Recalls and Alerts: February 22–23, 2024

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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“A complete and compelling account of the hidden and not-so-hidden ways the food we give our beloved pets can be contaminated.” – JoNel Aleccia, Health Reporter, Food & Nutrition, The Associated Press.

“An invaluable resource for busy pet owners” – Food Safety News

Available from all major on-line retailers, including:

United States

Food Safety Recall: Rico Brand recalls Ready-to-eat Enchiladas made with Queso Fresco due to potential for Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Country Corner Dairy, LLC recalls five varieties of cheese due to inadequate pasteurization. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were distributed in Maryland and Virginia.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Chuang’s Company Ltd. recalls Delizia brand Vegetarian Beef Ball (300g; Batch codes 01292, 10833, 12603; UPC 8 16432 00892 3) due to undeclared wheat.

Allergy Alert: Les Aliments Palmos Inc. recalls Uncle Yiannis brand Roasted Eggplant Puree (500 ml; Best before 18/11/2025 and 14/07/2025; UPC 7 07595 40175 4) due to undeclared sulphites.

Allergy Alert: Groupe Maison Courtemanche (Saint-Jérôme, QC) recalls PAIN DE VIANDE VÉGÉTARIEN / Vegetarian meat loaf and BUCATINI ALL’AMATRICIANA due to multiple undeclared allergens.

Food Safety Recall: Avril (Québec, QC) recalls SAND. POULET NOIX BLE ENTIE / Chicken sandwich with nuts on whole wheat (Best before 25 FE 2024) due to possible E. coli contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Au jour le jour inc. (Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare, QC) recalls LANGUE DANS LE VINAIGRE / Tongue in vinegar (Sold up to 21 February 2024) due to lack of storage temperature labeling.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Paas food industries recalls Paas food industries brand Kalkoenschnitzel / Turkey schnitzel (310g & 775g; Lots 1321185, 1321186, 1321187, 1321190 & 1321192; Use by 23/02/24, 24/02/24, 25/02/24, 28/02/24 & 1/03/2024) due to undeclared milk and wheat (gluten).

Allergy Alert (Germany): KoRo Handels GmbH recalls KoRo Chocolate Bar Berries (50g; Lot 5023131; Best before 07.12.2024) due to undeclared hazelnuts.

Allergy Alert (Sweden): Grilstad AB recalls Coppaskinka / Coppa ham (100g; Best before 01-02-2024 234237 and 01-06-2024 240637) due to undeclared mustard.

Allergy Alert (UK): Doritos recalls Doritos Tangy Cheese (singles and multipacks) (180g and 5 x 30g; Best before 01 June 2024) due to undeclared soy.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Jean Gotta recalls Jean Gotta brand AMERICAIN Préparé Câpres / Capers (Lot 8440810; Best before 26/02/24) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Banketbakkerij Merba B.V. recalls McEnnedy brand American cookies nougatelli (175g; Best before 10/12/2024) due to foreign matter contamination (small pieces of metal).

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Lidl recalls McEnnedy brand American cookies nougatelli (175g; Best before 10/12/2024) due to foreign matter contamination (small pieces of metal).

Food Safety Recall (France): BRETZELS MORICETTES MFP POULAILLON recalls POULAILLON brand MORICETTE® NATURE / Plain bread roll (65g; Lot 205024AM; Best before 18/02/2025) due to foreign matter contamination (red or silver Teflon).

Food Safety Recall (France): FRESH FOOD VILLAGE recalls REGENT’S PARK brand MUFFIN A LA FARINE COMPLETE ET 7 GRAINES X4 / Whole wheat and 7 grain muffins (4 pack, 250g; Lot 24031; Best before 01/03/2024) due to foreign matter contamination (stretchy plastic film).

Food Safety Recall (France): GLACES THIRIET recalls THIRIET brand 6 Cornets (multiple flavours) (6-pack; Multiple lot codes; Best before 01/02/2025) due to foreign matter contamination (metal shavings).

Food Safety Recall (France): DESSE DISTRIBUTION SUPER U recalls CHARCUTERIE ARTISANALE DU PAYS GALLO brand PATE A L’AIL / Garlic pâté (3.5 kg; Lot 24025; Use by 10/03/2024) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): LOSFELD DISTRIBUTION recalls FROMAGE FERMIER DES 2 CAPS / Farmstyle Cheese (600g; Lot 361; Best before 27/03/2024) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Manufacturer recalls Nanosupps brand Protein pancake – multiple flavors (Lots LOT/CT319-23, LOT/V321-23, LOT/P320-23 and LOT/CH354-23; Best before dates between 15/05/2024 and 20/06/2024) due to possible mold growth.

