ultrasound Transmission Gel located at Pharmaceutical Innovations Inc. (Newark, NJ), after an FDA analysis found that product samples contained Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella oxytoca. The seizure included all lots of the gel product manufactured between June 2011 and December 2011. The FDA investigation was prompted by a report involving 16 surgical patients infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Coop Denmark recalls Cherry Tomatoes on the vine (Product of Italy; 500g nt. wt.;Lot 15D), after the pesticide procymidone was detected in the tomatoes at levels above the permitted limit.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Danish Supermarket recalls Budget Chocolate Mousse (Product of Belgium; 2-pack of 2 x 70g cups; Expiry date 23 April 2012), due to mold growth in the cups.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Allergy Alert (New Zealand): Moa Brewing Company recalls Weka Apple Cider  and Weka Pear Cider (330ml bottles in a 4-pack; Best before 28/12/12 and 02/04/13), due to the presence of undeclared sulphites. The recalled ciders were sold in major supermarkets and selected liquor stores throughout New Zealand.
  • Food Safety Recall (Australia): a2 Dairy Products Australia Pty Ltd. recalls a2 Full Cream Milk (1-L and 2-L plastic bottles; Use by 01 May SG1) due to the presence of foreign matter (synthetic fibre). The recalled products were sold in Woolworths (VIC), Coles (NSW and VIC) and IGA (NSW).

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: April 17, 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

  • Allergy Alert: Nestlé Prepared Foods Company (Gaffney, SC) recalls Stouffer’s Lasagna Italiano frozen entrées (19 1/8-oz (542g) cartons; Best before JAN 2014; Est 7991; Package code 1349595513R” or “1349595513S) and Stouffers DS STFD Peppers (Shipping cases containing 12 cartons that may be labeled with Stouffer’s Lasagna Italiano; Est 7991; Package code 1349595513R” or “1349595513S), because the cartons may contain stuffed peppers instead. The stuffed peppers contain Worcestershire sauce made with anchovies, which are not declared on the lasagna labels. The recalled products were manufactured on Dec. 15, 2011 and shipped to retail establishments east of the Mississippi River.
  • Pet Food Safety Recall: Kaytee (a Central Garden & Pet brand) recalls Kaytee exact® Hand Feeding Formula Baby Birds, and Kaytee exact® Hand Feeding Formula Baby Macaw, due to high levels of vitamin D. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of affected package sizes, lot codes and best before date codes.
  • Outbreak Alert Update (Oregon): Oregon Health Authority has recovered E. coli O157 from samples taken from Foundation Farm’s cows, manure and surfaces, as well as from raw milk obtained from a customer of the dairy farm. Raw milk from Foundation Farm is blamed for five cases of E. coli O157 infection, all in children. Four of the children are in hospital; three of them are confirmed to be suffering from hemolytic uremic syndrome, and the fourth is awaiting lab confirmation of a diagnosis. In all, thirteen people have reported diarrhea, but those cases have not been lab-confirmed.
  • Outbreak Alert Update (Raw Tuna): CDC reports that a total of 141 persons infected with Salmonella Bareilly have been confirmed from 20 states and the District of Columbia. Twenty-one people have been hospitalized. Epidemiological investigation has determined that a frozen raw yellowfin tuna product, known as Nakaochi Scrape, from Moon Marine USA Corporation is the likely source of the outbreak. Onset dates in this outbreak range from January 28th to April 1st, 2012.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Société Fromagere de Bouvron (Bouvron, France) that a December 2011 inspection of the company’s cheese processing facility revealed  serious violation of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation for foods.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Panaderia El Angel (Arlington, WA) that a November/December 2011 inspection of the company’s Hispanic bakery operation documented serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation in manufacturing, packing, or holding human food.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns K-Brand Farms (Woodridge, NY) that a November/December 2011 inspection of the company’s shell egg production facility found serious violations of the Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) in Shell Eggs During Production, Storage, and Transportation regulation (the shell egg regulation).
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Theta Brothers Sports Nutrition, Inc., dba Protein Factory (Lakewood, NJ) that an October/November 2011 inspection of the company’s dietary supplement manufacturing facility revealed a failure to comply with the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations for dietary supplements.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Concept Asia Food Service, LLC (Seattle, WA) that a January 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 River Ranch Fresh Foods, LLC (Salinas, CA) that environmental and finished product sampling during an October 2011 inspection of the company’s fresh produce processing facility yielded Listeria monocytogenes. In addition the investigators documented violations of FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Custom Seafood Services Inc. (Seattle, WA) that a February 2012 inspection inspection of the company’s manufacturing 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 Chung’s and Son Company (Temple Hills, MD) that a December 2011 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.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Benfield Inc. recalls Black Soy Beverage (2L; All Best before dates up to and including June 6, 2012; UPC 6 27843 16402 9), due to the presence of undeclared soy and sesame seeds. The recalled products were distributed in Ontario.
  • Food Safety Recall: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to consume North 44 Smoked Salmon mcewan’s own (various weights; vacuum-packaged; Best before 04/20/12) and Kristapson’s Smoked Salmon (various weights; vacuum-packaged; Best before 04/20/12 and 06/11/12), because the products may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. The recalled products were sold only at McEwan Gourmet Grocery Store located at 38 Karl Fraser Road, North York, Ontario.

