Recalls and Alerts: January 20 – 23, 2019

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.

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United States

Allergy Alert: Perrigo Company, in coordination with The Kroger Company, recalls Simple Truth Organic Banana, Strawberry & Apple Fruit Puree with Nonfat Greek Yogurt (LOT L8159; best by 08/06/2019; Product of Spain) due to undeclared milk. The affected product was distributed to the Kroger Family of Stores located in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Food Safety Recall: Stino Da Napoli recalls approximately 11,392 pounds of various meat products that were produced, packed and distributed without the benefit of federal inspection. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were shipped to retail stores in Ohio.

Food Safety Recall: General Mills recalls Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose Flour (5-lb bags; Best if used by 20APR2020KC; UPC 000-16000-19610-0) due to possible Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Satur Farms recalls specific lot numbers of Baby Spinach and Mesclun due to possible Salmonella contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Pet Food Safety Alert: FDA cautions pet owners not to feed Hare Today Gone Tomorrow Ground Chicken/Bones/Organs (1-lb fine ground, 2-lb find ground, 3-lb coarse ground, 5-lb fine ground; Processing date 12.04.2018) due to Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Paradis Végétarien Inc. recalls Paradis Végétarien brand Veg-O-Mix Mushroom Chicken Flavour (350g and 18 (6 x 3) kg; All product codes) due to undeclared egg and milk. The recalled products were distributed to hotels, restaurants and institutional customers in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.

Food Safety Recall: Marché Carrier recalls Fèves au canard et à l’érable (500 mL glass jar; All product sold up to and including 23 January 2019) due to inadequate storage temperature that could render the product unsafe for consumption.

Food Safety Recall: Canada Herb recalls Canada Herb brand Red Chili (variable weight; All product sold up to and including January 20, 2019) due to Salmonella contamination. The recalled product was sold by retailers in Ontario.

Food Safety Recall: Hello Fresh Canada Inc. recalls the red chili ingredient included in certain Hello Fresh brand and Chefs Plate brand meal kits due to Salmonella contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were supplied to consumers in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec

Food Safety Recall: Veg-Pak recalls Veg-Pak brand Hot Peppers Red Thai and Longo’s brand Hot Red Thai Chili Peppers due to Salmonella contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected package sizes, product codes and UPCs, which were sold to consumers in Ontario and may have been distributed nationwide.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Industry recalls Piacelli Lemon juice concentrate (various package sizes) due to undeclared sulfites. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert (Finland): HKScan Finland Oy recalls HK Kabanossi Grillibalkania (400 g; Best before 2.2.2019) and Popsi Grillinakkia (300 g; Best before 2.2.2019) due to undeclared milk and soy.

Allergy Alert (France): Industry recalls Piacelli Lemon juice concentrate (various package sizes) due to undeclared sulfites. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert (France): Petit Choisi recalls Petit Choisi brand Strawberry Mini Fourrés (Lot #353 G1; Best before 20/06/2019) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (Iceland): Samkaup recalls Piacelli brand Lemon Juice concentrate and Piacelli brand Lime juice concentrate due to undeclared sulfites. Please refer to the recall notice for additional details on the recalled products.

Allergy Alert (Ireland): Industry recalls Piacelli Citrilemon Lemon Juice Concentrate (200 mL; Best before date 20/07/2020) due to undeclared sulfur dioxide.

Allergy Alert (Luxembourg): Industry recalls Piacelli Lemon juice concentrate (various package sizes) due to undeclared sulfites. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Finland): Lidl Suomi Ky recallsBergmann Bovine minced meat, 10% (1kg pkg; Batch #1901520; Use by 15.1.2019; Product of Germany) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Casino recalls Casino Ça Vient d’Ici brand Ardêche dried sausages (250g; Lot #3540010; Best before 17/02/2019) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): La Société Beaume Drobie recalls MMM ! – AUCHAN brand Saucisse sèche d’Ardèche IGP (250g; Lot #3540010; Best before 13/02/2019) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Italy): Facchini srl recalls Terra &Vita brand Capricciosa (150g; Lot #A15L6M255; Best before 25/01/19) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Auchan recalls MMM ! – AUCHAN brand Saucisse sèche d’Ardèche IGP (250g; Lot #3540010; Best before 13/02/2019) due to Salmonella contamination.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Food Safety Recall (Singapore): Mac Taste Bakery & Confectionery Pte Ltd recalls Da Ji Da Li brand Peanut Puff / Kok Chye (300g; Best before 30.09.2019; Product of Malaysia) due to foreign matter (metal fragment) contamination.

Australia and New Zealand

Food Safety Recall (Australia): Target Australia recalls The Fabulous Food Company Candy Cane (40g; Best Before August 2019; Keycode 59595465) due to foreign matter (plastic) contamination.

Lystn disputes report of Salmonella in A+ Answers raw dog food

The following story by Phyllis Entis first appeared in Food Safety News and is reposted here with permission

The day after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning for pet owners earlier this month, pet food manufacturer Lystn LLC fought back, claiming samples that tested positive for Salmonella could have been contaminated in a lab used to test the dog food.

