Recalls and Alerts: March 1 – 4, 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.

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United States

Outbreak Alert: CDC reports 40 illnesses in 27 states linked to consumption of kratom. Fourteen people have been hospitalized. The outbreak strain of Salmonella I 4,[5],12:b:- was identified by the North Dakota Department of Health in two samples of kratom obtained from an outbreak victim in North Dakota.

Allergy Alert: J Bar B Foods recalls simple truth Chicken Sausage Links SPINACH GRUYERE (12-oz. vacuum-sealed plastic packages; Lot #8034; Case code 90394; Sell by APR 16 2018) due to undeclared milk. The recalled item was shipped to retail locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah and Virginia.

Allergy Alert: Sensenig Turkey Farm LLC recalls approximately 1,925 pounds of turkey sausage products due to undeclared wheat and soy. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were shipped to retail locations in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Food Safety Recall: Interstate Meat Distributors, Inc. recalls approximately 14,806 pounds of ground beef and pork products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were shipped to retail locations in Oregon, Utah, and Washington state.

Food Safety Recall: Olli Salumeria Americana recalls approximately 3,946 pounds of ready-to-eat meat products due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were shipped to retail locations nationwide and exported to Canada.

Food Safety Recall and Allergy Alert: The Kansas City Baking Company recalls an undetermined amount of ready-to-eat meat products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection and which contain undeclared wheat, eggs, soy, and milk. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were shipped to café locations in Kansas and Missouri.

Pet Food Safety Recall: Steve’s Real Food recalls Raw Frozen Dog Food Turkey Canine Recipe (5-lb bags; Lot #E 178; Best by 09/27/18; UPC 6-91730-15303-8) due to potential Salmonella contamination. The recalled product was distributed to retail pet food stores in states of CA, CO, CT, IA, KS, FL, MD, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, NJ, NV, NY, OR, PA, TX, UT, VA, and WA.

Pet Food Safety Recall: Blue Ridge Beef recalls Kitten Grind raw pet food (2-lb chubs; Lot#GA1102, stamped on metal clip at ends of chubs; Manufactured on 11/02/2017) due to potential contamination with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. The recall was initiated after the FDA received a complaint of two kitten deaths, including one death which was confirmed to be caused by Salmonella septicemia. The recalled products were shipped to Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and North Carolina.

Pet Food Safety Recall: The J.M. Smucker Company Inc. has recalled various Gravy Train, Ol’ Roy, Kibbles ‘N Bits and Skippy wet/canned pet food products after the company confirmed the presence of pentobarbital in tallow, an ingredient in all of the recalled products. Please refer to the FDA Enforcement Report Event notice for a complete list of affected products.

Canada

Food Safety Alert: CFIA warns the public not to consume home-made Organic Mushroom Soup (1L size) sold at Belleville Farmer’s Market because it may permit the growth of Clostridium botulinum.

Food Safety Recall: Loblaw Companies Limited recalls Cooked Shrimp (56/65 Shirmp/lb – Pacific White Shrimp (300g; Product code 2018 OC 20: PM AP; UPC 0 60249 00927 1) due to the potential presence of raw shrimp, which may contain harmful bacteria. Please refer to the recall notice for information on distribution of the affected product.

Food Safety Recall: Tarini Brothers Meat and Fish Market recalls certain Smoked Rainbow Trout products because they may permit the growth of Clostridium botulinum. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were sold from Tarini Brothers Meat and Fish Market, 1055 Lorne St., Sudbury, Ontario.

Food Safety Recall: Industry recalls certain Gusto brand and Olli brand ready-to-eat meat products due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were imported from the USA and distributed to retailers nationwide.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Delhaize recalls Delhaize Lait Demi-Ecrémé sans Lactose / Delaize part-skim lactose-free milk (1L; Lot #350013; Best by 15/06/2018) because the product may contain lactose in excess of the amount permitted for a lactose-free product.

Allergy Alert (Germany): Body Attack Sports Nutrition recalls Soja Isolate Shake, Chocolate flavor (750g; Lot #6016181; Best by 31.05.2018) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert Update (Sweden): Saltå Kvarn expands an earlier recall to include additional flour products due to traces of undeclared soy and milk. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Løgismose recalls Chicken breast (370-500g; Lot #501800821; Best by 5 / 3-2018) due to excessive levels of Campylobacter in the meat.

Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Defco A/S recalls Mixed deli meats (400g pkg; Best by 14/3-2018) due to possible presence of metal shavings.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): EWG Eberswalder Wurst GmbH recalls Eberswalder Original Schorfheider Knüppelsalami (250g; Best by 04.03.2018; Lot #L10446) because the product may contain pieces of red plastic.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): XOX Gebäck GmbH recalls XOX Edler Veggie Mix (80g; Best by 05.06.2018; Lot #17248) due to Salmonella contamination.

Australia and New Zealand

Food Safety Recall (New Zealand): Go with your Gut Ltd recalls Go with your Gut brand Kombucha (750mL bottle; all flavors; all batches) because the product may exceed the maximum acceptable level of alcohol for non-alcoholic beverages.

Darwin’s pet food Salmonella problem dates back to 2016

Arrow Reliance, doing business as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, has known since at least early 2016 about possible Salmonella contamination in its pet foods according to information contained in two Establishment Inspection Reports.

Darwin has recalled nine production lots of its Natural Selections and Zoologics lines of pet food since October 2016, with the most recent recall initiated earlier this month. The recalls all followed detection of Listeria monocytogenes and/or Salmonella in Darwin’s pet food.

The Establishment Inspection Reports, obtained by Food Safety News under the federal Freedom of Information Act, show the Food and Drug Administration inspected Darwin’s manufacturing plant in Tukwila, WA, after receiving a consumer complaint about foreign objects in the company’s pet food. The inspection was carried out jointly with the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

An FDA inspector reviewed Darwin’s consumer complaint log and found four entries regarding Salmonella between Jan. 12 and June 22, 2016. The company received 158 complaints in that time period, including 17 for plastic, 16 for bone fragments, four for metal, one for wood, and one for cardboard.

Darwin’s president, Gary Tashjian, told the FDA inspector at the time that none of the complaints had been confirmed by customers’ veterinarians.

Tashjian said if a customer’s veterinarian confirmed a Salmonella diagnosis with a lab test, the company would “… consider placing a hold on a specific lot of food…” Darwin’s practice was to conduct its own testing on a retained sample of a product only after a veterinarian confirmed the presence of Salmonella in the pet food. If the retained sample was found to contain Salmonella, the firm would initial a recall.

When asked why no environmental samples were tested for Salmonella even though the company’s consumer complaint logs suggested a possible problem, a spokesperson for FDA said the agency considers “… several factors when determining whether to collect … samples during an inspection, such as if samples are necessary at the time to provide evidence for a violation…”

A sample of Zoologics Duck and Vegetable Meals for Dogs, Lot #3077 was taken for Salmonella and foreign object analysis by Washington state during the 2016 joint inspection.

On Aug. 8, 2016, the company “… voluntarily removed from market and destroyed…” all of Lot #3077 after the state reported finding Salmonella in the sample. A recall wasn’t required because none of the product had been distributed to customers, according to an FDA spokesperson.

The Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) from 2017 showed Darwin reported performing routine environmental swabbing for coliform and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which are used to measure the effectiveness of sanitation and cleaning procedures, respectively. There was no mention in the EIR of routine monitoring for pathogens such as Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes.

The recent spate of Salmonella-related recalls began in September 2017, triggered by a consumer complaint lodged with FDA and involving a dead kitten, according to an FDA spokesperson. The agency found Salmonella in a sample of Natural Selections Duck Meals for Cats, Lot #38277, manufactured on June 1, 2017.

Darwin’s initiated a recall of Lot #38277 on Sept. 8, 2017.

The recall earlier this month of two varieties of Zoologics Meals for Dogs also came about following a consumer complaint lodged with FDA. The complainant, whose German Shepherd had suffered from diarrhea for nine consecutive months and had tested positive for Salmonella, provided unopened samples of the two products to FDA for analysis.

The lab report, a copy of which was provided to Food Safety News by the consumer, confirms the presence of both Salmonella and Listeria innocua in both products. Listeria innocua is a common environmental contaminant and is not considered to be a pathogen. However, it is treated in some quality assurance programs as an indicator species for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes.

As of Feb. 13, FDA had investigated six complaints of sickness and death in animals that had been fed one or more of the recently recalled products.

An FDA spokesperson declined to comment on whether the agency would be conducting an inspection of Darwin’s manufacturing facilities in light of the recent series of product recalls, citing FDA’s policy against discussing ongoing investigations. However, the spokesperson said an inspection would be typical in a follow-up investigation.

The FDA encourages consumers to report complaints about this and other pet food products electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal or by calling their state’s FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinators.

This story first appeared on Food Safety News and is reposted here with permission.

