Category: Campylobacter

Recalls and Alerts: February 1, 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: How Sweet It Is Fudge and Candy Company Inc. (East Lansing, MI) recalls Peanut Butter Buckeye and Peanut Butter Smoothie (7″x7″x2″ box; All date codes 01/23/2012 and earlier), due to the presence of undeclared milk. The recalled products were distributed to wholesale distributors, service stations and convenience stores in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana, Virginia and New York from December 1, 2011 to January 23, 2012.
  • Allergy Alert: President Global Corp (Buena Park, CA) recalls Bin-Bin Snow Rice Crackers (5.3 oz/150g; All codes) and Bin-Bin Rice Crackers (15.8 oz/450g; All codes), due to the presence of undeclared egg. The recalled products were distributed to grocery stores nationwide between January 1, 2011 and January 31, 2012.
  • Food Safety Recall: Michael Foods, Inc. recalls Hard-Cooked Eggs Packed in Brine (10-lb and 25-lb pails for institutional use; Lot codes 1 LOT 1350W through 1 LOT 2025W (only codes immediately preceded by “1” and ending in “W” are affected); Expiration dates from 1/30/2012 to 3/10/2012), because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled eggs were produced at Michael’s Wakefield, Nebraska facility and purchased by food distributors and manufacturers in 34 states – AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI, and WV – and are sold under the brand names Columbia Valley Farms, GFS, Glenview Farms, Papetti’s, Silverbrook, and Wholesome Farms. None of the eggs were sold directly to consumers or retailers; however, some of the eggs may have been used in products that were sold to retailers or used in food service settings.
  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: Pfizer Inc. recalls 14 lots each of  Lo/Ovral®-28 (norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol) Tablets and Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets (generic) after the company determined that some packs may contain an inexact count of inert or active ingredient tablets and that the tablets may be out of sequence. Please refer to the recall notice and to Pfizer’s Statement for additional information, including a list of the affected production lots.
  • Food Recall/Withdrawal: Food City reports the recall/withdrawal of Borden Applewood Bacon Cheddar Singles Sensations Cheese Slices (8 oz). No additional details are given.
  • Food Withdrawal: Kraft Foods withdraws Tassimo Gevalia Cappuccino Espresso T Disc (14.72 oz; UPC 4300001322), due to “relatively rare” consumer reports of hot liquid or coffee grounds spraying from the brewers when these T Discs are used.
  • Outbreak Alert Update: CDC issues its Final Investigation Update into an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium linked to ground beef from Hannaford Supermarkets. In all, 20 illnesses were confirmed in seven states.
  • Outbreak Alert Update: The Patriot-News reports that the Campylobacter outbreak believed to be linked to consumption of raw milk from The Family Cow dairy has grow to 20 people, including 16 from Pennsylvania and 4 from neighboring Maryland.
  • Outbreak Alert: The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has received and investigated 16 reports of gastroenteritis outbreaks since the end of December 2011. One of those was confirmed to be due to Norovirus Genotype II.
  • Outbreak Alert: The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has received multiple reports of norovirus outbreaks from several local health departments across the state during January.
  • Outbreak Alert: The Lake County (Illinois) Health Department has logged nine outbreaks of norovirus illness since the beginning of 2012. Eight of the outbreaks were in long-term care facilities, and one was in a day-care facility, according to the Chicago Tribune.
  • Outbreak Alert: St. Ignatius College Preparatory School (San Francisco, CA) was closed for cleaning after 50 students called in sick with an outbreak of “stomach flu” last week.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Canada Six Fortune Enterprise Co. Ltd. recalls Bin Bin brand Snow Rice Crackers (150g; UPC 8 852098 700124), due to the presence of undeclared egg. The product was distributed in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba, and may have been distributed nationally.
  • Food Safety Recall: Phoenicia Group (St-Laurent, QC) recalls Alkanater brand Tahina (454g; UPC 6 92551 00002 0; Exp. 5/7/2013 (May 7, 2013)), because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled product was distributed nationally.
  • Pet Food Safety Recall: Tri-V Pet Foods Ltd. (Chilliwack, BC) recalls Lean Cuts Dog Food (24/400g; Production code T22L1; Costco Item #21246), because of swelling of the can lids and a concern in the production process. The affected cans of pet food were sold between December 30, 2011 and January 29, 2012 at British Columbia Costco locations in Richmond, Abbotsford, Nanaimo, Courtney, Kelowna, Prince George and Kamloops.
  • Outbreak Alert: A third patient at the Greater Niagara General Hospital has died after contracting Clostridium difficile while undergoing treatment in the hospital. The victim had multiple health issues, and also tested positive for hospital-associated C. difficile.

Europe

Australia and New Zealand

  • Outbreak Alert (Australia): The Flying Fox Park in Winnererremy Bay (NSW) has been closed for a third time in six months, because a child was diagnosed with a Salmonella Java infection after playing in the park. New South Wales Health has recovered Salmonella Java in two out of eight samples taken from the playground’s bark soft fall material in the climbing net area.

