Recalls and Alerts: September 23 – 26, 2018

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

OUTBREAK ALERT (UPDATE): FDA and CDC have declared the Salmonella Mbandaka outbreak associated with Kellogg’s Honey Smacks ready-to-eat breakfast cereal to be over. In all, 135 consumers in 36 states were infected with the outbreak strain. Thirty-four (34) people were hospitalized in an outbreak that lasted spanned six full months (March 1 – August 30, 2018).

Allergy Alert: Harris Teeter recalls Harris Teeter Low Fat Frozen Yogurt Cookies & Cream (1.5 qt laminated cartons; all SELL BY DATES up to 07/30/19; UPC 0 72036 98182 0) due to undeclared peanut.

Allergy Alert: Whole Foods Market recalls 365 Everyday Value White Corn Tortilla Chips Salted-Party Size (20-oz bags; Best-by dates between January 24-25, 2019; UPC 9948247145) due to undeclared milk.

Food Safety Recall: Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation recalls all of its products produced at the Keaau facility between Sept. 6 – 21, 2018 due to a potential contamination of Escherichia coli. The recall was initiated after E. coli was detected in the well water and distribution system that supplies the firm’s operations. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Whole Foods Market recalls 365 Everyday Value brand White Corn Tortilla Chips Salted (567 g; Best by dates between January 24-25, 2019; UPC 0 99482 47145 3) due to undeclared milk. The recalled product was distributed to retailers in Ontario.

Food Safety Recall: 3301861 Nova Scotia Limited recalls Cabot brand Oysters (75-count and 100-count; Harvest Date 16-09-2018; Packed on date 17-09-2018; Harvest Location 1387 (lease); No UPC) due to Salmonella contamination. The recalled product was supplied to consumers in Nova Scotia and Quebec and may have been distributed nationwide.

Food Safety Recall: Abbott Nutrition recalls Abbott Promote brand High-Protein Liquid Nutrition – Vanilla Flavour (235 ml; Product code L84417RA0 xxxx (xxxx=time code) 2019JA1; UPC 0 55325 20170 0) and Abbott Two Cal HN brand Complete, Balanced Nutrition – Vanilla (235 ml; Product codes L85559RA0 xxxx (xxxx=time code) 2019FE1 and L87139RA0 xxxx (xxxx=time code) 2019AL1; UPC 0 55325 20799 3) due to bacterial contamination. One illness has been reported. The recalled products were supplied to retailers nationwide.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Icelandic Gadus recalls various salad products to due undeclared gluten. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert (France): La Société BRIENT recalls Brient brand Cervelas (10 slices/90g; Lot #000001286690; Best before 08/10/2018) due to undeclared egg and mustard.

Allergy Alert (France): La société Cité Marine recalls Auchan Le Poissonnier brand Filets de cabillaud façon fish & chips (Best before 29/09/2018) due to undeclared egg.

Allergy Alert (France): Auchan recalls Auchan le Traiteur brand Samoussas Poulet / Chicken Samosas (40g x 4; Lot #05734142; Best before 10/10/2018) due to undeclared allergens.

Allergy Alert (Germany): Peter Braun Fleisch & Wurst GmbH & Co. KG recalls Paprikaschinkenwurst with egg (Best before dates up to 10.10.2018) due to undeclared pistachios.

Allergy Alert (Netherlands): Vomar Voordeelmarkt recalls De Notenkraam Katjang Pedis (275g; Best before 12-01-2019; Lot #18-109011) due to undeclared wheat (gluten), egg and soy.

Allergy Alert (UK): Sainsbury’s recalls in store bakery all butter croissants (individual and 2-packs; All best before dates up to and including 26 September, 2018) because they contain almond filling which is not declared on the packaging.

Food Safety Recall (France): Casino recalls Casino brand Pizza Chorizo et Poivrons (450g; Best before 20/09/18 – 25/09/18 – 01/10/18 – 04/10/18) due to possible Listeria in the chorizo.

Food Safety Recall (France): Auchan recalls Gerblé sans gluten brand Pain aux graines (Lot #190119; Best before 19/01/19) due to foreign matter (metal pieces) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): Landhof “Am Ziegenried” GmbH recalls its entire range of cut cheeses due to possible Salmonella contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Ireland): Dr. Zak’s recalls Dr Zak’s Barn Farmed Liquid Egg White (pack size 970ml; Batch #18163BN2A, best-before 12/12/2018 – Batch #18180BN2B, best-before 29/12/2018 – Batch #18228BN2A, best-before 02/02/2019) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Cora recalls Pizza Chorizo et Poivron (450g; Best before 20/09/2018,25/09/2018,01/10/2018,04/10/2018) due to Listeria contamination.

