Category: recall roundup

Recalls and Alerts: July 12, 2011

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.

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

United States

  • Allergy Alert: B&G Foods, Inc. recalls Las Palmas Green Enchilada Sauce (19-ounce; All sell-by dates on or prior to December 13, 2013), because the product may contain an undeclared allergen, according to a report by Giant Eagle.
  • Allergy Alert Update: Posh Bakery (Santa Clara, CA) recalls Butter Mini Croissants and Chocolate Mini-Croissants (12-pack, 12-ounce clear plastic clamshell containers with Whole Foods Market labels; all best-buy dates prior to and up until July 6, 2011) due to an undeclared egg wash. One allergy reaction has been reported. The recalled baked goods were sold in 26 Whole Foods Market stores in Northern California.
  • Food Safety Recall Update: USDA posts retail distribution list for boneless, fully cooked ham products recalled by Carolina Pride Foods, Inc. due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Sogo Foods Inc. (San Jose, CA) that a September/October 2010 inspection of the company’s food manufacturing facility revealed misbranding of two products and also determined that products were prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have become contaminated with filth, or whereby they may have been rendered injurious to heath.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Mai’s Bakery, Corp. (Monterey Park, CA) that a March 2011 inspection of the company’s manufacturing facility revealed serious violations of FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation for manufacturing, packing, or holding human food.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns First Commercial Kitchen, L.L.C. (Waipahu, HI) that a December 2010 – February 2011 inspection of the company’s food processing facility determined that your facility produced acidified foods and revealed that you have significant deviations from the requirements of the Acidified Food regulations, causing the company’s acidified food products to be adulterated, in that they have been prepared, packed, or held under unsanitary conditions whereby they may have become contaminated with filth, or whereby they may have been rendered injurious to heath.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns BioSan Laboratories, Inc. (Derry, NH) that a December 2010 – January 2011 inspection of the company revealed significant violations of Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) regulations in Manufacturing, Packaging, Labeling, or Holding Operations for Dietary Supplements.

Canada

  • Outbreak Alert (Ontario): One patient at the Guelph General Hospital has died after suffering from a hospital-acquired infection with Clostridium difficile. The hospital declared a C. difficile outbreak on July 5th, after discovering 11 cases in May and June. The outbreak total now stands at 15 cases.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Select Salmon A/S recalls Smoked Halibut (Lot #17411; Best before 15.07.2011), due to evidence of Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Biogan A/S recalls Organic fenugreek seeds (1-kg bags; Best before 05-10-2012, 21-02-2013 and 16-04-2013) because the seeds came from Egypt and may be contaminated with E. coli O104:H4.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Fausol A/S recalls Hornum Sprouts, Asia-Mix (30g; Item #1328), because the product contains fenugreek from Egypt and may be contaminated with E. coli O104:H4.
  • Food Safety Recall Expanded (Finland): Raisio Nutrition Ltd. expands its previous recall of Oat Oats, Organic Wheat Paahtopalat product, 260g pack. The recall was expanded to include the Best before date 08/20/2011 and batch ID #L02.25. The recalled packages have been buckling and may be contaminated.
  • Food Supplement Safety Notification (EU #2011.0909): Metal strips in calcium tablets with vitamin D3 from Germany, processed in Hungary; distributed to the Czech Republic, Germany and Hungary.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0910): Salmonella in frozen pork meat from France; distributed to Sweden.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0912): Undeclared sulphite in frozen prawns from Spain; distributed to Italy.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2011.0915): Undeclared milk ingredient in bread-crumbed fish fillets from France; distributed to Ireland and the United Kingdom.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2011.0917): Aflatoxins in maize gluten with raw material from China; distributed in Switzerland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0920): Mercury in sliced swordfish from Spain; distributed to Italy.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Alert (Taiwan): Taipei City health officials report that 5.6% (3 out of 54 samples) of iced snack and beverage ingredients failed tests for “problematic” food additives. Officials have ordered the three offending items – marble-sized black tapioca balls, taro beads, and konyaku – off the market.
  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (Hong Kong): Orient Europharma Co. Ltd. recalls Navelbine Injection 10mg/1ml (Batch 1P109), and Navelbine Injection 50mg/5ml (Batches P507 and P508), as part of a worldwide recall due to and out-of-trend result in content of an active ingredient.
  • Outbreak Alert (PRC): Spoiled leftovers served at an unlicensed kindergarten has been blamed for an episode of food poisoning that hospitalized 42 children in east Zhejiang Province.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Food Safety Recall (Australia): Haigh’s Manufacturing Pty Ltd recalls Haigh’s Aprichoc Chocolates (300g cardboard gift box; Best before 29 OCT 11), due to the possible presence of undeclared nuts. The recalled chocolates were sold in Haigh’s Chocolate Shops in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.

