Category: Cryptosporidium

Recalls and Alerts: February 16, 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

  • Food Safety Recall: Nuts & Spice Co. (Union City, CA) recalls HB Rewari Gur-Flat Jaggery Candy (28 oz; Product of India; All date codes), due to unacceptable levels of lead. The recalled candy was distributed to retail facilities in Northern California.
  • Food Safety Recall: The Chili Station (Ludlow, MA) recalls The Chili Station Beef Chili with Beans (5-gal containers and 1-gal bags; Est. 6380 or P-6380) and The Chili Station Beef Chili with Beans and/or Turkey Chili (5-gal containers and 1-gal bags; Est. 6380 or P-6380), because they may have been produced without the benefit of federal inspection. The recalled products were sold in Massachusetts.
  • Outbreak Alert: Officials at George Washington University (Washington, DC) report that about 85 students have been infected with norovirus in the last week. No common link was found.
  • Outbreak Alert Update: The Campylobacter raw milk outbreak associated with The Family Cow dairy in Pennsylvania has sickened 77 people in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Les Viandes CDS Inc. recalls Bégin Frozen Pepperoni (2.78 kg; Code #35111), due to contamination with metal particles. The recalled product was distributed to hotels, restaurants, and/or institutions in Québec.
  • Health Alert: Health Canada advises Canadians of a possible association between the use of prescription stomach antacids (proton pump inhibitors) and an increased risk of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. While healthy adults are not typically vulnerable to C. difficile infections, the risk of infection increases with advanced age, severe underlying illness, hospitalization, or antibiotic use.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert: Auchan recalls Auchan Oriental Taboulé (400g, 600g, and promotional 400g + 200g free; Best before 15/02/12), due to the presence of undeclared seafood.
  • Allergy Alert: ERUs Kasewerk Sangerhausen GmbH recalls ERUs Cream Cheese Exquisito – Indian Spices, due to the presence of undeclared mustard and celery.
  • Food Safety Recall: Fiskerikajen ApS recalls Spéciale écaille d’argent 96 No. 3 Oysters (Lot #12034EC3, 12046EC3 and 12056EC3; Production dates 18/1-2012, 27/1-2012, and 3/2-2012, respectively), due to norovirus contamination.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Outbreak Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Health Protection is investigating a food poisoning outbreak that has sickened 50 students, who complained of abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and nausea approximately 1 to 20 hours after having lunch in a primary school in Tuen Mun on February 14th.

Australia and New Zealand

  • OTC Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (Australia): Integria Healthcare Australia Pty Ltd. recalls Greenridge Gastrocalm Liquid (200ml bottle; Batch #5972; Expiry 08/14) and Greenridge Triplex Liquid (200ml bottle; Batch No. 6797; Expiry 08/14), because the affected bottles have been mislabelled.
  • Outbreak Alert (Australia): Central Queensland Public Health Unit warns of a recent rise in the number of cases of Cryptosporidium infections across the region. Twenty-six cases have been reported so far in 2012, versus the usual number of 25-30 cases for an entire year.

