Author: Phyllis Entis

Recalls and Alerts: November 9, 2011

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: Schreiber Processing Corporation (Maspeth, NY) recalls Meal Mart Broiled Chicken Liver Made for Further Thermal Processing (2 x 5-lb bags/box; Est. P-787) and Chicken Liver Broiled (10-lb boxes, loose-packed; Est. P-787), because the chicken liver products have been linked to a cluster of salmonellosis illnesses in New York and New Jersey. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg was recovered from samples of broiled chicken livers, and from chopped chicken livers produced at retail from these livers. The outbreak strain is different from the strain of Salmonella Heidelberg that was associated with a multi-state outbreak of salmonellosis linked to ground turkey meat earlier this year. The recalled broiled chicken liver products were distributed to retail stores and institutional users in Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
  • Food Safety Recall Update: USDA posts retail distribution list for beef jerky products recalled by Whittington’s Jerky, Inc. (Johnson City, TX) due to possible Salmonella contamination.
  • Food Safety Recall: Golden Glen Creamery (Bow, WA) recalls Raw Cheddar (sold between September 22 and November 5, 2011; Code 864) after a routine sample of the cheese, collected and analyzed by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), was found to be positive for Listeria monocytogenes. The company has ceased production and distribution of the product while FDA, WSDA and the company continue an investigation into the source of the contamination.
  • Food Safety Recall: India Imports & Exports, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA) recalls Roopal Swad candy (7-oz/200g clear plastic package; Imported from India) after tests conducted by the California Department of Public Health found unacceptably high levels of lead in the candy.
  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert: Importers of frozen oyster products from Korea expand their recall after additional the products were linked to norovirus cases in Washington state. The recall includes: ASSI Brand frozen oysters packed in bags and in boxes, and Shirakiku frozen breaded oysters packed in boxes. Please refer to the FDA Consumer Alert for a detailed list of exporters, distributors, importers, and affected lot numbers. Direct importation of the frozen oyster products was limited to distributors in California, New Jersey and Maryland, but the products have been shipped to additional states, including Alaska.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Tropical Impex recalls Amul Shrikhand Mango, Elaichi, Kesar and Badam Pista (500g; all pkgs), due to the presence of undeclared milk.
  • Allergy Alert: Corwin Distribution Limited, Horizon Distributors, Puresource Inc. and Nationwide Natural Foods recall Bumble Bar Organic Energy Bar – Cherry Chocolate (40g; all codes; UPC 7 60590 05023 5), due to the presence of undeclared milk. Some Bumble Bars were supplied by Corwin to Whole Foods Market stores in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Ontario.
  • Food Safety Recall: Sawmill Bay Shellfish Company Ltd. (Heriot Bay, BC) recalls Aquacultured Gallo Mussels (10-lb bags; Lot #SB174; Processed by Walcan Seafood Ltd.; Harvested November 3, 2011 from Area BC13, sub area 13), because the mussels may contain paralytic shellfish toxins. The recalled mussels were distributed in British Columbia primarily to institutional clients, including restaurants, and were sold as Sawmill Bay Mussels at the Daily Catch (1418 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC) between November 4th and 6th.
  • Food Safety Recall: Maison Isabelle inc. (Trois-Rivières, QC) recalls Biscuits à l’avoine et raisins/Oatmeal-raisin cookies (770g pkg; All expiry dates up to and including November 22, 2011), because the product may contain metal particles. The recalled cookes were sold in a number of Super C stores in Québec.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert: Panzani recalls Panzani brand Gnocchi à Poêler/Gnocchi for frying (300g; Lot #2381; Best before 22/04/12), because the product contains undeclared cheese, due to a packaging error.
  • Food Safety Recall (Finland and Sweden): Semper Oy Ab recalls Småfolk Apple Raspberry Oat Stix (Best before 06/30/2012) and Fruity Banana Stix (Best before 06/10/2012) because the products contain unacceptable levels of mycotoxins.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Fredsted The A/S recalls Organic teas (Lot #001-16; Expiry date 30-06-2013), due to the presence of clomazone (pesticide) residues in the product.
  • Consumer Product Safety Recall (Germany): International Food Corporation Germany GmbH recalls Disney Advent Calendar (Best by 09/13/2013), due to possible microbial contamination. The recalled product was sold exclusively through Penny stores in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia.
  • Food Safety Recall (Italy): Pensabene & Chiasson (Palermo, Italy) recalls Caponata di melanzane “Donna Rosa”/Donna Rosa Eggplant Caponata (200g; Lots R106 and N193), due to lack of approval of the establishment by the State.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1585): Listeria monocytogenes in chilled smoked salmon from Poland; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1586): Campylobacter in fresh baby corn from Thailand via the Netherlands; distributed to Denmark.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1587): Salmonella spp. in paan leaves from Bangladesh; distributed to the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1589): Salmonella enteritidis in frozen breaded raw chicken fillets from Germany; distributed to Finland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1590): Histamine in chilled tuna fillets from Spain; distributed to Italy.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2011.1591): Undeclared sulphite in apple cider from Belgium; distributed to Luxembourg.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1597): Mercury in angler fish from France; distributed to Italy.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2011.1598): Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in dried sugar beet pellets from Germany; distributed to Germany and Spain.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1599): Mercury in chilled swordfish from France; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1600): Aflatoxins in nutmeg powder from India; distributed to Romania.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1601): Unauthorized operator for dumplings from Italy; distributed to Italy and Poland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1602): Salmonella in frozen poultry meat from Poland, via France; distributed to Luxembourg.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1603): High Escherichia coli count in fresh mussels from the Netherlands; distributed to France, Lithuania, Poland and Switzerland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1604): Aflatoxins in cashew nut kernels from Brazil, via Germany; distributed to Norway.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1605): Benzo(a)pyrene in smoked prawns from Vietnam; distributed to the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1606): Escherichia coli in mussels from Spain; distributed to Italy.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Dietary Supplement Safety Alert (Hong Kong): The Department of Health reminds the public not to buy or consume slimming products of unknown or doubtful composition as they may contain undeclared drug ingredients that are dangerous to health, after receiving notification of two cases involving women with a history of consuming slimming products.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Food Safety Recall (Australia): Lay Brothers Pty Ltd. recalls Good Luck Dried Seaweed Stripe (150g net wt plastic bag; Imported from China; Best before 07 09 2013), because of high levels of naturally occurring iodine in the product.

