Recalls and Alerts: January 10 – 13, 2021

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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Interested in learning more about food safety and the history of foodborne disease outbreaks and investigations? Go to TAINTED to download the first couple of chapters of my new book.

United States

OUTBREAK ALERT: FDA has opened an investigation into an outbreak of Salmonella Miami, associated with an unknown food. Forty-eight outbreak cases have been reported so far.

Pet Food Recall and Pet Health Alert: Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. expands its earlier recall of pet food to include to include more than 1000 production lots of dog and cat pet food products made with corn products and manufactured in the company’s Chickasha Operations Facility, because those products may contain aflatoxin levels which exceed acceptable limits. At least 70 pets have died and an additional 80 or more have fallen ill after consuming certain of these products. Please refer to the recall notice for details on how to identify the recalled products. Additional information also is available in eFoodAlert’s Breaking News story, posted on January 11, 2021.

Food Safety Recall: Weis Markets recalls Weis Quality Cookies and Cream Ice Cream (48 oz; Sell by 10/28/21; UPC 041497-01253) and Klein’s Vanilla Dairy Ice Cream (3 gal; Code stamp 0302) due to possible foreign matter (metal filling equipment parts) contamination.

Food Safety Recall: EVR Foods, INC recalls Lavva brand Blueberry Plant-Based Yogurt (5.3 oz; Expiration date 2/21/21) due to potential mold contamination.

Canada

Food Safety Recall: Piller’s Fine Foods recalls Piller’s brand Oven Roasted Turkey Breast (375g; Best Before 2021 JA 27; EST 550; UPC 0 69401 07546 8) due to foreign matter (pieces of plastic) contamination.

Europe

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Dufrais recalls Dufrais brand Boulettes rôtie maison / Homemade roassted meatballs (100-120g/piece; Lots 090 1010 007, 090 1010 008, 090 1010 009; Use by 12/01/2021) due to possible foreign matter (pieces of glass) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Carrefour recalls Carrefour brand Riz basmati / Basmati rice (1kg bag; Lot code / Best before date 01/07/2022) due to mycotoxin (ochratoxin A) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Iceland): Kólus ehf recalls Sambo brand Risa Þristur – lakkrís- og súkkulaðistangir með karamellufyllingu / licorice and chocolate bars with caramel filling (50g; Lots L350 & L357; Best before 16.11.21 & 08.01.22) due to a packaging defect.

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Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Allergy Alert (Israel): Meitav (G. SH.) Food Industries Limited Partnership alerts the public to the presence of undeclared egg in four flavoured syrup products. Please refer to the notice for a list of affected products. The company points out that the products are safe for consumers who do not have sensitivity to egg.

Australia and New Zealand

Food Safety Recall (Australia): Woolworths recalls Woolworths Coleslaw (110g, 250g, 400g & 800g; All Use By dates from 12 Jan up to and including 21 Jan) due to potential Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Australia): Bellarine Smokehouse recalls Smoked Barramundi Pâté and Smoked Salmon Pâté (150g; Use By 050221 & 060221) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Death count soars in Sportmix pet food aflatoxin investigation

BREAKING NEWS

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received reports of more than 70 pet deaths and more than 80 pet illnesses associated with feeding Sportmix pet food containing potentially fatal levels of aflatoxin.

This count is approximate, according to the FDA, and may not reflect the total number of pets affected. Reports submitted only to the pet food manufacturer are not shared with FDA and are not a part of this count.

Not all of these cases have been officially confirmed as aflatoxin poisoning through laboratory testing or veterinary record review.

Sportmix pet foods are manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc.

The company is headquartered in Evansville, Indiana. However, the contaminated pet foods were manufactured in Midwestern’s Oklahoma production facility.

On December 30, 2020, the company announced a recall of certain lots of Sportmix pet foods after the Missouri Department of Agriculture found “very high levels” of aflatoxin in multiple product samples.

Expanded Recall

The original recall has now been expanded to include all pet food products containing corn that were made in the firm’s Oklahoma plant and that expire on or before July 9, 2022—more than 1000 lot codes in all.