Australia and New Zealand

Allergy Alert (Australia): Europlus Pty Ltd recalls Mahroum Sesame Halva (400g; Best Before 31.12.2018) due to undeclared pistachio nuts.

Food Safety Recall (New Zealand): Premier Beehive NZ recalls Beehive brand Original sausages (1 kg; Batch #234234; Use by 17/10/18) due to foreign matter (metal) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (New Zealand): PAK’nSAVE Glen Innes recalls various PAK’nSAVE brand minced meats due to foreign matter (metal) contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of affected products.

Book Review: The Poison Squad by Deborah Blum

“Regulation is bad for business.”

It’s an all-too-common refrain, but not exclusively a modern one.

Most people, when asked what they know about the origin of the US Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, are likely to respond with either a shrug or a blank stare. A few may credit Upton Sinclair’s exposé of the horrendous practices in Chicago slaughterhouses, as described in his novel, The Jungle. Others may give credit to President Theodore Roosevelt, whose disgust at the food supplied to his troops in Cuba during the Spanish American War impelled him to support the campaign for safer food.

It would be a rare person, indeed, who would recognize the name of Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley. Yet, without Dr. Wiley’s persistence, the first Pure Food and Drug Act might never have been signed into law.

Before the turn of the 20th century, food adulteration was rife, and food labeling non-existent. Formaldehyde and other harsh chemicals were used to extend the shelf life of perishable commodities, while dyes derived from coal tar were incorporated into everything from candy to peas. Unregulated, free enterprise prevailed. Embalmed beef, swill milk, and fake food were the order of the day.

In 1882, Dr. Harvey Wiley joined the US Department of Agriculture as Chief Chemist, a position he would hold for 30 years. The first 24 years of his stewardship were devoted to promoting the passage of a safe food law. The remaining six years were consumed with protecting the act from emasculation.

The Poison Squad is the story of Dr. Wiley’s lifelong crusade for safe food in the face of opposition from large swaths of the chemicals, dyes, and food processing industries. Author Deborah Blum guides the reader through a complex and compelling saga with skill, and with a clear mastery of the subject matter. Consumers and legislators alike can learn from Blum’s portrayal of Dr. Wiley’s legacy.

About the Author
Deborah Blum is director of the Knight School Journalism Program at MIT and publisher of Undark magazine (undark.org). In 1992, she won the Pulitzer Prize for a series on primate research, which she turned into a book, The Monkey Wars. Her other books include The Poisoner’s Handbook, Ghost Hunters, Love at Goon Park, and Sex on the Brain. She has written for publications including the New York Times, Wired, Time, Discover, Mother Jones, the Guardian, and the Boston Globe. Blum is a past president of the National Association of Science Writers, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a lifetime associate of the National Academy of Sciences.

Recalls and Alerts: September 19 – 22, 2018

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

OUTBREAK ALERT / Food Safety Recall: Cargill Meat Solutions recalls approximately 132,606 pounds of ground beef products made from the chuck portion of the carcass (produced and packaged on June 21, 2018) due to possible E. coli O26 contamination. The recalled product is linked to 18 illnesses in Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, and Tennessee. Six individuals have been hospitalized, including one who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome. One person from Florida died. According to CDC, the outbreak is over.

Allergy Alert: Purus Labs, Inc recalls MyoWhey Chocolate Cookie Crunch (5 lb / 2.2 kg; Lot #0100518; Exp 04/2020) due to undeclared soy and milk. The recalled product was distributed through online mail orders to AR, TX, FL, MI, VA, and OK. MyoWhey was available through retail stores in TX, CA, OK, CO, and MO. MyoWhey was also available internationally in Chile and UAE.

Food Safety Recall: Junior’s Smokehouse Processing Plant recalls BUC-EE’S HILL COUNTRY BRAND TERIYAKI BEEF JERKY, MADE IN TEXAS FROM SOLID STRIPS OF BEEF, READY TO EAT (4 oz; Lot # 220-272; Best by 08-09-2019) due to foreign matter (pieces of hard metal) contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Zweigle’s Inc. recalls Olive Loaf Oven Baked (appr. 9-lb boxes containing two half-loaves; Case code 070534075225; Use by 8/22/18, 9/12/18, 9/19/18, 10/4/18 and 10/17/18) due to sodium nitrite levels in excess of regulatory limit. The recalled product was shipped to retail locations in western New York as intact loaves for slicing.