Lystn, the manufacturer of Answers Pet Foods, offers a range of raw pet foods “enhanced” with kombucha, raw cultured whey, cultured raw goat’s milk and kefir. According to the company, the probiotic bacteria in the fermented ingredients offer protection against Salmonella.

Lystn describes this approach on its website as “safety through inhibition” and claims the fermentation process to be the “most natural and effective way” to make their products “as safe and healthy as possible.”

In 2009, A.R. Hoyle and co-workers reported that lactic acid bacteria could decrease the numbers of Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef during storage. However, several studies have shown that use of lactic acid bacteria is most effective when incorporated into a combined strategy employing other complementary treatments.

On Dec. 10, 2018, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) obtained a random sample of A+ Answers Straight Beef Formula 4lb. Pounder for Dogs, Lot 2018 02/08 20. On or about Dec. 20, NDA advised both Lystn and the FDA that it had found Salmonella in the sample.

Lystn requested and received from the NDA a split sample of the implicated lot, and confirmed the presence of Salmonella in this sample, according to the company’s statement. A second split sample provided to Lystn by NDA at the company’s request produced a negative result.

In its press release, Lystn expressed its “belief” that the initial split sample provided by the NDA “. . . may have been cross contaminated in the lab, transport or elsewhere and should not be considered a representative sample.” The company offered no evidence to support the assertion.

Lystn also disputed the appropriateness of FDA’s zero tolerance policy for Salmonella in raw pet food.

No FDA spokesperson was available for comment because of the partial government shutdown.

The NDA inspector and lab personnel used appropriate chain-of-custody procedures for handling the pet food sample, according to a spokesperson for the state. The sample was handled and analyzed in a Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) lab, under full compliance with all sanitation and handling procedures.

No other testing was performed in the lab at the same time. Access to a BSL-2 lab is restricted while testing is being conducted in order to limit any possible risk of inadvertent contamination of the sample, the environment, or personnel, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

The lab personnel used both positive and negative controls as part of their testing protocol, and submitted the purified Salmonella culture to the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) for molecular testing. NPHL identified the culture as Salmonella Cerro. The positive control used as part of the testing procedure was Salmonella Arizonae.

According to Lystn, the company stopped distribution of the lot in question, and the product was removed from retail store shelves within the state of Nebraska.

Although Lystn asserted in its Jan. 15 statement that the product was not recalled, the company’s action met FDA’s definition of a product recall, which is “. . . a firm’s removal or correction of a marketed product that the FDA considers to be in violation of the laws it administers and against which the agency would initiate legal action.”

The company chose not to implement a nationwide recall of the contaminated production lot, as the product was only tested by NDA and not by FDA, according to the Lynst statement.

Lystn’s customers are welcome to return any unused portion of the affected product for full refund, according to the company’s press release, which stated “. . . if a customer is uncomfortable with an ANSWERS’ product, they may return it, or any unused portion, to the place of purchase for a full refund. The Straight Beef Formula 4lb. Pounder for Dogs product comes in a cardboard milk carton box marked with lot code 2018 and a Best Use By Date (BUBD) of 02/08 20 sticker on the carton.”

The implicated lot was distributed from Aug. 17, 2018 to Sept. 14, 2018, and sold through retail stores within the United States.

A Lystn spokesperson was unable to release further details at this time, stating that the company was in the process of completing its investigation on the products from NDA as well as working with FDA.

Recalls and Alerts: January 14 – 19, 2019

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United States

Allergy Alert: Ottogi America, Inc. recalls 21 products due to undeclared egg. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert: Custom Made Meals, LLC recalls Red Chili Orange Chicken Skewers (9.11-lbs. cases containing four plastic packages; Case code 79073; Use by dates between Oct. 15, 2018 and Jan. 28, 2019) due to undeclared coconut.

Allergy Alert: RXBAR recalls certain flavors of RXBAR and RX BAR Kids due to undeclared peanuts. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert: Mojave Foods Corporation recalls El Guapo Chile Habanero and Chile Pasilla-Ancho pouches due to undeclared peanut. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected package sizes and lot codes.

Food Safety Recall: H & T Seafood, Inc recalls approximately 71,435 pounds of imported Siluriformes fish products because the products were not presented for import re-inspection upon entry into the United States. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Johnsonville, LLC recalls approximately 48,371 pounds of raw ground pork patty products due to foreign matter (black rubber) contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Perdue Foods, LLC recalls PERDUE SimplySmart ORGANICS BREADED CHICKEN BREAST NUGGETS GLUTEN FREE, frozen (22-oz. plastic bag packages; Best by 10/25/19; UPC 72745-80656) due to foreign matter (wood) contamination.

Pet Food Safety Alert: FDA cautions pet owners not to feed A+ Answers Straight Beef Formula for Dogs (Lot #lot 2018 02/08 20) due to possible Salmonella contamination.

Canada

Allergy Alert: RXBAR recalls certain RXBAR brand Protein Bars due to undeclared peanut. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were distributed nationwide.