Lots of the following pet food products have been recalled if the date/lot code includes an expiration date on or before “07/09/22” and includes “05” in the date/lot code, which identifies products made in the Oklahoma plant:

Pro Pac Adult Mini Chunk, 40 lb. bag
Pro Pac Performance Puppy, 40 lb. bag
Splash Fat Cat 32%, 50 lb. bag
Nunn Better Maintenance, 50 lb. bag
Sportmix Original Cat, 15 lb. bag
Sportmix Original Cat, 31 lb. bag
Sportmix Maintenance, 44 lb. bag
Sportmix Maintenance, 50 lb. bag
Sportmix High Protein, 50 lb. bag
Sportmix Energy Plus, 44 lb. bag
Sportmix Energy Plus, 50 lb. bag
Sportmix Stamina, 44 lb. bag
Sportmix Stamina, 50 lb. bag
Sportmix Bite Size, 40 lb. bag
Sportmix Bite Size, 44 lb. bag
Sportmix High Energy, 44 lb. bag
Sportmix High Energy, 50 lb. bag
Sportmix Premium Puppy, 16.5 lb. bag
Sportmix Premium Puppy, 33 lb. bag

Lot code information may be found on the back of bag and will appear in a three-line code, with the top line in format “EXP 03/03/22/05/L#/B###/HH:MM”

Investigation ongoing

The FDA is continuing to investigate the situation in cooperation with the state departments of agriculture for Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.

Case counts and the scope of this recall may expand as new information becomes available.

What pet owners need to know

Pets are highly susceptible to aflatoxin poisoning because, unlike people, who eat a varied diet, pets generally eat the same food continuously over extended periods of time. If a pet’s food contains aflatoxins, the toxins could accumulate in the pet’s system as they continue to eat the same food.

Pets with aflatoxin poisoning may experience symptoms such as sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice (yellowish tint to the eyes, gums or skin due to liver damage), and/or diarrhea. In some cases, this toxicity can cause long-term liver issues and/or death. Some pets suffer liver damage without showing any symptoms. Pet owners whose pets have been eating the recalled products should contact their veterinarians, especially if they are showing signs of illness.

If your pet has symptoms of aflatoxin poisoning, contact a veterinarian immediately. Even pets without symptoms may have suffered liver damage, so you may want to contact your veterinarian if your pet has eaten any of the recalled products. Provide a full diet history to your veterinarian. You may find it helpful to take a picture of the pet food label, including the lot number.

Don’t feed the recalled products to your pets or any other animal. Contact the company listed on the package for further instructions or throw the products away in a way that children, pets and wildlife cannot access them. Sanitize pet food bowls, scoops, and storage containers using bleach, rinsing well afterwards with water, and drying thoroughly.

There is no evidence to suggest that pet owners who handle products containing aflatoxin are at risk of aflatoxin poisoning. However, pet owners should always wash their hands after handling any pet food.

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

Recalls and Alerts: December 13 – 16, 2020

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the sidebar link.

Interested in learning more about food safety and the history of foodborne disease outbreaks and investigations? Go to TAINTED to download the first couple of chapters of my new book.

United States

OUTBREAK ALERT (North Carolina): Cabarrus Health Alliance and Harris Teeter are investigating more than 150 reports of gastrointestinal illness linked to consumption of sushi purchased from free-standing AFC Sushi kiosks inside two Harris Teeter stores in Concord, North Carolina, according to a report in Food Safety News. The cause of the illnesses has not yet been determined.

Food Safety Recall: Tesoros Trading Co. recalls Trader Joe’s Lightly Salted Edamame, frozen (16 oz pkg; Lots 22LA102 M, 22LA102 N or 22LA102 P) due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Pet Food Safety Recall: PetSmart Inc. recalls Authority Savory Blends Turkey Formula Cat Food, Adult Ages 1-7 (3.5 lb & 7 lb bags; UPC 7 37257 83105 & 7 37257 85016 7, respectively; All lot codes; nationwide distribution) due to elevated levels of mycotoxin (Zearalenone). The recall was initiated on November 11, 2020. No public recall notice was released.

Pet Food Safety Recall: PetSmart Inc. recalls Authority Savory Blends Chicken Formula Cat Food, Adult Ages 1-7 (3.5 lb & 7 lb bags; UPC 7 37257 83108 & 7 37257 86107, respectively; All lot codes; Nationwide distribution). due to elevated levels of mycotoxin (Zearalenone). The recall was initiated on November 11, 2020. No public recall notice was released.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Shivani Sales Inc. recalls Shivani brand Bhatura Atta (500g; Best Before APR 2021; UPC 8 46072 02219 5) and Shivani brand Missi Atta (500g; Best Before APR 2021; UPC 8 46072 02220 1) due to undeclared wheat.

