Category: norovirus

Recalls and Alerts: November 9, 2011

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/Outbreak Alert: Schreiber Processing Corporation (Maspeth, NY) recalls Meal Mart Broiled Chicken Liver Made for Further Thermal Processing (2 x 5-lb bags/box; Est. P-787) and Chicken Liver Broiled (10-lb boxes, loose-packed; Est. P-787), because the chicken liver products have been linked to a cluster of salmonellosis illnesses in New York and New Jersey. The outbreak strain of Salmonella Heidelberg was recovered from samples of broiled chicken livers, and from chopped chicken livers produced at retail from these livers. The outbreak strain is different from the strain of Salmonella Heidelberg that was associated with a multi-state outbreak of salmonellosis linked to ground turkey meat earlier this year. The recalled broiled chicken liver products were distributed to retail stores and institutional users in Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
  • Food Safety Recall Update: USDA posts retail distribution list for beef jerky products recalled by Whittington’s Jerky, Inc. (Johnson City, TX) due to possible Salmonella contamination.
  • Food Safety Recall: Golden Glen Creamery (Bow, WA) recalls Raw Cheddar (sold between September 22 and November 5, 2011; Code 864) after a routine sample of the cheese, collected and analyzed by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), was found to be positive for Listeria monocytogenes. The company has ceased production and distribution of the product while FDA, WSDA and the company continue an investigation into the source of the contamination.
  • Food Safety Recall: India Imports & Exports, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA) recalls Roopal Swad candy (7-oz/200g clear plastic package; Imported from India) after tests conducted by the California Department of Public Health found unacceptably high levels of lead in the candy.
  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert: Importers of frozen oyster products from Korea expand their recall after additional the products were linked to norovirus cases in Washington state. The recall includes: ASSI Brand frozen oysters packed in bags and in boxes, and Shirakiku frozen breaded oysters packed in boxes. Please refer to the FDA Consumer Alert for a detailed list of exporters, distributors, importers, and affected lot numbers. Direct importation of the frozen oyster products was limited to distributors in California, New Jersey and Maryland, but the products have been shipped to additional states, including Alaska.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Tropical Impex recalls Amul Shrikhand Mango, Elaichi, Kesar and Badam Pista (500g; all pkgs), due to the presence of undeclared milk.
  • Allergy Alert: Corwin Distribution Limited, Horizon Distributors, Puresource Inc. and Nationwide Natural Foods recall Bumble Bar Organic Energy Bar – Cherry Chocolate (40g; all codes; UPC 7 60590 05023 5), due to the presence of undeclared milk. Some Bumble Bars were supplied by Corwin to Whole Foods Market stores in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Ontario.
  • Food Safety Recall: Sawmill Bay Shellfish Company Ltd. (Heriot Bay, BC) recalls Aquacultured Gallo Mussels (10-lb bags; Lot #SB174; Processed by Walcan Seafood Ltd.; Harvested November 3, 2011 from Area BC13, sub area 13), because the mussels may contain paralytic shellfish toxins. The recalled mussels were distributed in British Columbia primarily to institutional clients, including restaurants, and were sold as Sawmill Bay Mussels at the Daily Catch (1418 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC) between November 4th and 6th.
  • Food Safety Recall: Maison Isabelle inc. (Trois-Rivières, QC) recalls Biscuits à l’avoine et raisins/Oatmeal-raisin cookies (770g pkg; All expiry dates up to and including November 22, 2011), because the product may contain metal particles. The recalled cookes were sold in a number of Super C stores in Québec.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert: Panzani recalls Panzani brand Gnocchi à Poêler/Gnocchi for frying (300g; Lot #2381; Best before 22/04/12), because the product contains undeclared cheese, due to a packaging error.
