Author: Phyllis Entis

Recalls and Alerts: August 12, 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: Miss Bonnie’s Gourmet LLC recalls Miss Bonnie’s Gourmet Classic Cheddar Cheese Spread (8 oz glass jars; Best by December 23, 2011; Batch code 0116206G113; distributed between 8/1/11 and 8/10/11), because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled product was distributed to Kroger Stores in Roanoke, Virginia; Cincinnati, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky; and Memphis, Tennessee.
  • Food Recall: T. Marzetti recalls Cardini’s Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing (12 oz; Best by 041312K & 061512K), Girard’s Light Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette, and White Balsamic Vinaigrette (12 oz; Best by 050612K to 060512K) and Marzetti Italian Blue Cheese Vinaigrette, Light Raspberry Cabernet Vinaigrette, Strawberry Chardonnay Vinaigrette, and White Balsamic Vinaigrette (12 oz; Best by 012012K to 030912K), due to premature spoilage as a result of yeast growth.
  • Food Safety Alert/Recall: Washington State Department of Health warns the public that Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) biotoxin has been detected in shellfish from the Sequim Bay area. Sequim Bay has been closed to commercial and recreational shellfish harvesting, and the public is urged not to eat shellfish from that area until further notice. All commercially sold products from the area dating back to August 1st have been recalled and accounted for. DSP biotoxin is heat-stable and cannot be destroyed by cooking the shellfish.
  • Outbreak Alert: The Bellevue Patch reports that county health inspectors closed the Marinepolis Sushi Land in downtown Bellevue after two separate cases of Salmonella were linked back to the restaurant.
  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert Update: Fresh strawberries from Jaquith Strawberry Farm in Newberg, Oregon have been identified as the source of an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 that has expanded to at least 15 people. Seven of the outbreak victims were hospitalized and one elderly woman in Washington County died from kidney failure. Please follow this live link to the list of locations known to have sold strawberries from Jaquith Strawberry Farm. If you purchased strawberries from one of these locations during the indicated dates and have any left over (perhaps in your freezer), please destroy them.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (Belgium): La société Générale de Conserve recalls Saint Eloi brand Légumes pour couscous (800g can; Best before 30/11/2013 and 30/11/2014; Lot codes beginning with R2H and N2H), due to the presence of undeclared celery. The recalled product was sold in Intermarché and Ecomarché stores.
  • Outbreak Alert Update (UK): The Salmonella Enteritidis Phage Type 14b outbreak linked to consumption of eggs imported from Spain has grown to 221 confirmed cases, mostly from North West England (104), the West Midlands (36) and the East Midlands (26). The implicated eggs all were produced from a single shed on one Spanish poultry farm. The farm has culled the flock of hens, cleaned the shed and heat-treated the remaining eggs to destroy Salmonella.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1091): Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in parsley stipes from Egypt; distributed to Germany.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1092): Listeria monocytogenes in salami from Italy; distributed to Germany.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2011.1093): Undeclared gluten in seeds mixture packaged in Italy; distributed to Gibraltar and the United Kingdom.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2011.1094): Undeclared peanut in vanilla ice cream from Poland; distributed to the Czech Republic.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2011.1095): Salmonella Mbandaka in soybean meal from Italy; distributed to Austria.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1096): Benzo(a)pyrene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sesame (peeled) from Nigeria; distributed to Austria, Germany and Spain.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1097): E. coli in mussels from Italy; distributed to the Czech Republic; Italy, Slovakia and Slovenia.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1098): Pseudomonas aeruginosa in still spring water from Poland; distributed to Poland.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (Hong Kong): GlaxoSmithKline Ltd. recalls Coldrex+C Tablet 20’s (Batch No. XPN161R), because the Chinese-language dosing instructions contain an error.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Allergy Alert (Australia): Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd. recalls Coles Bakery Fresh Sticky Date Cookies (4-pak; Best before 11 AUG 11 to 16 AUG 11, inclusive), due to the presence of undeclared peanuts. The recalled product was sold at a single Coles Supermarket in Rosebud, VIC.
  • Health Alert (Australia): The Victoria Department of Health warns the public that some Ayurvedic medicines imported from India have been found to contain high levels of lead. The department has received notifications of three cases of elevated blood lead levels in the past 18 months in patients who use traditional Ayurvedic medicines from India.

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.

Recalls and Alerts: August 11, 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

