Category: poultry

Recalls and Alerts: February 14, 2013

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: Associated Milk Producers Inc. (New Ulm, MN), in cooperation with Gordon Food Service, recalls GFS Lemon Pudding (113 oz cans; UPC 9390110676; Lot #3T12354C), due to undeclared milk. The recalled pudding was distributed in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
  • Food Safety Recall Update: The Kroger Company reports that Taylor Farms’ Simple Truth brand Organic Baby Spinach (5 oz tray; UPC 0-11110-91128-5; Best by 2/24/2013), recalled due to Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) contamination, was distributed to Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana, as well as to King Soopers, City Market, Fry’s, Fred Meyer, Ralphs, Food4Less, FoodsCo, QFC and Smith’s stores. Wegmans reports that none of the recalled Taylor Farms spinach was sold in Wegmans stores.
  • Food Recall: Bi-Lo advises its customers that Manischewitz Coconut Macaroons (10 oz; UPC 7270000090; Item code 500728; Best by 8/12/13, 8/13/13 and 8/14/13) were recalled by the manufacturer.
  • FDA Enforcement Action: US Marshals, acting on behalf of FDA have seized tainted dietary supplements from Globe All Wellness, LLC (Hollywood, FL), because the seized products may contain sibutramine hydrochloride, the active ingredient in the obesity drug Meridia, which was withdrawn from the US market after clinical data demonstrated that the drug increased the risk of heart attach and stroke.
  • Outbreak Alert: CDC reports that 124 persons have been infected with a single strain of Salmonella Heidelberg (the outbreak strain) since June 4, 2012. Illnesses have been reported from 12 states, including Washington (56 cases) and Oregon (38 cases). The other 10 states have not been identified, as CDC has not yet determined how the illnesses are linked to the outbreak. Cases in Oregon and Washington appear to be linked to the consumption of chicken; these states have identified Foster Farms brand chicken as the most likely source, based on patient reports and the detection of the outbreak strain from samples of Foster Farms raw chicken.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Delft Blue, division of Grober Inc. (Cambridge, ON) recalls Compliments brand Breaded Veal Cutlettes (680g pkgs; UPC 0 55742 33693 1; All best before codes) due to undeclared mustard. The recalled product was distributed in Ontario.

Europe

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket’s recall website.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.
**Includes Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs and Pak N’ Save.

Ohio Chicken Hatchery Precipitates Salmonella Outbreak – Again

For the second time in less than a year, the Mt. Healthy Hatchery – a mail-order chicken hatchery located in Ohio – is the source of a multi-state and multi-strain Salmonella outbreak.

CDC reported today that 93 people from 23 states were infected with one of the outbreak strains, which include Salmonella Infantis, Salmonella Newport, and Salmonella Lille. Eighteen people have been hospitalized; one death is under investigation.

Illnesses have been reported from the following states: Alabama (3), Georgia (3), Illinois (1), Indiana (2), Kentucky (4), Louisiana (1), Massachusetts (1), Maryland (1), Maine (2), Michigan (1), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (1), North Carolina (9), New York (13), Ohio (26), Pennsylvania (9), Rhode Island (1), South Carolina (1), Tennessee (4), Texas (1), Virginia (6), Vermont (1), and West Virginia (1).

More than one-third (37%) of the outbreak victims are 10 years of age or younger; the youngest is less than one year old. Illness onset dates range from March 1, 2012 to May 19, 2012. Additional illnesses that occurred after May 6th may not yet have been reported.

Investigations carried out jointly by local, state and federal agencies traced the outbreak to exposure to chicks and ducklings from a single mail-order hatchery in Ohio. The same hatchery – identified last year by the Ohio Department of Agriculture as Mt. Healthy Hatchery – was the source of a similar outbreak around this time last year.

The link between this outbreak and the hatchery is incontrovertible. According to CDC, four chick and duckling samples from different homes in Ohio and New York yielded the three Salmonella outbreak strains. The source of these chicks and ducklings was Mt. Healthy Hatchery.

Last year’s outbreak peaked around Easter – the traditional time for introducing chicks and ducklings as household pets. This year’s outbreak time curve is following the same pattern.