  • Food Safety Recall (Finland and Sweden): Semper Oy Ab recalls Småfolk Apple Raspberry Oat Stix (Best before 06/30/2012) and Fruity Banana Stix (Best before 06/10/2012) because the products contain unacceptable levels of mycotoxins.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Fredsted The A/S recalls Organic teas (Lot #001-16; Expiry date 30-06-2013), due to the presence of clomazone (pesticide) residues in the product.
  • Consumer Product Safety Recall (Germany): International Food Corporation Germany GmbH recalls Disney Advent Calendar (Best by 09/13/2013), due to possible microbial contamination. The recalled product was sold exclusively through Penny stores in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia.
  • Food Safety Recall (Italy): Pensabene & Chiasson (Palermo, Italy) recalls Caponata di melanzane “Donna Rosa”/Donna Rosa Eggplant Caponata (200g; Lots R106 and N193), due to lack of approval of the establishment by the State.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1585): Listeria monocytogenes in chilled smoked salmon from Poland; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1586): Campylobacter in fresh baby corn from Thailand via the Netherlands; distributed to Denmark.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1587): Salmonella spp. in paan leaves from Bangladesh; distributed to the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1589): Salmonella enteritidis in frozen breaded raw chicken fillets from Germany; distributed to Finland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1590): Histamine in chilled tuna fillets from Spain; distributed to Italy.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2011.1591): Undeclared sulphite in apple cider from Belgium; distributed to Luxembourg.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1597): Mercury in angler fish from France; distributed to Italy.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2011.1598): Dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in dried sugar beet pellets from Germany; distributed to Germany and Spain.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1599): Mercury in chilled swordfish from France; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1600): Aflatoxins in nutmeg powder from India; distributed to Romania.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1601): Unauthorized operator for dumplings from Italy; distributed to Italy and Poland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1602): Salmonella in frozen poultry meat from Poland, via France; distributed to Luxembourg.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1603): High Escherichia coli count in fresh mussels from the Netherlands; distributed to France, Lithuania, Poland and Switzerland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1604): Aflatoxins in cashew nut kernels from Brazil, via Germany; distributed to Norway.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1605): Benzo(a)pyrene in smoked prawns from Vietnam; distributed to the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1606): Escherichia coli in mussels from Spain; distributed to Italy.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Dietary Supplement Safety Alert (Hong Kong): The Department of Health reminds the public not to buy or consume slimming products of unknown or doubtful composition as they may contain undeclared drug ingredients that are dangerous to health, after receiving notification of two cases involving women with a history of consuming slimming products.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Food Safety Recall (Australia): Lay Brothers Pty Ltd. recalls Good Luck Dried Seaweed Stripe (150g net wt plastic bag; Imported from China; Best before 07 09 2013), because of high levels of naturally occurring iodine in the product.

