Category: allergy

Recalls and Alerts: September 15, 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: Hannaford Bros Co. alerts its customers to the recall of cantaloupes by DFI Marketing due to possible Salmonella contamination. The cantaloupes in question were sold between September 5-13, 2012; if stickered, the label on the item will read PLU 4050. Customers are requested to dispose of the cantaloupe and return the sticker to the store for a full refund.
  • Food Safety Alert (California): The California Department of Public Health is advising consumers not to eat recreationally harvested mussels and clams, commercially or recreationally caught anchovy and sardines, or the internal organs of commercially or recreationally caught crab and lobster taken from the northern Channel Islands located offshore of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Dangerous levels of the nerve toxin domoic acid have been detected in some of these species and may be present in the other species not yet tested. Domoic acid is a naturally occurring toxin that can cause illness or death in humans.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Tout Prêt Express inc. (Mascouche, QC) recalls all Tarte aux bleuets à l’ancienne maison (850g), Tarte aux quatre fruits – garniture maison (500g), Tarte aux pommes – garniture maison (850g) and Tartes aux framboises – garniture maison (500g)/Homestyle blueberry pie, four-fruit pie, apple pie and raspberry pie, due to the presence of undeclared egg.
  • Allergy Alert: Parthenon Food Importers Ltd. recalls Kydon brand Tahini (Product of Greece; 500ml container; UPC 6 90651 77450 6; Best before 16-10-2013), due to the presence of undeclared peanuts. The recalled product was distributed in British Columbia.

Europe

  • Food Safety Alert (Czech Republic): BBC reports that the Czech government has banned the sale of all spirits containing more than 20% alcohol after a spate of methanol poisoning that has claimed 19 lives. The poisonings were blamed on bootleg vodka and rum tainted with the deadly alcohol compound. About 30 people are being treated in hospital for methanol poisoning. Norway has donated an antidote called fomepizole to aid the Czech victims.

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 14, 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: Zatarains alerts consumers that New Orleans Style Chicken Flavored Rice Mix (UPC 7142909705; Best by dates Apr 23 14 H, Jun 10 14 H, Jul 30 14 H and Aug 31 14 H) may contain undeclared wheat. Schnucks Markets, Inc. invites customers of Schnucks, Logli and Hilander to return the product to their nearest store for a refund or exchange. Tops invites its customers to do the same.
  • Food Safety Recall: The University Creamery at Penn State recalls all ice cream and frozen yogurt made between May 16, 2012 and August 11, 2012 (Best if used by date on or between Feb 10, 2013 and Aug. 11, 2013) because of isolated incidents involving reports of small plastic foreign objects in the product. The recalled ice cream was made and sold from the Berkey Creamery on the University Park campus of Penn State and also was available for purchase on the internet from the Creamery’s website. University police have begun a criminal investigation into the rreports.
  • Food Safety Recall: Meca Foods recalls La Tia Tamales brand Home Style Tamales – Green Pork, Home Style Tamales – Red Pork and Home Style Tamales – Chicken (All items were produced between April 2011 and September 2012 and bear Est. 699 inside the Illinois mark of inspection), because the product was manufactured in a facility that is not state-inspected. The establishment number on the products does not belong to the firm. The recalled products were sold to brokers and restaurants in Chicago.
  • Food Safety Recall: Serenade Foods, Inc. (Milford, IN) recalls Milford Valley Farms Crunchy Chicken Strips (7.5-lb cases containing 30-oz cartons; Est P-2375; UPC 0-73981-32286-7; Use by Jan 17, 2014), after two consumers reported finding plastic fragments in the product. The recalled product was packaged on Jan 17, 2012 and shipped to a distributor in Lakeland, Florida for further distribution.
  • Food Safety Recall: Cut Fruit Express, Inc. (Inver Grove Heights, MN) recalls packaged fruit products containing cantaloupes (Distributed through September 5, 2012), since they contain cantaloupe recalled by DFI Marketing Inc. due to potential contamination with Salmonella. The recalled fruit products were sold in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
  • Food Safety Recall: US Foods alerts its customer to the recall of cantaloupes by DFI Marketing (Fresno, CA), due to possible Salmonella contamination. The recall has triggered recalls from other distributors and further processors, including Castellini Brothers, Club Chef, Cut Fruit Express and McEntire Product, and will likely expand further.
  • Food Safety Recall: Kroger alerts its customers to the recall of cantaloupes by DFI Marketing due to possible Salmonella contamination. The recalled cantaloupes were sold in Kroger stores located in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Knoxville, Tennessee, Greater Cincinnati, including Northern Kentucky, Dayton, OH and South Eastern Indiana, Indiana (except SW IN, -Evansville-), Illinois, Eastern Missouri, Greater Memphis, TN, Arkansas, Mississippi and Western Kentucky, Texas and Louisiana; Jay C, Dillons, Baker’s, Gerbes, Fry’s, Food4Less, FoodsCo and Smith’s.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Valley Flax Flour recalls Valley Flax Flour Wheat Free Pancake Mix (500g; Codes PC12145, PC12199 and PC12202; UPC 52203 00051 2), due to the presence of undeclared gluten. The recalled product was sold in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

