Category: cheese

Sunday Supplement: Canada’s Listeria outbreak. A study in opacity

Canada is experiencing an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes illnesses, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

Unfortunately, no one is prepared to reveal to the public how many people have been infected, how serious are the symptoms, or how widespread the outbreak is.

Here is what we know

  1. On January 14, 2023, Le Fromage au Village Inc. (Lorrainville, Québec) recalled five date codes of Le Cendré de Notre-Dame brand Semi-soft Surface-ripened Cheese due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. There was no indication of any illnesses associated with this recall.
  2. On January 19, 2023, just five days later, Le Fromage au Village Inc. recalled multiple lot codes of four different cheeses, again due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. This time, the recall notice indicated that reported illnesses “may be associated with the consumption of these products.”
  3. On January 20, 2023, the CFIA suspended the company’s Safe Food For Canadians licence (Licence #9DM4P9DP), citing the “…absence of adequate corrective measures to prevent the risk of Listeria monocytogenes contamination.” The suspension, which was announced to the public on February 3, 2023 will remain in effect until the CFIA is satisfied that the company has taken appropriate corrective measures.
  4. On February 11/12, February 14, February 15, and February 18, the CFIA announced additional recalls associated with the same investigation.

A search for answers

In response to our request for additional information on the status of its investigation, a CFIA spokesperson referred eFoodAlert to the published recall notices and suggested that we contact the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) du Québec (the Québec Ministry of Health and Social Services).

The Public Health Agency of Canada also referred us to the Québec health authorities.

The MSSS referred us to the Public Health directorate for the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Québec. This region of northwestern Québec is the home of Le Fromage au Village Inc., the manufacturer of the recalled cheese. The MSSS spokesperson also suggested we contact the province’s Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation (MAPAQ), the Québec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

The Abitibi-Témiscamingue public health spokesperson declined to answer any of our questions, even refusing to reveal how many people have been confirmed or are suspected to be part of the outbreak. The spokesperson cited reasons of confidentiality for the refusal.

As of today, eFoodAlert has not received any reply from MAPAQ.

The bottom line

Even though the recalled cheeses were distributed in Québec, Ontario, and online, it would appear that this outbreak is limited to the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of the province of Québec.

We don’t know how many people have been infected.

We don’t know how long ago the outbreak began.

We don’t know how many people (if any) have been hospitalized, whether any pregnant women were infected, or whether there were any deaths.

The good news is that the operations of Le Fromage au Village Inc. have been shut down until the company has cleaned up its act.

The bad news is that the health authorities in the province of Québec have chosen to keep its citizens in the dark.

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Recalls and Alerts: February 23 – 25, 2017

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: Kusher LLC (Fife, WA) recalls various Kusher brand cookies (Best before February 2017 and up to August 10, 2017) due to undeclared milk and egg. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of products.

Food Safety Recall: Lakeview Cheese and Bashas’ Family of Stores recalls various types of Colby cheese due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products were distributed by Las Vegas-based Lakeview Cheese to Bashas’ Family of Stores, and sold in Bashas’ and Food City supermarkets’ Arizona meat departments under the grocery brands’ private label. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of recalled items.

Food Recall: WinCo Foods and Buehler’s Fresh Foods recall Two Bite Pecan Mini Tarts (9.2 oz; All lot codes), manufactured by Give and Go Prepared Foods (Ontario, Canada) because the product may contain dried weevil larvae.

Public Health Alert: The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert due to concerns that certain PREMO brand meat and poultry wraps produced by JLM Manufacturing (Shelby Township, MI)  may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. A recall was not requested because it is believed that all products have been consumed and are past their “Best by” dates. Please refer to the FSIS notice for details.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Poissonnerie du Marché (Laval, QC) recalls Taramosalata Dip (all product sold up to and including February 22, 2017) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert: Amira Enterprises Inc. recalls Ziyad brand Soup Starter Soup Based – Jameed (1 kg) and Ziyad & Chef’s Soup Starter Soup Base – Jameed & Premium Rice (1.91 kg) due to undeclared milk. The recalled products were distributed to retailers in Alberta, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec.

Allergy Alert: Hen Long Market Oriental Food Co. Ltd. recalls various Happy brand pudding products due to undeclared milk. Please refer to the recall notice for details.

