Category: E. coli

Recalls and Alerts: July 13, 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 Alert: FDA warns consumers not to purchase or consume any products from the Mexicali Cheese Corp (Woodhaven, NY) after Listeria monocytogenes was found in finished product samples. Under a May 1, 2012, consent decree of permanent injunction, Mexicali Cheese was required by a court order to stop manufacturing and distributing any articles of food until it completed FDA-approved measures to correct food safety deficiencies, decontaminate its facility and take other steps needed to comply with the law. The company did not comply with these requirements.
  • Food Safety Recall: Valley Fine Foods Company, Inc. recalls Signature Café Spaghetti & Meatballs (30-oz/850g microwaveable tray; UPC 0-21130-06875-3; Use Components By dates of Jun 30 12, Jul 01 12, Jul 05 12, Jul 07 12, Jul 08 12, Jul 11 12, Jul 14 12, Jul 18 12, Jul 19 12, Jul 21 12, Jul 25 12, Jul 27 12, Jul 28 12, Aug 01 12, Aug 05 12, Aug 07 12, Aug 08 12 and Aug 11 12), because the product contains meatballs supplied by Buona Vita, Inc. (Bridgeton, NJ) and may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled product was sold in the refrigerated deli area from May 26, 2012 through July 9, 2012 exclusively at Safeway and Safeway-owned stores throughout the U.S., including Carrs, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Pak ‘N Save, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Vons.
  • Food Safety Alert (Rhode Island): The Rhode Island Department of Health advises consumers not to eat any bakery products purchased at Bristol Bakery or any products that may have originated at the facility after multiple violations were found during an inspection of the establishment by inspectors from the Office of Food Protection. Bristol Bakery has been ordered to remain closed until such time as the facility passes a re-inspection and is approved to reopen.
  • Food Safety/Outbreak Alert: The Rhode Island Department of Health advises food establishments to avoid using or selling any shellfish harvested from areas in the Town of Oyster Bay (NY), due to an illness outbreak caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus in the shellfish. Three people who ate raw or partially cooked shellfish in Nassau County became ill; an additional five illnesses were reported by three other states that received shellfish harvested in Oyster Bay.
  • Outbreak Alert (Wisconsin): Food Safety News reports that at least 200 people contracted Norovirus after swimming in Lake Wazee (Wisconsin) on July 4th. One child was hospitalized.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Costco Wholesale Canada recalls Lilydale Chicken Whole Chicken Fryer (Best before July 21st, 2012), Lilydate Chicken Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (Best before July 21st, 2012) and Lilydale Chicken Split Tip Removed Chicken Wings (Best before July 20th, 2012), due to a possible temperature abuse issue. The affected products were sold only at the Rocky View (Alberta) Costco Wholesale warehouse.
  • Food Safety Recall: Henlong Market recalls Chining Boiled White Nuts – Gingko (397g; Best before 30-06-2013; Code 3200/01023 926; UPC 6 901383 002060), due to an unspecified microbiological issue. The recalled product was sold in British Columbia.

Europe

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Australia and New Zealand

  • Personal Care Product Safety Recall (Australia): Essential Image recalls Take-home Teeth Whitening Kit (no identifying numbers or markings), because the product contains concentrations of hydrogen peroxide in excess of the recognized safe limit of 6%. The recalled product was sold nationally directly to consumers via the Essential Image website.

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 10, 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 Update: Frozen desserts recalled by Arctic Zero Inc. (Escondido, CA) due to the presence of undeclared milk allergen were sold nationwide at Whole Foods, Publix, Sprouts, Winn Dixie, and independent Natural and Grocery Stores, including Giant Food Stores.
  • Food Supplement Safety Recall: Sedona Labs recalls iFlora® Kids Multi-Probiotic® (UPC 6 48575 01013 2; Lot #1074711, 1479611, 1640811, & 1734411 and UPC 6 48575 01014 9; Lot #1595811 & 2089411), because Sedona’s supplier of Galactooligosaccharide has recalled the ingredient due to a Salmonella contamination. The recalled product was distributed between 3/16/2011 and 5/3/2012 throughout the US to health food stores and internet retailers and sold via health care professionals.
  • Food Safety Recall: Carl Rittberger Sr., Inc. (Zanesville, OH) recalls Spiced Loaf, Breakfast Loaf, Garlic Bologna, German Brand Bologna, Wieners, Grillers, Kielbasa, Straight HB Roll, and Natural Casing Wieners (5 to 6 lb wholesale packages; code dates 26 and 27; purchased after 06/25/2012 through 07/06/2012) and Wieners, Natural Casing Wieners, Grillers, Straight HB Roll and Kielbasa (retail packages purchased after 6/25/2012), because the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
  • Food Safety Recall: Combs Produce (Dallas, TX) recalls Cross Valley Farms and Packer Label whole tomatoes (Lots53886701 & 53892701; distributed to two US Foods distribution centers in Texas between June 27th and July 7th, 2012) because the equipment has tested positive for E. coli.
  • Food Safety Recall Update: Hannaford Supermarkets recalls Homestyle Meatballs with Sauce (sold by the pound in the deli department), Meatball Panini – cold (UPC 941260723096) and Meatball Panini – hot (UPC 94126072102), because the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The three items were among a number of frozen, ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that were recalled by Buona Vita Inc. (Bridgeton, NJ), after testing by the Ohio Department of Agriculture and USDA found Listeria monocytogenes.
  • Outbreak Alert Update (Ohio): Five people who attended a July 3rd picnic at Neff’s Lawn Care in Germantown, OH are confirmed to be infected with E. coli O157:H7, according to Marler Blog. At least 36 attendees at the picnic have become ill; 9 were hospitalized.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns New Rich City Company (Philadelphia, PA) that a June 2012 inspection of the company’s multiple food warehouse documented significant violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations for foods, including the presence of rodent excreta pellets, rodent urine stains, live insects, dead insects, avian excreta, live animals, animal excreta/urine, animal food and animal hair.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns HPC Foods, Ltd. (Honolulu, HI) that a March 2012 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facilities found 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 Riverfront Egg Robbers, Inc. (Biscoe, AR) that a January 2012 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Freshwater Fish Products, Inc. (Bradford, AR) that a February 2012 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.