Europe

  • Veterinary Product Safety Recall (France): L’Agence nationale du médicament vétérinaire (National Agency for Veterinary Medicines) recalls AB7 INDUSTRIES VETERINAIRES / ADAM / FRANCODEX SANTE ANIMALE / LABORATOIRES BIOVE / SOPARLIC / VETO-CENTRE / VIRBAC / BAYER SANTE / LABORATOIRES OMEGA PHARMA FRANCE / BEAPHAR anti-flea/anti-tick collars for companion animals, due to potential risk of chronic cutaneous exposure to the antiparasitic active agents, especially on the part of children, which has been documented for some of these collars. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of affected products.

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: April 16, 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: Dole Fresh Vegetables recalls DOLE® Seven Lettuces Salad (UPC 71430 01057; Product codes 0577N089112A and 0577N089112B; Use by date April 11, 2012) after New York State detected Salmonella in a random sample of the salad. The recalled product was sold in Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin, including in Price Chopper and the Kroger family of supermarkets (specifically, Kroger stores located in Greater Cincinnati, including Northern Kentucky, Dayton, OH and South Eastern Indiana, Central and Northwest Ohio and N. West Virginia panhandle, Indiana (except SW IN, -Evansville-), Illinois, Eastern Missouri, Michigan, Greater Louisville (including Indiana), Lexington, and Nashville, TN; Jay C, Dillons, Baker’s, Gerbes, Food4Less and FoodsCo stores).
  • Pet Food Safety Update: Diamond Pet Foods has suspended delivery of all products made at its Gaston, SC facility, according to WMBF News. The announcement came one week after the company recalled Diamond Natural Lamb Meal and Rice dry dog food due to possible Salmonella contamination.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Danish Supermarket recalls Sara Lee Pizzakit, includes pizza dough and tomato sauce (600g; Best before 10th May 2012), due to contamination with small plastic pieces.
  • Food Safety Alert (Italy): The Regione Autonoma Valle d’Aosta alerts consumers that Reblochon cheese was recalled in France by the producer, after Brucella was found in cattle in the region where the cheese was produced. While the recalled Reblochon cheese was not exported, travelers to France may have purchased the cheese and brought it back with them to Italy. This cheese should be discarded.
  • Food Safety Recall (Italy): DICO Italia Spa recalls Ultra-High Temperature part-skim milk produced by DE BY 723 EG Molkerei Gropper Gmbh (Expiry date 15.04.2012), because the milk may be implicated in a foodborne illness.
  • Food Safety Recalls (Germany): Several producers/distributors of shell eggs have recalled their eggs due to exposure to dioxin-like PCBs. In some cases, the levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs exceeded the allowable maximum levels.
  • Outbreak Alert (Russia): Outbreaks of gastroenteritis have been reported in children attending two kindergartens in Kaliningrad. In the last week, 209 residents of the city developed acute intestinal infections; more than half of the victims were children less than 14 years old.
  • Outbreak Alert (Ireland): Three hospital patients contracted Listeria infections while in hospital. The Listeria infection contributed to the death of one of the three patients – described by the hospital’s Director of Nursing as a “frail, elderly patient who had other illnesses.”
  • Outbreak Alert (UK): Fifty guests at a diamond wedding celebration in Wolverhampton at the end of March became infected with Norovirus. Investigations found that the virus did not originate either with the venue or with its caterers.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0536): Unauthorized formic acid in chilled white sour cabbage in salty brine from Poland; distributed to the Czech Republic.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2012.0537): Salmonella spp. in cotton seeds from Mozambique; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0538): Insect infestation in cheese burger from Germany; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0539): Parasitic infestation with Anisakis of chilled hake from Croatia; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0540): Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in organic “bio” eggs from Germany; distributed to Germany.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0541): Brucella in raw cow milk cheese from France; distributed to France.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Alert (China): The State Food and Drug Administration has suspended the sale of 13 drugs that may have been made with capsules that contain industrial gelatin instead of edible gelatin. Industrial gelatin contains a higher concentration of chromium than edible gelatin.
  • Food Safety News (China): China’s State Food and Drug Administration will conduct a food safety review of primary and secondary schools and kindergartens across China to screen for safety hazards. The initiative was prompted by a recent string of food poisoning incidents in schools, including three outbreaks in Yunnan province schools since March.
  • Food Safety News (Abu Dhabi): The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority logged a total of 472 food safety complaints in the first quarter of 2012. This is an increase of 153% over the same period last year.
  • Outbreak Alert (India): At least one man is dead and ten other people developed symptoms of food poisoning over the past three days in the Thousand Lights area of Chennai. One eatery and a guest house have been closed down, according to the Times of India.
  • Outbreak Alert (Zambia): The Times of Zambia reports 15 new cases of typhoid in the Kabwe District, making a total of 174 cases in the current outbreak.
  • Outbreak Alert (Ghana): The cholera death toll in Accra has risen to 19 people; 1,200 cases have been recorded in Ghana’s capital city. New cases of cholera also have been reported in the Eastern Region of the country.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Burmese Medicines Safety Alert (Australia): The Therapeutics Goods Administration and the governments of Queensland and of New South Wales warn consumers not to purchase or use Burmese traditional powders, often used for digestion and strength in babies. Samples of these powders, recently purchased in Sydney, have been found to contain dangerously high levels of arsenic.
  • Outbreak Alert (Australia): At least 36 out of more than 200 workers on a gas production platform have fallen victim to an outbreak of Salmonella gastroenteritis in the past two weeks. Workers are calling for their barge to be returned to port for decontamination. The outbreak is believed to have originated from the consumption of improperly prepared meat, according to a report in The Age.

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.