Category: Salmonella

Recalls and Alerts: September 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 Alert: USDA reports that an “…analysis of FSIS testing data has shown that 23% of Salmonella positive samples from ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products are from pork barbecue with vinegar and pepper-based sauce.” The sauce is applied to the pork after the meat is cooked. The source of the Salmonella in the sauce is unclear.
  • Outbreak Alert: Washington State health officials have closed Samish Bay and part of Hood Canal to oyster harvesting, after several people who ate raw oysters from these areas were infected with Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
  • OTC Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: Novartis Consumer Health, Inc. recalls Excedrin® Extra Strength Caplets (100ct; Lot #10068948), due to instances of product mix-ups found in the recalled lot. This recall notice was posted on the Tops Friendly Markets and Giant® Food Stores web sites.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall Update: Johnvince Foods expands its earlier recall of walnuts to include raw shelled walnuts sold from bulk and additional prepackaged raw shelled walnuts and walnut-containing products, because these products may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The recalled nuts and nut products were imported by Johnvince Foods in 25-lb cardboard cases bearing Lot code W1866 and the name Andersen and Sons Shelling, Vina, California and distributed across Canada. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of recalled products.
  • Food Safety Recall: La Mer (Montreal, QC) recalls Poissonnerie La Mer brand Sauce romanoff (500ml glass jar) and Sauce tomate fèves/moules (1000ml glass jar), because the product labels do not carry the instruction “Garder réfrigéré.” These products represent a health hazard if they have not been stored under refrigeration after purchase.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert Update (France): Analysis of food manufactured by La Ruche – the company whose tapenade is blamed for eight cases of botulism – has determined the presence either of botulinum toxin or of the microbe Clostridium botulinum in additional products from this company. As a result, French health authorities have mandated the recall of all products from this company, including the brands Les Délices de Marie-Claire, Terre de Mistral, and Les Secrets d’Anais. The recalled products include tapenades, anchoïades, tomates séchés, thoïnade, tartinades, caviar d’aubergines, pesto sauce pistou, poivronnade, poichichade and artichonade. Consumers are instructed to return these products to the place of purchase or to local health protection offices.
  • Food Safety Recall (Belgium and Luxembourg): Colruyt group recalls Everyday brand Iced Tea Lemon (50cl PET bottle; Lot L11183BN; Expiry 02-01-2012), because a small amount of alcohol was detected in some bottles of the product. The recalled beverages were sold in Colruyt (in Belgium and Luxembourg), Spar and OKay stores.
  • Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Delhaize Belgique recalls 365 brand Ice Tea Lemon (500ml PET bottles; Lot codes L1183, L11156, L11197 and L11210; Expiry 02/01/2012, 16/12/2011, 16/01/2012 and 29/01/2012, respectively), because the product may contain a small amount of alcohol.
  • Pet Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1202): Salmonella in dog chew from Mexico; distributed to Belgium.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1203): Clostridium botulinum type A in olive-almond spread from France; distributed to France.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1206): Unauthorized Basic Red 46 in sumac from Turkey; distributed to Switzerland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1208): Salmonella anatum in chilled fresh pork from Germany; distributed to Denmark.

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.

*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.

Recalls and Alerts: September 6, 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