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: January 31, 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: Gemini Food Corporation (City of Industry, CA) and Tong Enterprises (Hayward, CA) recall Bin-Bin Snow Rice Crackers (5.3 oz/150; all codes) and Bin-Bin Rice Crackers (15.8oz/450g; all codes) due to the presence of undeclared eggs. The recalled product was distributed nationwide.
  • Pediatric Medical Food Safety Recall: Vitaflo USA recalls Renastart (14.11-oz/400g cans; Batch No. 12832), because some of the product shipped throughout the USA from December 29, 2011 through January 26, 2012 has been incorrectly labeled. Renostart is a powdered medical food used in the dietary management of pediatric renal disease, for patients one year and older in the United States. The company urges all patients (or their caregivers) “…who have consumed any Renastart from this batch should contact their health care professional immediately to determine next steps, including nutritional management alternatives.”
  • Food Safety Recall: The Kroger Company recalls Deli Country Potato Salad, RW and Bakers Country Potato Salad, 5-lb because the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled potato salads were sold in Dillons, Baker’s, Gerbes and Food4Less Fremont stores.
  • Food Safety Recall: Super1Foods & Discount Pharmacy recalls Deli Fresh Gourmet Mustard Potato Salad (3 lb; Batch 3/19/12), because the potato salad contains hard-cooked eggs recalled by Michael Foods due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
  • Food Safety Recall: Brookshire’s food & pharmacy recalls Brookshire’s brand Southern Mustard Potato Salad (1 lb and 3 lb; Batch 3/19/12), and Deli Fresh Gourmet Mustard Potato Salad (3 lb; Batch 3/12/12), because the potato salad contains hard-cooked eggs recalled by Michael Foods due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
  • Food Withdrawal: Topco Associates withdraws Spartan Pasteurized Processed Cheese Food Individually Wrapped Slices (3-lb; Date code April 3, 2012; Manufactured by Great Lakes Cheese), because the cheese slices cannot be peeled cleanly from the wrapper. This is NOT a food safety issue. The withdrawn product was sold through the Spartan family of stores, including VG’s grocery, Spartan, Valu Land, VG’s Fresh Market, Glen’s Markets, Glen’s Fresh Market, Family Fare Supermarkets, and D&W Fresh Market.
  • FDA Enforcement Action: FDA has asked a U.S. District Court to issue a permanent injunction agains Mexicali Cheese (Woodhaven, NY) and two of its officers, because the firm has a history of unsanitary conditions and of producing cheese in a facility that is contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Mexicali Cheese manufactures and distributes soft Mexican cheeses to grocery stores and supermarkets in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Douty Brothers, Inc. (Portland, ME) that a December 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 regulation for foods.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Negocios Industriales Real “N.I.R.S.A.”, S.A. (Guayaquil, Ecuador) that an August 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility revealed serious deviations from the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Flavors from Florida, Inc. (Bartow, FL) that a September 2011 inspection of the company’s juice processing facility revealed inspection revealed serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation for food.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Pacific Cheese Company, Inc. (Hayward, CA) that a follow-up inspection conducted during February-March 2011 of the company’s cheese processing facility revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in samples of cubed and shredded cheddar cheese collected from a third-party warehouse. In addition, FDA found the company’s response to the agency’s FDA Form 483-Inspectional Observations to be inadequate.
  • Outbreak Alert Update: The outbreak of Campylobacter illnesses in Pennsylvania and Maryland believed to be associated with the consumption of raw milk from The Family Cow farm in Pennsylvania has grown to 12 cases.
  • Outbreak Alert: Health officials in Louisville, Kentucky report an unusually high number of cases of shigellosis. There have been 84 lab-confirmed cases in the last 13 weeks, including 18 cases during the week of January 23rd. The metropolitan area has averaged just 62 confirmed cases per year over the past five years. Shigellosis is a highly contagious diarrhea caused by Shigella bacteria.
  • Outbreak Alert Update: The outbreak of Norovirus gastroenteritis linked to the Harbor Inn Seafood restaurant in Conover, NC has grown to 128 complaints. Most of the victims report having eaten at the restaurant on January 13th or 14th.
  • Outbreak Alert: Norovirus has been fingered as the probable cause of an outbreak of gastroenteritis at the Lytton Gardens senior living center in downtown Palo Alto, CA. The illnesses have affected 10 residents and 2 staff members between January 5th and 18th.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency warns the individuals who are allergic to egg not to consume the following Bin Bin Rice Crackers, which have been recalled by the importers because the products contain undeclared egg: Snow Rice Crackers (150g; UPC 8 852098 700124), Rice Crackers Jumbo Bag (450g; UPC 8 852098 701510), and Rice Crackers (450g; UPC 6 84431 00113 5). The recalled products were distributed across Canada.
  • Allergy Alert: Walmart Canada Corp. recalls Original Gourmet brand Passion Cookies (0.88 oz/25g pkg; Product of Turkey; Best before 11 05 2012 LH 031), because the product contains undeclared hazelnuts and may also contain other undeclared tree nuts. The recalled products were distributed across Canada.
  • Allergy Alert: Eurotrade Import-Export recalls Nutrafruit Plum Butter (750mL; All codes), due to the presence of undeclared sulphites. The recalled product was distributed in Ontario.
  • Outbreak Alert: One unit of the Colchester Regional Hospital (Truro, NS) has been shut down due to an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness that has affected 15 patients and staff members.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (UK): Asda withdraws Asda Layered Prawn Salad (440g; Use by 2 February 2012), because the product is labeled incorrectly as Asda tuna layered salad and, therefore, does not mention prawns.
  • Food Safety Withdrawal (Ukraine): Agromars has withdrawn several batches of  poultry meat after Salmonella was found in the products during a scheduled government inspection. As many as 30,000 tonnes of chicken may be affected.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Recall (Spain): Spanish health authorities order the recall of Doimas Capsules, because they were found to contain the illegal and undeclared ingredient nitrosoprodenafil.
  • Outbreak Alert (Scotland): A norovirus outbreak struck staff and patrons of Troon Restaurant, overlooking Troon Yacht Haven (Ayrshire) last weekend.
  • Outbreak Alert (Kyrgyzstan): Nine cases of botulism were reported in Bishkek during January. Two patients are in intensive care. The source of the outbreak was determined to be homemade preserves.
  • Outbreak Alert (Russia): Twenty-seven kindergarten children and three adults from one school and one child from a different preschool in Kolosok were diagnosed with Salmonella infections after consuming substandard. Six of the children were hospitalized.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0154): Salmonella Amsterdam in teff meal from the Netherlands; distributed to Sweden.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0155): Lead in pig fat from Poland; distributed to Hungary.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0156): Parasitic infestation with Acanthocephalus (in muscle) of canned natural saury in oil or in own juice from Russia; distributed to Lithuania.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Latin America and the Caribbean

