Author: Phyllis Entis

Recalls and Alerts: March 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.

United States

  • Food Safety Recall: R&R Importers (Montclair, CA) and Shah Distributors, Inc. (Gardena, CA) recall Chef’s Pride Rewadi Candy (7-oz semi-round clear plastic container; Imported from Pakistan) and Shah’s Deer brand Revdi Sesame Candy and Revdi (Gud) Sesame Candy (14-oz clear plastic bags; Imported from India), because the candies contain lead in excess of permitted levels.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Au Petit Bedon inc. (Québec, QC) recalls Boeuf en conserve and Boeuf aux légumes (packed in glass Mason jars; sold on or before March 1, 2012), because these perishable products may not have been held continuously at refrigeration temperatures following their purchase. The product labels lack the direction “Garder réfrigéré” (Keep refrigerated).

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (UK): Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc recalls Morrisons Carvery Cooked Ham (250g; Use by 13.3.12), because the product contains undeclared mustard.
  • Food Safety Withdrawal (Denmark): Summerbird A/S withdraws various Summerbird chocolate Easter eggs, including gift box collections and individual Easter eggs (approx. 30g net wt; All dates), because of a high concentration of yeast in the marzipan used in the filling of the eggs.
  • Food Alert (Belgium): La société Lorre NV advises consumers that Pignons de pin Marque Bingonuts (200g and 1kg bags; Product of China; Lot 5590; Best before 15/07/2012) contains traces of the Armandii type of pine nuts, which can produce a bitter aftertaste in some people.
  • Cosmetic Product Safety Recall (France): French authorities have ordered the recall of Rio Keratin “Grape Extract” Brazilian Keratin Treatment, Step 2 (118 ml and 946 ml plastic bottles; Lot #2549031), because the product contains excessive formaldehyde.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2012.0323): Salmonella spp. and excessive Enterobacteriaceae in fish meal from Germany; distributed to Belgium.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0324): Dead insects in dried figs from Turkey, via Slovakia; distributed to the Czech Republic.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0325): Salmonella spp. in frozen mechanically separated chicken meat from Poland; distributed to Lithuania.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0327): Mercury in mako shark defrosted from Spain; distributed to Italy.
  • Pet Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0328): Salmonella in dog chews from Brazil; distributed to Germany.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0329): Metal fragments (threads) in hazelnuts from Azerbaijan, via Germany and via Poland; distributed to Germany.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0330): Imazalil in fresh pears from the Netherlands; distributed to Germany, the Netherlands and Poland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0331): Carbendazim in pumpkin from France; distributed to the Netherlands.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Outbreak Alert (India): More than 150 attendees at a wedding feast in Taufapur village fell ill after partaking in the feast. Food samples have been submitted for testing by health authorities.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Outbreak Alert Update (New Zealand): At least 31 cases of hepatitis A have been confirmed in the Auckland region, according to an online report by The New Zealand Herald. Students at as many as nine Auckland schools have been infected. The youngest victim is a 1-year-old baby; the oldest is 19. The Auckland Regional Public Health Service is investigating.

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.

Profiling Clostridium perfringens

Clostridium perfringens food poisoning usually is a consequence of poor temperature control.

Some history

Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) was first recognized as a cause of food poisoning in 1945.

What is C. perfringens, and where is its natural habitat?

C. perfringens is a spore-forming bacterium that is only able to grow in the absence of molecular oxygen (anaerobic conditions). The spores are able to withstand normal cooking temperatures. Spores of C. perfringens are found in soil, dust, and the intestines of animals and humans.

How is C. perfringens transmitted? What is the incubation period of the infection?

C. perfringens food poisoning results when an individual eats food in which the microbe has germinated and grown to elevated numbers (at least 500,000 per gram of food). The bacteria produce spores – and an enterotoxin – once they are in the small intestine. The incubation period for symptoms to develop is 6 to 24 hours; most victims develop symptoms 10 to 12 hours after eating a contaminated meal.

What is C. perfringens food poisoning?

C. perfringens food poisoning symptoms are the result of the enterotoxin that is produced when the bacteria sporulates in the small intestine.

What are the symptoms of C. perfringens food poisoning?

Symptoms include profuse, watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps and nausea, usually lasting for 12 to 24 hours, but occasionally lasting as long as 48 hours.

What is the prognosis of C. perfringens food poisoning?

The disease is self-limiting; however, symptoms can be more severe and longer lasting in the elderly or in debilitated patients. Rarely, the symptoms can prove fatal to the elderly, the debilitated or the very young.

What foods carry Clostridium perfringens?

C. perfringens is most often associated with meat dishes that are cooked in advance, cooled too slowly, and then reheated inadequately and held at a temperature that promotes bacterial growth. Under these circumstances, spores that are present in the raw meat and that survive the original cooking, are able to germinate and grow while the meat cools and while it is reheated and held.

How can people protect themselves from Clostridium perfringens food poisoning?

