Recalls and Alerts: September 22 – 25, 2019

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

Allergy Alert: Weaver Fundraising, LLC recalls Trail’s End Chocolatey Caramel Crunch (15 oz. tins; distributed to consumers through Boy Scout councils located in Houston, Texas and Corpus Christi, Texas beginning August 9, 2019) due to undeclared almonds, cashews and pecans.

Allergy Alert: California New Foods recalls various flavors and date codes of Carolyn’s Cookie Co. frozen cookie dough and Country Baking Company refrigerated cookie dough due to undeclared peanuts and walnuts. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Euphoria Fancy Food Inc recalls “CAPITAN K” salmon slightly salted pieces (7.05 oz; Container code 070519; Best before 01/30/20; UPC 607059000362) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Pet Treat Safety Recall: TDBBS, LLC recalls TDBBS, LLC USA Thick Pig Ear (8 Pack; Lot codes 1129T1 & 1549T1; Best by 4/22/2021 & 6/06/2021; UPC X001768PNB; Product of USA) and TDBBS, LLC USA Thick Pig Ear (20 Pack; Lot codes 1129T1, 1339T1 & 2179T1; Best by 4/22/2021, 5/13/2021 & 8/05/2021; UPC X000RBC5VF; Product of USA) due to Salmonella contamination.

Canada

Health Product Safety Recall: RW Consumer Products Ltd. recalls Gripe Water – Alcohol And Preservative Free, sold under various brand names, because company testing showed microbial contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Randsland Farms Inc. recalls Randsland brand Super Salad Kit (454g; Product code 2919071 100119; UPC 0 57225 00005 6) and Randsland brand Kale (340g; Product code 2919071 100119; UPC 0 57225 00006 3) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Alpha Meat Packers Ltd. recalls various Alpha Meat Packers Ltd. brand Beef Burgers and Lean Ground Beef due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Alpha Meat Packers Ltd. recalls various Alpha Meat Packers Ltd. brand Ground beef, Ground pork and burger products due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd. recalls Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd. brand Beef Cheek Meat Less Than 5% Water Retention (Variable weight; PACKED 19/03/22) due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd. recalls three Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd. brand beef and veal products due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Compagnie nationale d’importation de harengs ltée recalls tartinade de truite fumée / smoked trout tartinade (160g; All best before dates up to 24 October 2019) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Poissonnerie Québec Océan recalls specific lot codes of two products due to inadequate labeling to specify storage temperature. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Thomas Tucker recalls Toy Story 4 Sweet & Salty Popcorn (25g; Best before 23/02/2020) and LOL Surprise Sweet & Salty (25g; Best before 23/02/2020) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (Finland): Atria Suomi Oy recalls Atria Kunnon Arki Juustokerrosburgeri / Cheeseburger (180g; All expiry dates up to 6.10.2019) and Atria Wilhelm Porilainen (148g; All expiry dates up to 6.10.2019) due to undeclared sesame seeds.

Allergy Alert (France): Industry recalls Naturli’ brand Pâte tartinable Vegan avec colza, noix de coco, karité et amande / Vegan spread with rapeseed, coconut, shea and almond (All Best before dates between 30/08/19 and le 27/11/19) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (Luxembourg): Cactus recalls Zwan brand Pâté de foie / liver pâté (3 x 43g) due to undeclared butter, milk and eggs.

Allergy Alert (Netherlands): Streeckgenoten recalls Streeckgenoten brand de lekkerste gehaktbal / The tastiest meatballs (120g; Best before 06-10-2019) due to undeclared gluten.

Allergy Alert (Netherlands): Struik Foods recalls Struik Hollandse Hachee (400g; Lot code 13219; Expiry MRT2022) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (Sweden): Axfood recalls Garant Salta chips (200g; Best before 28.02.2020) due to undeclared milk

Allergy Alert (UK – Northern Ireland specific): Lidl Northern Ireland recalls three products due to lack of English-language allergen labeling for presence of milk, wheat and eggs. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (UK – Northern Ireland specific): Lidl Northern Ireland recalls three products due to lack of English-language cooking instructions. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Polak recalls Ryki brand Gouda fromage coupé / sliced Gouda cheese (135g; Lot #180359; Best before 18/10/2019) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Intermarché recalls COMPTOIR DES AFFINEURS brand Bethmale au lait cru / raw milk cheese (190g wedges; various lot codes and Best before dates) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected lot codes.