Recalls and Alerts: February 22 – 25, 2018

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United States

Allergy Alert: La Pasta Inc. recalls Heinen’s Potato Gnocchi (9 oz; Lot codes 1119-1120 / 1121-1122 / 1132-1133 / 2016-2017 / 2027-2028 / 2034-2035 / 2038-2039 / 2130-2131 / 2139-2140 / 2221-2222 / 2231-2232) due to undeclared milk. The recalled product was sold in Heinen stores in Ohio and Illinois.

Allergy Alert: Snyder’s Lance recalls Emerald® Nuts
Glazed Walnuts (6.5 oz; Best before 15 DEC 2018; Production code EN1216XX2; UPC 0 1030080894 7) due to the potential presence of undeclared peanuts, almonds, cashews and pecans.

Allergy Alert: Seggiano USA, Inc. recalls Seggiano brand Tuscan Kale Pesto (with Artichoke & Garlic label) (7.1 oz; Best by 05/2019; Batch/Lot 326 -17/3; UPC 812603020381) due to undeclared cashews.

Allergy Alert: Night Hawk Frozen Foods recalls Night Hawk Beef Patty ‘N Gravy Frozen Dinner (8.75 oz; Batch code 11-08-18; UPC 41709-01930) due to undeclared milk. The recalled product was sold in Kroger stores in Houston and Dallas.

Pet Food Safety Recall: TruPet, LLC recalls Treat Me Crunchy Beef Delight Pet Treats (Lot # 20190514 13753) due to Salmonella contamination. The recalled product was distributed in the continental USA via online retailer Chewy.com and TruDog.com through direct delivery.

Pet Food Safety Recall: Northwest Naturals recalls Chicken and Salmon Dog Food (5-lb frozen chubs; Best by date code 15 082218; UPC 0 87316 38440 6) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recalled product was supplied to distributors in California, Washington, Texas, Michigan, Georgia, and Rhode Island and sold thru specialty pet retail stores.

Pet Food Safety Recall: Vital Essentials recalls Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Beef Nibblets Entrée for Dogs (1-lb pkgs; Lot #13753) due to Salmonella contamination.

Dietary Supplement Safety Recall: Bella All Natural recalls Bella Diet Capsules (Lot Number MFD:10.15.2017 EXP: 10.14.2019) due to the presence of silbutramine.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): LEA NATURE recalls JARDIN BIO TORTILLA CHILI (125g; Lot #37332; Best by 28/06/2018) and JARDIN BIO TORTILLAS NATURE (125g; Lot #37346; Best by 12/07/2018) due to undeclared gluten. The products were sold at Carrefour stores.

Allergy Alert (Ireland): Lidl Ireland recalls Favorina Dip Eggs Cocoa Crème and Favorina Dip Eggs Milk Crème (4 x 36g; Batch code L1506A7LP; Best by 30.07.2018) due to undeclared milk, gluten, egg, peanut, soya, and nuts.

Allergy Alert (Italy): Tutto Food S.R.L. recalls Baskaya Halva (350g; Vanilla, Chocolate and Pistachio flavors; all production up to 31/12/2017) due to undeclared peanuts.

Allergy Alert (UK): Lidl recalls Favorina Dip Eggs Cocoa Crème and Favorina Dip Eggs Milk Crème (4 x 36g; Batch code L1506A7LP; Best by 30.07.2018) due to undeclared milk, gluten, egg, peanut, soya, and nuts.

Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Center Bageren Brøndby Strand recalls Cinnamon Sticks (Production dates 18.02 / 19.02 / 20.02 / 21.02 2018 / 22.02.18) due to the presence of pieces of glass or hard plastic.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): IKEA recalls GODIS PÅSKKYCKLING, marshmallow candy (100g; best before dates between 23 October 2018 and 26 January 2019) due to potential contamination at the production unit.

Food Safety Recall (Ireland): IKEA recalls IKEA GODIS PÅSKKYCKLING Marshmallow candy (100g; Best before dates between 23 October 2018 and 26 January 2019; Product of Sweden) due to mouse infestation at the production plant.

Food Safety Recall (Italy): IKEA recalls GODIS PÅSKKYCKLING, marshmallow candy (100g; best before dates between 23 October 2018 and 26 January 2019) due to potential contamination at the production unit.

Food Safety Recall (UK): IKEA recalls IKEA GODIS PÅSKKYCKLING Marshmallow candy (100g; Best before dates between 23 October 2018 and 26 January 2019; Product of Sweden) due to mouse infestation at the production plant.

Australia and New Zealand

Food Safety Recall (Australia): IKEA recalls GODIS PÅSKKYCKLING, marshmallow candy (100g; best before dates between 23 October 2018 and 26 January 2019) due to potential contamination at the production unit.