Recalls and Alerts: November 4–6, 2023

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

OUTBREAK INVESTIGATION (Final Update): The CDC reports a total of 2,272 Cyclospora illnesses in 40 US states since April 1, 2024, among individuals who have not traveled outside of the United States. There were no deaths, but 186 outbreak victims were hospitalized.

Allergy Alert: Grandy Organics recalls Gluten Free Honey Oat Granola (3-lb bags and 25-lb cases (2 bags/case); Lot 231017-03459-1; UPC 648960034590) due to undeclared coconut.

Food Safety Recall: Tyson Foods, Inc recalls Tyson FULLY COOKED FUN NUGGETS BREADED SHAPED CHICKEN PATTIES (29-oz bag; Lots 2483BRV0207, 2483BRV0208, 2483BRV0209 and 2483BRV0210; Best if used by SEP 04, 2024) due to possible foreign matter contamination (metal pieces).

Canada

Food Safety Recall: L’atelier du pain inc. (Magog, QC) recalls CAVIAR D’AUBERGINE / Eggplant caviar and FOIE GRAS 400GRS / Foie gras, 400g (All lots) due to absence of mandatory storage temperature labeling.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Meomodo recalls Greeny brand Macadamia Mix Sel de mer / Macadamia mix with sea salt (125g; Lot 230816002333; Best before 12/8/2024) due to undeclared peanuts.

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Jumbo recalls Jumbo Maaltijdsalade Kip Indiase Stijl / Indian style chicken salad (400g; Best before 06-11-2023) due to undeclared nuts and almonds.

Food Safety Recall (France): LIDL recalls Etal du volailler brand Cuisse de canard / Duck legs (350g; Lot 0253035554; Use by 19/10/2023, 21/10/2023 & 23/10/2023) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): EKIBIO recalls PRIMEAL brand HARICOTS VERTS BIO & DEMETER / Organic green beans (340g; Lots between Lb122222.46000 and LB122222.49000; Best before 31/12/2026) due to foreign matter contamination (pieces of glass).

Food Safety Recall (France): CENTRE ELABORATION DES VIANDES Celvia Elaborés recalls ID’HALAL brand Escalope viennoise sous atmosphère modifiée / wienerschnitzel (1 kg; Lot 4703487338; Use by 28/11/2023) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Italy): IN.AL.PI. S.P.A. recalls SAPOR DI CASCINA brand FORMAGGINI / Cheeses (280g; Lots 230727 & 230915; Best before 23/01 & 13/03/24) due to mold contamination.

Pet Food Safety Recall (Finland): Musti & Mirri recalls SMAAK Adult Grain Free Fish dog food (2 kg & 10 kg; Best before 3.4.2025 & 4.4.2025) due to reports of pet illnesses. Symptoms include nausea, temporary weakness in the limbs, fatigue, polyarthritis, severe pain and fever. The cause of the illnesses is under investigation.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Food Safety Recall (Singapore): Imei (Exim) Pte Ltd. recalls Marusan Banana Soy Milk (1000ml; Lot JAN code – 4901033 630188; Expiry date November 4, 2023 to April 12, 2024; Product of Japan) due to product spoilage.

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More kibble contaminated with Salmonella

Mid America Pet Food (Mount Pleasant, TX) has announced a recall of three batches of Victor brand dry dog food due to possible Salmonella contamination.

The company initiated the voluntary recall after random sampling by a third party found Salmonella in samples from the three lots.

The affected lots of Victor Super Premium Dog Food, Select Beef Meal & Brown Rice Formula carry a “Best before” date of 6/12/2024, and can be identified by the following package sizes and lot codes:

5-lb bags: Lot #1000016890
15-lb bags: Lot #1000016891
40-lb bags: Lot #1000016892

The recalled products were distributed to various distributors and retailers in the United States.

According to the company’s recall notice, the current recall is separate from and unrelated to a recall initiated by Mid America in early September 2023. That earlier recall also was due to possible Salmonella contamination.

The company has instructed retailers and distributors to pull the implicated product from their inventory and from store shelves.

Consumers are advised not to feed the recalled products to their pets or to any other animals.

TOXIC

From Factory To Food Bowl
PET FOOD IS A RISKY BUSINESS

Available from all major on-line retailers, including:

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

Blue Ridge Beef raw dog food recalled due to Salmonella

Blue Ridge Beef has recalled a single production batch of Breeders Choice raw dog food after being informed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that Salmonella was found in a sample of the product.

The voluntary recall is limited to the following:

Breeders Choice dog food, 2-lb log: Lot #8/2/24, UPC 8 54298 00193 1

The recalled product was distributed between 8/9/2023 and 8/25/2023, and was sold primarily in retail stores located in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

The company’s North Carolina manufacturing facility has been inspected on at least three separate occasions during the past several years.

Upon completion of a 2016 inspection, the company’s operations were classified as “Voluntary Action Indicated.”

A follow-up inspection conducted in 2019 revealed multiple, serious infractions, and was classified “Official Action Indicated.” A Warning Letter, issued in June 2020, described those conditions in detail, including:

Utilizing tissues from animals that died other than by slaughter (i.e., 4D animals) without first determining whether the animals suffered any type of illness, injury, and/or whether any medications may have been administered to the animals;
Badly pitted concrete floors in the kill room, the cooler, and the mixing/packaging room, creating a niche for microorganisms to survive;
Thawing beef parts coming into contact with the concrete floors;
On the kill floor, while employees removed hides from three cow carcasses, stomach contents and fecal matter were observed spilling over onto exposed carcasses;
Carcasses dragged on the floors;
Deteriorating, exposed insulation;
Finished product and raw ingredient samples found to be contaminated with generic E. coli, Salmonella (two different serotypes) and Listeria monocytogenes; and
Operating without a current Food Facility Registration.

A third inspection, conducted in 2021, revealed that many of these problems had not been corrected. That inspection also was classified as “Official Action Indicated,” although a second Warning Letter does not appear to have been issued.

The 2021 inspection is the most recent one posted on the FDA Inspection Citation database.

What consumers should know

Dogs can become infected with Salmonella after eating a contaminated product.

Infected dogs may show symptoms that include lethargy, decreased appetite, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some infected dogs may not show any symptoms at all, but may shed the bacteria in their stools nevertheless, potentially infecting other animals or humans.

People who become infected with Samonella may suffer from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever. In rare cases, a Salmonella infection can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms.

Pet owners or other individuals who may have come into contact with the recalled product should monitor themselves and their animals for symptoms of Salmonella infection, and should consult their veterinarian or healthcare professional (as appropriate) if any of these symptoms appear.

TOXIC

From Factory To Food Bowl
PET FOOD IS A RISKY BUSINESS

Available from all major on-line retailers, including:

Enjoy the slideshow as you listen to a sample of TOXIC, narrated by the author.

“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.