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: November 8, 2011

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: Whittington’s Jerky, Inc. (Johnson City, TX) recalls Whittington’s Original Beef Jerky (2-oz & 4-oz pkgs; Est 21257; Produced Oct 31, 2011) after routine USDA testing revealed Salmonella in a sample. The recalled Jerky was distributed to convenience stores in West Texas and also sold at the company’s retail operation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Frank Harter & Sons (Cincinnati, OH) that a July/July 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Alabama Sunshine, Inc. (Fayette, AL) that a July 2011 inspection of the company’s facility revealed significant deviations from the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and from regulations relating to the processing of acidified foods, causing the companies acidified products to be adulterated and in violation of the Act, in that they were prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have been rendered injurious to health.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Onorato & Company, Inc. (South San Francisco, CA) that an August 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation, Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 123, and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Fremont Farms L.C. (Oskaloosa, IA) that a June 2011 inspection of the company’s shell egg production facility revealed serious violations of the Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in Shell Eggs During Production, Storage, and Transportation regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Bacalao Brothers, Inc. dba New England Fish Market (Jensen Beach, FL) that a July 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation, Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 123, and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
  • Outbreak Alert Update: The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reports 30 confirmed E. coli O157:H7 cases connected to the St. Louis area outbreak. None of the 55 food samples tested so far have yielded E. coli. The source of the outbreak remains unknown.
  • Outbreak Alert Update: The North Carolina Division of Public Health reports twelve confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 connected to the North Carolina State Fair outbreak; 16 cases remain under investigation. The 28 cases were reported from the following counties: Wake (13), Sampson (6), Cleveland (1), Durham (2), Johnston (1), Lenoir (1), Orange (2) and Wilson (2).

