Category: recalls

Oral-B Mouthwash Recalls

Over the past few days, reports have surfaced on various government web sites warning consumers of an international recall of Oral-B Mouthwash products. The affected products were manufactured by Laboratorios Rety de Colombia S.A. Oral-B Mouthwash products manufactured in other locations are not affected by the recall

Procter & Gamble initiated the recall after a bacterial contaminant – Burkholderia anthina – was detected in some product samples from the Colombian manufacturing facility. While B. anthina is unlikely to cause illness in healthy individuals, it could be harmful to consumers with weakened immune systems.

Following is a list of the products and countries impacted by these recalls.

North America

Canada

  • Oral B Anti-Cavity Dental Rinse- Alcohol Free (NPN 02129930)
  • Oral-B Anti-Bacterial with Fluoride – Alcohol Free Daily Use Mouthrinse (DIN 02130823).

Mexico

  • A news item in the Bellingham Herald (Washington State) reports that 600,000 bottles of Oral-B mouthwash were being pulled from stores in Mexico.

USA

According to an email I received this morning from P&G North America, their recall does not extend to the USA.

Central America

Procter & Gamble has recalled the following Oral-B products in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panamá, Ecuador and Paraguay.

  • Oral B Complete Enjuague Bucal Menta Refrescante
  • Oral B Complete Enjugue Bucal Sabor Hierbabuena

South America

Argentina

  • Oral-B, Natural Mint and Fresh Mint (Product of Colombia)
  • Oral-B Complete, Natural Mint and Fresh Mint (Product of Colombia)

Brazil

  • Oral-B Mouthwash manufactured in Colombia (500 mL, 750 mL and 2 L sizes)

Chile

  • Oral-B Mouthwash manufactured in Colombia

Colombia

  • Oral-B Mouthwash

Ecuador

  • Oral B Complete Enjuague Bucal Menta Refrescante
  • Oral B Complete Enjugue Bucal Sabor Hierbabuena
  • Oral B Complete Enjuague Bucal Menta Refrescante
  • Oral B Complete Enjugue Bucal Sabor Hierbabuena

Peru

  • Oral B Enjuague Bucal con flúor sabor Menta Refrescante
  • Oral B Enjuague Bucal con flúor sabor Hierbabuena
  • Oral B Complete Enjuague Bucal con flúor sabor Hierbabuena
  • Oral B Complete Enjuague Bucal con flúor sabor Menta Refrescante.

Asia-Pacific Region

Australia

  • Oral-B Tooth & Gum Care Mouth Rinse

New Zealand

  • Oral-B Pro-Health Tooth & Gum Care Mouth Rinse

Peoples Republic of China

  • Oral-B tooth and gum care alcohol-free mouthwash (350 ml and 500 ml)

Philippines

  • Oral-B Tooth & Gum Care Alcohol-Free Mouth Rinse

Singapore

  • Oral-B Tooth and Gum Care Mouth Rinse
  • Oral-B Tooth and Gum Care Alcohol-Free Mouth Rinse

If you know of other regions where these products were recalled, please advise me by email or by placing a comment below, and I’ll add the information to this recall list.

A Company Errs On The Side Of Safety

On May 17, 2011, Nielsen-Massey recalled Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste (Lot #11123) after its outside testing lab reported having found Listeria monocytogenes in a routine test sample.

The company also notified FDA and dispatched a recall letter to its customers within 24 hours of receiving the lab’s test results.

I have just received the following news release issued by Nielsen-Massey, which is self-explanatory.

Nielsen-Massey Vanillas’ Voluntary Product Recall Was Unnecessary

Found to be Based on Laboratory’s Error 

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (June 9, 2011) A voluntary recall of Nielsen-Massey Vanillas’ Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste has been found to be based on a false-positive Listeria reading reported by the company’s outside testing laboratory. Subsequent investigations and further tests by the FDA, the outside lab in question and another independent lab brought in to re-verify the results, all came back negative. There were no positive results in any raw material used or for any of the equipment used in the process. Additionally, the other independent lab and the FDA laboratory, using the exact same gallon bottle of Paste which tested positive initially, found no trace of Listeria whatsoever. As the FDA did not have any findings as a result of their investigation, no Form 483 was issued.