  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns GIB, LLC dba Brazilian Blowout (North Hollywood, CA) that Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution is an adulterated cosmetic, because it contains a deleterious substance, methylene glycol, that may render it injurious to users under conditions of use prescribed in the labelling.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns River Valley Ranch Ltd. (Burlington, WI) that an April/May 2011 inspection of the company’s facility revealed that the firms failure to fulfill the mandatory requirements for acidified foods renders the following products adulterated: River Valley Ranch brand Key Lime Mango Salsa, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Portabella Salsa with Key Lime Juice, Shroomschetta Mushroom Bruschetta, Portabella Pasta and Dipping Sauce, Spicy Shrooms, Dill and Garlic Pickled Mushrooms, and Wild Mushroom Burgundy Pasta and Dipping Sauce.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns King Juice Company, Inc. (Milwaukee, WI) that an April 2011 inspection of the company’s juice processing facility revealed serious violations of the juice Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Farm and Wild Fresh Paradise Gourmet Foods (Portland, OR) that an April 2011 inspection of the company’s produce repacking operation revealed serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation in manufacturing, packing, or holding human food.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Kimriv Restaurant Group, LLC (San Diego, CA) that an April 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation, and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Hickory Smokehouse Miami, Inc. (Hialeah, FL) that an April 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation, and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns National Bakery, Inc. (Scranton, PA) that a February 2011 inspection of the company’s food manufacturing facility revealed violations that cause several of your products to be misbranded within the meaning of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Guenther’s Bakery Ltd. recalls Guenther’s Multigrain Cookies (425g; Best before up to and including Tue, 20 September 2011), due to the presence of undeclared milk. The recalled product was sold in Ontario.
  • Food Safety Recall: Marchese Import Co. Ltd. recalls Cutolo Rionero Limoni in Acqua Minerale Lemonade (1.5L) and Cutolo Rionero Kinotto in Acqua Minerale (350 mL and 1.5L), due to the presence of unspecified chemical additives. The recalled products were sold in Ontario.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert (France): La Ruche (Cavaillon, Vaucluse) recalls all Les Délices de Marie Claire preserves and has suspended operations after a production batch of its Tapenade verte aux amandes was linked to eight cases of botulism. L’Institut Pasteur reports finding botulinum toxin type A in a sample of the implicated batch of tapenade.
  • Food Safety Alert (Belgium): Consumers are advised that Les Délices de Marie Claire brand Tapenade aux amandes (Lot #112005; Best before 16-12-2012) has been recalled by the manufacturer because it has been implicated in an outbreak of botulism in France. A trace-forward investigation is in progress in France; it is possible that the product may have been introduced into Belgium by summer tourists.
  • Food Safety Alert (Denmark): Consumers are advised that Les Délices de Marie Claire brand Tapenade aux amandes (Lot #112005; Best before 16-12-2012) has been recalled by the manufacturer because it has been implicated in an outbreak of botulism in France. A trace-forward investigation is in progress in France; it is possible that the product may have been introduced into Denmark by summer tourists.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): DB OKS, A/S  recalls Minced Beef, 10% (Item #2251; Production date 30-08-2011), after Listeria monocytogenes is found in the product.
  • Food Recall (Denmark): Beauvais Foods A/S recalls Beauvais Organic Oatmeal with spelt, banana and strawberries (200g) and Beauvais Organic 7-Grain porridge (200g), because micro-holes have been found in the foil pouches in some packages.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1186): Insect larvae in wheat flour from Malta; distributed to Malta.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1188): Unauthorized formic acid in sour cabbage from Poland; distributed to the Czech Republic.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1189): Listeria monocytogenes in salmon from Latvia; distributed to Austria.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2011.1190): Dioxins in copper sulphite from Israel; distributed to Belgium.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1191): Listeria monocytogenes in smoked salmon from Poland; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1192): Mold in various nut and fruit bars from the Czech Republic; distributed to Denmark.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1193): Excess cyclamate in lemon-flavored drink from Turkey, via the Czech Republic and via Slovakia; distributed to Slovakia.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2011.1194): Undeclared gluten, milk ingredient and wheat in roast potatoes from the United Kingdom; distributed to Ireland and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1195): Insect infestation in jasmine flavored rice from Thailand; distributed to Greece and Italy.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2011.1197): Salmonella Senftenberg in soybean meal pellets from Brazil; distributed to Sweden.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2011.1198): Salmonella Senftenberg in rape seed meal from Germany; distributed to Sweden.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1199): Glass fragments in frozen blueberries from Romania; distributed to Germany.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.1200): Excessive benzoic acid in guarana soft drink from Portugal; distributed to Italy.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Notification (EU #2011.1201): Unauthorized sildenafil thiono analogue in food supplement from Portugal; distributed to Spain.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (Hong Kong): Global Medical Solutions Hong Kong Ltd recalls Neurolite for Inj with Buffer Vial (Lot No. 0200U and 0200U1), as the drug’s US manufacturer (Ben Venue Laboratories Inc) has initiated an international recall after finding particulate matter – likely stainless steel – in the product.
  • Outbreak Alert (India): Thirty-six children were hospitalized in Hyderabad with food poisoning symptoms after consuming food purchased from a roadside vendor in Miyapur.
  • Outbreak Alert (India): More than 100 people – most of them students – were hospitalized in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts with food poisoning symptoms.
  • Outbreak Alert (Thailand): One woman is dead and 42 others in Sa Kaew’s Khao Chakan district have been hospitalized with food poisoning after consuming improperly cooked pork at a funeral.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Food Safety Alert (New Zealand): High levels of norovirus have been found in shellfish in Canterbury river mouths, according to a report published in the New Zealand Herald online.

