Category: Clostridium

Tainted Tapenade Sends Eight to Hospital in France

Eight people are in hospital today – 5 in Vaucluse and 3 in Somme – after consuming a commercial tapinade tainted with Clostridium botulinum type A toxin. Three of the eight are on life-support.

Botulinum toxin is a potent neurotoxin that may be produced during the growth of Clostridium botulinum. Even a small amount of the toxin, when ingested, causes a potentially deadly paralysis. Most instances of botulism are traced to consumption of home-canned foods. But this case is different.

All eight victims reported having consumed a commercially prepared “artisanal” tapenade of green olives and almonds, identified as follows:

“les délices de Marie Claire” Conserve de tapenade d’olive verte aux amandes, pot de 180g. Lot #112005; DLC 16/12/2012. Produced by “La ruche”, 84300 Cavallion.

The Institut Pasteur reports finding botulinum toxin in a sample of this product. The tapenade, which was sold in grocery stores in Bouches du Rhône, Drôme, Var, and Vaucluse, has been recalled, and consumers are alerted not to consume the offending tapenade.

La Ruche, the producer of the toxin-tainted tapenade, never registered with the Prefecture. 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, according to Mme. Martine Clavel, Secretary General of Vaucluse Prefecture.

Because the company was unknown to Prefecture food safety authorities, its production facility – in operation since 2000 – was never inspected. Even a cursory inspection of La Ruche’s operations would have uncovered the egregious errors of omission and commission described by Ms. Clavel.

While the offending batch of tapenade is small – approximately 60 jars – the risk to the public is large. Prefecture authorities have ordered the suspension of all production activities at La Ruche in addition to the recall of all outstanding product currently in circulation.

Please check your pantry for any Les Délices de Marie Claire brand of preserves, and discard them safely or return them to the grocery store. DO NOT TASTE THESE PRODUCTS. Even a tiny amount may contain enough botulinum toxin to cause serious illness.

As always, “when in doubt, throw it out” is the safest policy.