Allergy Alert: Souk Michelet recalls two products due to undeclared sulfites. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert: Golden City Bakery recalls Golden City Bakery Red Bean Mush (300g; All date codes; UPC 7 79542 83111 2) due to undeclared wheat. The recalled product was sold in British Columbia.

Allergy Alert: Golden City Bakery recalls Golden City Bakery Red Bean Paste (450g; All product codes; UPC 7 79542 83115 0) due to undecalred wheat. The recalled product was sold in British Columbia.

Food Safety Recall: Boulangerie-charcuterie La Marchigiana recalls several products that were manufactured under conditions that may have rendered the items unfit for consumption. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: La Cie d’Investissements Côté Inc. recalls Bio Busti brand Pecorino Stagionato cheese (various package sizes; Product code L18180540 0203046; Sold from two Marchés Tau locations) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for the location of the two Marchés Tau retail outlets.

Food Safety Recall: Delta Pacific Seafoods recalls Salmon Village brand Hot Smoked Atlantic Salmon Nuggets – Maple (150g; Product codes 1227.18 F26.18 and all Best Before codes; UPC 8 28684 00108 9) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recalled products were sold in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Spar Colruyt Group recalls Spar brand Veal Sausage (200g; Lot #971623; Best before 24/1/2019) due to undeclared wheat.

Allergy Alert (Belgium): ILHAN FOODS recalls various products due to undeclared allergens. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert (Denmark): Dagrofa A/S recalls Blomsterbergs citronfromage (116g; Lot #18346H; Best before 20/6-2020) due to undeclared hazelnuts and almonds.

Allergy Alert (France): Industry recalls Natur’Inov brand Amandes grillées tamari (150g; Lot #0018132; Best before 13/12/2019) due to undeclared peanuts.

Allergy Alert (Ireland): Industry recalls The Foodie Market Rainforest Bounty and The Foodie Market Milled Flaxseed due to undeclared sulfites. Please refer to the recall notice for a list of affected batch codes.

Allergy Alert (UK): Sainsbury’s recalls Deliciously Free From Garlic Pizza Bread (160g; Use by 27 January 2019) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (UK): Evolution Foods Ltd recalls Natural Selection Omega Seed Mix, Natural Selection Goji Berries, and Aldi Foodie Market Rainforest Bounty due to undeclared sulfites. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected lot codes.

Allergy Alert (UK): Irving’s Homestyle Bakery recalls Irving’s Homestyle Bakery Chocolate Crispy (Individual pack and 5-finger pack; Best before up to and including 20 February 2019) due to undeclared wheat (gluten).

Allergy Alert (UK): Cook Trading Ltd recalls Cook Sticky Soy & Ginger Beef pots (265g; Best before 14 September 2019; Batch code 000008) due to undeclared eggs and wheat (gluten).

Food Safety Recall (France): E. Leclerc recalls Nos régions ont du talent brand Saucisse sèche de l’Ardèche IGP (250g; Lot #3550068; Best before 19/02/19) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Loste Tradi France recalls Loste Tradi France brand Galantine de Canard à l’orange (Lot #000018331; Best before 06/01/2019) due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): Landfleischerei Kirchheilingen recalls Bauernknackwurst mit gemahlenem Kümmel / Bauernknackwurst with ground caraway (delivered January 11, 2019) due to possible foreign matter (metal pieces) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Italy): L’Alco spa recalls Insalata mista Capricciosa (150g; Lot #15L6M255 and 16L6M255; Best before 22/01/2019 and 23/01/2019) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Italy): Centrale del latte di Brescia spa recalls Insalata mista Capricciosa (150g; Lot #15L4M255, 16L4M255, 17L4M255; Best before 22-23-24/01/19) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Pet Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Industry recalls FriGera brand Rinderkopfhaut dog treats (500g; Lot Nos. 300920 ; 30122003 ; 30092003) and Real Nature brand Wilderness Strauss Mix dog treats (150g; Lot Nos. 643180028755 & 645180030189; Best before 25.10.2020 & 07.11.2020) due to possible Salmonella contamination.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Allergy Alert (Hong Kong): Industry recalls RXBAR brand Protein Bar, Chocolate Sea Salt (52 grams/1.83 ounces per pack, 12 packs per box; Best before June 30, 2019; Product of USA) and RXBAR brand Protein Bar, Mango Pineapple (52 grams/1.83 ounces per pack, 12 packs per box; Best before April 21, 2019; Product of USA) due to undeclared peanuts.

Food Safety Recall (Hong Kong): PARKnSHOP (HK) Limited recalls Regal New Zealand King Salmon brand Beech Wood Smoked Slices (100g; Batch code M362D; Best before February 1, 2019; Product of New Zealand) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Hong Kong): PARKnSHOP(HK) Limited recalls Regal New Zealand King Salmon brand Beech Wood Smoked Slices (100g; Batch code M362D; Best before January 28, 2019; Product of New Zealand) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Australia and New Zealand

Food Safety Recall (New Zealand): New Zealand King Salmon Co. Ltd recalls Southern Ocean brand New Zealand King Salmon Smoked Pieces (200g; Batch code M362D or M362N) and Regal Marlborough King Salmon brand Cold Smoked Salmon (500g; M362D or M362N) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.