Author: Phyllis Entis

Recalls and Alerts: November 2, 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: Pure Italian, LLC, in conjunction with Bio Gaudiano, Italy, recalls Bio Gaudiano Organic Olives Stuffed with Almonds (all sizes of glass jars and cans; all production lots), because the product has the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. Two adults hospitalized in Finland were diagnosed with botulism after consuming almond stuffed olives produced by Bio Gaudiano lot# H2510X expiration 09/2012. One of the victims died. The recalled product was distributed to Massachusetts retailers, and some of the product (314 mL glass jar; Lot #E0511X; Expiry 05/2013) was sold at the SoWa farmers market in South End, MA.
  • Food Withdrawal: The manufacturer has withdrawn Food Club Graham Crumbs (15 oz; Lot #Nov 12 11), Food Club Low Fat Cinnamon Grahams (13 oz) and Food Club Low Fat Grahams (14 oz), because of product rancidity. The recalled products were sold at Food City and Top Food & Drug stores.
  • Food Safety Advisory (Hawaii): The Hawai’i State Department of Health Food and Drug Branch has ordered Wong Hon Hin, Inc. farm (Waianae) to destroy and dispose of approximately 800 pounds of fresh green onions after routine sampling detected the presence of Oxamyl, an unapproved pesticide. The farm has been ordered to cease all sale of suspect produce until follow-up testing confirms the absence of pesticide residue.
  • OTC Pharmaceutical Product Recall Update: Novartis Consumer Health, Inc. recalls certain Excedrin® products, as a result  of product mix-ups in these lots. The following list consolidates information posted on the Tops Friendly Markets, Food City, Price Chopper and Buehler’s Fresh Foods web sites: Excedrin Tablets ( UPC 30067203091; Size 100 1N), Excedrin Extra Strength Tablets (UPC 30067203077; Size 250 1N), Excedrin Aspirin Free Tension Cap (UPC 30067204591; Size 100 1N), Excedrin Migraine Caplet (UPC 30067203924; Size 24 1N), Excedrin Tension Headache Caplets (100ct; Lot #10087530; Exp 3/31/2013), Excedrin Extra Strength Tablets (100 ct; Lot #10091817; Exp 5/31/2013), Excedrin Extra Strength Caplets (24 ct), and Excedrin Floorstand ES Migraine with $1 IRC.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Mayrand Limitée (Montréal, QC) recalls Amande chocolate lait, because the product contains undeclared wheat.
  • Allergy Alert: Alimentation D.P. Plouffe inc/Metro (Farnham, QC) recalls Côtelette de porc à la diable, due to the presence of undeclared soy, and Salade de macaroni, due to the presence of undeclared egg and possibly sulfites.
  • Allergy Alert: Chocolat Belge Heyez Père & Fils Inc. recalls Heyez Chocolat Belge Noir Ébène (50g), due to the presence of undeclared milk.
  • Food Safety Recall: Sobeys Inc. recalls several ground beef products bearing a “Packaged On” date of Oc 31, 11, because the products may contain metal pieces. The recalled ground beef packages were sold only in the Sobeys store located at 961 Bedford Highway, Bedford, NS.
  • Food Safety Recall: Clear Bay Fisheries Inc. recalls Clear Bay Fisheries Manila Clams (Lot #10778; Harvest date October 26/11; Harvest Area 15-02), due to possible presence of a marine biotoxin.
  • Food Safety Recall: Groupe Alimentaire Miron recalls Minos Greek Liquid Honey (500g; Lot 100913; UPC 5 203985 124708 and 5 203985 120243) due to contamination with a drug residue.

Europe

  • Food Safety Alert (Sweden): Whitefish from Lake Vänern contain dioxins as four times the permitted limit, and cannot be sold to consumers under current law.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Defco A/S recalls several varieties of Sunday Spreads (70-100g; Package dates 10.10.11 and 11.10.11; Best before 04.11.11 and 05.11.11), because of leaking package seals.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): A/S Nordana recalls Patty shells without lids (Item No. 80050; Lot #L11011033; Best before 11-06-2012) due to mold growth in some packages.
  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (UK): GABA GmbH and its UK distributor, Colgate-Palmolive (UK) Ltd, recall Colgate Periogard 0.2% Oromucosal Solution – EL (11)A/26 (Chlorhexidine Digluconate; 300ml; Batch Nos. 9196CHG11B, 9197CHG11B, 9198CHG11B, 0103CHG12B, 0103CHG11B, 0104CHG11B, 0155CHG11B, 0158CHG11B, 0158CHG12B, 0250CHG11B, 1068CHG11B, 1069CHG11B, 1236CHG11B, and 1237CHG11B), because microbial contamination with Burkholderia sp. has been detected in some batches. All unexpired batches are being recalled as a precaution.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1546): Insect larvae in almonds from Germany; distributed to Denmark.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Advisory (Abu Dhabi): The Food Control Authority has confirmed that Bio Gaudiano olives from Italy (glass jars; Expiry September 2012) were not sold in Abu Dhabi.