  • Always cool cooked food promptly in the refrigerator or freezer. Do not let food stand at room temperature for extended periods of time.
  • When thawing a frozen dish, do so in the refrigerator – not at room temperature.
  • When reheating a cooked dish, bring the temperature of the food to at least 165ºF (74ºC) before serving.
  • Always pay attention to recall notices, and return any recalled item to the store, or discard it in a sealed bag.

For more information on Clostridium perfringens and other food-borne pathogens, visit the CDC website or read Food Safety: Old Habits, New Perspectives.

Recalls and Alerts: March 3, 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: Jelly Belly Candy Co. (Fairfield, CA) recalls Peter Rabbit Deluxe Easter Mix “Gluten Free” candies (2.7 oz bags; UPC 071567992794; Lot codes 111111, 111215, and 120120; Best before January 11, 2013, February 15, 2013 and March 20, 2013 respectively), because gluten is present in the collection of candies. The recalled products were distributed nationwide, including in California.
  • Animal Feed Safety Recall: Western Feed, LLC recalls Payback Kountry Buffet 14% Feed (50-lb bags; Lot #M718430 and M720280; Distributed December 2, 2011 through December 15, 2011), because the feed may contain monensin sodium (Rumensin) at a level that is potentially harmful to horses. Monensin sodium is approved for use in some livestock and poultry species, but can be fatal to horses if fed a sufficiently high levels. The recalled feed was distributed to retailers in Nebraska and Wyoming. The company has received a report of some horses that died as a result of consuming the feed.
  • Food Safety Recall: Pasou Foods (Syracuse, IN) recalls Pizza Stix frozen, fully cooked, ready-to-eat pizza stick products (boxes of 100 sticks; Produced Feb 2nd and Feb 29th, 2012), because a meat ingredient used in the pizza sticks may have been produced without the benefit of federal inspection. The recalled pizza stick products were sold to a food distributor for further distribution to a caterer and other institutions in Indiana.
  • Food Recall/Withdrawal: Food City advises its customers about the recall of several varieties of Food Club Tomato Juice, Food Club Vegetable Juice, and Full Circle Organic Vegetable Juice, sold in 46 oz and 64 oz plastic bottles.
  • Food Recall: Lowes Foods recalls Lowes Foods Tomato Juice (46-oz; UPC 74164303058) and Full Circle Vegetable Juice (46-oz; UPC 3680014611), because the product does not meet quality standards.
  • Outbreak Alert (Hawaii): The Hawaii Department of Health reports a flare-up of norovirus outbreaks on Maui. Victims include residents of small elderly care homes, as well as preschool and early elementary school-aged children. The number of cases and outbreaks is roughly double the numbers seen last year.
  • Outbreak Alert (Ohio): The Columbus Public Health Department is investigating more than 300 cases of norovirus reported in central Ohio, according to a report on 10TV.
  • Outbreak Alert (New York): Onondaga County’s health department is investigating what is suspected to be a norovirus outbreak among 15-20 people who patronized the Twin Trees Too restaurant (1029 Milton Ave., Syracuse) last weekend. None of the victims were hospitalized.
  • Pet Treat Recall Debunked: On February 27, 2012, The Daily Puppy carried a recall notice for Jerky Treats Beef Flavor Dog Snacks, sold at Costco in the USA and Canada, purported to have been updated by FDA on 1/12/2012. According to Laura Alvey, a spokeswoman for FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, FDA has no information on this recall. The treats are manufactured by Del Monte Pet Products, which responded to eFoodAlert’s inquiry with the following statement: “There is no recall for any Del Monte products.“

Canada

  • Outbreak Alert (British Columbia): The Vancouver Island Health Authority alerts the public to active outbreaks of suspected or confirmed norovirus illnesses at five healthcare facilities in Victoria and Saanichton. Affected facilities include Beacon Hill Villa, Mount Edwards Court, Sunrise of Victoria and Saanich Peninsula Hospital (Acute Care unit and Extended Care Unit 2 unit). The Extended Care Unit at Saanich Peninsula Hospital has been closed for admissions.
  • Outbreak Alerts (Ontario): Toronto Public Health reports increased Salmonella activity in Toronto this year, with 114 cases report since the beginning of 2012. Included in the case count are: a large catered event on February 11th that resulted in a cluster of Salmonella typhimurium illnesses among attendees; an outbreak of Salmonella heidelberg across the Greater Toronto Area that is under investigation by Public Health Ontario; and an increase in Salmonella enteritidis associated with recent travel to Cuba.

Europe

  • Food Safety Alert (Denmark): Denmark’s Food Administration warns that it has received a report that several Polish retailers have been selling salt not intended for human consumption. The Food & Drug Administration is monitoring the situation closely.
  • Outbreak Alert (Russia): Authorities are investigating an outbreak of acute intestinal infection among 19 students (aged 10 to 14 years) of the Choreographic College in the Krasnoyarsk region.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Outbreak Alert (Pakistan): Eight staff nurses and 47 student nurses have been hospitalized with acute food poisoning at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital (Rawalpindi) after eating food at the nursing hostel.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Outbreak Alert (Mexico): At least 45 cases of acute diarrhea were reported in the community of Providence, Naples (Guanajuato). The outbreak is thought to be due to contamination of drinking water with sewage.

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.