Category: norovirus

Recalls and Alerts: May 16, 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/Recall: The Hawai’i State Department of Health, Rhode Island Department of Health, Arkansas Department of Health, and Georgia Department of Agriculture warn the public that FDA has removed all Korean certified shippers from the Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers List. All fresh and frozen shellfish from the Republic of Korea within the USA should be considered to be from an unapproved source and deemed to be adulterated. Consumers should discard all Korean fresh and frozen shellfish products, including clams, mussels and oysters. Canned products are not affected.
  • Food Safety Alert: Massachusetts health officials warn consumers that oysters harvested from Cape Cod Bay may be contaminated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus a pathogen that may cause watery diarrhea, cramps, nausea, fever, chills, and vomiting.
  • Food Safety Recall Update: California Department of Public Health publishes a list of retail locations where recalled Organic Pastures raw milk products were sold.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns American Yeast Corporation Tennessee (Memphis, TN) that a January 2012 inspection of the company’s fresh baker’s yeast manufacturing plant revealed numerous insanitary conditions, which could cause the food products manufactured at the facility to be come adulterated.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns JC’s Fish and BBQ, Inc. (Knoxville, 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.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Scariano Brothers, LLC (Hammond, LA) that a January 2012 inspection of the company’s facility found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations, and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Vaughan Foods, Inc., dba Allison’s Gourmet Kitchen (Moore, OK) that a July-August 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation, and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for Foods.

Canada

  • Outbreak Alert Update: New Brunswick Public Health has confirmed 13 cases of E. coli o157:H7 illnesses out of 30 reported cases of bloody diarrhea. Most of the cases were reported in the Miramichi area, and the majority of confirmed outbreak victims reported eating at Jungle Jim’s restaurant in Miramichi in the days prior to developing symptoms. None of the food samples taken from Jungle Jim’s were found to contain E. coli o157:H7. The province, in cooperation with the Public Health Agency of Canada, is conducting a case control study in an effort to determine which food or foods may have been the source of the outbreak. Patrons of Jungle Jim’s who ate at the restaurant between April 23rd and 26, but who did not become ill, are asked to participate in this study by answering a detailed food questionnaire. Please call 1-888-246-8068.

Europe

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Alert (China): Police are investigating a batch of fake pigs’ ears that were discovered in a Ganzhou city market in late March. The “ears” were found to be made from a mixture of gelatin and sodium oleate, a common ingredient in soap. Pigs’ ears are a popular delicacy in China.

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: May 14, 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

  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: Hospira, Inc. recalls Hydromorphone Hydrochloride Injection 1 mg/mL fill in 2.5 mL Carpuject™ (Lot #07547LL; Expiration date July 1, 2013) due to two reported claims of a single Carpuject containing more than the stated 1mL volume. The affected lot was distributed in September-October 2011 to wholesalers and a limited number of hospitals in Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
  • Outbreak Alert: The Wall Street Journal reports that at least 150 attendees at a Mother’s Day party at the Chuang Yen Buddhist monastery in Kent Cliffs (NY) developed food poisoning symptoms (vomiting and diarrhea) after they left the party.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall/Alert (Belgium): Following an alert issued by German authorities, the AFSCA recommends that consumers do not eat the following recalled product, because lab analyses have revealed the presence of Salmonella in the product: SIFA Gewürze & Feinkost Ground Cumin (60g glass jars; Best before date 01/12/2013). The recalled product was sold in the provinces of Limbourg and Liège.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Danish Supermarket A/S recalls Hazelnut Kernels (1 kg bags; Best before 30/10-2012 and 31/10-2012; Product of Germany), due to mold growth in some of the bags.
  • Outbreak Alert (UK): BBC reports that four patients being treated for norovirus symptoms (diarrhea and vomiting) at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, Scotland have died, due to underlying medical conditions. Eight wards at the hospital are closed to new admissions due to the outbreak. Thirty-four patients are showing symptoms at present.

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: May 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

  • Food Safety Recall: Moon Fishery (India) Pty Ltd. recalls Tuna Strips (Product of India; AA or AAA Grade; Imported by Moon Marine USA Corporation), because the product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled product was supplied to four wholesalers – one each in Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. Distribution has been suspended while FDA and the company investigate the scope of the problem.
  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert: The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has closed a Terrebonne Parish molluscan shellfish harvesting area located in Basin 12, Area 23 and also ordered a recall of all oysters harvested from that area since April 26, 2012 including shucked, frozen, breaded, post- harvest processed and oysters for the half shell market. Fourteen people became ill with stomach viruses (norovirus) after eating the Louisiana oysters at a New Orleans area restaurant on April 28 or 29.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Omega Food Importers Co. Ltd. (Mississauga, ON) recalls Imperial Wafer Cocoa Rolls (280g; UPC 64166 01705), Imperial Wafer Coco Rolls (280g; UPC 64166 01710) and Imperial Wafer Chocolate Rolls (140g; UPC 64166 01700) due to the presence of undeclared peanut. The recall products were distributed in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
  • Allergy Alert: Tokushin Enterprises Ltd. (Vancouver, BC) recalls S & B brand The Mediterranean Sea Beef Curry Sauce (200g; UPC 4 901002 116330; Lot code up to and including 2012.12.17), because the product contains undeclared fish and milk. The recalled product was distributed in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and may have been distributed nationally.
  • Pet Food Safety Recall: Costco advises its customers of the recall by the US company, Diamond Pet Foods, of the following dry pet food products, due to potential Salmonella contamination: KS Lamb & Rice (18.14KG; item #29504), KS Chicken & Rice (18.14KG Dog Food, item #29506), KS Dry Cat Food (9.07KG, item #190379), KS Natures Domain Salmon & Sweet Potato (item #295700), KS Healthy Weight Dog Food (item #430541), Natures Domain Salmon & Sweet Potato (item #470974), and KS Mature Adult 7-18.14KG Lamb, Rice & Egg (item #779829). Recalled production codes have a  “3” in the 9th position AND an “X” in the 11th position. The best-before dates for all of the recalled products are December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013.
  • Food Safety Alert: Toronto Public Health reminds consumers to thoroughly wash and cook fiddleheads to avoid illness. Five recent cases of illness associated with fiddleheads have been reported recently to the city’s Public Health department.

Europe

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.