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 1, 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: Windsor Quality Food Co. Ltd. (Los Angeles, CA) recalls Molly’s Kitchen Mini Chicken Pot Pie Empanadas (10-lb cases; Product code 953397; Best before August 30, 2012), because the product may contain pieces of plastic. The recalled empanadas were shipped to one foodservice distributor for further distribution nationwide.
  • Food Safety Alert: The Texas Department of State Health Services announces that all recreational and commercial oyster, clam and mussel harvesting in Texas coastal waters has been closed due to red tide.
  • OTC Pharmaceutical Product Recall: Novartis Consumer Health recalls a number of Excedrin products, due to product mix-up occurrences, according to notices posted by Giant and Food City supermarekts.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns B & F Fish Market, LLC (Parsons, TN) that a June 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 (CGMP) regulation for foods.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC (Moyle Springs, ID) that a June-July 2011 inspection of the company’s sprout growing facility subsequent to an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis revealed insanitary conditions and practices that may have contributed directly or indirectly to contamination of your sprouts with pathogens.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Snokist Growers (Yakima, WA) that a May/June 2011 inspection of the company’s food processing facility revealed serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation for foods.
  • Cosmetics Product Safety Recall: Purity Cosmetics (San Jose, CA) recalls 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Cocoa Plum Eye Shadow (Lot #1B11) after Pseudomonas luteola was found in a sample of the product. The recalled item was produced for Purity Cosmetics by Radical Cosmetics (New Brunswick, NJ) and was distributed to retail stores in California, Florida, New York, Indiana, Texas, Illinois, Oregon, Minnesota, Virginia, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Tennessee. Purity began shipping the product on or after March 7, 2011.
  • Outbreak Alert Update: The Missouri State Public Health Laboratory has confirmed 28 cases of E. coli O157:H7 in and around St. Louis County. Testing of an additional 7 specimens is still in progress. Schnucks removed certain items from its salad bars company-wide, including from Logli and Hilander stores in Rockford, IL after several outbreak patients mentioned the chain.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Alimentation Gauthier & Frères enr/IGA (Shawinigan, QC) recalls several ground beef, ground veal, and ground pork products (packaged 30 octobre 2011), because they may be contaminated with metal particles.
  • Food Safety Recall: Sea World Fisheries Ltd. recalls Live Manila Clams (25-lb; Lot #V4218: Harvest date Oct 26, 2011; Harvest area 15-2 Savary Island, BC (Wild); Process date Oct 26, 2011), due to the presence of marine biotoxin. The recalled clams were distributed to the hotel/restaurant/institutional market in Alberta and British Columbia.
  • Food Safety Recall: Les Aliments Aquafuchsia recalls Aquafuchsia Baby Onion Shoots (70g; Lot 279) and Aquafuchsia Alfalfa Sprouts (125g; Lot #285), due to microbiological spoilage.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Spar recalls tête pressée gantoise/Ghent head cheese? (UPC 5400210556307; Expiry date 14/11/2011), after Listeria is detected in a sample. The recalled product was sold in Spar stores, and in other stores supplied by Spar.
  • Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Carrefour recalls Lait entier Carrefour Discount/Carrefour Discount Whole Milk (1L carto; Lot #11678, 111724 and 111732; Best before dates 30/12/2011, 06/01/2012 and 07/01/2012), because milk may develop an altered taste or odor, due to a sporadic technical malfunction during manufacture.
  • Food Safety Recall (Netherlands): DEEN Supermarkets recalls DEEN Fuet Extra Dry Spanish Sausage (170g; Expiry 20/03/2012), due to potentially hazardous microbiological defects.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Danish Supermarket recalls ATCO almonds (200g; Expiry 31/7-2012; Product of Germany), due to larvae infestation.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1533): Salmonella spp. in paan leaves from Bangladesh; distributed to the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1536): Carbon monoxide treatment of chilled yellowfin tuna from Spain; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1539): Incorrect date code on chilled shredded duck kit from the United Kingdom; distributed to Gibraltar and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1541): Escherichia coli in green herbs from Vietnam; distributed to Norway.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1542): Salmonella spp. in fresh coriander from Vietnam; distributed to Denmark.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1543): Leucomalachite green in live trout from Austria; distributed to the Czech Republic.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Alert (Saudi Arabia): The Saudi Food and Drug Authority has prohibited the sale of Gaudiano Bio Olives after an alert was issued by the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed.

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.

Fresh Basil Suspected In Norway Shigella Outbreak

Fresh basil imported from Israel is the prime suspect in an outbreak of shigellosis, according to Norway’s Food Safety Authority (NFSA).

On October 10th, NFSA announced that several residents of Tromsø were suffering from shigellosis after becoming infected with Shigella sonnei – a microbe that usually is transmitted through contaminated water or food. As of today (November 1st), 46 outbreak cases have been confirmed – 42 in Tromsø and 4 in Østfold.

Most of the illnesses were reported in early October, with the last onset date having been recorded in mid-October.

Shigella outbreak onset dates

When interviewed, 36 of the outbreak patients reported having eaten pesto, and an additional three victims said that they had been served fresh basil – an ingredient in pesto. Patient interviews pointed to pesto made by a Tromsø catering company as a possible source of the infections.

Basil imported from Israel by Bama and supplied to the Tromsø company was used to make the pesto. Bama also supplied basil from the same batch to an Østfold restaurant where three of the four Østfold outbreak victims had eaten a few days before becoming ill.

Based on the epidemiological and tracing results, Bama has halted all sales of Israeli basil until further notice. Basil has a short shelf life, and the shipment that was implicated in this shigellosis outbreak is no longer in the marketplace.