Food Safety Recall (France): COOPERATIVE U ENSEIGNE recalls U brand BOUDIN NOIR AUX POMMES / Black pudding sausage with apple (3-pack; Lot E3547218; Use by 28/02/2024) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): S.E.M.M MARITCHU recalls MARITCHU brand Andouille Basquaise / Sausage (Multiple lot codes and Use-by dates) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): GO NUTS recalls GO NUTS brand Beurre de cacahuètes / Peanut butter (500g; Lot 091123-00043; Best before 09/05/2025) due to possible foreign matter contamination (glass splinters).

Food Safety Recall (France): COGIMONT Market Gimont recalls Jambon blanc / Cooked white ham (Lot 240110b; Use by 12/03/2024) due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): GOMEZ JEAN-PHILIPPE recalls multiple La ferme au délice royal brand products due to lack of health certification by competent authorities. Please refer to the Rappel Conso site for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (France): UNIMA DISTRIBUTION UD recalls Crevettes sauvages entières cuites réfrigérées 40/60 vrac pêchées dans l’Océan Indien Ouest / Bulk, cooked refrigerated whole wild shrimp from the West Indian ocean, 40/60 size (Lot 404411; Use by 22/02/2024) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): LIDL recalls Sondey brand Farmer Cookies 3 chocolats (200g; Lot 2334710; Best before 12/12/2024) due to foreign matter contamination (metal).

Food Safety Recall (France): LIDL recalls McEnnedy brand Cookies – Nougatelli (175g; Lot 2334510; Best before 10/12/2024) due to foreign matter contamination (metal).

Food Safety Recall (France): AUCHAN RETAIL SERVICES recalls AUCHAN COOKIES ENROBES DE CHOCOLAT / Chocolate-enrobed cookies (180g; Lot 2334010; Best before 05/12/2024) due to possible foreign matter contamination (metal).

Food Safety Recall (Iceland): Stjörnugrís hf. recalls all ham (Best before dates up to and including March 18, 2024) due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Italy): Torrefazione Luccese del caffè Srl recalls Arte delle Specialità brand Caffe’ macinato arabica / Ground Arabica coffee (250g; Lot LG 24T; Best before 10/2025) due to ochratoxin A contamination above permitted levels.

Food Safety Recall (Italy): All Food Srl recalls RIALTO S.P.A. brand SALAME STROLGHINO / Salami (80g; Lot L348; Best before 18-01-2024) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Jean Gotta recalls Jean Gotta brand AMERICAIN Préparé Câpres / Capers (Lot 8440810; Best before 26/02/24) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): AUCHAN recalls AUCHAN COOKIES ENROBES DE CHOCOLAT / Chocolate-enrobed cookies (180g; Lot 2334010; Best before 05/12/2024) due to possible foreign matter contamination (metal).

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): LIDL recalls McEnnedy brand Cookies – Nougatelli (175g; Lot 2334510; Best before 10/12/2024) due to foreign matter contamination (metal).

Food Safety Recall (Spain): Industry recalls multiple types of chocolate chip cookies (Product of Netherlands) due to foreign matter contamination (metal). Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Sweden): Axfood recalls Garant tropical juice, pulp-free (1 L; Best before 19.04.2024) due to foreign matter contamination (pieces of plastic).

Pet Food Safety Recall (France): ATM PETFOOD recalls CANAILLOU brand Croquettes PRO MINI Senior – Riche en poulet et en riz / Mini croquettes for senior dogs, rich in chicken and rice (1.5 kg; Lot C2312150050; Best before 17/12/2024) due to Salmonella contamination.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Food Safety Recall (Israel): J. Maraba Israel Ltd. recalls Chocolate chip cookies filled with excellent nougat cream (175g; Expiry 11.12.2024) and Chocolate chip cookies with milk chocolate and dark chocolate (200g; Expiry 6.12.2024) due to foreign matter contamination (small pieces of metal).

Food Safety Recall (Israel): Carmel Delicacies Ltd. recalls multiple Mercato brand products due to possible Salmonella contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

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Darwin’s to customer: Salmonella-contaminated food “is fine”

In September 2023, an employee of Arrow Reliance, Inc. (doing business as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products) assured a consumer that Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selections Chicken Recipe for Cats (Lot 9830, manufactured on Jul 19, 2023), was “fine,” even though the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had advised the public the month before that the batch in question was contaminated with Salmonella.

The consumer contacted the company after their cat was diagnosed with a Salmonella infection, according to documents obtained by eFoodAlert in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

The consumer discarded the unused portions of the cat food and on September 14, 2023, filed a Pet Food Report with the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine.

In response to a separate complaint, filed a few days earlier, the FDA collected an unused portion of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Natural Selection Chicken Recipe for Cats (Lot code unknown) from the home of a consumer in a different state. The consumer reported that all four of their cats developed gastrointestinal problems after having consumed the product.