Recalls and Alerts: August 16, 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 Dockside Fish Market (Grand Marais, MN) that a May 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 Philadelphia International Airport that a May 2011 inspection of the aircraft servicing areas and watering points revealed significant violations of the Interstate Conveyance Sanitation regulations under the Public Health Service Act. In consequence, the watering point and aircraft service area at Philadelphia International Airport has been changed to “Provisional” from “Approved.”
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Sivertson Fisheries Inc. dba Lake Superior Fish Company (Superior, WI) that a May 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 Porky Products Inc. (Carteret, NJ) that an April-May 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing and importer establishment found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns The Best Chocolate in Town (Indianapolis, IN) that a May 2011 inspection of the company’s food facility revealed significant violations of the FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations for manufacturing, packing, or holding human food.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Deshaies’ Associates, Inc. dba Deshaies’ Lobster Salad (Lewiston, ME) that an April-May 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 Grand Cakes, Inc. (Bayamon, PR) that a January/February 2011 inpsection of the company’s bakery product manufacturing facility revealed significant labeling violations.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns JJ Cake & Pastry, Corp. (Cidra, PR) that a January-February 2011 inspection of the company’s food manufacturing facility revealed serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Food (CGMP) regulations.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Musco Foods Corporation (Maspeth, NY) that a March-April 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing and importer establishment revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation, and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Seoul Trading Corporation (ON) recalls Haioreum Roasted Hot Pepper Paste (500g; Code 2012.03.10), due to the presence of undeclared sesame seeds and soy.
  • Allergy Alert: Dai Jung Distributing recalls Lee Lemon Grass from Fresh Stems (200g; all codes) due to the presence of undeclared sulphites.
  • Food Safety Recall: Nostrano Inc. recalls Nostrano Cooked Mild Capicollo (variable weight; Lot L20708), due to contamination with Listeria.
  • Food Safety Recall: Ocean Food Company Ltd. (Toronto, ON) recalls a number of Ocean Food brand surimi-based products (Best before dates up to and including October 18, 2011; please navigate to recall notice for list of affected products), because they may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum. Also recalled is Ocean Food Chikuwa – Fish Cake (125g; Best before dates up to and including August 29, 2011).
  • Food Recall: Nestle Canada Inc. recalls Stouffer’s Bistro Stuffed Crust Pepperoni Pizzeria, incorrectly labelled as “Stuffed Crust 3 Cheese Pizzeria” (210g; Code #1007 5446 17A 99), due to incorrect labeling.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (UK): Dove Farm Foods Limited withdraws Doves Farm Chocolate Chip Cookies with dark chocolate chips (150g; Batch code 1080; Best before 21/09/11), because the product has been found to contain undeclared milk.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Hilton Foods A/S Denmark recalls Minced pork 9-15% (600g; Batch #400107304B; Produced 11/8/2011/ Best before 19/8/2011) because Salmonella 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 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: July 22, 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 Recall: Buehler’s (Smith’s) recalls 2% Milk (1/2 gallon containers; Lot code July 27), because the milk may have oxidized. This is not a safety issue, according to Buehler’s.
  • FDA Enforcement Action: The US District Court for the Western District has granted FDA’s motion for summary judgment and entered an order of permanent injunction against Rhody Dairy, LLC and its owner, after Rhody Dairy failed to administer drugs to animals with adequate control measures, such as keeping complete records to ensure that animals are not over-medicated or sent to slaughter too soon after treatment with animal drugs. According to the ruling, these practices constitute “insanitary conditions” that may render food harmful to health under the Act. Legal action was taken after FDA investigators documented the farm’s unlawful practices during several inspections over the course of the past decade.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (France): Société Dumortier recalls Bouton d’Or chez Intermarché  Shallot Vinaigrette (Vinaigrette à Echalote), 500mL (Lot #L11126 S02; Best before 06/05/2012), due to the presence of undeclared mustard.
  • Food Safety Recall (UK): Sainsbury’s recalls Taste the Difference Melting Middle 2 Smoked Haddock with Cheddar and Leek Fishcakes ( Use by 14 July 2011), because the product may be contaminated with small pieces of metal.
  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert (Denmark): Romer Product recalls Romer Product Organic Tofu, 500g glass jar (Drained weight 200g; Best before 20/04-2014 and 10/05-2014), because the product may contain botulinum toxin.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): O. Kavli A/S recalls Sunsweet prunes (400g bag; Best before October 2012), because some of the prunes have fermented.
  • Food Safety Withdrawal (Norway): Nelson Garden withdraws Product Number 5665 Hot Mix Series Primo Vitamino seed mix for sprouting, because the seed mix contains fenugreek seeds that were imported from Egypt. The withdrawn seed mix was on the market since November 2010.
  • Outbreak Alert (UK): For the second time in a month, a ward at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry has been closed to new admissions due to an outbreak of Norovirus.
  • Outbreak Alert Update (France): The strain of E. coli O104:H4 that was behind the outbreak in Gironde (Bordeaux) has been determined to correspond genetically to the strain that was recovered during the German outbreak.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0988): Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning toxins in chilled mussels from the United Kingdom; distributed to France and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0990): Formetanate in peppers from Turkey; distributed to Germany.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0991): Salmonella in liquid egg protein from Austria; distributed to Austria and Croatia.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0992): Aflatoxins in mold-infested dried rice flour from India; distributed to Austria, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0993): Aflatoxins in sunflower seeds from Turkey; distributed to Germany and Turkey.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Notification (EU #2011.0994): Excessive caffeine in food supplement from the United States, via Sweden; distributed to Norway.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0995): Mercury in chilled little tunny from Greece; distributed to Italy.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Medical Device Safety Recall (Brazil): Incomepe Indústria de Materiais Cirúrgicos Ltda. recalls Protese Parcial de Quadril Tipo Thompson Incomepe/Thompson Type Partial Hip Implant (Lot 013 921; Models 3003900/Ø39; 3004100/Ø41; 3004300/Ø43; 3004500/Ø45; 3004700/Ø47; 3004900/Ø49; 3005100/Ø51; 3005300 / Ø53), after tests identify gaps in the quality of raw materials and the manufacturing process.

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.