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: November 5, 2011

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: Rice-A-Roni recalls Rice-A-Roni Rice Pilaf (10.8-oz family-size boxes; Best before JUL 30 12 B; UPC ending in 43004), because the product contains undeclared milk.
  • Food Safety Recall: Quirch Foods Co. (Miami, FL) recalls Leslie Leger and Sons Ltd. brand Salted Smoked Split Herring (Produced by Leslie Leger and Sons Ltd., Cap Pele, NB, Canada; all lots) after a routine sample collected at a store by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets found the product to be uneviscerated and, therefore, at risk of Clostridium botulinum contamination. The product was supplied to supermarkets and distributors in Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico and Nassau BF, and also was sold in New York State.
  • Food Safety Recall: Badia Spices, Inc. recalls approximately 3,800 lbs of Pine Nuts (Imported from Turkey; 1-oz small plastic bags, Lot #84666; 2-oz small PET bottles, Lot #83184 and 85442), because the pine nuts may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis. The recalled pine nuts were sold between Jone 2011 and October 2011 in retail stores – including Publix supermarkets – in Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey.
  • Food Safety Recall/Alert: FDA warns the public not to consume Turkish Pine Nuts distributed by Sunrise Commodities (Englewood Cliffs, NJ), after FDA tests confirm the presence of Salmonella on the product. Test are underway to determine whether the Salmonella matches the outbreak strain of Salmonella Enteritidis that has sickened at least 42 people in 5 states. Sunrise Commodities has recalled four lots of implicated product (Warehouse Lot 27963, ID Code PO#: 50165; Warehouse Lot 29628, ID Code PO#: 50558; Warehouse Lot 27713, ID Code PO#: 49595; and Warehouse Lot 27427, ID Code PO#: 50032). The pine nuts were distributed in bulk to various vendors in Florida, New Jersey, New York and Canada.
  • Food Safety Alert: FDA warns consumers not to eat any Bio Gaudiano brand Organic Olives Stuffed with Almonds. The imported olives, which have been recalled in the USA by Pure Italian LLC (Watertown, MA), were responsible for two cases of botulism in Finland. Some of the olives may have been sold at SoWa farmers market (South End, MA). In addition, Foodies Fresh Market (Boston, MA), Russo’s (Watertown, MA), and Fresh Choice Supermarket (Framingham, MA) may have repackaged and resold the olives in containers that do not carry the Bio Gaudiano name.
  • Food Safety/Outbreak Alert: FDA warns consumers not to eat ASSI brand Individually Quick Frozen Oyster (shucked; 3-lb bags; Better if Used by date 2013.02.232; packed by Central Fisheries Co. Ltd; Shucked date 2011.02.24; Lot #C-110223), after the oysters were found to be contaminated with Norovirus genotypes I and II. Three patrons of a Washington state restaurant became ill with norovirus gastroenteritis after eating the oysters. Korean Farms (Santa Fe Springs, CA) has recalled the frozen oyster meat. The recalled product was shipped to Washington, California, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, Idaho and Utah.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: 3903052 Canada Inc. (Boisbriand, QC) recalls Tifco brand Queso Panela Latino Cheese (420g, Lot #102 43, Best before 9 DEC 2011; 1.38kg, Lot #103 43; Best before 9 DEC 2011), because the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled cheese was distributed in Ontario.
  • Food Safety Recall: David Roberts Food Corporation (Mississauga, ON) recalls certain Sysco brand, David Roberts brand, and unbranded imported pine nuts (Lot 1323), because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled pine nuts were distributed to food service accounts in Ontario and sold at the David Roberts Food Corporation retail store in Mississauga, ON.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Food Safety Recall: Quirch Foods Co. (Miami, FL) recalls Leslie Leger and Sons Ltd. brand Salted Smoked Split Herring (Produced by Leslie Leger and Sons Ltd., Cap Pele, NB, Canada; all lots) after a routine sample collected at a store by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets found the product to be uneviscerated and, therefore, at risk ofClostridium botulinum contamination. The product was supplied to supermarkets and distributors in Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico and Nassau BF, and also was sold in New York State.

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: November 3, 2011

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: Giant Eagle recalls Cut Out Cookies, 10-ct (UPC 28968500000; All Lots; All Date codes), due to the presence of undeclared milk.
  • Food Recall: Hawaii Candy recalls Hawaii Candy Fortune Cookies (UPC 073366-12950), Petite Wafers (UPC 073366-12952), Sesame Wafers (UPC 073366-12954) and Ginger Wafers (UPC 073366-12955), because the products contain undeclared Yellow #6 as an ingredient.
  • Outbreak Alert: More than 175 children at the Pittsburgh Montessori PreK-8 in Friendship school (Pittsburgh, PA) became ill last week with suspected norovirus gastroenteritis. Seven teachers (nearly one-fourth of the staff) also were absent due to the same illness. The school building was closed on Friday for disinfection. Lab tests are under way to confirm the cause of the illness.
  • Outbreak Alert: Three cases of E. coli infection have been confirmed in Boone County, Missouri. Two more cases are under investigation. County public health officials say that there is no connection to the St. Louis outbreak. Two of the Boone County victims were hospitalized.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Boucherie Fairmount (Montréal, QC) recalls Csabai sausages, because the sausages were not stored in a manner to ensure their safety. The public is advised not to consume this product.
  • Food Safety Recall: CFIA announces the recall of Jones Hot Air Popcorn (2kg; Manufactured by Jones Popcorn), due to the insect contamination.
  • Cosmetic Product Safety Recall: ITN Food Corporation recalls Black Henna Cone and Red Henna Cone (Manufactured in Pakistan; all lots), because the products contain phenol and other phenolic compounds, which can produce chemical burns to the skin. The recalled products were sold at various ethnic stores in Ontario and Quebec from December 2010 to May 2011.
  • Consumer Product Safety Recall: Colgate-Palmolive recalls Colgate Motion Electric Toothbrush (battery-operated), after receiving several reports that the toothbrushes had “exploded.” The company is no longer manufacturing this toothbrush.