Food Safety Recall (France): Netto recalls Fromapac brand BETHMALE cheese (200g wedges; Lots #001010965, 001011576 & 001008988; Best before 21/09/2019, 23/09/2019 & 13/09/2019) due to Listeria contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Intermarché recalls CAPITOUL brand Bethmale au lait cru / raw milk cheese (180g; various lot codes and Best before dates) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected lot codes.

Food Safety Recall (France): Intermarché recalls COMPTOIR DES AFFINEURS brand Bethmale au lait cru / raw milk cheese (sold by the slice between from 31/07/2019 to 20/09/2019) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Industry recalls LES FROMAGERIES OCCITANES (LFO) brand BETHMALE / BAMALOU cheese (Lot 2019226114 & 2019205124; Best before 23/10/2019 & 02/10/2019; Product of France) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Industry recalls Bicky brand Oignons frits / fried onions (500g; Lots L9156 – L9158 – L9162; Best before 03/06/2020) due to foreign matter (metal pieces) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Netherlands): ALDI Nederland on behalf of Delizza GmbH recalls Trader Joe’s brand Gebakken Uitjes “Röstzwiebeln” / Roasted onions (200g; Best before 14/06/2020) due to foreign matter (small pieces of metal) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Netherlands): Liroy B.V. recalls Liroy ME Pineapple Pieces (3kg; Expiry January 2022) due to foreign matter (pieces of metal wire) contamination.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Allergy Alert (Israel): Diplomat Distributors (1968) Ltd. recalls dark chocolate cream filled wavy wafer rolls (150g; All batches; Manufactured by Golden Break Greece company) due to undeclared hazelnuts.

Australia and New Zealand

Allergy Alert (New Zealand): St Veyron Trading Ltd recalls Uni-President (TY) Soup Daren brand Instant Noodles – all batches and various flavours due to undeclared soy, egg, fish and sesame. Please refer to the recall notice for complete details on the recalled products.

In my opinion: Tularemia and pet food

There are many problems within the pet food industry: Salmonella, pentobarbital, substandard ingredients, unsanitary production environments, to name a few.

Pet food blogger Susan Thixton would like you to believe that tularemia should be added to the list.

In her post titled The Deadly Pet Food Bacteria Cover-up dated September 6, 2019, Thixton alleges that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are covering up a deadly outbreak of tularemia linked to a defunct Mars PetCare production facility in Joplin, Missouri.

According to Thixton, the most recent diagnosis was in August 2019.

The facility was closed down in 2013.

The article alleges that “multiple individuals have been diagnosed (confirmed through blood testing) with tularemia that either worked for, delivered to, or is a family member (of someone who worked for or delivered to) the closed Mars Petcare pet food plant located in Joplin, MO.” (emphasis hers)

According to Thixton, “the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Kansas Health Department confirmed to multiple individuals they were exposed to the deadly bacteria at the pet food plant” (emphasis hers)

She has published these allegations without providing any data or other substantiating information to support her claims.

Thixton claims that the exposure to Francisella tularensis, the bacterium that causes tularemia, was through “…exposure to rendered pet food ingredients”. She also states that the microbe “…can survive for decades in soil and water.”

Let me shine the light of science on these allegations.

A few facts about tularemia and Francisella tularensis

The incubation period (the time between exposure and onset of illness) for this disease is typically 3-5 days in most cases, although infections can take up to 14 days to develop.
Francisella tularensis is endemic in the rabbit and small rodent population in parts of the United States and elsewhere around the world. The most common source of transmission is via bites from ticks and deer flies.
Francisella tularensis also can be transmitted in food and water, by contact with infected sick or dead animals, and by exposure to aerosols (notably during grass cutting and haying operations)
Francisella tularensis can survive for weeks (not decades) in water and soil.

