Category: Clostridium

Europe-Wide Botulism Alert

From Greece and Italy in the South of Europe, to Finland, Sweden and Norway in the North, national food safety agencies are warning consumers that La Ruche artisanal spreads, dips and preserves may be tainted with botulinum toxin.

On September 6th, France issued a Health Alert, advising that eight people were hospitalized due to botulism – five in Vaucluse, and three in Somme. The eight victims reported consuming a tapenade manufactured by the artisanal food processor La Ruche (Cavaillon, France), and sold under the brand name Les délices de Marie Claire. Analyses carried out by l’Institut Pasteur found botulinum toxin in the implicated tapenade.

Investigators of this outbreak determined that La Ruche never registered with the Prefecture in which it operated. The company’s operations, as a result, were never inspected. To make matters worse, the couple who own and operate La Ruche did not carry out appropriate control procedures, did not seek technical assistance, and did not have the proper equipment in place to sterilize their product effectively.

Clostridium botulinum or its potentially lethal neurotoxin have now been found in several different La Ruche products. French health authorities have ordered a recall of the entire output of the company’s food production facility, including products sold under the brand names Les délices de Marie-Claire, Terre de Mistral, and Le secret d’Anaïs.

The recalled products were sold in stores and markets in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of France, and over the internet through the websites  http://www.chocolatprovence.com and http://www.epicerie-terroirprovence.com.

Although the recalled products were not exported from France, health authorities across Europe are concerned that people who traveled to the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur may have purchased these products and brought them back as souvenirs or gifts. Health Alerts have been issued by a number of European countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. So far, there have been no cases of botulism linked to these products except for the eight cases reported in France.

Following is a complete list of recalled products, by brand:

  • Terre De Mistral
    • Tapenade Noire
    • Tartinade De Tomate Sechees
    • Tapenade Verte
    • Pesto
    • Anchoiade
  • Les délices de Marie-Claire
    • Tapenade Noire 180g
    • Tapenade Noire Aux Pignons
    • Tapenade Noire Au Pistou
    • Tapenade Noire Aux Tomates Sechees
    • Tapenade Verte
    • Tapenade Verte Aux Amandes
    • Tapenade Verte Au Thon
    • Anchoiade A La Provencale
    • Anchoiade De Marius
    • Tomates Sechees A L’huile D’olive
    • Thoionade
    • Delice De Tomates Sechees Au Piment D’espellette
    • Tartinade De Tomates Sechees
    • Caviar D’aubergines
    • Tartinade D’aubergines Sechees Au Piment Doux
    • Pesto Sauce Au Pistou
    • Poivronnade
    • Poichichade
    • Artichonade
    • Tapenade verte Aux Olives Vertes Et Aux Amandes
  • Le secret d’Anaïs
    • Tapenade Noire
    • Tartinade De Tomate Sechees
    • Tapenade Verte
    • Pesto
    • Anchoiade

Anyone who has purchased one of these items, or has received them as gifts, should return them to the place of purchase (if possible) or discard them in a manner that will prevent their accidental consumption.

Clostridium botulinum can grow and produce its toxin without altering the appearance, taste or smell of a food. Under no circumstances should you “sample” any of these products to see whether they are “OK” to eat. Even a miniscule amount of botulinum toxin can cause serious illness.

Symptoms of foodborne botulism typically begin with double vision or blurred vision, and difficulty in swallowing and speaking; diarrhea and vomiting can also occur. A progressive paralysis ensues, which can be fatal in 3-5% of cases. Most fatalities are due to respiratory arrest. The severity of symptoms depend in large part on the amount of toxin ingested.

If you have eaten any of the recalled products and believe yourself to be experiencing symptoms of botulism, please seek immediate medical attention.