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: February 6, 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:  Allied Imports Inc. (Brooklyn, NY) recalls Dried Potato (12-oz/340g plastic bag; UPC 6 43719 12507 9; Product of China; No lot/date codes), due to the presence high levels of undeclared sulfites. The product was distributed in the immediate New York City area.
  • Medical/Surgical Kit Safety Recall Update: North American Rescue, LLC (Greer, SC) recalls NAR Surgical Crichothyroidotomy Kit – Crickit® – due to the potential contamination with the bacterium Elizabethkingia meningoseptica of the povidone iodine prep pads, manufactured by Triad Group. This is a follow up to the recall initiated on May 5, 2011 by North American Rescue. The Crickit® Kit also may be found inside the NAR Medic Trauma Pack Kit, available in 4 colors. The recalled kits were distributed from 4/30/09 to 4/22/11 in the USA, Switzerland, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Austria, Norway, England, Estonia, Japan, South Africa and Canada.
  • Outbreak Alert (Cruise Ship): 142 passengers and 8 crew members on board the P & O Cruises ship Aurora developed norovirus gastroenteritis while on a voyage that  began on January 4, 2012 and terminated in San Francisco on January 26, 2012.
  • Outbreak Alert (Cruise Ship): 248 passengers and 11 crew members on board the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line ship Voyager of the Seas developed symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea while on a voyage that began on January 28, 2012 and terminated in New Orleans on February 4th. The causative agent has not yet been identified.
  • Outbreak Alert (Cruise Ship): 364 (or more) passengers and 32 crew members on board the Princess Cruises ship Crown Princess developed symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea while on a voyage that began on January 28, 2012 and terminated in Ft. Lauderdale on February 4th. The causative agent has not yet been identified.
  • Outbreak Alert (Update): The Pierre, South Dakota outbreak linked to the Pierre-Mitchell high school boys’ basketball game held on January 31st was due to Clostridium perfringens food poisoning, according to a news release issued today by the South Dakota Department of Health. Questionnaires completed voluntarily by outbreak victims strongly implicated tacos as the source of the illnesses that struck approximately 50 people.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Veggie Favour Food Store recalls Veggie Favour brand Veggie Large Shrimp Style Soy Product (300g; No lot/date codes), due to the presence of undeclared wheat. The recalled product was sold in British Columbia.
  • Food Safety Recall: Milford Bay Trout Farm Inc. (Bracebridge, ON) recalls Milford Bay Trout Farm Inc. Smoked Trout Filet (variable weight vacuum packages; Best before February 9, 2012 and February 10, 2012; Lot code 30644-1), because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled smoked trout filets were distributed in Ontario.
  • Food Safety Recall: Livno Meats (Hornby, ON) recalls Livno Meats Dry Sausage (200g vacuum package; Batch #4; Packed on DE/11/28 OR packed in plastic bag per customer order and sold from December 28, 2011 through January 21, 2012), due to possible contamination with Salmonella. The recalled sausage was sold only from the Livno Meats retail store in Hornby, ON.
  • Medical/Surgical Kit Safety Recall Update: North American Rescue, LLC (Greer, SC) recalls NAR Surgical Crichothyroidotomy Kit – Crickit® – due to the potential contamination with the bacterium Elizabethkingia meningoseptica of the povidone iodine prep pads, manufactured by Triad Group. This is a follow up to the recall initiated on May 5, 2011 by North American Rescue. The Crickit® Kit also may be found inside the NAR Medic Trauma Pack Kit, available in 4 colors. The recalled kits were distributed from 4/30/09 to 4/22/11 in the USA, Switzerland, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Austria, Norway, England, Estonia, Japan, South Africa and Canada.
  • Consumer Product Safety Recall: Abond Corporation (Lachine, QC) recalls Honey Bunny Infant Terry Bib with Pocket (Manufactured in China; Style #BB52; UPC 773299000524), because the front pocket and the back lining of the bib contain phthalates in excess of the allowable limit.
  • Consumer Product Safety Recall: Tech4Kids Inc. (Mississauga, ON) recalls Splat Shot – Marvel Spider Sense Spiderman, Splat Ball – Marvel Spider Sense Spiderman, and Splat Shot Disc – Marvel Spider Sense Spiderman, because the product contains the toxic substance, bronopol. The recalled toys were manufactured by JS Vision Ltd./Miracle Toys Ltd, Kowloon, Hong Kong and sold in Canada from November 2010 to January 2012.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Netherlands): Culina Foods bvba recalls Dress It Up Mustard/Dill Dressing (Expiration dates 17/02/2012, 09/04/2012 and 21/05/2012), because a production error occurred which may result in fermentation in the bottle, causing the bottle cap to blow off.