Allergy Alert: GraceKennedy (Ontario) Inc. recalls Butterkist Artificially Flavoured Butter Cookies and Butterkist Artificially Flavoured Coconut Cookies (150g; all codes) due to undeclared milk. The recalled cookies were distributed to retailers in Ontario.

Allergy Alert: Merlin Trading Co. recalls Yanjinpuzi Dried Tofu products due to undeclared fish. Please refer to the recall notice for details.

Food Safety Recall: IFC Seafood Inc. recalls Irresistibles brand Giant Scallops (300g; Code Oct 10 2018; Lot 164105 16284) due to metal pieces in the product. The recalled product was distributed to retailers in Ontario and Quebec.

Food Safety Recall: Les Placements GT7 Inc. – Marché du Coin – Super Sagamie (Saguenay, QC) recalls Spaghetti Sauce (800 mL and 1 L glass jars; sold up to and including February 22, 2017) due to potential underprocessing that may render the product unsafe.

Food Safety Recall: Pâtisserie La Bonne Fournée (Matane, QC) recalls Cipaille (500 mL and 1 L; sold up to and including February 22, 2017) because the product is missing the required label instruction indicating that it must be refrigerated.

Food Safety Recall: Les Pâtes Cortina Inc. (Quebec, QC) recalls Sauce à la Viande/Meat Sauce (500 mL and 1L; Lots 08/02/2017 and 15/02/2017; Exp. 25/03/2017 and 01/04/2017) due to potential underprocessing that may render the product unsafe.

Public Health Notice Update – Norovirus: The Public Health Agency of Canada advises Canadians that a total of 267 clinical cases of gastrointestinal illness linked to oysters have been reported in British Columbia (179), Alberta (40) and Ontario (48). Testing of several cases has confirmed the presence of Norovirus infection. All individuals who became ill reported having eaten oysters.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Denmark): Dan Viet (Odense) recalls Kokoscreme Royal Thai i dåse (400 mL; Expiry 11-06-2019) and Lotusrod i lage (Net wt. 200g; Expiry 31-12-2018) due to undeclared sulphites.

Allergy Alert (UK): Waitrose recalls Frozen 2 Breaded Haddock Fillets (300g; Batch no L7 038 N; Pack size 2; Best before end February 2018) due to undeclared mustard and milk.

Food Safety Recall (Czech Republic): Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority warns the public not to consume Grandma Beauty Seven Herbs bagged tea with Echinacea (Batch L09111630 C; Best before 09 11 18; Manufactured by Mokate SA, Ustron, Poland) because the presence of alkaloids and scopolamine renders the tea unfit for human consumption.

Food Recall (Denmark): Danish Crown Oldenburg GmbH recalls ground beef sold in Aldi (400g net weight; Printed expiry date 03/28/2017; Lot no. ID2002) due to an incorrect expiry date.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): Steigerwald Mineralbrunnen GmbH recalls various mineral waters and sweetened beverages after a foreign body was found in some bottles. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): Martin Amberger Kartoffelverarbeitung Dolli-Werk GmbH & Co. KG recalls Dolli and Feldmühle potato salad products (Best before dates 26.2.2017, 13.03.2017 and 16.3.2017) due to an error in the use of metal detection equipment.

Food Safety Alert (Germany): The North Rhine-Westphalian Department of Consumer Protection warns against the consumption of “Diamond Vodka” after laboratory tests reveal that the product contains 15 grams of methanol per liter, exceeding the permitted limit by 400 times. A criminal investigation is in progress.

Food Safety Recall (Ireland): Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese recalls Wicklow Blue Cheese (Batch codes 16334C and 17018A; Use by dates 23.02.2017 and 11.04.2017) due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Food Safety Recall (Israel): Tnuva recalls Cdi Yogurt (3-liter, 3%, 4% and 6.5% fat; Expiry dates 25/02/17 to 04/02/17) due to the presence of plastic residues in the products.

Australia and New Zealand

Allergy Alert (Australia): Ottovo International Trading P/L recalls Wheat Pop Sesame Flavour Popped Wheat Snack (400g plastic bag; Best before 25-10-2017; Imported from China) due to undeclared peanut. The product was distributed through Chinese grocery stores in NSW and ACT.

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 website.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains
**Includes Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs and Pak N’ Save.