How common is tularemia in the United States?

There were 198 diagnosed cases of tularemia in the United States in 2018. There have been 144 cases so far this year.
The incidence of tularemia in the US has been dropping since 1950 (the first year for which data are readily available), during which 927 cases were reported to CDC.
The five states with the highest incidence of tularemia (reported as cases per 100,000 population) during the period 2000-2017 are: South Dakota (1.49), Oklahoma (1.04), Arkansas (1.03), Kansas (1.00), and Montana (0.57).

Is tularemia likely to be transmitted by rendered pet ingredients?

Francisella tularensis can be killed by heating to 50ºC (122ºF) for 15 minutes.
Temperatures used in the rendering process typically reach 115-145ºC (245-290ºF) for 40-90 minutes.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Francisella tularensis does not survive rendering.
Francisella tularensis survives weeks – not decades – in soil and water.
Francisella tularensis has an incubation period of 1-14 days.
Francisella tularensis is a rare disease that has been relatively stable in its incidence for several decades.

Thixton’s allegations do not hold water on several fronts.

She claims the problem to be ongoing, yet states that the exposure was at the Mars PetCare plant that closed down in 2013. Anyone exposed to Francisella tularensis in 2013 would have developed symptoms within two weeks of exposure – not six years later.
She claims – without supporting data – that the source of the exposure was rendered pet food ingredients. Yet, Francisella tularensis cannot survive temperatures far milder than those used in rendering.
She claims the bacteria survive in soil and water for decades, whereas the scientific literature reports survival in terms of weeks.

Don’t take my word for this. Go to the sources

I have spent four decades working in and writing about food safety, including pet food safety.

I am always prepared to call out misbehavior on the part of companies large and small. I did so in the pentobarbital scandals.

I am not prepared to stand by while the credibility of food safety advocates such as myself is damaged by the publication of allegations not supported by documentation or scientific research.

Recalls and Alerts: September 5 – 7, 2019

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United States

Public Health Alert: FDA advises consumers to avoid yellowfin tuna from Kroger stores in AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MO, MS, NE, OH, SC, TN, VA and WV (Sell by dates August 29, 2019 to September 14, 2019) due to reports of scromboid poisoning.

Food Safety Recall: House of Spices (India) recalls MDH SAMBAR MASALA (3.5 oz/100g; Lots 47, 48 & 107; Expiration dates Dec 2021, Dec 2021, Nov 2021 respectively; UPC 6291103750327) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall: BCI Foods, Inc. recalls approximately 3,304 pounds of meat and poultry soup products that were not presented for import re-inspection. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Conagra Brands recalls Udi’s Classic Hamburger Buns (8-pack/10.4ozBag closure code 191971U; Item UPC 00-6-98997-80913-5) due to potential foreign matter (small pieces of white plastic) contamination.

Canada

Allergy Alert: 9355936 Canada Inc. recalls The Good Diet (TGD) brand Protein Meal Excellent Sloppy Joe (5-count; All date codes; UPC 0657258 923812) and The Good Diet (TGD) brand Protein Meal Delicious Chili (5-count; All date codes; UPC 657258 92429) due to undeclared soy.

Food Safety Recall (Update): Maître Saladier Inc. recalls St-Hubert brand Chicken Breast Nuggets (680g; All lot codes beginning with B19084, B29084, & B39084: UPC 0 66701 00504 1) due to foreign matter (bone fragments) contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Saucisses et Salami Mondial recalls JAMBON PARISIEN / Parisian ham and JAMBON PARISIEN au dijon / with dijon mustard (150g, sliced; All units with Best before dates up to and including 20 September 2019) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Europe

OUTBREAK ALERT (NORWAY): The Public Health Institute, Food Safety Authority and other federal and municipal agencies are investigating three cases of a single variant of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli to determine whether there is a common source for the infections.