  • Food Safety Recall (Sweden): ICA recalls ICA Minced Beef (1600g and 2500g; Product of Ireland; Use by dates of February 6 and 7 and of February 5 and 6, respectively), after routine testing discovered Salmonella in the products.
  • Food Safety Recall (Switzerland): Migros recalls five Cornatur Quorn brand products, because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products were available for sale since January 2012. Please refer to the recall notice for full details.
  • Food Safety Recall (Germany): Dr. August Oetker KG Foods recalls Chopped Hazelnuts (100g; Best before 01/2013; Batch #1:13-L002-L003), due to contamination with metal filament fragments.
  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (Spain): Ferrer Farma, S.A. recalls Etoposido Ferrer Farma 20mg/ml Solution for Injection (1 vial of 200mg/10mL; Lot 96883306; Expiry 01/2014; Manufactured by EBEWE Pharma GmbH NFg. KG of Austria), because of a defect in the capsule seal in certain vials.
  • Medical/Surgical Kit Safety Recall Update: North American Rescue, LLC (Greer, SC) recalls NAR Surgical Crichothyroidotomy Kit – Crickit® – due to the potential contamination with the bacterium Elizabethkingia meningoseptica of the povidone iodine prep pads, manufactured by Triad Group. This is a follow up to the recall initiated on May 5, 2011 by North American Rescue. The Crickit® Kit also may be found inside the NAR Medic Trauma Pack Kit, available in 4 colors. The recalled kits were distributed from 4/30/09 to 4/22/11 in the USA, Switzerland, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Austria, Norway, England, Estonia, Japan, South Africa and Canada.
  • Outbreak Alert (Russia): Fifteen young gymnasts returning from a sporting event in Bratsk (Irkutsk region) developed food poisoning symptoms during their journey. The children were hospitalized for observation.
  • Food Safety Notification/Outbreak Alert (EU #2012.0178): Foodborne outbreak suspected to be caused by watermelon from Brazil; distributed to Ireland and the United Kingdom.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2012.0186): Hazelnut traces in chocolate paste from Belgium; distributed to Belgium and the Netherlands.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0187): Aflatoxins in organic broken white rice from Pakistan; distributed to Belgium.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Food Safety urges the public not to consume Shinshu Enokitake Gold-Needle Mushrooms (100g and 200g; Production date February 1 and 2, 2012; Produced by JA Kitashinshu Miyuki, Nagano Prefecture, Japan), because the products may contain glass fragments.
  • Chinese Herbal Medicine Safety Alert (Hong Kong): The Department of Health warns the public to stop using Flos Campsis, purchased from Cheong Kee Medicine Co in Yen Chow Street, Sham Shui Po, because the product may be mislabeled.
  • Illegal Health Product Safety Alert (Singapore): The Singapore Health Sciences Authority alters the public to a series of serious adverse health events related to the consumption of illegal sexual enhancement health products.
  • Medical/Surgical Kit Safety Recall Update: North American Rescue, LLC (Greer, SC) recalls NAR Surgical Crichothyroidotomy Kit – Crickit® – due to the potential contamination with the bacterium Elizabethkingia meningoseptica of the povidone iodine prep pads, manufactured by Triad Group. This is a follow up to the recall initiated on May 5, 2011 by North American Rescue. The Crickit® Kit also may be found inside the NAR Medic Trauma Pack Kit, available in 4 colors. The recalled kits were distributed from 4/30/09 to 4/22/11 in the USA, Switzerland, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Austria, Norway, England, Estonia, Japan, South Africa and Canada.
  • Outbreak Alert (Algeria): Seventy-four cases of hepatitis A have been confirmed during January 2012 in Constantine. Most of the victims are school children.
  • Outbreak Alert (Congo DR): Twenty-three cholera cases, including two deaths, have been reported in Kasindi-Lubiriya since the beginning of 2012.
  • Outbreak Alert (India): More than 70 people were rushed to hospital with symptoms of food poisoning after attending a wedding function in Shamli town (Prabhudhnanag). All are reported to be in stable condition.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Outbreak Alert (Australia): Queensland Health is warning the public about an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis, a highly contagious parasitic disease that is a cause of acute diarrhea, especially in young children. Fifty-one lab-confirmed cases have been reported in the past month; in a typical year, fewer than 20 cases are seen.
  • Boil Water Alert (Australia): Residents along some parts of the New South Wales Central Coast have been advised to boil their drinking water after E. coli was found in the water supply.