  • Allergy Alert: Mama LaRosa Foods, Inc. (Taylor, MI) recalls Mama LaRosa, SOFO, Derby, and Flavor Peak Italian Style Dough Balls for use as pizza dough or bread sticks and SOFO Supreme 1 Italian Style Dough Balls for use as pizza dough or bread sticks, because the products contain undeclared wheat and milk. Please navigate via the live link to view the list of affected lot numbers. The recalled products were distributed in Michigan, Indiana, Louisiana, Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
  • Allergy Alert: Unilever United States, Inc. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ) recalls Popsicle® brand Sugar Free Orange, Cherry and Grape flavored ice pops (24-count; Date codes OCT0312GCD, OCT0412GCD, OCT0512GCD, OCT0612GCD and OCT0712GCD), due to the presence of undeclared milk. Due to an error, the boxes contain Popsicle® brand Sugar Free Healthy Bunch® Fudgsicle® and Creamsicle® ice pops. The recalled products were distributed in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert: McNees Meats and Wholesale LLC (North Branch, MI) recalls McNees Ground Beef Bulk (36 – 10 lb. bags; Est 33971; Produced July 15 and July 21, 2011) because the product may be contaminated with E. coli O157:NM. The recalled products which were sold to restaurants in Armada, Lapeer and North Branch, MI and also from McNees retail store, have been linked to nine confirmed and probable cases of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli illnesses in Lapeer, Genesse, Isabella and Sanilac counties in Michigan. Six of the nine victims were hospitalized.
  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert: Island Sea Farms Inc. (Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada) recalls raw mussels packed in 40 lb cases containing 8 x 5 lb. bags (Saltspring Island Mussels Aquacultured Edulis Mussels – 5 lbs. All lots including Lot #289), because the mussels have been linked to cases of Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning in Canada. The mussels were distributed in California, Hawaii and Washington states.
  • Food Safety Recall: Specialty Commodities, Inc. (Fargo, ND) recalls Organic Spinach Flakes (10Kg net; Product of China; Lot #SF11001 and #37582), because the product is contaminated with Salmonella.
  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert Update: USDA issues updated retail distribution list for ground turkey recalled by Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation due to contamination with antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Heidelberg. The recalled meat has been linked to a 31-state outbreak of illness that has affected 107 people and killed one.
  • Outbreak Alert: Patrons of the Olive Garden restaurant at 234 North McPherson Church Road who visited the restaurant on or before August 8, 2011 may have been exposed to a restaurant employee who was diagnosed with a hepatitis A viral infection. The Cumberland County Public Health Department has administered approximately 1,450 doses of Hepatitis A immunizations since Tuesday (August 9th), and is continuing to offer the immunization to restaurant patrons. Please refer to the County’s News Release for details on who is eligible for the immunization.
  • Outbreak Alert: The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a cluster of five acute hepatitis A virus infections in Northern Lincoln County. Two cases have been confirmed. The index case reported recent international travel; the other four individuals had close contact with the first patient.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Taibah Group Inc. recalls Simba Mbili Virani Curry Powder, 100g (Sell by 31 Oct 2012; Batch 19 11), due to the presence of undeclared gluten.
  • Allergy Alert: Dorgel Ltd. recalls Farm Boy Mango Sorbet, 700 mL (Lot 1611, BB 12-06-10), due to the presence of undeclared milk.
  • Food Safety Recall: Thrifty Foods recalls several Sterling Silver brand ground beef products (Best Before August 11, 2011), because they may contain small pieces of metal and plastic. The recalled ground beef products were sold only at Thrifty Foods, Store #8-Colwood, 1860 Island Highway, Victoria, BC.
  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert: The Public Health Agency of Canada and Canadian Food Inspection Agency are investigating a multi-provincial outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses. The illnesses have been linked to consumption of White Valley brand Grain Fed Veal Liver products, which were distributed in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. White Veal Meat Packers Ltd. (Est. 412) has recalled the implicated products.
  • Outbreak Alert Update: Raw mussels from Salt Spring Island, contaminated with Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning biotoxin, have sickened 50 people.

Europe

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Alert (Saudi Arabia): The Saudi Food & Drug Authority warns the public that laboratory analysis of potable drinking water samples from Athiba Water Limited Company Factory and Manahil Al Qassim Health Water Factory revealed excessive levels of Bromate in the water samples.
  • Food Recall (Israel): Coca-Cola Israel recalls Diet Kinley Mandarin flavored beverages (1.5-liter bottles), because the beverages contain undeclared Phenylalanine.
  • Chinese Medicine Safety Alert (Hong Kong): The Department of Health (DH) today (August 10) urges members of the public not to buy or use three proprietary Chinese medicines (pCms) named [LuShenPai] Specific Hou Ton Qing (HTQ) (registration no.: HKP-01694; batch no.:100601), [Chung Lien] Bi Yan Pian (BYP) (registration no.: HKP-00241; batch no.:48911004), and [AA] Pe Min Kan Wan (PMKW) (registration no.: HKP-13005; batch no.: 1495), as DH’s drug surveillance programme found them to contain excessive amount of heavy metals.
  • Outbreak Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Health Protection is investigating a cluster of 14 food poisoning illnesses. The victims had lunch during a private party at a private clubhouse in Tsim Sha Tsui.

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.

E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak in Canada

White Veal Meat Packers Ltd. (Est. 412), Toronto, ON is recalling White Valley brand Grain Fed Veal Liver products, sold in boxes weighing approximately 5 kg or approximately 25 kg (Lot 110601, sold in BC, Ontario and Quebec; Lot 110603, sold in BC only; and Lot 110601, sold in Quebec as “White Valley brand Beef Liver”), due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7.

The recalled veal liver has been linked to a multi-province outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses, according to the notice posted this evening by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The CFIA notice adds the following “information”:

There have been reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

This is an ongoing food safety investigation. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is investigating a multi-provincial outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses in collaboration with provincial health authorities as well as federal health partners including the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada.

How many illnesses? We’re not told.

Which provinces have reported illnesses? We’re not told.

Which stores carried the product? We’re not told – except that the item described as White Valley brand Beef Liver was sold at only one store – Boucherie Al-Khair, 300 Jean-Talon East, Montreal, QC.

Compared to Canada, the USA is a model of transparency.