Author: Phyllis Entis

Recalls and Alerts: September 29, 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: Andrew Williamson Fresh Produce recalls Limited Edition® and Fresh & Easy brands of organic grape tomatoes (10.5-oz plastic clam-shell container; Product of Mexico or 7-oz plastic clam-shell containers; Fresh & Easy) because the produce may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled produce was distributed to Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah, and to the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Ontario.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1313): Excessive sulphite in red wine from Italy; distributed to Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Ukraine and the USA.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Summer Star Trading Ltd. recalls Maple Smell brand Dried Sweet Potato (400g packages; Product of China; Lot code 4.01.0.3.2.00.4) because the product contains undeclared sulphites. The recalled product was sold in Ontario.
  • Allergy Alert Update: Solo Fruit Inc. expands its earlier recall of Solo Fruit brand Dark Chocolate Sorbet to include lot codes 1111116, 1111165, 1111040 and 1110346, because the product may contain undeclared milk. The recalled sorbet is known to have been sold in Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia; however, it may have been distributed nationally.
  • Food Safety Recall: Andrew Williamson Fresh Produce recalls Limited Edition® and Fresh & Easy brands of organic grape tomatoes (10.5-oz plastic clam-shell container; Product of Mexico or 7-oz plastic clam-shell containers; Fresh & Easy) because the produce may be contaminated withSalmonella. The recalled produce was distributed to Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah, and to the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Ontario.
  • Food Safety Recall Update: Les Cuisines Gaspésiennes de Matane Ltée (Matane, QC) expands its earlier recall of Compliments brand Sensations Old-Style Smoked Ham to include Lot code #230 9487 (Best Before: 2011NO13), because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products were distributed in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (UK): P & B (Foods) Ltd. recalls Heera Milk Powder (200g and 700g; all lot codes), because the product was repackaged in an unapproved premises.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1313): Excessive sulphite in red wine from Italy; distributed to Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Ukraine and the USA.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1314): Listeria monocytogenes in smoked salmon from Denmark; distributed to Italy.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2011.1315): Undeclared sulphite in cooked lobsters from Cuba; distributed to Italy.
  • Consumer Product Safety Notification (EU #2011.1317): Lead migration from ceramic mugs from China; distributed to Poland.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2011.1320): Undeclared wheat in natural breakfast bar from the Netherlands; distributed to Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

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: September 28, 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: Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. (Emporia, KS) recalls Kroger brand Ground Beef 73% Lean- 27% Fat (5-pound chubs; ID code D-0211 QW; Produced August 23, 2011; Best before or freeze by date Sep 12 2011), Butcher’s Brand Ground Beef 73% Lean – 27% Fat (3-pound chubs; ID code D-0211 LWIF; Produced August 23, 2011; Best before or freeze by date Sep 12 2011), and generic label Ground Beef 73% Lean – 27% Fat (3-pound chubs; ID code D-0211 LWI; Produced August 23, 2011; Best before or freeze by date Sep 12 2011), because the ground beef may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The recalled ground beef was implicated in a cluster of illnesses in an Ohio household. Left-over ground beef from the patients’ home tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. The 5-lb Kroger chubs were shipped to distribution centers in Indiana and Tennessee; the Butcher’s Brand 3-lb chubs were shipped to distribution centers in North Carolina and South Carolina; and the generic 3-lb chubs were shipped to distribution centers in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. USDA has released a retail distribution list for the recalled ground beef.
  • Pet Treat Recall: Delmonte Pet recalls Milk Bone Dog Biscuit, 10lb (Code #90967; Lot code 12071k), according to a notice posted by Ingles Supermarkets. No reason for the recall was given by the supermarket.
  • Consumer Product Safety Recall: LM Import & Export (Miami, FL) recalls toy cars, due to a violation of the lead paint standard. The products were manufactured in China and sold at Mega Wholesale stores throughout Miami, FL from September 2010 through January 2011.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Les Cuisines Gaspésiennes de Matane Ltée (Matane, QC) recalls Compliments brand Sensations Old-Style Smoked Ham (175g pkgs; Lot code 230 87; Best before 2011NO13), because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled smoked ham was distributed in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (France): HEMA recalls Natural Breakfast Organic Spice Bread (4 x 55g packages) because the product contains undeclared wheat.
  • Allergy Alert (Finland): Kuopio Salad Ltd. recalls several salads, because the spice mixture used in the salads contains undeclared mustard and celery.
  • Food Safety Recall (Belgium): La Vieille Abbaye recalls Pâte Rôti au Four (320g; Lot 673; Best before 09/11/11), after detecting Listeria monocytogenes in a sample. The recalled product was sold in Cora Hornu and Cora Rocourt stores.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Proprietary Medicine  Safety Recall (Hong Kong): Tachio Trading Company recalls Gan Mao Qing capsules (all batches) after the Department of Health finds a trace amount of paracetamol, a western drug, in a sample of the product.
  • Outbreak Alert (India): Authorities at IIT-Powai confirmed that 500-600 students were suffering from food poisoning. Six students remained in hospital as of Tuesday night.