Recalls and Alerts: September 7, 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 Alert: USDA reports that an “…analysis of FSIS testing data has shown that 23% of Salmonella positive samples from ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products are from pork barbecue with vinegar and pepper-based sauce.” The sauce is applied to the pork after the meat is cooked. The source of the Salmonella in the sauce is unclear.
  • Outbreak Alert: Washington State health officials have closed Samish Bay and part of Hood Canal to oyster harvesting, after several people who ate raw oysters from these areas were infected with Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
  • OTC Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: Novartis Consumer Health, Inc. recalls Excedrin® Extra Strength Caplets (100ct; Lot #10068948), due to instances of product mix-ups found in the recalled lot. This recall notice was posted on the Tops Friendly Markets and Giant® Food Stores web sites.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall Update: Johnvince Foods expands its earlier recall of walnuts to include raw shelled walnuts sold from bulk and additional prepackaged raw shelled walnuts and walnut-containing products, because these products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The recalled nuts and nut products were imported by Johnvince Foods in 25-lb cardboard cases bearing Lot code W1866 and the name Andersen and Sons Shelling, Vina, California and distributed across Canada. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of recalled products.
  • Food Safety Recall: La Mer (Montreal, QC) recalls Poissonnerie La Mer brand Sauce romanoff (500ml glass jar) and Sauce tomate fèves/moules (1000ml glass jar), because the product labels do not carry the instruction “Garder réfrigéré.” These products represent a health hazard if they have not been stored under refrigeration after purchase.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert Update (France): Analysis of food manufactured by La Ruche – the company whose tapenade is blamed for eight cases of botulism – has determined the presence either of botulinum toxin or of the microbe Clostridium botulinum in additional products from this company. As a result, French health authorities have mandated the recall of all products from this company, including the brands Les Délices de Marie-Claire, Terre de Mistral, and Les Secrets d’Anais. The recalled products include tapenades, anchoïades, tomates séchés, thoïnade, tartinades, caviar d’aubergines, pesto sauce pistou, poivronnade, poichichade and artichonade. Consumers are instructed to return these products to the place of purchase or to local health protection offices.
  • Food Safety Recall (Belgium and Luxembourg): Colruyt group recalls Everyday brand Iced Tea Lemon (50cl PET bottle; Lot L11183BN; Expiry 02-01-2012), because a small amount of alcohol was detected in some bottles of the product. The recalled beverages were sold in Colruyt (in Belgium and Luxembourg), Spar and OKay stores.
  • Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Delhaize Belgique recalls 365 brand Ice Tea Lemon (500ml PET bottles; Lot codes L1183, L11156, L11197 and L11210; Expiry 02/01/2012, 16/12/2011, 16/01/2012 and 29/01/2012, respectively), because the product may contain a small amount of alcohol.
  • Pet Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1202): Salmonella in dog chew from Mexico; distributed to Belgium.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1203): Clostridium botulinum type A in olive-almond spread from France; distributed to France.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1206): Unauthorized Basic Red 46 in sumac from Turkey; distributed to Switzerland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1208): Salmonella anatum in chilled fresh pork from Germany; distributed to Denmark.

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 6, 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