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.

Recalls and Alerts: April 19, 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

  • Allergy Alert: Cinderella Sweets recalls Cindy’s Scrumptious Chocolate Chip Pound Cake, 16 oz., due to the presence of undeclared egg. Due to a labeling error, the product packaging indicates “Egg Free” but eggs are listed on the ingredient statement.
  • Allergy Alert: S&M (USA) Enterprise Corp recalls Rain Swiss Roll, Banana Flavor (160g uncoded cardboard box; Product of China), because the product contains undeclared eggs. The recalled product was distributed nationwide.
  • Food Safety Recall: Charcuterie La Tour Eiffel (Montreal, Canada) recalls all Summersweet seafood mousses and dips after samples from two lot codes of Salmon & Spinach Mouse were found to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled mousses and dips (see FDA recall notice for product list) were sold in retail outlets in New York, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida, California and Texas, including in Ralphs supermarkets. The manufacturer has suspended production pending the outcome of an investigation into the source of the contamination.
  • Food Safety Recall: Royal Sweet Bakery, Inc. (Brooklyn, NY) recalls Herring in Vegetable Oil Filling, after the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets determined that the fish was improperly eviscerated prior to processing and may, therefore, be contaminated with spores of Clostridium botulinum.
  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Investigation Update: As of April 18th, The Rhode Island Department of Health has identified 79 confirmed and suspect cases of salmonellosis linked to baked goods from De Fusco’s Bakery in Johnston, RI. Forty-eight cases were lab-confirmed; 30 people were hospitalized, and there have been two Salmonella-associated deaths.
  • Salmonella Outbreak Investigation Update: During the past two years (beginning April 9, 2009), 216 Salmonella illnesses have been confirmed in 41 states as a result of contact with water frogs, especially African dwarf frogs. The outbreak victims were infected with a strain of Salmonella Typhimurium that has been traced to a single African dwarf frog breeding facility in California. The outbreak strain also was recovered from a water sample collected in March 2011 from an aquarium containing African dwarf frogs in the household of a sick infant. Approximately 30% of the outbreak victims were hospitalized as a result of the infection.
  • Food Safety Alert: A retail-level survey of 100 samples of raw chicken (including whole fryers and packages of chicken parts) sold in Fred Meyer, Safeway, QFC, Whole Foods, Costco, Sam’s Club, Albertsons, Thriftway, PCC Natural Markets and Ken’s Market stores in the Seattle area from March 1st to April 4th revealed the presence of Staphylococcus aureus (42 samples), Campylobacter (65 samples), Salmonella (19 samples), Listeria (1 sample) and E. coli O126 (1 sample). Ten of the samples were contaminated with a methicillin-resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus.
  • Recreational Water Advisory Update (Oregon): A heath advisory for contact with marine water at Seaside Beach in Clatsop County, Oregon was lifted after further testing showed that fecal bacteria levels have subsided at the beach.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Brinkman Turkey Farms, Inc. (Findlay, OH) that a January/February 2011 inspection of the company’s low-acid canned food manufacturing facility revealed significant deviations from the Low-Acid Canned Food regulations.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Schindler’s Broad Run Cheese House, Inc. (Dover, OH) that a series of inspections carried out between September 2010 and December 2010 revealed serious deviations from Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) in Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Hocean Food Corporation (Los Angeles,  CA) that a November/December 2010 inspection of the company’s rice noodle processing establishment 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 Delta Airlines, Inc. (Atlanta, GA) that an inspection of a Delta aircraft in Atlanta uncovered the presence of rodent excreta pellets and mammalian urine at various locations the aircraft.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Omega Nutriton U.S.A., Inc. (Bellingham, WA) that a December 2010 inspection of the company’s dietary supplement manufacturing facility revealed serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations for Dietary Supplements.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Aliments Trigone Inc. recalls Les Moissonneries du Pays brand Green Buckwheat Flour Stone Ground Finely Milled (1 kg., Code 349642), due to the presence of undeclared gluten. The recalled product was distributed in the province of Québec.
  • Allergy Alert: Armstrong Food Service recalls Roast Beef (Product code 123790; Best Before dates up to and including 21/04/11), Shaved Roast Beef (Product code 124804; Best Before dates up to and including 21/04/11), and Thin Sliced Shaved Roast Beef (Product code 124802; Best Before dates up to and including 21/04/11) due to the presence of undeclared soy. The recalled products were distributed to hotels, restaurants and institutional customers in Nova Scotia., Shaved
  • Health Product Recall: Mary Ginseng House recalls Mary Ginseng House 100% Pure High Calibre Pow Sum Ontario Genseng after Health Canada’s testing revealed the presence of Klebsiella oxytoca, Pantoea sp. and Enterobacter cloacae in product samples. These bacteria can cause serious infection in an individual whose immune system has been weakened by another illness or chronic condition.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Galati Cheese Company Ltd. (Windsor, ON) that a January 2011 inspection of the company’s cheese manufacturing facility revealed a serious violation of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food, in that the company failed to store and transport finished food under conditions that will protect the food against physical, chemical, and microbial contamination.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (UK): Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC recalls Morrisons Fresh Ideas Mini Chicken Roast, 411g (Use by 22 April 2011), Morrisons 6 Carrot Cake Slices (Best before 11 May 2011), and Morrisons The Best Prawn & Smoked Salmon Cocktail, 140g (Use by 20 April 2011), due to the presence of undeclared allergens.
  • Petting Farm Outbreak Investigation (Wales, UK): Public Health Wales is investigating an outbreak of Cryptosporidium in an unspecified number of people who fell ill over the past twelve months following farm and “lamb petting” events at Erddig Hall.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Enforcement Action (Abu Dhabi): Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority has ordered the closure of Al Tazaj Fakieh Grilled Chicken (License No. 1043939), a restaurant at the Hamdan Centre building on Hamdan Bin Mohamed Street, for repeated violation of food safety rules.
  • Food Safety Enforcement Action (China): Food quality inspectors raided steamed bun producers in Zhejiang Province, and found tens of thousands of buns containing banned dyes and other chemicals sold to local schools.
  • Chinese Medicine Safety Recall (Hong Kong): Lai Sing Medicine Factory Limited recalls Prolonged Man Power Essence, as its lead level exceeds the permitted limit.
  • Chinese Medicine Safety Recall (Hong Kong): Lee Sze Trading Co. recalls Lee Sze Texiao Houtong Wan, as its arsenic level exceeds the permitted limit.

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.