Food Safety Recall: Levitts Foods (Canada) Inc. recalls Compliments brand Montreal-Style Smoked Meat (175g; BEST BEFORE 2021JA20; EST 48; UPC 0 68820 13357 5), Levitts brand Corned Beef (150g; BEST BEFORE 2021JA20; EST 48; UPC 8 82756 72084 1) and Levitts brand New York Style Pastrami (150g; BEST BEFORE 2021JA20; EST 48; UPC 8 82756 73084 0) due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall: IGA Famille Déziel inc recalls Cheddar fort fumé / Sharp smoked cheddar (8 slices / ~180g; Sold December 1-15, 2020) due to undeclared unpasteurized milk in the cheese.

Food Safety Recall: Hilly Acres Farm recalls specific batch codes of Farmer John Eyking brand shell eggs and Nova Eggs brand shell eggs due to possible Salmonella contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a list of affected package configurations and batch codes.

Food Safety Recall: Lauri’services recalls Piment dans l’huile / Hot pepper in oil (In glass jars; Sold up to and including 16 December 2020) because the item may be unsafe to consume, due to production and/or packaging conditions.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Industry recalls Danival brand Ketchup (560g; Lot #E087; Expiry date 27/03/2022) due to undeclared mustard.

Allergy Alert (Iceland): Industry recalls Nawras brand Gele Vermicelli (400g; All batch codes; Product of Turkey) due to undeclared gluten.

Allergy Alert (Ireland): Marks & Spencer recalls Marks & Spencer brand Balanced For You Red Thai Chicken Curry (380g; Use by 14 December 2020 and 15 December 2020) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (Ireland): Tesco recalls Tesco Finest Festive Fruit & Nut Selection (225g; Batch code L0075004; Best before end May 2021) due to undeclared sulphur dioxide and/or sulphites.

Allergy Alert (UK): Tesco recalls Tesco Finest Festive Fruit & Nut Selection (225g; Best before end May 2021) due to undeclared sulphur dioxide and/or sulphites.

Allergy Alert (UK): Marks & Spencer recalls M&S Balanced For You Red Thai Chicken Curry (Use by 14 December 2020 and 15 December 2020) due to undeclared milk.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Colruyt Group recalls Haché de porc bio / Organic ground pork (400g; Use by 18/12/2020) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Colruyt Group recalls Viande pour pita / Meat for pita (±500g; Use by 17/12/2020, 18/12/2020, 19/12/2020, 20/12/2020, 21/12/2020 & 24/12/2020) due to foreign matter (pieces of glass) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Courses U recalls U brand Morceaux de filets de poulet panés / Breaded pieces of chicken breast (200g; Lot #344060; Use by 02/01/2021) due to possible foreign matter contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Colruyt recalls Haché de porc bio / Organic ground pork (400g; Use by 18/12/2020) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Sweden): KLS Ugglarps recalls Ugglarps brand Julskinka, lättrökt, kokt och rimmad / Christmas ham, lightly smoked, cooked and salted (Batch 492; Best before 06.01.2021) because the ham was not cooked.

Food Safety Recall (UK): Lidl GB recalls Red Hen Breaded Chicken Nuggets (450g; Best before end February 2022) and Red Hen Southern Fried Chicken Pops (210g; Best before 05 February 2022) due to Salmonella contamination.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Allergy Alert (Hong Kong): Alf Retail Hong Kong Limited recalls M&S brandBalanced For You Red Thai Chicken Curry (380g; Use by December 14, 2020; Product of UK) due to undeclared milk.

Australia and New Zealand

Allergy Alert (Australia): Aust Aria Pty Ltd recalls Naderi Traditional Cookie (210g; Best Before 16 April 2021) due to undeclared peanut.

Latin America and the Caribbean

OUTBREAK ALERT (Venezuela): Almost 250 people have been affected with an outbreak of salmonellosis in the state of Bolívar, according to a report in Food Safety News. The source of the outbreak has not been determined.