Europe

  • Food Safety Alert (UK): The Food Standards Agency (FSA) warns the public that, since August, a high proportion of consignments of paan leaves – also known as betel leaves – imported from Bangladesh and India have been found to be contaminated with Salmonella. As paan leaves typically are chewed raw, this represents a risk of Salmonella food poisoning. At the request of FSA, local port authorities are sampling and testing all consignments of paan leaves presented for import.
  • Food Recall (Belgium): Colruyt and OKay recall several lots of Everyday U.H.T. milk, 1L boxes, including whole milk, part-skim milk and skim milk, following customer complaints concerning taste and odor. Please refer to the recall notice for details of the affected production lots.
  • Food Recall (Belgium): Carrefour recalls Carrefour Discount brand Whole Milk (1L carton; Lot #111678, 111724 and 111732), due to off-taste or unusual odor.
  • Food Advisory: Delhaize advises its customers that certain boxes of the following milk may, in time, develop an altered taste or odor, due to a sporadic technical malfunction at the manufacturer: Delhaize 365 Ecrémé lait (Lot 111891 and 111892; Expiry 28/01/2012).

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Alert (Singapore): The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore advises the public that Società cooperativa agricola G.M.G F. ar.l. dei F.lli Gaudiano, Italy, has, as a precautionary measure, initiated a market recall of all batches and sizes of olives stuffed with almonds dated from 2010 and 2011. This was because two cases of botulism found in Finland has been linked to the consumption of the olives. There is no import of the affected products into Singapore. Nevertheless, AVA advises consumers who have bought the implicated products, whilst overseas, to discard the products and not to consume them.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Allergy Alert (New Zealand): Bon-Soy recalls Bon-Soy Phyto-Nutraceutical soy milk powder (500g; all batches) and Bon-Rice Phyto-Nutraceutical rice milk powder (450g; all batches), due to the presence of undeclared casein, a milk protein. Please refer to the recall notice for a list of stores where the products were sold.
  • Food Safety Recall (Australia): Charlie’s Group Australia Pty Ltd. recalls Phoenix Ginger Beer (330ml; Best Before 22/08/12), Phoenix Creaming Soda (330ml; Best Before 22/08/12), Phoenix Cola Cluster Pack (4 x330ml; Best Before 22/08/12), Phoenix Orange Fizz (330ml; Best Before 23/08/12), Phoenix Sparkling Apple (300ml; Best Before 23/08/12), and Phoenix Sparkling Blood Orange (300ml; Best Before 23/08/12), because some of the bottles were inadequately pasteurized. As a result, the contents of some bottles may ferment, increasing the risk of shattering.
  • OTC Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (Australia): Colgate-Palmolive Pty Ltd recalls Savacol Antiseptic Mouth & Throat Rinse Alcohol Free chlorhexidine gluconate 2 mg/mL mouthwash bottle (manufactured by Gaba International AG Active, Switzerland; All unexpired batch numbers), due to microbial contamination.

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.