OUTBREAK ALERT – DOGS (NORWAY): The Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Veterinary Institute are investigating an outbreak of severe diarrhea and vomiting in dogs. Autopsies conducted on three of the dogs have revealed severe bowel disease. Two different pathogenic bacteria – Clostridium perfringens and Providencia – have been recovered from the autopsied dogs. A definite cause of the illnesses has not yet been determined and the source has not been discovered. No human illnesses relating to this outbreak have been reported.

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Albert Heijn recalls Albert Heijn brand AH Linzenburger / AH Lentil burger (200g; Best before 20-09-2019) due to undeclared oat gluten.

Allergy Alert (Denmark): ALDI Danmark recalls Mama Mancini Lasagne (1kg; Best before 18.09.2019) due to lack of Danish allergen declaration resulting in undeclared milk, wheat flour and eggs.

Allergy Alert (Netherlands): Jumbo recalls Jumbo Cashews (200g; Best before 12-2019) due to undeclared peanuts.

Allergy Alert (Netherlands): Jumbo recalls Jumbo Salmon Salad (140g; Best before 18-09-2019) due to undeclared fish and celery.

Allergy Alert (Netherlands): Albert Heijn recalls Albert Heijn brand AH Linzenburger / AH Lentil burger (200g; Best before 20-09-2019) due to undeclared oat gluten.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Albert Heijn recalls Albert Heijn brand AH Maaltijdsalade Tonijn / AH Tuna Meal Salad (450g; Best before 07+08+09/09/2019) due to Listeria contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Nordic Food Partners A/S recalls Rema 1000 brand loose rice in cooking bag (Best before 22.04.2021 & 23.05.2021) due to insect infestation.

Food Safety Recall (France): SCHNEIDER FOOD recalls Traiteur Schneider brand Garniture pour Flammekueche (500g, 2.5kg & 5Kg; All batch codes) Garniture pour Flammekueche Extra-Crémeuse (475g; All batch codes) and Flamm’Kit (All batch codes) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Intermarché and Coursesu recall COMPTOIRS DES AFFINEUR brand Bethmale au lait cru / raw milk cheese (various lots and Best before dates) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected batch codes.

Food Safety Recall (France): Géantcasino and Coursesu recall COMPTOIRS DES AFFINEUR brand Bethmale au lait cru / raw milk cheese (various lots and Best before dates) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected batch codes.

Food Safety Recall (Italy): Polo Nord Ice Cubes S.r.l. recalls Ghiaccio alimentare a cubetti / ice cubes (2Kg bag; Lot #9057; Best before 31/08/2020) due to elevated E. coli levels.

Food Safety Recall (Netherlands): Jan Linders recalls Half-to-half Spiced Chopped meat (300g; Batch/lot code XX-1935602; Best before 09/09/2019) due to foreign matter (blue plastic) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Spain): SABORES DE PATERNA S.C.A. recalls various Sabores de Paterna brand meat products due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a list of affected products.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Allergy Alert (Singapore): Angliss Singapore Pte Ltd recalls Funky Fields brand Organic Vegan Spreadable (225g; Best before 21-02-2020 & 06-03-2020; Product of Denmark) due to undeclared milk.

Australia and New Zealand

Allergy Alert (Australia): The Gluten Free Food Co. recalls Gluten Free Vegan Mac N Cheez original cheez and Gluten Free Food Co Vegan Mac n Cheez Cheez n Chive (200g; Batch code 1909401; Best before 17/10/20, 19/12/20, 18/12/20) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (New Zealand): Multigoods Ltd recalls Haidilao brand Butter Hot Pot Seasoning (500g; All batches) due to undeclared sesame.

Food Safety Recall (Australia): Coles Supermarkets recalls Coles Brand Fresh Full Cream Milk (2L; Use by 13 September 2019) due to chemical contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Australia): Metcash recalls Community Co Black Peppercorn Grinder (50gm; All stock), Community Co Pink Himalayan Salt Grinder (115gm; All stock) and Community Co Sea Salt Grinder (50gm; All stock) due to foreign matter (plastic fragments) contamination.