Category: cheese

Belgian Cheese Recall Goes Multinational – Update

A couple of months ago – March 19th to be precise – Belgomilk (Moorslede, Belgium) announced the recall of a single lot of Nazareth Classic rectangular “half-cheese” (approx. 3Kg, plastic-wrapped; Lot ID #0520018301 or 0520018302). The recalled cheese was distributed in Belgium and Germany (RASFF Reference #2011.0374).

The reason for the recall? The company found Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of this batch of cheese.

About a month later, France notified RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) member countries that it had detected Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of cheese from Belgium (RASFF Reference #2011.0511; released 18/04/2011 and updated 11/05/2011). The Alert indicated that there had been “distribution to other member countries.”

It, therefore, should not have come as a shock when Belgomilk announced a greatly expanded cheese recall on May 10th, as a result of having found Listeria monocytogenes in an unspecified number of production lots of cheese manufactured at its Moorslede facility. The new recall encompassed cheeses purchased by consumers prior to May 11th.

This list of recalled cheeses includes the following brands and formats:

  • Affligem Tranches/Affligem Slices, ± 400g
  • Belgolight Jeune/Belgolight Young, 200g
  • Brugge d’Or Tranches/Brugge d’Or Slices, ±375g
  • Brugge d’Or Bloc/Brugge d’Or Wedge, ±450g/250g
  • Corsendonk Cubes, 250g
  • Grimbergen Tranches/Grimbergen Slices, ±350g
  • Grimbergen Cubes, ±315g
  • KV Light Fromage Tranches/KV Light Cheese Slices (Light 16% fromage jeune/Light 16% young cheese), ±300g
  • Nazareth Classic Bloc/Nazareth Classic Wedge, ±425g/250g
  • Nazareth Classic Cubes, 150g/250g
  • Nazareth Classic Tranches/Nazareth Classic Slices, 200g/180g
  • Nazareth Light Tranches/Nazareth Light Slices, ±300g
  • Nazareth Tranches/Nazareth Slices, 200g/150g
  • St. Maarten Classic Tranches/St. Maarten Classic Slices, 200g

In addition, the following cheeses were sold “cut to order” at creameries or dairy stands, and as “freshpack” cheese in supermarkets: Belgolight, Bocholter fromage à pain, Brugge d’Or and Nazareth Light & Classic.

Part of the Milcobel dairy cooperative, Belgomilk is headquartered in Kallo, Belgium, and is the largest milk processor in the Milcobel corporate family. Its three factories produce a variety of milk products, including milk powders, butters and cheeses. The Moorslede location produces Belgomilk’s branded and Gouda-style cheeses for distribution in Belgium and for export.

According to the RASFF notification (EU #2011.0619) – issued on May 11, 2011 and updated on May 13, 2011 – the cheeses that were recalled by Belgomilk on May 10th were distributed in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The RASFF notice does not specify which brands of cheese may have been distributed in which countries. Nevertheless, some of this information can be gleaned from recall notices posted by individual countries. The following list is current, as of May 14th, and will be updated if and when more information becomes available.

Belgium

Recalled cheeses were distributed in Colruyt, OKay, Spar, Alvo and Delhaize stores, as follows:

  • Grimbergen Tranches/Slices, ±350g (Colruyt & OKay)
  • Grimbergen Cubes, ±315g (Colyruyt, OKay, Alvo & Spar)
  • Affligem Tranches/Slices, ±400g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Bruges d’Or Trances/Slices, ±375g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Bruges d’Or Bloc/Wedge, ±400g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Nazareth Classic Bloc/Wedge, ±425g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Nazareth Fromage en Block/Wedge Cheese, ±250g (Delhaize)
  • Nazareth Light Tranches/Slices, ±300g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Kievit Light Tranches/Slices, ±300g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Delhaize Tranches de Nazareth/Nazareth Slices, 180g (Delhaize)
  • Delhaize Plateau de fromage Belgo-Français/Belgo-France Cheese Platter, ±400g (Delhaize)
  • Brugge Kaas Plateau de fromage Brugge/Brugge cheese platter ±450g (Delhaize)
Germany
The following recalled cheese was sold in Lidl stores in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony only:
  • St. Maarten Classic Belgian Cheese Slices, 200g