  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns GIB, LLC dba Brazilian Blowout (North Hollywood, CA) that Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution is an adulterated cosmetic, because it contains a deleterious substance, methylene glycol, that may render it injurious to users under conditions of use prescribed in the labelling.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns River Valley Ranch Ltd. (Burlington, WI) that an April/May 2011 inspection of the company’s facility revealed that the firms failure to fulfill the mandatory requirements for acidified foods renders the following products adulterated: River Valley Ranch brand Key Lime Mango Salsa, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Portabella Salsa with Key Lime Juice, Shroomschetta Mushroom Bruschetta, Portabella Pasta and Dipping Sauce, Spicy Shrooms, Dill and Garlic Pickled Mushrooms, and Wild Mushroom Burgundy Pasta and Dipping Sauce.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns King Juice Company, Inc. (Milwaukee, WI) that an April 2011 inspection of the company’s juice processing facility revealed serious violations of the juice Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Farm and Wild Fresh Paradise Gourmet Foods (Portland, OR) that an April 2011 inspection of the company’s produce repacking operation revealed serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation in manufacturing, packing, or holding human food.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Kimriv Restaurant Group, LLC (San Diego, CA) that an April 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 Hickory Smokehouse Miami, Inc. (Hialeah, FL) that an April 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 National Bakery, Inc. (Scranton, PA) that a February 2011 inspection of the company’s food manufacturing facility revealed violations that cause several of your products to be misbranded within the meaning of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Guenther’s Bakery Ltd. recalls Guenther’s Multigrain Cookies (425g; Best before up to and including Tue, 20 September 2011), due to the presence of undeclared milk. The recalled product was sold in Ontario.
  • Food Safety Recall: Marchese Import Co. Ltd. recalls Cutolo Rionero Limoni in Acqua Minerale Lemonade (1.5L) and Cutolo Rionero Kinotto in Acqua Minerale (350 mL and 1.5L), due to the presence of unspecified chemical additives. The recalled products were sold in Ontario.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert (France): La Ruche (Cavaillon, Vaucluse) recalls all Les Délices de Marie Claire preserves and has suspended operations after a production batch of its Tapenade verte aux amandes was linked to eight cases of botulism. L’Institut Pasteur reports finding botulinum toxin type A in a sample of the implicated batch of tapenade.
  • Food Safety Alert (Belgium): Consumers are advised that Les Délices de Marie Claire brand Tapenade aux amandes (Lot #112005; Best before 16-12-2012) has been recalled by the manufacturer because it has been implicated in an outbreak of botulism in France. A trace-forward investigation is in progress in France; it is possible that the product may have been introduced into Belgium by summer tourists.
  • Food Safety Alert (Denmark): Consumers are advised that Les Délices de Marie Claire brand Tapenade aux amandes (Lot #112005; Best before 16-12-2012) has been recalled by the manufacturer because it has been implicated in an outbreak of botulism in France. A trace-forward investigation is in progress in France; it is possible that the product may have been introduced into Denmark by summer tourists.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): DB OKS, A/S  recalls Minced Beef, 10% (Item #2251; Production date 30-08-2011), after Listeria monocytogenes is found in the product.
  • Food Recall (Denmark): Beauvais Foods A/S recalls Beauvais Organic Oatmeal with spelt, banana and strawberries (200g) and Beauvais Organic 7-Grain porridge (200g), because micro-holes have been found in the foil pouches in some packages.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1186): Insect larvae in wheat flour from Malta; distributed to Malta.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1188): Unauthorized formic acid in sour cabbage from Poland; distributed to the Czech Republic.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1189): Listeria monocytogenes in salmon from Latvia; distributed to Austria.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2011.1190): Dioxins in copper sulphite from Israel; distributed to Belgium.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1191): Listeria monocytogenes in smoked salmon from Poland; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1192): Mold in various nut and fruit bars from the Czech Republic; distributed to Denmark.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1193): Excess cyclamate in lemon-flavored drink from Turkey, via the Czech Republic and via Slovakia; distributed to Slovakia.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2011.1194): Undeclared gluten, milk ingredient and wheat in roast potatoes from the United Kingdom; distributed to Ireland and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1195): Insect infestation in jasmine flavored rice from Thailand; distributed to Greece and Italy.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2011.1197): Salmonella Senftenberg in soybean meal pellets from Brazil; distributed to Sweden.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2011.1198): Salmonella Senftenberg in rape seed meal from Germany; distributed to Sweden.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1199): Glass fragments in frozen blueberries from Romania; distributed to Germany.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1200): Excessive benzoic acid in guarana soft drink from Portugal; distributed to Italy.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Notification (EU #2011.1201): Unauthorized sildenafil thiono analogue in food supplement from Portugal; distributed to Spain.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (Hong Kong): Global Medical Solutions Hong Kong Ltd recalls Neurolite for Inj with Buffer Vial (Lot No. 0200U and 0200U1), as the drug’s US manufacturer (Ben Venue Laboratories Inc) has initiated an international recall after finding particulate matter – likely stainless steel – in the product.
  • Outbreak Alert (India): Thirty-six children were hospitalized in Hyderabad with food poisoning symptoms after consuming food purchased from a roadside vendor in Miyapur.
  • Outbreak Alert (India): More than 100 people – most of them students – were hospitalized in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts with food poisoning symptoms.
  • Outbreak Alert (Thailand): One woman is dead and 42 others in Sa Kaew’s Khao Chakan district have been hospitalized with food poisoning after consuming improperly cooked pork at a funeral.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Food Safety Alert (New Zealand): High levels of norovirus have been found in shellfish in Canterbury river mouths, according to a report published in the New Zealand Herald online.

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.