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 web site.

Recalls and Alerts: July 9, 2011

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.

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

United States

  • Allergy Alert: Posh Bakery recalls Whole Foods Market Butter Mini Croissants and Chocolate Mini-Croissants due to an egg wash that was undeclared on the product label.
  • Consumer Product Safety Recall: Mizuno USA Inc. recalls Mizuno Supreme Series and Ballpark Pro baseball and softball gloves, because some of the gloves were found to contain a variety of molds.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Albion Fisheries Ltd. (Vancouver, BC) recalls Mussel N/ Shell Honey Mussels (5 lb; Lot #181951), due to the presence of marine biotoxins. The recalled mussels were distributed to hotels, restaurants and institutional customers in Alberta and British Columbia.
  • Pharmaceutical Product Health Advisory: Health Canada reminds the public, particularly women of child-bearing age, of the risks to children whose mothers take a valproate drug, used to treat epilepsy, while pregnant. There is a rare, but well known risk of birth defects in children whose mothers took a valproate drug while pregnant. Also, some recent studies have found that children whose mothers took a valproate drug tend to score lower on cognitive tests than children whose mothers took other anti-epileptic medications.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (Ireland and UK): The Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the UK Food Standards Agency announce the recall of Donegal Catch Limited Edition Fish Fillets in a Golden Breadcrumb (Best Before Sept. 2012; Batch Number L 1 066), because a packaging error has resulted in some packs containing product with undeclared milk.
  • Food Safety Recall (Belgium): AFSCA has ordered the recall of Nicola Spanish potatoes (2.5Kg bags), sold in Lidl stores, because these potatoes contain an elevated level of fosthiazate, a chemical used to control nematodes.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Ren-Diet recalls Fenugreek seeds (125g bags; Expiry 24 May 2012; Lot #28551), because the bags contain seeds from the same batches of fenugreek seeds from Egypt believed to be the source of E. coli O104:H4 outbreaks in Germany and France.
  • Food Safety Recall (Finland): Inex Partners Oy recalls Weibulls Mix seeds for sprouting (55/75g bags; Expiration date 09/30/2013 or 30/09/2014), because the product contains fenugreek seeds originating in Egypt.
  • Food Safety Recall (Netherlands): The Food Safety Authority announces a recall of Sperli brand fenugreek seeds or mixed seeds containing fenugreek bought at two garden centers, because the packages contain seeds potentially contaminated with EHEC (E. coli O104:H4).
  • Food Safety Recall Update (Italy): Carrefour recalls several production lots of Prosciutto cotto affettato di alta qualità alla brace 150g (please navigate to il fatto alimentare for affected production lot details), because the prosciutto may contain unacceptable levels of Listeria monocytogenes.
  • OTC Product Safety Recall (France): Laboratoire Pierre Fabre Medicament recalls Laboratoire Pierre Fabre Medicament Cliptol Gel, 50g (Topical preparation; Lot #G00123 to G00136, inclusive, G00139, G00142 and G00143), because of an error in the precautions for use labeling.
  • Outbreak Alert (Switzerland): Thirty-five military recruits are suspected to have been infected with norovirus and are receiving medical assistance in the infirmary.
  • Outbreak Alert Update (France): Four people remain hospitalized in Chu de Bordeaux after becoming infected with E. coli O104:H4. In all, about 10 people have been hospitalized during this outbreak due to either bloody diarrhea or hemolytic uremic syndrome.
  • Outbreak Alert Update (France): Steak Country brand frozen hamburger steaks sold in Lidl stores are now believed to have caused 19 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome across France – 18 of them in the Nord – Pas-de-Calais – Picardie regions. One case has been reported from Strasbourg.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0904): Salmonella Saint Paul in chilled duck breast pepper and pepper skewers from France; distributed to Belgium and France.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0905): Fosthiazate in nicola potatoes from Spain; distributed to Belgium.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0906): Diarrhoeic shellfish poisoning toxins in whole queen scallops from the UK; distributed to Spain and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0907): High Enterobacteriaceae count in vanilla ice cream from Italy; distributed to Hungary, Italy and Sweden.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0908): Enterococcus in bottled natural mineral water from Italy; distributed to Germany.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Alert (PRC): Authorities have halted the sale of 31 brands of water after they failed safety standard tests, including excessively high total bacterial or coliform counts.
  • Food Safety Enforcement Notice (Japan): The Tottori Prefectural Government will ban restaurants and butchers from serving or selling raw beef liver after recent deadly food poisoning cases involving raw beef served at Korean-style barbecue restaurants.
  • Food Safety Alert (Japan): More than six times the legal limit of radioactive caesium has been found in beef from Fukushima prefecture. The meat was sampled from one of 11 cows shipped to Tokyo.
  • Outbreak Alert (PRC): Forty-two kindergarteners in Zhejiang Province have been sickened in an alleged case of food poisoning at an unlicensed kindergarten.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Water Safety Alert (New Zealand): Auckland Council has identified two toxic sea slugs on rocks at Matiatia Bay on Waiheke Island. Beachgoers should avoid touching or handling sea slugs at beaches across the Auckland region. Toxic sea slugs killed several dogs on beaches of Auckland’s North Shore during the past two winters.
  • Weight Loss Product Safety Alert (Australia): The Therapeutic Goods Administration warns the public that OxyELITE Pro capsules – marketed as having super weightloss properties – contains therapeutic quantities of the prohibited prescription-only substanct, Yohimbine. In Australia, supply of OxyELITE Pro capsules is illegal.