Luxembourg

The following recalled cheeses were sold in member stores of the Colruyt group in Luxembourg:

  • Grimbergen Tranches/Slices, ±350g (Colruyt, Collivery & OKay)
  • Grimbergen Cubes, ±315g (Colyruyt, Collivery, OKay, Alvo & Spar)
  • Affligem Tranches/Slices, ±400g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
  • Bruges d’Or Trances/Slices, ±375g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
  • Bruges d’Or Bloc/Wedge, ±400g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
  • Nazareth Classic Bloc/Wedge, ±425g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
  • Nazareth Light Tranches/Slices, ±300g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
  • Kievit Light Tranches/Slices, ±300g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
The following recalled cheeses were sold in member stores of the Delhaize chain in Luxembourg (updated May 26, 2011):
  • Delhaize brand Tranches de Nazareth (180g; all date codes)
  • Delhaize brand Plateau de fromage Belgo-Français (400g; Best before 18/04/2011 and 02/05/2011)
  • Nazareth brand Fromage Nazareth en bloc (250g; all date codes)
  • Brugge Kaas brand Plateau de fromage Brugge (450g; Best before 13/04/2011)
The Netherlands
  • St. Maarten Classic Belgian Cheese Slices, 200g – sold in Lidl stores in the Netherlands
United Kingdom
  • St. Maarten Classic Belgian Cheese Slices, 200g – sold in Lidl stores in the UK

USA (Updated May 21st)

  • Atalanta Corp (Elizabeth, NJ) recalls Nazareth Classic and Nazareth Light cheeses (Lot Nos. 5030008, 5030009, 11350044, 11350045, 11350046, 10840120; expiration dates of 3/13/2011 through 7/29/2011). The cheeses were distributed mostly in the Northeast, and sold in retail stores in random weight cuts.

Not all countries and retailers are equally prompt at posting recall notices – if they post them at all. If you have purchased one of the recalled cheeses and your country or store does not appear on the above lists, please discard the cheese and let me know where you found it, so that I can add the information to the list for the benefit of other consumers.

Please return to this site periodically for updates as more information becomes available.

Recall Roundup: January 18, 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.


United States
  • Food Safety Recall (Update): Columbus Meat (906 Randolph, Chicago, IL) expands its earlier recall to include an additional 580 pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Azteca Linda Corp, d.b.a. Queso El Azteca (Brooklyn, NY) that June 2010 and August/September 2010 inspections of the company’s cheese manufacturing facility revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in multiple areas of the processing facility environment, and serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for food. These violations and the finding of a recurrent strain of Listeria monocytogenes in the processing facility caused the company’s ready-to-eat cheese products to be adulterated.
  • FDA Enforcement Action: FDA has obtained a consent decree of permanent injunction against Deltex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Rosenberg, TX). The consent decree permanently prohibits/stops the company, its president and its vice-president from manufacturing and distributing drug products until Deltex’s operations and products are in compliance with federal law. In addition, the company must recall drugs that were manufactured and distributed since October 31, 2008.
Canada
  • Food Safety Recall: KRAZY CMAK (6275 Somerled Ave., Montreal, QC) recalls Atlantic Smoked Salmon/Saumon Atlantique Fumé (all vacuum packages carrying a packaging date prior to January 6, 2011) because the expiration date shown on the package does not provide assurance of safety.
Europe
  • Allergy Alert (Sweden): ICA withdraws ICA Grill Chips Barbecue Potato Crisps (300g), because the chips contain undeclared milk protein.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Magnihill recalls Scan brand frozen raspberries (Lot ID D33102; lot #03022809) because the product is suspected to contain norovirus.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0054): Unsuitable organoleptic characteristics (unpleasant taste) of dates from Iran; distributed to the Czech Republic.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0055): Norovirus in oysters (Crassostrea gigas) from France; distributed to Denmark.
  • Consumer Product Safety Notification (EU #2011.0056): Migration of formaldehyde from melamine bowl from China; distributed to the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU#2011.0057): Glass fragment in fruit juice smoothie from Germany; distributed to Austria, Germany and Switzerland.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2011.0058): Prohibited substance chloramphenicol in vitamin A / D3 premix from China; distributed to Germany, Ireland, Poland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
  • Consumer Product Safety Notification (EU #2011.0059): Migration of primary aromatic amines from kitchen ustensil sets from China, via Belgium; distributed to France.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0060): Unauthorized abamectin in corned beef from Brazil; distributed to the United Kingdom.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Allergy Alert (Australia): Woolworths Supermarkets Ltd. recalls Woolworths Home Brand Crumbed Fish Lemon Flavoured Frozen Portions (500g cardboard box; product of China; all expiration dates from 17/02/2012 to 23/03/2012 inclusive), because the product many contain undeclared peanuts. The recalled frozen fish was sold in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.
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.