Recalls and Alerts: February 16 – 18, 2017

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: Chapis Spice & Tea (Los Angeles, CA) recalls various Chapis brand Bread Crumbs due to possible presence of undeclared wheat, milk, eggs, tree nuts or soybean. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of affected products, all of which were distributed through retail stores in Los Angeles and adjacent cities in Los Angeles County.

Allergy Alert: Licata Enterprises (Huntington Beach, CA) recalls The Supreme One/Theravits 100 multiple vitamin (all lots) due to undeclared fish oils and other labelling issues. The recalled products were distributed in Southern California, Ohio and Pennsylvania through health food stores, and also sold in Wyoming, Virginia, Utah, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Texas.

Allergy Alert: Ditos (Anchorage, Alaska) recalls Heart Plastic Platter Strawberries w/ Dip with Chocolate Frosting 32oz, and Heart Plastic Platter Mixed Fruit w/ Dip with Chocolate Frosting 40oz (Use by dates: 02/14/2017, 02/15/2017, 02/16/2017, 02/19/2017) due to undeclared soy and/or milk. The product was sold at seven Walmart stores in Debarr, Dimond, Eagle River, Fairbanks, Kenai, Midtown, and Wasilla.

Allergy Alert: Price Chopper recalls Market 32 Elegant Dessert Apple Crumb Tart (5.5 oz) due to undeclared milk.

Food Safety Recall: Biery Cheese Company recalls various specialty Longhorn Colby cheeses due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products were distributed between November 11, 2016 and January 4, 2017 to distribution centers in Georgia, Indiana and Pennsylvania. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of products.

Food Safety Recall: Saputo Inc. recalls certain Great Midwest brand Applewood Smoked Gouda cheese (Sell by MAY 22 17) and Dutchmark brand Pasteurized Processed Smoked Gouda cheese (Best when used by 11-18-17) that may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Food Safety Recall: Sargento Foods Inc. (Plymouth, WI) expands its earlier recall to include additional products and production dates due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes that originated from the facility of its supplier, Deutsch Kase Haus, LLC. Sargento also has terminated its relationship with the supplier. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Dutch Valley Food Distributors, Schlabach Branch, recalls various cheeses and cheese-containing items due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected items.

Food Safety Recall: Hallmark Management Services, Inc. (Columbus, OH) expands its February 2, 2017 recall to include approximately 11.25 pounds of additional Chicken Tikka Masala that was produced without the benefit of inspection. Please refer to the recall notice for additional details.

Food Safety Recall: Papa John’s Salads & Produce recalls Colby Cheese Half Moon, Colby Jack Cheese Half Moon, Monterey Jack Cheese Half Moon and Pepper Jack Half Moon (Use by dates for all products: 1/10/17 through 5/9/17), because the products contain cheese that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products were sold in Fry’s and Smith’s stores.

Food Safety Recall: Index Fresh recalls Index Fresh Avocados (UPC 76101-40154; Pack date 2/13/17; 4ct. bag) because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled avocados were sold in Ralphs stores.

Food Safety Recall: Meijer recalls Ham Sub on Artisan White Baguette (UPC 7-13733-76499-5; various expiration dates from 11/2/2016 through 12/30/2016) because the product contains cheese that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Food Safety Recall: GraceKennedy Foods recalls La Fe Papa Criolla Yellow Potatoes (14 oz; All date codes) due to the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled product was sold at Stop & Shop stores.

Food Safety Notice: The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has closed some shellfish harvesting beds in Beaufort County due to a sewer overflow.

Food Safety Notice: Oregon has closed recreational and commercial mussel harvesting from Cape Arago, south of Coos Bay, to the California border, due to elevated levels of paralytic shellfish toxins. Coastal scallops are not affected when only the adductor muscle is eaten.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Figues et Romarin (Blainville, QC) recalls Minestrone Soup (500 mL and 1 L sizes) due to undeclared wheat.

Europe

Allergy Alert (UK): Poundstretcher recalls Chocolate Crème Oreos (176g; pkg of 4; Best before April, May, July and August 2017) due to undeclared wheat and milk.

Allergy Alert (Northern Ireland): Heatons recalls a consignment of Toblerones (100g; Best before 8 September 2017; Batch code 00Y4062333) due to undeclared egg.

Food Safety Recall: Morrisons recalls Ready to Eat Peppered Beef Slices (150g; Use by 21 February 2017) because Listeria monocytogenes was found in the product.

 

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 website.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains
**Includes Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs and Pak N’ Save.