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Grant Chocolatier recalls Grant Chocolatier Dark Chocolate Hallowe’en Figures (variable weight; no codes) due to the presence of undeclared milk.
  • Allergy Alert: Salle Châtelaine (Saint-Hyacinthe, QC) recalls Lasagna and Spaghetti Sauce (all lots), due to the presence of undeclared soy (both products) and wheat (spaghetti sauce only).
  • Food Safety Recall: Cie 2 Ameriks Inc. recalls Gogo Quinoa Multigrains Crunchy Muesli (300g; Code L130546; UPC 8 96899 00017 3), due to the presence of insect fragments.

Europe

  • Food Withdrawal (Finland): Unilever withdraws Viennatta Choco Nut ice cream cake (350g/650ml; Best before 01.056.2013; Batch code L1166CU020 and L1166DC020), because the products are missing Finnish and Swedish labels.
  • Outbreak Alert Update (Denmark): An outbreak of 40 illnesses was traced to imported datterino tomatoes contaminated with Salmonella Strathcona, a serotype that was not previously detected in Denmark. The tomatoes were imported from southern Italy and sold primarily by the Rema 1000 supermarket chain. The source of the outbreak was determined by patient interviews and a review of electronic purchase records from the supermarket chain.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Outbreak Alert (Hong Kong ex. Thailand): The Centre for Health Protection is investigating a food poisoning outbreak involving 19 members of a tour group who visited Phuket, Thailand from November 1 to 5. One of the 19 people was hospitalized after returning to Hong Kong.
  • Outbreak Alert (Taiwan ex. Thailand): The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control has confirmed shigellosis in three travelers returning from Thailand. All three became ill after consuming raw fish during their stay in Thailand.

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.

Lab Error Triggers Product Recall

There’s a third-party contract lab located somewhere in Canada that needs to review its Good Laboratory Practices and lab sanitation protocols.

On October 5, 2011, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), in conjunction with Foodfest International 2000 Inc., warned the Ontario public that Strubs ready-to-eat Danish Style Smoked Grav-Lox Atlantic Salmon (Lot code 09262011) should not be consumed.

The Grav-Lox, according to CFIA, might be contaminated with Salmonella. Foodfest International 2000 Inc. (the distributor) recalled the offending product.

That was one month ago.

Today, CFIA rescinded its Health Hazard Alert, and advised the public that the Strubs Grav-Lox did NOT present a health risk from Salmonella.

Why the reversal? Because, according to CFIA, the lab responsible for reporting the initial Salmonella-positive result found that “...the Salmonella positive result was in fact a false positive, attributed to laboratory cross contamination.”

Now, I’ve worked in – and managed – several microbiology labs in my professional life. And I’m here to tell you that the LAST thing that should happen in a professionally run lab – whether government, in-house company, or third-party lab – is laboratory cross contamination.

Aseptic technique and assiduous attention to proper lab sanitation procedures are fundamental to the production of dependable lab results. So is the routine use of positive control and negative control sample analysis.

The company for whom the third-party lab did its analyses should have three questions for the lab’s management:

  • How did the lab cross-contamination happen?
  • Why did it take a full month for the cross-contamination to be discovered?
  • How will the lab change its procedures to ensure that the same thing doesn’t happen again?

I don’t know who hired the third-party lab; it could have been either Strubs or Foodfest (CFIA maintains its own labs). But, if I was the one who hired that hapless excuse for a professional lab, I’d be looking for a replacement, ASAP.