Canada

Food Safety Recall: Pâtisserie Ladouche inc. recalls various products that were not manfactured in a manner to ensure safety for human consumption. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Lave-Auto Depan’Express recalls Home-style spaghetti sauce (500 ml glass jar; All product sold up to and including September 18) because the product was not manfactured in a manner to ensure safety for human consumption.

Food Safety Recall: Boulangerie Pâtisserie la Parisienne inc. recalls various baked products (All products sold up to and including September 18) because the product was not manfactured in a manner to ensure safety for human consumption.

Food Safety Recall (Update): Belleisle Foods Ltd. recalls Belleisle Farms brand Cole Slaw (227g; Product code 18SE28; UPC 0 33383 65260 3) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recalled product was distributed to retailers in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Denmark): Bolchekogeriet Almuegaarden recalls three varieties of chocolate-covered lollipops due to undeclared soy in the chocolate coating. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert (Denmark): Tulip Food Company recalls Faaborg leverpostej (2 x 125g; Best before 23.05.2023 & 24.05.2023) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (Ireland): The Banner recalls The Banner Bangers Pork Sausages due to undeclared sulfur dioxide.

Allergy Alert (Netherlands): PLUS Supermarkets recalls PLUS Sourdough Raisin Bread (500g; Best before 26-09-2018) due to undeclared nuts.

Allergy Alert (Netherlands): Marqt recalls Marqt brand beetroot-orange and pea-mint vegetable spread (150g; Best before 02-10-2018) due to undeclared lactose and milk protein.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): AFSCA mandates recall of BANKU-MIX fermented Banku flour (1kg; Best before 01/09/2019; Product of Ghana) due to excessive levels of aflatoxin and Bacillus cereus.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Delhaize recalls Delhaize brand émincé de jambon cuit / sliced cooked ham (125g; Best before 21/09/2018) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Ireland): Cabots of Westport recalls Cabots of Westport Basil Pesto (180g; Use by 24/09/2018) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Delhaize recalls Delhaize brand émincé de jambon cuit / sliced cooked ham (125g; Best before 21/09/2018) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Sweden): Albina Snacks AB recalls various mixed nut products due to elevated aflatoxin levels in the peanuts. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (UK): Dr Zak’s recalls Barn Farmed Liquid Egg White (970 ml; various lot codes and Use by dates) due to Salmonella contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected production lots.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Allergy Alert (UAE): Purus Labs, Inc recalls MyoWhey Chocolate Cookie Crunch (5 lb / 2.2 kg; Lot #0100518; Exp 04/2020) due to undeclared soy and milk. The recalled product was distributed through online mail orders to AR, TX, FL, MI, VA, and OK. MyoWhey was available through retail stores in TX, CA, OK, CO, and MO. MyoWhey was also available internationally in Chile and UAE.

Australia and New Zealand

Allergy Alert (Australia): YouFoodz PTY LTD recalls YouFoodz Clean Paprika Chicken (260g; Use By 29.09.2018) due to undeclared fish, gluten, egg and milk.

Allergy Alert (Australia): Quality Gourmet recalls Chilli Coconut Mayo (240g; Best Before all dates that end in 2018, 01/02/19, 14/02/19) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (New Zealand): Southern Sun Ltd trading as Wendy’s Barbeque recalls Wendy’s Barbeque brand pork and vegetable, and pork and celery dumplings (all batches and dates) due to undeclared gluten.

Food Safety Recall (New Zealand): Pokeno Bacon Manufacturing Ltd recalls Pokeno Bacon Co brand Pork Brawn (all batches and dates) due to a lack of process controls.

Food Recall (New Zealand): Lion – Beer, Spirits & Wine (NZ) Limited recalls Mac’s brand Ginger Beer (330 ml; Best before 20/3/19 and 21/3/19) due to the possibility it may contain alcohol.

Latin America and the Caribbean

Allergy Alert (Chile): Purus Labs, Inc recalls MyoWhey Chocolate Cookie Crunch (5 lb / 2.2 kg; Lot #0100518; Exp 04/2020) due to undeclared soy and milk. The recalled product was distributed through online mail orders to AR, TX, FL, MI, VA, and OK. MyoWhey was available through retail stores in TX, CA, OK, CO, and MO. MyoWhey was also available internationally in Chile and UAE.