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.

Listeria monocytogenes – A Deadly Enemy

CDC reports that the nation’s Listeria monocytogenes outbreak now comprises 72 confirmed outbreak patients in 18 states: California (1), Colorado (15), Florida (1), Illinois (1), Indiana (2), Kansas (5), Maryland (1), Missouri (1), Montana (1), Nebraska (6), New Mexico (10), North Dakota (1), Oklahoma (8), Texas (14), Virginia (1), West Virginia (1), Wisconsin (2), and Wyoming (1).

Thirteen people are confirmed dead, including 2 in Colorado, 1 in Kansas, 1 in Maryland, 1 in Missouri, 1 in Nebraska, 4 in New Mexico, 1 in Oklahoma, and 2 in Texas.

In addition, several state and local health agencies still have cases under investigation, according to CDC. New Mexico is awaiting confirmation of three suspect cases, including one death. I have been advised that Wyoming has two suspect cases under investigation, one of which was fatal. Texas still is continuing its investigation, but is not releasing any information on suspect cases at this time.

Arizona and Hawaii each had one case of listeriosis, but neither state’s illness was at all related to the cantaloupe outbreak. No suspect cases have been identified in Alaska, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, or Oregon.

CDC reports that among persons for whom information is available, illnesses began on or after July 31, 2011. Ages range from 35 to 96 years, with a median age of 78 years old.  Most ill persons are over 60 years old or have health conditions that weaken the immune system. Fifty-eight percent of ill persons are female. Among the 67 ill persons with available information on whether they were hospitalized, 66 (99%) were hospitalized.

Listeria monocytogenes is a recognized killer of the most susceptible populations – the very young, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems.

Canadians learned this lesson three years ago. By the time Canada’s 2008 Listeria monocytogenes outbreak was identified and contained, 56 people in seven Canadian provinces were infected and 20 of them were dead. Most of the victims were elderly or suffering from a pre-existing illness; many were residents of nursing homes or hospital patients. Seventy-five percent of the confirmed cases and of the fatalities were recorded in the province of Ontario. The outbreak was traced to contaminated ready-to-eat deli meats produced by Canada’s largest meat company, Maple Leaf Farms (once known as Canada Packers). All of the contaminated meat was produced in a single Ontario-based Maple Leaf Farms facility.

At the same time that Canadians were focused on the contaminated deli meat, a second fatal Listeria monocytogenes outbreak was playing out in the province of Québec – Ontario’s next-door neighbor. This outbreak, which sickened at least 30 people, was responsible for one stillbirth and one adult death. The Québec outbreak was traced to contaminated cheese.

The cantaloupe outbreak is following a similar pattern to the Canadian outbreaks and to other deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks listed earlier today by Bill Marler. Illnesses are skewed toward the elderly; most outbreak victims require hospital treatment. And the death rate is high – 18% in the current outbreak.

FDA advises that the contaminated cantaloupes that are responsible for this outbreak were distributed to 25 states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. It is possible that redistribution has spread their reach even further.

FDA warns that because some wholesalers and distributors may have distributed the cantaloupes to food processors (e.g., Carol’s Cuts), additional recalls may ensue. I am continuing to monitor recall notices and to update the cantaloupe retail distribution list whenever any new information is released.