Canada

  • Outbreak Alert (New Brunswick): New Brunswick public health officials have confirmed four cases of E. coli O157:H7 in the Fredericton area, according to a CBC report. Three of the victims were hospitalized. Lab tests are underway to determine whether all four victims were infected with the same strain of E. coli O157:H7. These same tests will reveal whether there is any connection between the Fredericton outbreak and the recent outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in Miramichi.

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Outbreak Alert Update (Cuba): The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is monitoring the cholera situation in Cuba, including media reports that the disease has spread beyond Manzanillo to other cities, including Havana. As of July 3rd, the Cuban Ministry of Health confirmed 53 cases of Vibrio cholerae in Manzanillo, including 3 deaths.

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 9, 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 (Update): Frozen desserts recalled by Arctic Zero Inc. (Escondido, CA) due to the presence of undeclared milk allergen were sold in Whole Foods Market stores.
  • Food Safety Recall (Update): Some of the frozen, ready-to-eat meat and poultry products recalled by Buona Vita Inc (Bridgeton, NJ) due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes were sold at Buehler’s Fresh Foods (DiRusso’s Beef Meatballs – 10#; 1 oz meatballs; UPC 5397591615), Walmart and Sam’s Club stores.
  • Food Safety Alert (Oregon): The Oregon Department of Agriculture announces the closure of recreational mussel harvesting from Tillamook Head south to Heceta Head, about 13 miles north of Florence in Lane County on the central Oregon Coast, due to elevated levels of paralytic shellfish toxins.
  • Outbreak Alert (Ohio): At least 10 people have been infected with E. coli after eating at a picnic in Germantown, OH. Six people are hospitalized.
  • Outbreak Alert (California): Santa Barbara County Public Health is investigating an outbreak of norovirus among more than 12 guests, visitors and employees at the Alisal Guest Ranch in Santa Ynez Valley, California.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): RAW.BITE recalls Rawbite Coconut, Organic Fruit and Nut Bar (50g; Best before 17/10-2012, 25/10-2012, 23/11-2012 and 21/12-2012), due to growth of yeast in the bars. The recalled bars were sold in 7-Eleven stores.
  • Food Safety Recall (Germany): Maria Gries Landwirtschaft Grebehof (Löhnberg) recalls Bio Eier vom Grebehof/Grebehof Organic Eggs (6-packs and 10-packs; Expiry dates 25/07/2012 and 31/07/2012; Egg code stamp 0-DE-0660-391 to -394), because the eggs contain more than the permitted levels of dioxins and di-PCBs.
  • Personal Care Product Safety Recall (France): Laboratoires Pierre Fabre Médicament recalls Eludril Mouthwash Solution (0,5 ml/0,5g per 100ml; Lot G99001; Expiry 01/2015), due to breaches of Good Manufacturing Practices for chlorhexidine digluconate, the active ingredient in the mouthwash.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2012.0947): Undeclared milk ingredient in candies from Slovakia; distributed to Slovenia.
  • Pet Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0948): Salmonella corvallis in dog chews from Brazil, via the Netherlands; distributed to Germany.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0949): High content of beta-asarone in food supplements from the United Kingdom; distributed to Germany.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0950): Excessive Escherichia coli in big clams from Italy; distributed to Italy and Spain.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0951): Salmonella in rooibos tea from Poland; distributed to the Czech Republic and Poland.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Outbreak Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Health Protection is investigating a cluster of 15 cases of bacillary dysentery due to Shigella flexneri. The victims were part of a 32-person tour group that travelled from Hong Kong to Cambodia June 13th to 17th.
  • Outbreak Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Health Protection is investigating three food poisoning outbreak clusters involving eight people, all of whom ate in a restaurant in the Eastern District on June 28th (six persons) and July 5th (two persons).

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Outbreak Alert Update (Cuba): BBC reports that a patient has been diagnosed with cholera in Havana.

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.