The FDA lab found two different Salmonella serotypes (Typhimurium and Hadar) in the sample.

Company aware of contamination

In August 2023, the FDA conducted the latest in a series of investigations into conditions at the Darwin’s Tukwila (Washington State) manufacturing facility.

On August 11, 2023, at the completion of their inspection, FDA investigators presented the company’s owner, Gary Tashjian, with a list of outstanding issues (FDA Form 483, Inspectional Observations). These observations included:

The detection of Salmonella in three different products, manufactured on June 13, June 28, and July 19, 2023.
Use of an unvalidated process as a preventative control for pathogens in the products over a four-month time span.
Lack of documentation that the preventative control process was carried out.

When the company declined to recall the three Salmonella-positive product batches, the FDA issued an Advisory to pet owners, cautioning them to avoid feeding the potentially hazardous batches to their pets.

In a written response to the list of observations, the company asserted (not for the first time) that it was a “…Retail Food Establishment and therefore … not subject to the provisions in the Food Safety Modernization Act which require a food safety plan and preventive controls.”

Notwithstanding this assertion, the company arranged for an independent lab to test retained samples from the implicated products, and reported that their lab found “only trace amounts” of Salmonella in just one of the batches identified by the FDA.

Darwin’s also claimed that the unvalidated process was a “temporary substitution” for its usual, validated process, was initiated as a result of an equipment failure, and that the company had since reverted to the validated process.

Finally, the company reported that it had initiated proper documentation of its preventative control process in response to the FDA’s final observation.

Fraught history

The relationship between Arrow Reliance (Darwin’s) and the FDA has been fraught with discord and disputes almost since the initial inspection of the company’s facilities in 2016. The story is told in some detail in TOXIC: From Factory To Food Bowl, Pet Food Is a Risky Business. More recent chapters in the evolution of Darwin’s relationship with the FDA can be found by entering “Darwin” in the eFoodAlert search box at the top of the page (right hand side).

Do your part to support pet food safety

The FDA relies heavily on reports from consumers and veterinarians to highlight possible pet food safety issues. If you suspect that a pet food or pet treat has caused your furry or feathered companion to become ill, please report your concerns to the FDA.

Pet owners can report suspected illness to FDA electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal or by calling your state’s FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinators. It’s most helpful if you work with your veterinarian to submit a pet’s medical records as part of the report. For an explanation of the information and level of detail that would be helpful to include in a complaint to FDA, please see How to Report a Pet Food Complaint.

“An invaluable resource for busy pet owners” – Food Safety News

Available from all major on-line retailers, including:

Purina says, “no health or safety issues”

As of January 11, 2024, the public Facebook group Saving Pets One Pet @ A Time has received reports of 729 sick animals (547 dogs and 182 cats) in the USA, Ireland, UK, Serbia, Hungry & Canada.

One hundred seventy-seven (177) of the animals have died.

All of the sick pets were fed a Purina product.

Purina’s response

In a statement posted on the company’s website on January 5, 2024, Purina denied the existence of any health or safety issues with any of its products.

While maintaining its denial of responsibility for the illnesses, Purina has quietly offered to compensate some of the pet owners who reached out to complain directly to the company.

In one case, Purina volunteered to pay the costs of veterinary care for a customers sick pet. In another instance, the company offered a customer $300 in compensation “…as a goodwill gesture, not an admission of liability.”

What pet owners are reporting

This graphic, posted with permission of the Saving Pets One Pet @ A Time group administrator, summarizes the situation as of January 11, 2024, including symptoms that have been reported by pet owners.

The FDA encourages pet owners and veterinarians to report safety issues with pet foods directly to the federal agency. Here’s how to do so.

How to report a pet illness

The FDA relies heavily on reports from pet owners and veterinarians to alert them to safety issues with pet foods. Especially useful are reports that include veterinary information and details on the suspect food (brand, variety, batch codes, etc.).

Most of all, the FDA is looking for pet owners who still possess partial or unopened bags of the suspect food.

If your pet is sick or has died, and you suspect the pet food to be the cause, please ask your veterinarian to file an Adverse Event report with the FDA.

Whether or not a veterinarian agrees to file a report, pet owners can file directly with the FDA. Prepare to make your report by assembling as much information about your pet’s symptoms, any lab reports (eg., blood work), and whatever information you have on the specific product(s) you have fed your pet. This includes brand and variety names, lot code, expiration date, and bar code information, all of which can be found on the package.

There are two options for filing, which are explained on the FDA web page, How to Report a Pet Food Complaint

Option 1: Contact the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator for your state by telephone (in the case of California, there are separate coordinators for Northern and Southern California). The list of telephone numbers is available at: Consumer Complaint Coordinators.

Option 2: File on-line using the FDA Safety Reporting Portal. Simply click on the “Report as Guest” button and follow the step-by-step directions.