Category: dairy

Recall Roundup: January 29, 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: Keebler® (Battle Creek, MI) recalls Fudge Shoppe® Jumbo Fudge Sticks (8-count cartons; UPC 3010053332; Lot code AS 07 27 1A), sold at convenience stores, because the packages contain Jumbo Peanut Butter Sticks; peanuts are not declared on the carton label.
  • Allergy Alert: Publix Super Markets recalls Publix Premium Light Tiramisu Ice Cream (UPC 41415-13343; Lot code Sep 12 2011 B7 PLT 12-444), because the ice cream contains undeclared almonds, due to a packaging error. The recalled ice cream was available in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee.
  • Allergy Alert: Nina Mia, Inc. (Fullerton, CA) recalls Pasta Mia Veal Ravioli Gastronomica (6-lb case; Est. No. 20314; Produced from Feb 11, 2010 to Sept 24, 2010), because the products contain undeclared soy. The recalled ravioli products were shipped to food service establishments in California.
  • Food Safety Recall Update: The Hawaii State Department of Health issues a revised list of recalled products manufactured by First Commercial Kitchen LLC. The products identified on the list may have been manufactured under inadequate control measures and pose a potential health risk if consumed. First Commercial Kitchen LLC has requested a hearing to contest the State’s issuance of a Notice of Permit Suspension and Order to Cease and Desist.
  • Food Safety Recall Update: Circle City Marketing and Distributing, d.b.a. Candy Dynamics (Indianapolis, IN) recalls all flavors and lots of Toxic Waste® brand Nuclear Sludge products, 0.3 oz/8g size, because some of the product contains elevated levels of lead that surpass the FDA limit. The recalled Nuclear Sludge® products were distributed in the USA, Canada, Guatemala, Ireland, Jordan, Korea, Mexico and El Salvador.
  • Food Safety Alert: The California Department of Public Health warns the public not to consume certain fresh cilantro distributed by Tanimura & Antle (Salinas, CA), because the cilantro may be contaminated with Salmonella. The implicated cilantro was sold at retail locations in California from January 14 through January 28th, in bunches containing a white twist-tie printed with blue lettering containing the words “Produce of USA, Cilantro #4889.
  • Food Safety Recall: Bavan Food Company recalls Bavan brand Santra Goli and Bavan brand Khati Mithi Goli candies after the California Department of Public Health finds unacceptable levels of lead in the products.
  • Pet Food Safety Recall: Merrick Pet Care, Inc. (Amarillo, TX) recalls Jr. Texas Taffy pet treats (Item #27077; UPC #02280827077; All lots up to and including 10364), because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled pet treats were shipped to distributors and retailers throughout the United States.
  • Animal Feed Safety Recall: Manna Pro Products, LLC recalls Family Farm Complete Horse 10 horse feed (40-lb bags; Lot 1006; UPC 0 95668 90151 6), because the feed may contain monensin sodium, a medication that can be fatal to horses if fed at sufficiently high levels. The recalled batch of feed was distributed January 11, 2011 through January 21, 2011 to retailers in California, Nevada and Oregon.
  • Food Recall/Withdrawal: Food City advises its customers that Food Club Premium Self-Rising Flour (8-lb bag) has been recalled/withdrawn.
  • Alcohol Prep Pad/Swab Recall Update: GlaxoSmithKline advises that patients using Arixtra Starter Kits titled “Looking Ahead with ARIXTRA” should immediately discontinue using the Triad alcohol prep pads included in the kits. Instead, patients should use alcohol prep pads from another manufacturer or use a sterile gauze pad moistened with 70% isopropyl alcohol.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Canadian Food Inspection Agency warns the public that Wally & Molly Salt Water Taffy (190g packages; UPC 6 28162 81013 0) has been recalled by the importer because it contains undeclared peanuts. The recalled candy was distributed across Canada.
  • Allergy Alert: Marché Richelieu (Longueuil, QC) recalls Salade de patates Mérite and Salade de macaroni, because the salads may contain several undeclared allergens, including milk, fish, shellfish, nuts, and sesame seeds.
  • Food Safety Recall (Update): Circle City Marketing and Distributing, d.b.a. Candy Dynamics (Indianapolis, IN) recalls all Toxic Waste® brand Nuclear Sludge® products (all flavours; Product of Pakistan), because the candy may contain lead in excess of the permitted levels.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Recall: True North Nutrition (the importer and distributor) has been asked by Health Canada to recall Nutrex Research Lipo 6X, because it contains caffeine and synephrine. These ingredients may cause serious adverse reactions in some individuals.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall Update (Ireland): Circle City Marketing and Distributing, d.b.a. Candy Dynamics (Indianapolis, IN) recalls all flavors and lots ofToxic Waste® brand Nuclear Sludge products, 0.3 oz/8g size, because some of the product contains elevated levels of lead that surpass the FDA limit. The recalled Nuclear Sludge® products were distributed in the USA, Canada, Guatemala, Ireland, Jordan, Korea, Mexico and El Salvador.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0103): Unauthorized substance morpholine in lemons from Turkey; distributed to Greece.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2011.0104): Prohibited substance chloramphenicol in vitamins for feed from China; distributed to Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Russian Federation and Sweden.
  • Pet Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0105): Salmonella and high count of Enterobacteriaceae in dog chew from Thailand; distributed to the Netherlands.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0106 and #2011.0109): Diazinon in tajerleaf from the Dominican Republic; distributed to the Netherlands.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0107): Methomyl in fresh papaya from Thailand; distributed to the Netherlands.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0108): Carbendazim in papaya from the Dominican Republic; distributed to the Netherlands.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0110): Wires in starches from Germany; distributed to Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0111): Prohibited substance chloramphenicol in frozen shrimps from India; distributed to Italy.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Recall Update: Circle City Marketing and Distributing, d.b.a. Candy Dynamics (Indianapolis, IN) recalls all flavors and lots ofToxic Waste® brand Nuclear Sludge products, 0.3 oz/8g size, because some of the product contains elevated levels of lead that surpass the FDA limit. The recalled Nuclear Sludge® products were distributed in the USA, Canada, Guatemala, Ireland, Jordan, Korea, Mexico and El Salvador.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Food Safety Recall (New Zealand): Biofarm Products recalls its Bush Honey Yoghurt (1-litre containers; Best before March 5) after lab tests detect E. coli.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Food Safety Recall Update: Circle City Marketing and Distributing, d.b.a. Candy Dynamics (Indianapolis, IN) recalls all flavors and lots ofToxic Waste® brand Nuclear Sludge products, 0.3 oz/8g size, because some of the product contains elevated levels of lead that surpass the FDA limit. The recalled Nuclear Sludge® products were distributed in the USA, Canada, Guatemala, Ireland, Jordan, Korea, Mexico and El Salvador.