On May 16, 2011, Nielsen-Massey’s outside testing laboratory advised Nielsen-Massey that it had detected potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination in lot no. 11123 of its Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste product as part of its regular quality control testing. Nielsen-Massey acted immediately, notifying the FDA and writing and dispatching a recall letter to its customers within 24 hours of the lab’s notification. There have been no reports of illness related to Nielsen-Massey’s.

This recall did not affect Nielsen-Massey’s other products.

“We acted immediately when consumer safety became an issue,” said Craig Nielsen, chief executive officer. “And we would do the same thing again, since an error on the side of safety is almost always the right thing to do. But it’s extremely unfortunate that a laboratory error caused such inconvenience to our customers and consumers. We’ve notified all our customers and have apologized to them as well.

“For 104 years we have provided the world’s finest vanilla products made with the utmost care and safeguards. Nielsen-Massey remains committed to providing the world’s finest vanilla for the best customers in the world.”

My compliments to Nielsen-Massey’s management for erring on the side of consumer protection and food safety!

Belgian Cheese Recall Goes Multinational – Update

A couple of months ago – March 19th to be precise – Belgomilk (Moorslede, Belgium) announced the recall of a single lot of Nazareth Classic rectangular “half-cheese” (approx. 3Kg, plastic-wrapped; Lot ID #0520018301 or 0520018302). The recalled cheese was distributed in Belgium and Germany (RASFF Reference #2011.0374).

The reason for the recall? The company found Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of this batch of cheese.

About a month later, France notified RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) member countries that it had detected Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of cheese from Belgium (RASFF Reference #2011.0511; released 18/04/2011 and updated 11/05/2011). The Alert indicated that there had been “distribution to other member countries.”

It, therefore, should not have come as a shock when Belgomilk announced a greatly expanded cheese recall on May 10th, as a result of having found Listeria monocytogenes in an unspecified number of production lots of cheese manufactured at its Moorslede facility. The new recall encompassed cheeses purchased by consumers prior to May 11th.

This list of recalled cheeses includes the following brands and formats:

  • Affligem Tranches/Affligem Slices, ± 400g
  • Belgolight Jeune/Belgolight Young, 200g
  • Brugge d’Or Tranches/Brugge d’Or Slices, ±375g
  • Brugge d’Or Bloc/Brugge d’Or Wedge, ±450g/250g
  • Corsendonk Cubes, 250g
  • Grimbergen Tranches/Grimbergen Slices, ±350g
  • Grimbergen Cubes, ±315g
  • KV Light Fromage Tranches/KV Light Cheese Slices (Light 16% fromage jeune/Light 16% young cheese), ±300g
  • Nazareth Classic Bloc/Nazareth Classic Wedge, ±425g/250g
  • Nazareth Classic Cubes, 150g/250g
  • Nazareth Classic Tranches/Nazareth Classic Slices, 200g/180g
  • Nazareth Light Tranches/Nazareth Light Slices, ±300g
  • Nazareth Tranches/Nazareth Slices, 200g/150g
  • St. Maarten Classic Tranches/St. Maarten Classic Slices, 200g

In addition, the following cheeses were sold “cut to order” at creameries or dairy stands, and as “freshpack” cheese in supermarkets: Belgolight, Bocholter fromage à pain, Brugge d’Or and Nazareth Light & Classic.

Part of the Milcobel dairy cooperative, Belgomilk is headquartered in Kallo, Belgium, and is the largest milk processor in the Milcobel corporate family. Its three factories produce a variety of milk products, including milk powders, butters and cheeses. The Moorslede location produces Belgomilk’s branded and Gouda-style cheeses for distribution in Belgium and for export.