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 web site.

Recalls and Alerts: July 7, 2011

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.

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

United States

  • Food Safety Recall: Warabeya U.S.A., Inc. (Honolulu, HI) recalls 7-Eleven brand convenience meals (Produced June 28, 2011; Best eaten by 06/30/11 11:30 AM), because the meals may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products, which include 7-Eleven Fried Chicken Bento, 7-Eleven Teriyaki Chicken Bento, 7-Eleven Breakfast Scramble Bowl, 7-Eleven Big Bento and 7-Eleven Little Smokies Snack Pack, were distributed to retail stores in Hawaii.
  • Food Safety Recall: Old Home Foods (New Brighton, MA) recalls Old Home Cottage Cheese (12, 24 and 32-oz packs; Expiration date: August 1), because the cheese may spoil prior to the expiration date. The recalled cottage cheese was supplied to Rainbow stores (part of Roundy’s Supermarkets’ Inc.), and may also have been shipped elsewhere.
  • Water Safety Alert: The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and the Grand River Dam Authority  have recently confirmed the presence of blue-green algae in at least four sections of Grand Lake. Exposure to blue-green algae may cause human illness.
  • Outbreak Alert: The Texas Department of State Health Services alerts residents of Maverick County to take precautions against shigellosis after more than 50 cases of Shigella-related diarrhea were confirmed during May and June. The number of confirmed cases is 25 times higher than the usual number reported during this time of year.
  • Outbreak Alert Update: As of July 5, 2011, CDC has confirmed reports of 25 cases of Salmonella Enteritis from 5 states: Idaho (3), Montana (10), New Jersey (1), North Dakota (1) and Washington (10). Epidemiological investigation linked the outbreak to consumption of alfalfa sprouts and spicy sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC (Moyie Springs, ID). The company has recalled certain lots of its alfalfa sprouts and spicy sprouts.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (France): Société Auchan recalls Ravioli aux 3 fromage/3-Cheese Ravioli (250g; Best before 03.07.11), because some of the packages may contain meat ravioli instead; the meat ravioli stuffing contains celery, which is not declared on the cheese ravioli label.
  • Food Safety Recall (Finland): Siam House Ky withdraws Monika Fish Sauce (Product of Philippines; Batch code 8233; Best before 05.02.2012), because the product was found to contain excessive amounts of preservative.
  • Food Recall (Greece): EFET announces that Croissant Panini dolce (150g; Expiry 16/7/11) has been recalled. Please see the EFET web site for details, as the automatic translator is not functioning.
  • Outbreak Alert Update (France – E. coli O157): Four new patients, including a 7-month-old infant, have been hospitalized in Lille, bringing the total number of hemolytic uremic syndrome cases in the Steak Country outbreak to ten.
  • Pet Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0900): Salmonella Senftenberg in dog chew from Switzerland; distributed to Austria.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2011.0902): Salmonella Senftenberg in soya meal from Argentina, via the Netherlands; distributed to Belgium.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Outbreak Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Health Protection reports a confirmed case of cholera (Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa) in a 25-year-old man who has no history of recent travel. The man is in stable condition in the isolation ward of Princess Margaret Hospital.

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 web site.