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.

*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.

Del Monte vs. The Food Cops: What’s YOUR Verdict?

On March 30, 2011, I reported on an outbreak of Salmonella Panama that eventually sickened – when all the dust settled – 20 people in 10 states. Twelve victims (out of 16 interviewed) reported eating cantaloupe in the week before they became ill. Eleven of the twelve purchased their cantaloupes from eight different Costco locations.

The melons implicated during the outbreak investigation were supplied to Costco by Del Monte Fresh Produce, and were grown on a single farm in Guatemala. But the outbreak strain never was recovered from the implicated cantaloupes.

By the time the outbreak was detected and the probable source of the infections determined by the federal and state epidemiologists (through patient interviews and product traceback investigations), the implicated cantaloupes had passed their useable shelf life and were no longer on the market. Nevertheless, Del Monte Fresh Produce decided to recall the remaining stock of Guatemalan cantaloupes that it had supplied to Costco in states where outbreak cases has been confirmed.

In addition to the recall action, the FDA issued an Import Alert (#22-03), authorizing its District Offices to “…detain, without physical examination, all raw fresh and raw fresh refrigerated cantaloupes, frozen and processed cantaloupe, including fresh-cut cantaloupe (i.e., sliced/chopped), offered for importation that appear to originate from …” Asuncion Mita, the Guatemalan farm that grew the implicated melons.

At the time of the recall, Del Monte Fresh Produce chose to cooperate with FDA. Now, however, the company has had second thoughts. On August 22, 2011, Del Monte filed a lawsuit against the FDA, claiming that the federal agency had “…imposed harmful restrictions on Del Monte’s importation of cantaloupes from a major source in Guatemala, based upon an erroneous speculative assumption, unsupported by evidence, that cantaloupes previously imported from that source were contaminated with the pathogen Salmonella.” The lawsuit asks the Court to issue “…declaratory judgment holding that FDA’s actions restricting importation are unlawful, set aside the actions, and issue a permanent injunction prohibiting FDA from enforcing or effectuating them in the future.”

And that’s not all. Del Monte also has notified the state of Oregon that the company intends to file suit against the state’s Department of Public Health and its senior epidemiologist, Dr. Bill Keene, who played a major role in the outbreak investigation.

This is the first time that I can remember that a food company has sued FDA over a regulatory decision such as an Import Alert or a recall recommendation. If this case goes forward – even if it is ultimately decided in favor of FDA – I strongly fear that the agency will be more timid in future when faced with potentially controversial recall recommendations.

I know what Del Monte Fresh Produce thinks – that’s clear from their Court filing.

I know what food poisoning attorney and blogger Bill Marler thinks – that’s eminently clear from his blogs on the subject since the lawsuit was filed on August 22nd.

But, I want to know what my readers think. Here’s your chance to have your say. Just answer the two poll questions below, and add any comments you care to in the comments field at the bottom of this post.


I look forward eagerly to reading your replies.