According to the RASFF notification (EU #2011.0619) – issued on May 11, 2011 and updated on May 13, 2011 – the cheeses that were recalled by Belgomilk on May 10th were distributed in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The RASFF notice does not specify which brands of cheese may have been distributed in which countries. Nevertheless, some of this information can be gleaned from recall notices posted by individual countries. The following list is current, as of May 14th, and will be updated if and when more information becomes available.

Belgium

Recalled cheeses were distributed in Colruyt, OKay, Spar, Alvo and Delhaize stores, as follows:

  • Grimbergen Tranches/Slices, ±350g (Colruyt & OKay)
  • Grimbergen Cubes, ±315g (Colyruyt, OKay, Alvo & Spar)
  • Affligem Tranches/Slices, ±400g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Bruges d’Or Trances/Slices, ±375g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Bruges d’Or Bloc/Wedge, ±400g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Nazareth Classic Bloc/Wedge, ±425g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Nazareth Fromage en Block/Wedge Cheese, ±250g (Delhaize)
  • Nazareth Light Tranches/Slices, ±300g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Kievit Light Tranches/Slices, ±300g (Colyrut & OKay)
  • Delhaize Tranches de Nazareth/Nazareth Slices, 180g (Delhaize)
  • Delhaize Plateau de fromage Belgo-Français/Belgo-France Cheese Platter, ±400g (Delhaize)
  • Brugge Kaas Plateau de fromage Brugge/Brugge cheese platter ±450g (Delhaize)
Germany
The following recalled cheese was sold in Lidl stores in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony only:
  • St. Maarten Classic Belgian Cheese Slices, 200g

Luxembourg

The following recalled cheeses were sold in member stores of the Colruyt group in Luxembourg:

  • Grimbergen Tranches/Slices, ±350g (Colruyt, Collivery & OKay)
  • Grimbergen Cubes, ±315g (Colyruyt, Collivery, OKay, Alvo & Spar)
  • Affligem Tranches/Slices, ±400g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
  • Bruges d’Or Trances/Slices, ±375g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
  • Bruges d’Or Bloc/Wedge, ±400g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
  • Nazareth Classic Bloc/Wedge, ±425g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
  • Nazareth Light Tranches/Slices, ±300g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
  • Kievit Light Tranches/Slices, ±300g (Colyrut, Collivery & OKay)
The following recalled cheeses were sold in member stores of the Delhaize chain in Luxembourg (updated May 26, 2011):
  • Delhaize brand Tranches de Nazareth (180g; all date codes)
  • Delhaize brand Plateau de fromage Belgo-Français (400g; Best before 18/04/2011 and 02/05/2011)
  • Nazareth brand Fromage Nazareth en bloc (250g; all date codes)
  • Brugge Kaas brand Plateau de fromage Brugge (450g; Best before 13/04/2011)
The Netherlands
  • St. Maarten Classic Belgian Cheese Slices, 200g – sold in Lidl stores in the Netherlands
United Kingdom
  • St. Maarten Classic Belgian Cheese Slices, 200g – sold in Lidl stores in the UK

USA (Updated May 21st)

  • Atalanta Corp (Elizabeth, NJ) recalls Nazareth Classic and Nazareth Light cheeses (Lot Nos. 5030008, 5030009, 11350044, 11350045, 11350046, 10840120; expiration dates of 3/13/2011 through 7/29/2011). The cheeses were distributed mostly in the Northeast, and sold in retail stores in random weight cuts.

Not all countries and retailers are equally prompt at posting recall notices – if they post them at all. If you have purchased one of the recalled cheeses and your country or store does not appear on the above lists, please discard the cheese and let me know where you found it, so that I can add the information to the list for the benefit of other consumers.

Please return to this site periodically for updates as more information becomes available.