Recall Roundup: January 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.

United States
  • Food Safety Recall: Surtex Foods Co. recalls La Original brand Oaxaca String Cheese (Lot #1360912; Expiration date 01/09/2011), because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. The product was distributed in California through retrail stores and distributors.
  • Food Safety Recall: One Great Burger (Elizabeth, NJ) recalls OneGreat Hamburgers (Item #02044; Est. 34575; Produced between Jan. 2010 and May 2010; Packed on dates July 2010 to Nov. 2010), because these ground beef products may have become spoiled. The problem was discovered during an investigation by FSIS into customer complaints of discoloration and off-odors.
  • Food Safety Recall (Update): Sprouters Northwest, Inc. recalls all of its clover sprouts and clover sprout mixes because they may be contaminated with Salmonella. The expanded recall includes Clover Sprouts, Clover Onion Sprouts, Deli Sprouts, Spicy Sprouts and Brocco Sandwich Sprouts with a “best by” date of 1/16/11 and earlier. Sprouters Northwest has suspended production of these products while FDA and the company investigate the source of the problem. The recalled clover sprout products were distributed in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska through wholesale distribution and retail chains.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Benz’s Food Products, Inc. (Brooklyn, NY) that an October 2010 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Inter-Ocean Seafood Traders, Inc. (San Carlos, CA) that a November 2010 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
Canada
  • Allergy Alert (Update): Seoul Trading Corporation updates its January 7, 2011 warning to correct the Lot Code for Choripdong brand Vegetable Dumpling. The corrected Lot Code is 2012.05.28D.
  • Food Safety Recall: Ferme G.M.H. Inc (Saint-Christophe-d’Arthabaska, QC) recalls unlabeled fresh or frozen cheese, offered in blocks (approx 450g) or grains, because the cheese may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes or Staphylococcus aureus.
  • OTC Product Safety Recall: Shandex Sales Group recalls alcohol swabs, because they may be contaminated with Bacillus cereus. The recalled swabs were distributed across Canada under the following store brands: Remedy Rx (Remedy Rx stores), Uniprix/Option+(Uniprix and PharmaChoice), Life Brand (Shoppers Drug Mart), Equate Walmart), Personelle (Jean Coutu), Rexall (Katz Group stores) and Exact (Loblaws).
Europe
  • Allergy Alert (Ireland): Celtic Chocolates Ltd. recalls Celtic Dairy Free Bars (35g x 6 pack; Batch Codes L10349 and L10350; Best Before December 2011), because they contain casein (a milk protein) which was not declared on the label.
  • Allergy Alert (UK): Maysum withdraws Maysum Meat Samosas, 675g (Best before 19 November 2011; Batch code 318102010), because the product contains undeclared sulphur dioxide.
  • Allergy Alert (UK): Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd withdraws Sainsbury’s Free From Mint Crisps, 150g (Best before end February 2012) and Celtic Caramel Choices, 120g (Best before end August 2011), because the products contain undeclared milk.
Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Food Labeling Alert (Taiwan): Taipei’s Health Department advises the public that 12 out of 13 goat’s milk tablet products tested by the Department were found to contain a significant proportion of cow’s milk.
  • OTC Product Safety Recall Update (Hong Kong): The Hong Kong Department of Health has agreed to allow one brand of Abbott’s glucose test strips, Optium Omega, to re-enter the market.
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.