Europe

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 13, 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: DFI Marketing Inc. (Fresno, CA) recalls DFI brand Cantaloupe (6, 9, 12, 15 or 18 cantaloupes per carton; 826 CALIFORNIA WESTSIDE stamped on carton; Packed August 26, 2012), after Salmonella is found on a single sample during routine USDA testing at a wholesale produce distribution center. The recalled cantaloupes may have been distributed from August 27 to September 10, 2012 primarily to retail customers in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Mexico. It is likely that the majority of the product is no longer in commerce.
  • Food Safety Recall: Whole Foods Market recalls Ricotta Salata supplied by Forever Cheese Inc. (Long Island City, NY), because the cheese has been implicated in 14 cases of listeriosis and may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled Ricotta Salata Frescolina brand cheese was cut into wedges, packaged in clear plastic wrap and sold with a Whole Foods Market scale label using PLU 293427. All “sell by” dates through Oct. 2 are affected. The cheese was sold in Whole Foods Market stores in the following states: Alabama (1 store), Arizona (2 stores), California (2 stores), Colorado(2 stores), Florida (5 stores), Georgia (4 stores), Kansas (1 store), Kentucky (1 store), Maryland (6 stores), North Carolina (7 stores), New Jersey (2 stores), New Mexico (2 stores), New York (2 stores), Ohio (2 stores), Oregon (6 stores), Pennsylvania (5 stores), South Carolina (1 store), Tennessee (3 stores), Utah (1 store), Virginia (6 stores), Washington (6 stores), and Washington, D.C. (3 stores).
  • Food Safety Recall: Harris Teeter recalls Fresh Salmon Jalapeno & Cheddar Cakes (UPC 0020945800000), because the product contains onions that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled product was sold in the following seven Harris Teeter stores: Store #21, Cameron Village, Raleigh, NC, Store #253, Pender Campus, Fairfax, VA, Store #282, Jenkins Row, Washington, DC, Store #341, High Point Mall, High Point, NC, Store #83, Pentagon Town Center, Arlington, VA, Store #238, Stone Ridge, Aldie, VA, and Store #378, Colonial Avenue, Norfolk, VA.
  • Food Safety Enforcement Action: The Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Inspection Program has halted custom exempt processing operations at Braunschweig Meat Processing, due to a violation related to the operation’s potable water supply.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Distribution Horizon Nature Inc. recalls Valpiform Pain Soleil (400g; Code 12167; Expiry date 28/12/2012) and Valpiform Pain de Mie (350g; Code 12194; Expiry date 10/01/2013), due to the presence of undeclared peanuts. The recalled product was sold in Quebec.

Europe

  • Dietary Supplement Safety Recall (Finland): Force Sports Nutrition Ky recalls Man Fuel, 100% Natural Herbal Supplement (Made in China; All best before dates) because the product contains dimethylsildenafil, a derivative of the active pharmaceutical agent present in Viagra.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1311): Listeria monocytogenes in vanilla ice cream from Italy; distributed to Switzerland.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2012.1313): Salmonella typhimurium in rapeseed meal from Belgium; distributed to Spain.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1314): Paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in tinned clams from Portugal; distributed to Spain.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Outbreak Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Health Protection is investigating an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis caused by norovirus at a seniors home in North District that involves 15 residents and 5 staff members. Four of the outbreak victims were hospitalized.
  • Outbreak Alert Update (Sierra Leone): As of September 11th, Sierra Leone has reported over 17,500 cases of cholera, and more than 260 deaths. Twelve of the country’s 13 districts are affected, according to a Travel Health Notice from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Food Safety Recall: DFI Marketing Inc. (Fresno, CA) recalls DFI brand Cantaloupe (6, 9, 12, 15 or 18 cantaloupes per carton; 826 CALIFORNIA WESTSIDE stamped on carton; Packed August 26, 2012), after Salmonella is found on a single sample during routine USDA testing at a wholesale produce distribution center. The recalled cantaloupes may have been distributed from August 27 to September 10, 2012 primarily to retail customers in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Mexico. It is likely that the majority of the product is no longer in commerce.

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.