Author: Phyllis Entis

Recalls and Alerts: April 12, 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: Kathy Kaye Foods, LLC recalls Classic Caramel Cob Junior (2.5-oz cello pkgs; Best by December 23, 2011; UPC 896324001041), due to the presence of undeclared peanut. The recalled products were sold between June and December 2011 primarily through Christmas Tree Shops in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia, and through Gem State Distributors in Utah and Idaho.
  • Allergy Alert: Mediterra S.A. (Chios, Greece) recalls Mastihashop brand Pie with Chios Mastiha (80g; LOT #09120202; Best before 12/30/2012), Honey Pie with Almonds (80g; LOT #27111107; Best before 06/30/2012), Halva Pie with Chios Mastiha and Peanuts (80g; LOT #85111104; Best before 06/25/2012), Figs Stuffed with Almonds (360g; LOT #16111115; Best before 04/30/2012), Greek Garlic Spread with Chios Mastiha (180g; LOT #03110916; Best before 09/30/2012), Handmade Trahana Pasta with Mastiha (340g; LOT #03101125; Best before 04/30/2012), Smoked Eggplant Spread with Chios Mastiha (180g; LOT #3111020; Best before 04/30/2013), and Spicy Garlic Spread with Chios Mastiha (180g; LOT #01110916; Best before 09/30/2012), due to the presence of one or more undeclared allergens, including egg, wheat and almonds. Please see the recall notice for additional details.
  • Allergy Alert: John B. Sanfilippo and Son, Inc. recalls Fisher Vanilla Bean Almonds (10-oz pkg; UPC 07069002390; Best by 09/20/13 GH1 and 09/28/13 GH1) and Fisher Cocoa Mocha Almonds (10-oz pkg; UPC 07069002389; Best by 09/28/13 GH1), due to the presence of undeclared soy. The recalled product was sold in Wisconsin.
  • Allergy Alert: The Kroger Company recalls Kroger Taco Dinner Kit (12-count, 9.75 oz) due to the presence of undeclared milk. The recalled product was sold in 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.
  • Food Safety Recall: Town and Country Foods Inc. (Greene, ME) recalls Town & Country Foods XL Hamburg Patties (5- and 10- lb. boxes of 2-, 2.6-, 3-, and 4- oz.), Town & Country Foods Hamburg Patties (5- and 10- lb. boxes of 2-, 2.6-, 3-, and 4- oz.), Town & Country Beef for Stewing (10- lb. box containing variously weighted bags), Town & Country Beef Sirloin Filets (6-, 8-, and 10- oz. ), Town and Country Hamburg (5- and 10- lb. boxes containing variously weighted bags) and Town and Country XL Hamburg (5- and 10- lb. boxes containing variously weighted bags), because the beef products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. Cases bear the establishment number EST. 9710, and the products are labeled with the packaging codes 10952, 10962, 10972, 11002, and 11012. Recalled products were produced between April 4th and April 10th, 2012 and shipped to wholesale and retail establishments in Maine.
  • Food Safety Recall: Heineken USA (White Plains, NY) recalls Carta Blanca Bottled Mexican Beer (12-oz brown bottles in 6-packs and 12-packs), Dos Equis Ambar Bottled Mexican Beer (12-oz brown bottles in 6-ppacks and 12-packs), Best of Mexico variety pack (12-pack variety package containing Dos Equis Ambar brown bottle and Indio 12-oz bottles; sold only in Texas) and Beers of Mexico variety packs (12-pack and 24-pack variety packages containing Dos Equis Ambar 12-oz brown bottles), because these beers may contain small grains or particles of glass. Please check the Production Code Listing for a list of affected lot codes.
  • FDA Enforcement Action: FDA enters into consent decree with Yamaya USA, Inc. (Torrance, CA) and its president, preventing the company from manufacturing or distributing fish or fish products until it has corrected conditions in its seafood processing facility alleged to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.
  • Outbreak Alert Update: The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has confirmed two more illnesses in an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that may be linked to consumption of raw milk. Illnesses have been reported in Boone (3), Cooper (2), Howard (1) and Camden (1) counties. Two victims – a 2-year old and a 1-month old – are hospitalized after developing symptoms of hemolytic uremic syndrome, according to Food Safety News.