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.

Profiling Campylobacter spp.

Roughly 90% of retail poultry in the USA harbors Campylobacter.

Some history

Campylobacter fetus – originally known as Vibrio fetus – was first associated with diarrheal illness in 1957. By the mid- to late-1980s, Campylobacter was recognized as one of the most common causes of diarrhea worldwide. The species that is most commonly linked to human illness is Campylobacter jejuni.

What is Campylobacter, and where is its natural habitat?

Campylobacter is a heat-loving bacterium, which grows best at 108ºF (or 42ºC), several degrees warmer than the temperature preferred by other pathogens such as E. coli, Shigella or Salmonella. It does not grow at cooler temperatures (below 86ºF), but can survive at refrigerator temperatures. The microbe typically looks like a rod that has been bent into a curve or twisted to form a spiral. Campylobacter lives in the intestinal tracts of birds and mammals around the world.

How is Campylobacter transmitted? What is the incubation period of the infection?

Campylobacter is most commonly transmitted when someone eats undercooked or contaminated poultry, drinks unpasteurized milk or contaminated water, or by hand-to-mouth contact with household pets (including backyard poultry) that carry the bacteria. The typical incubation period is 2 to 5 days.

What is campylobacteriosis? How long does it take to develop?

Campylobacter produces a form of gastroenteritis, much like Salmonella. The length of time required for symptoms to appear is usually two to five days, but will depend on the size of the infective dose and the susceptibility of the victim. It takes as few as 800 to as many as one million Campylobacter organisms to infect 10-50% of individuals.

What are the symptoms of Campylobacter infections?

Symptoms include diarrhea (sometimes bloody). fever and abdominal cramps. In most cases, the symptoms last from 2 to 10 days.

What is the prognosis of a Campylobacter infection?

Most Campylobacter infections are self-limiting, and symptoms disappear in 2 to 10 days. In less than 1% of cases, a patient can develop bacteremia (bloodstream infection). Occasionally (less than 1 case in every 1,000), individuals infected with Campylobacter develop Guillain-Barré syndrome – an autoimmune disease that affects the peripheral nervous system. Approximately 10% of Guillain-Barré cases are fatal.

What foods carry Campylobacter?

Most raw poultry purchased by consumers in the USA and Canada is contaminated with Campylobacter. Incidence rates are somewhat lower in many European countries, but still significantly higher than the incidence of Salmonella contamination. Raw (unpasteurized) milk also can a vehicle for Campylobacter, and consumption of unpasteurized dairy products is linked to small outbreaks of Campylobacter gastroenteritis a few times every year.

How can people protect themselves from Campylobacter infections?

Campylobacter is killed during pasteurization of milk and by normal cooking procedures. Ways to minimize the risk of contracting Campylobacter infections include:

  • Always cook poultry thoroughly, to an internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC)
  • Take care to avoid contact between raw poultry juices and foods that are ready-to-eat, including cooked meats, side dishes, salads and desserts
  • Wash and sanitize hands, utensils and work surfaces after working with raw poultry
  • Avoid consuming raw milk and dairy products made using unpasteurized milk
  • Avoid drinking untreated water
  • Always wash hands after touching a pet or barnyard animal
  • Do not allow toddlers and young children to play with pets or barnyard animals (such as baby chicks or ducklings) unsupervised.

For more information on Campylobacter and other food-borne pathogens, visit the CDC website or read Food Safety: Old Habits, New Perspectives.