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.

United States

• Food Safety Recall: Whole Foods Market recalls Ricotta Salata cheese supplied by Forever Cheese Inc. (Long Island City, NY) and sold in Whole Foods Market stores in 21 states and Washington, DC, because the cheese may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled Ricotta Salata Frescolina brand cheese was cut into wedges, packaged in clear plastic wrap and sold with a Whole Foods Market scale label using PLU 293427. All “sell by” dates through Oct. 2 are affected. Fourteen illnesses have been reported which may be associated with the Frescolina recall. In the four stores that sold it in California and Arizona, the recalled cheese was also sold with a Whole Foods Market scale label that read “Mitica Ricotta Salada,” and with Whole Foods Market scale labels with PLU 294413. All “sell by” dates through Oct. 2 are affected. States affected by the recall include: Alabama (1 store), Arizona (2 stores), California (2 stores), Colorado(2 stores), Florida (5 stores), Georgia (4 stores), Kansas (1 store), Kentucky (1 store), Maryland (6 stores), North Carolina (7 stores), New Jersey (2 stores), New Mexico (2 stores), New York (2 stores), Ohio (2 stores), Oregon (6 stores), Pennsylvania (5 stores), South Carolina (1 store), Tennessee (3 stores), Utah (1 store), Virginia (6 stores), Washington (6 stores), and Washington, D.C. (3 stores).
• Food Safety Recall: Gretchen’s Shoebox Express (Seattle, WA) recalls Starbucks Protein Bistro Box (6.80 oz; UPC 762111881502; Enjoy By 09/02/12-09/27/12), because the Bistro Boxes contain a recalled peanut butter pouch that may be contaminated with Salmonella. the recalled product was distributed in Washington and Oregon.
• Food Safety Recall: Whole Foods Market recalls Chicken Spring Rolls (UPC 225757203997; Sell by 10/1 or 10/2) and Peanut Sesame Noodles (UPC 222099604192; either a sold on date of 9/27 or 9/28 or a sell by date of 10/1 or 10/2), because the products contain peanuts that may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled products were sold from the Whole Foods Market Kirby store (2955 Kirby Drive, Houston, TX) from Sept 27-28, 2012.
• Food Safety Notification Update (EU #2012.1382): Salmonella Thompson in Foppen smoked salmon from Greece; distributed to Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the USA.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1395): Listeria monocytogenes in ricotta cheese from Italy Fattorie Chiarappa; distributed to Australia, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Romania and the USA.

Canada

• Food Safety Notification Update (EU #2012.1382): Salmonella Thompson in Foppen smoked salmon from Greece; distributed to Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the USA.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1395): Listeria monocytogenes in ricotta cheese from Italy Fattorie Chiarappa; distributed to Australia, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Romania and the USA.

Europe

• Food Safety Recall (Belgium): S.A. Le Larry recalls Le Larry brand Chèvra Flandria, Capretta and De Spiegelhoeve goat cheese products with smoked salmon (Lots #1237501, 1238101, 1238201, 1238301, 1238501, 1239101, 1239201, 1239301, 1239401, 1240101; All Expiration date up to 21/10/2012), because the smoked salmon used to prepared the products may be contaminated with Salmonella.
• Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Albert Heijn recalls Albert Heijn brand Zalmsalade / Salmon Salad (EC codes EL-41A82EC or EN-6115EG; All expiration date codes), because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella.
• Food Safety Recall/Alert (Germany): The Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety warns against the consumption of the following cheeses, recalled by Fattorie Chiarappa (Italy), because the cheeses may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes: Ricotta Frescolina Marte Tipo Toscanella, Ricotta Torretta Marte, Ricotta Frescolina Marte Arrostita, Ricotta Marzotica Marte Tipo Greca and Ricotta Marzotica Marte. The recalled cheeses were sold at Italian delis in Germany.
• Food Safety Recall (Ireland): Lightbody Ventures Ltd. recalls Annabel Karmel  brand Apple & Blackcurrant Oaty Chewy Bars and Apple & Raspberry Oaty Chewy Bars (Product of UK; All best before dates), because of possible insect contamination. The recalled products were sold by Tesco and the Disney Store.
• Food Safety Notification Update (EU #2012.1382): Salmonella Thompson in Foppen smoked salmon from Greece; distributed to Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the USA.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1386): Inadequate thermal processing (meat still raw) of canned horse meat in own juices from Germany; distributed to Germany and Ireland.
• Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2012.1387): Undeclared sulphite in raisins from Turkey, via Germany; distributed to Poland.
• Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2012.1388): Salmonella Agona in rape seed meal from Belgium; distributed to Finland.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1390): Foreign body (mercury) in butter brioche from Austria; distributed to Germany.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1391): Parasitic infestation with Anisakis of chilled monkfish from the United Kingdom; distributed to Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1392): Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli in frozen beef trimmings from Poland; distributed to France.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1393): Mercury in frozen slices of shortfin mako from Spain; distributed to Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1395): Listeria monocytogenes in ricotta cheese from Italy Fattorie Chiarappa; distributed to Australia, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Romania and the USA.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1396): Parasitic infestation with Anisakis of fresh chilled whole mackerel from Norway; distributed to Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1398): Salmonella Montevideo in processed animal proteins from Belgium; distributed to Belgium, Germany and Thailand.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Food Safety Withdrawal (Taiwan): Costco Wholesale has pulled from its Taiwan stores all smoked salmon processed by the Dutch company Foppen, as the products may be contaminated with Salmonella.
• Outbreak Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Health Protection is investigating a suspected food poisoning outbreak involving 16 people who developed gastroenteritis about 5 – 37 hours after dining at a restaurant in Qingdao on September 26.
• Outbreak Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Health Protection is investigating an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis at a secondary school in Shatin involving 29 students between the ages of 10 and 13 years.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1395): Listeria monocytogenes in ricotta cheese from Italy Fattorie Chiarappa; distributed to Australia, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Romania and the USA.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1398): Salmonella Montevideo in processed animal proteins from Belgium; distributed to Belgium, Germany and Thailand.

Australia and New Zealand

• Outbreak Alert (New Zealand): Middlemore Hospital (Auckland) has closed one ward and banned children from visiting after its norovirus outbreak expanded to affect 113 people, including 56 patients and 57 staff members.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1395): Listeria monocytogenes in ricotta cheese from Italy Fattorie Chiarappa; distributed to Australia, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Romania and the USA.

Latin America and the Caribbean

• Food Safety Notification Update (EU #2012.1382): Salmonella Thompson in Foppen smoked salmon from Greece; distributed to Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the USA.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1395): Listeria monocytogenes in ricotta cheese from Italy Fattorie Chiarappa; distributed to Australia, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Romania and the USA.

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.