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 20, 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: Barrel O’ Fun Snack Foods Co (Perham, MN) recalls Valu Time Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips, 5 oz (all “best by” dates before 05 MAY 2011), because the product contains undeclared milk protein. The recalled product was sold through distribution centers in Virginia, Nebraska and Kansas for distribution to retail grocery stores throughout the USA.
  • Allergy Alert: Rich Products Corporation (Buffalo, NY) recalls Sonny’s Barbecue Deep Deveined Shrimp (product code 80692), because the product contains undeclared whey in the coating of the shrimp. The recalled shrimp was sold to foodservice distributors in the Southeastern United States for exclusive use by Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q restaurants.
  • Food Safety Recall: United Food Group, LLC (Vernon, CA) recalls approximately 7,875 pounds of ready-to-eat Angus Beef patties that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
  • Food Safety Recall: FingerLakes Farms LLC (Plant #36-1131) recalls Ithaca Milk Company Lowfat Milk and Ithaca Milk Company Cream on Top Whole Milk (quart, half-gallon and gallon sizes of plastic containers; SELL BY 013111), because the milk was improperly pasteurized. The recalled milk was distributed in the Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Finger Lakes regions of New York State.
Canada
  • Allergy Alert: Thrifty Foods (Coquitlam, BC) recalls in-store baked Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, incorrectly labeled as Chocolate Chip Cookies (500g; Best before 11.JAN.25), because the cookies contain undeclared peanuts.
  • Food Safety Recall: Super Asia Food & Spices Ltd. (Woodbridge, ON) recalls Mehran brand Chilli Powder (Product of Pakistan; 200g and 400g size; Best Before April-2013), because the chilli powder may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled products were distributed in Ontario.
Europe
  • Food Safety Recall (UK): Oriental Merchant (Europe) Ltd. recalls Mas-River Fried Dace with Salted Black Beans, 184g (Product of Malaysia; Best before 30 April 2013), because the product contains high levels of histamine, and can cause scombrotoxin fish poisoning if eaten.
Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Allergy Alert (Taiwan): The China Post reports that health officials are suggesting consumers carefully wash daylily flowers when having hot pot, because about one-half of the samples tested by health officials in Taipei were found to have excess traces of sulphur dioxide.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Consumer Product Safety Recall (Australia): Clemnor Pty Ltd recalls Global Keratin Hair Taming System with Juvexin Light Wave (300mL and 1000mL) and Global Keratin Hair Taming System with Juvexin Curly (300mL and 1000mL), because the products contain free formaldehyde in excess of the allowable limit. The recalled items were sold for salon professional use across Australia.
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.

The Raw Milk Debate: Is There A Third Option?

Raw versus pasteurized versus . . . . .

We were reminded again last Friday of the risks that consumers face when they opt to drink raw milk.

The Michigan Department of Community Health issued a public health alert on March 19th, after eight confirmed cases of Campylobacter infections were reported among residents of three counties in the state. The victims of this outbreak had consumed raw milk obtained from the Family Farms Cooperative in Vandalia, Michigan. through a cow-share program.

Cow share programs are used in many US states and Canadian provinces as a means to sidestep prohibitions against the retail sale of raw milk for human consumption. Instead of purchasing raw milk directly, consumers “buy” part ownership in a cow’s – or a dairy herd’s – output.

Although some states – California, for example – have legalized and regulated the retail sale of raw milk, FDA does not permit interstate shipment for human consumption of unpasteurized milk for retail sale. As far as FDA is concerned, consuming raw milk is a risky business. These risks include Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter.

Why do some individuals insist on drinking raw milk – and serving it to their children – in spite of the microbiological risk? Mainly because of a concern that pasteurization, which requires heating the milk, destroys key nutrients present in raw milk and degrades the flavor of the fresh product.

What if there was a way to make raw milk microbiologically safe without heating it?

I’m not talking about irradiation. I’m not talking about adding chemicals. I’m not talking about adding “good” bacteria or bacteriophages to the milk.

I am referring to a process known as High Pressure Pasteurization (HPP). This technology is already in use in several sectors of the food industry. It has been applied to deli meats, fruit juices, deli salads, and produce. Recently, Nature’s Variety – a manufacturer of “raw” pet foods – announced that it had decided to incorporate HPP treatment into its manufacturing process in order to ensure the microbiological safety of its pet foods.

As far as I am aware, no dairies have adopted HPP as an alternative to conventional heat pasteurization for fluid milk. But a literature search turned up a smattering of tantalizing research studies. I would be surprised if the manufacturers of HPP equipment were not funding research into this application of their technology.

Perhaps, some day the raw milk versus pasteurized milk debate will become history – made obsolete by a new technology that doesn’t rely on either heat or irradiation.