CDC offers the following advice to consumers who want to reduce – NOT eliminate – the risk of Salmonella infection from live baby poultry:

  • Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching live baby poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available.
  • Adults should supervise hand washing for young children.
  • Don’t let children younger than 5 years of age handle or touch chicks, ducklings, or other live poultry.
  • Don’t snuggle or kiss the birds, touch your mouth, or eat or drink around live baby poultry.
  • Don’t let live baby poultry inside the house, in bathrooms, or especially in areas where food or drink is prepared, served, or stored, such as kitchens or outdoor patios.
  • Do not eat or drink in the area where the birds live or roam.
  • Don’t clean any equipment or materials associated with raising or caring for live poultry, such as cages or feed or water containers, inside the house.
  • Don’t give live baby poultry as gifts to young children.

UPDATE: Broiled Chicken Livers Sicken At Least 170 In 5 States

Kosher broiled chicken livers produced by Schreiber Processing Corporation (Maspeth, NY) have infected at least 170 people in five states with Salmonella Heidelberg, according to information supplied by the New Jersey, New York City and New York State health departments, and by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP).

Illnesses are reported in New York State (56 in New York City and 33 in Upstate New York), New Jersey (64 – the majority from Ocean County), Pennsylvania (7), Maryland (9) and Minnesota (at least one).

The US CDC is actively involved in this outbreak investigation and expects to post an Investigation Report when the data have been fleshed out, according to CDC spokeswoman Lola Russell.

This outbreak is completely unrelated to another Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak that took place earlier this year. The earlier outbreak was associated with raw turkey meat that was contaminated with an antibiotic-resistant strain of Salmonella Heidelberg.

Illnesses linked to this outbreak occurred as early as February 2011, with the most recent illnesses having been reported in November. The earliest upstate New York illness onset date was April 10th, and the latest was October 20th, according to Peter Constantakes of the New York State Department of Health. At least 24 people have been hospitalized – 7 in New Jersey (reported as 11% of cases), 12 in New York City, and 5 in upstate New York.

The chicken livers, which appear to be ready-to-eat but are actually only partially cooked, are contaminated with Salmonella Heidelberg. Illnesses were linked to consumption of the chicken livers, and of chopped liver prepared in retail stores. New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets recovered the outbreak strain from samples of the broiled chicken livers and from samples of chopped liver produced in retail locations.

Schreiber Processing recalled the following products earlier today:

  • 10 lb. boxes with two, 5 lb. bags of “Meal Mart Broiled Chicken Liver; Made for Further Thermal Processing”
  • 10 lb. boxes of loose packed “Chicken Liver Broiled”

The recalled chicken livers were distributed to retail stores and institutional users in Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and Rhode Island. The livers may have been repackaged into smaller quantities, or made into chopped liver and sold in deli-style establishments.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has released a list of establishments in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Minnesota that sold the chicken livers or are associated with the outbreak within their communities. USDA also has promised to publish its own retail distribution list, which typically does not include restaurants, institutions or caterers.

The following communities are believed to be affected:

  • New York: Bronx, Brooklyn, Cedarhurst, Far Rockaway, Ferndale, Flushing, Kew Gardens, Lawrence, Loch Sheldrake, Monsey, New York (Manhattan), Ocean Side, Parksville, Roslyn Heights, Schenectady, South Fallsberg, Suffern, Wesley Hills, Woodridge
  • New Jersey: Elizabeth, Englewood, Freehold, Highland Park, Howell, Lakewood, Moonachie, Passaic, Paterson, Teaneck
  • Pennsylvania: Mckeesrocks, Philadelphia
  • Maryland: Baltimore
  • Minnesota: New Hope

The labeling on the original packages of chicken livers indicates clearly that the Broiled Chicken Livers are “For Further Thermal Processing”.

Meal Mart Broiled Chicken Livers - 5 lb package

The label instructs that the chicken livers must be cooked thoroughly to 160°F, and refers the user to the separate Safe Handling Instructions on the package. But, as the recall notice states, these chicken livers often are repackaged into smaller quantities for retail sale. When that happens, the original label warning and cooking instructions are lost.

Consumers in one of the listed states or communities who purchased chicken livers that appear to be ready-to-eat, or who purchased chopped liver from a deli counter or supermarket deli display, should not eat the chicken liver. Anyone who develops symptoms of salmonellosis within one week after having eaten broiled chicken livers or chopped chicken liver should consult a doctor immediately.