Canada

  • Outbreak Alert: Residents of British Columbia who, within the past 14 days, have consumed Pomeberry Blend frozen berries manufactured by Western Family may be eligible to receive a dose of hepatitis A vaccine. The BC Centre for Disease Control, regional health authorities and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have been investigating five cases of hepatitis A in people who consumed Pomeberry Blend frozen fruit. The implicated fruit, which was recalled on April 5, 2012, was distributed to Save-On-Food, Price Smart and affiliated Overwaitea stores.

Europe

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.

Excedrin & Interceptor – Back By Mid-Year?

Novartis has restarted manufacturing some products at its Lincoln, Nebraska facility. But the popular Excedrin OTC meds, and veterinary products such as Interceptor, are not yet in production.

According to a recent article in the Lincoln Journal Star, production of Opana tablets and morphine sulfate extended released has resumed. Novartis manufactures these, and other, prescription medicines under contract for Endo Pharmaceuticals.

As devotees of Excedrin and Interceptor (a veterinary medication used to prevent heartworm in dogs and cats) know, waiting for these products to return to market has been an exercise in patience.

And trying to find out when Novartis might resume production of these meds is an exercise in frustration.

On January 8, 2012 Novartis Consumer Health, Inc. recalled all lots of Excedrin, NoDoz, and other OTC products manufactured at its Lincoln, Nebraska production facility, and announced that it was suspending operations at the facility in order to “accelerate maintenance and other improvements” at the Lincoln operation. The shutdown affected the availability of a number of other human and animal meds that were produced in Lincoln, including the popular Interceptor heartworm preventative.

The recall and plant shutdown coincided with a scathing inspection report released by FDA in January. The report detailed numerous significant quality control problems at the Lincoln plant – many of them repeat observations first noted during earlier inspections.

Novartis has been close-mouthed about its timeframe for restarting production in Lincoln. According to a Novartis news release, the company told shareholders during its February 23rd Annual General Meeting that it was assuming a “…mid-year start of shipments out of the Lincoln plant.” But, two sentences later, the news release alluded to the possibility of a delayed start-up of Lincoln.

The only other clue to the start-up timeline comes from a March 16th letter to veterinarians, reported by the VIN News Service. In that letter, Novartis is reported to have acknowledged “a backorder situation” resulting from the Lincoln shutdown, affecting the popular veterinary products Interceptor Flavor Tabs and Sentinal Flavor Tabs. According to the VIN report, veterinarians were told that exact timelines for product availability remained uncertain. “We hope,” the Novartis letter is quoted as saying, “to be able to give you a definitive date for a restart within the next few weeks.”

On March 22nd, I sent a request for information by email to the Novartis recall email address, asking for any available information regarding the status of the Lincoln facility. On April 10th, I received a reply from Novartis Consumer Health spokesperson, Millicent Brooks. “In response to your inquiry,” she wrote, “we are working hard to resume production at our Lincoln facility and return OTC and Animal Health products, including Excedrin and Interceptor, to consumers as soon as possible.”

Some Excedrin users have reported purchasing the product on eBay. I would strongly advise against this option. There is no way of knowing whether the product being offered is authentic, or whether it has been stored under proper conditions.

Novartis will be releasing its next quarterly report to shareholders on April 24th. Let’s hope that the report will include an update on the Lincoln status, and that the news will be good.

Recalls and Alerts: April 11, 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: Seng Ong Wholesale, Inc. (St. Paul, MN) recalls Pacific Isles Hasa Hasa Dried Mackerel (48-oz cardboard cases; Lot #3298 and 0760; Product of the Philippines) and Pacific Isles Galunggong Dried Round Scad (48-oz cardboard cases; Lot #3228 and 3168; Product of the Philippines), because the fish was improperly eviscerated, and is at increased risk of contamination with spores of Clostridium botulinum. The Mackerel was sold in Minnesota; the Galunggong was sold in Minnesota and South Dakota.
  • Food Safety Recall: Import Foods Wholesale Inc. (St. Paul, MN) recalls Smoked Croaker (10-lb cardboard box; Code 298/11; Product of Guyana), Smoked Barracuda (10-lb cardboard box; Code 0282/011; Product of Guyana), Smoked Big Eye (10-lb cardboard box; Code 287L10; Product of Guyana), and Smoked Red Snapper (10-lb cardboard box; Code 298-11; Product of Guyana), because the fish was improperly eviscerated, and is at increased risk of contamination with spores of Clostridium botulinum. The recalled products were sold to retail stores in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa.

Europe

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.