Category: Salmonella

Recalls and Alerts: June 17, 2012

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: Truitt Bros., Inc. (Salem, OR) recalls Truitt Brothers Pacific Northwest Premium Navy Beans (15-oz can; UPC 8222524145; Can code MDSB S1GTD Best By: 7/18/14), due to the presence of undeclared soy, after it was discovered that a chili like product containing soy was labeled and distributed as Premium Navy Beans. The recalled product was distributed in Oregon, Washington and Northern California through retail stores between December 1, 2011 and June 15, 2012.
  • Outbreak Alert: Contra Costa County Environmental Health officials have ordered the closing of California Pizza Kitchen at Broadway Plaza (Walnut Creek, CA) after test results confirmed a norovirus outbreak among customers and staff that is connected with salad served at the restaurant on Thursday, June 7th.
  • Outbreak Alert: Oneida County (New York) Department of Health is investigating an outbreak of six confirmed cases of cryptosporidium that may be related to a recent Farmfest event, according to barfblog.
  • Outbreak Alert: Two river-running companies operating in the Grand Canyon have reported incidents of gastrointestinal illnesses typical of norovirus. Coconino County health workers are sampling latrines and other waste for norovirus, according to the Arizona Daily Sun.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Dole Foods of Canada recalls Dole Fruit Cocktail (2.84L size; Lot code IOMSO41BQ, 2224A FRTC; Costco Item #275589), because the product may contain small glass particles. The recalled product may have been sold by Costco Wholesale in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba provinces between April 1st, 2011 and June 14th, 2012.
  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: Sanofi Pasteur recalls all Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, because of problems in the manufacturing facility that Health Canada believes may have affected the vaccine quality.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Hilton Foods Denmark A/S recalls Minced Pork and Minced Pork/Veal (500g; Produced 29.05.2012; Best before 05.06.2012 and 06.06.2012), due to Salmonella contamination.
  • Food Safety Recall (Germany): Fa. Fromi GmbH recalls Chaource Tradition, Chaource Nu Tradition, Chaource Fromi, Chaource Fromi Nu, and Chaource AOC Lincet Metro cheeses (Product of France; 250g and 500g pkgs; Best before 07.07.2012, 08.07.2012, 09.07.2012 and 13.07.2012) due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
  • Food Safety Recall (Germany): Reimann Wurstliebhaber GmbH recalls Teewurst, loser Verkauf sausages, due to Salmonella detection. The recalled product was distributed in Thuringia.
  • Cosmetic Product Safety Recall (France): French authorities order the recall of “TCQ Plus Phase 2 – Nano Hydra Keratin” hair treatment (500mL; Product of Mexico), because the product contains excessive (2.5%) formaldehyde.
  • Cosmetic Product Safety Alert (Switzerland): The Federal Office of Public Health warns consumers that Pullach Hof Kartoffel-Erdäpfel Creme cosmetic cream (Manufactured by Stolz GmbH, Germany; 250ml; Lot #0370; Best before 30.11.2014 ) preseents a health risk, as it has been found to be contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and should not be used.
  • Medical Device Safety Alert (UK): The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency warns the public of the sale of fake digital thermometers that can give inaccurate readings. The agency seized more than 400 of these thermometers after raids in Harrow and Oxford, according to BBC.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0821): Listeria monocytogenes in chilled meat product from the Czech Republic; distributed to the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0826): Mercury in chilled swordfish from Spain; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0827): Aflatoxins in roasted kernels from Turkey; distributed to Romania.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0829): Salmonella spp. in frozen pork meat from Germany; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0830): Histamine in canned tuna fish in sunflower oil from Thailand; distributed to Denmark.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Alert (Taiwan): The Taiwan FDA is investigating whether shellfish imported from South Korea may be contaminated. At least four people have fallen ill in Taiwan since October 2011 after eating South Korean seafood, according to the China Post. Recently, the US FDA removed all South Korean shellfish from its list of approved countries and urged the removal of South Korean shellfish from the US market.
  • Food Safety Recall/Alert (Hong Kong): Great Pilot International Ltd. recalls ACE Family Grilled Grouper (original), imported from Thailand (95g pkg; Best before February 15, 2013), after the product is found to contain Tetrodotoxin, a powerful neurotoxin. The company has surrendered its remaining stock to the Centre for Food Safety, who urges members of the public not to consume the product.
  • Food Safety Recall (China): Yili Group recalls Quan You Baby Formula (Produced between November 2011 and May 2012), due to an unusual level of mercury contamination, according to BBC.

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.

Diamond Pet Foods: Outing an Outbreak

Establishing the source of a foodborne disease outbreak takes a combination of teamwork and technology. And a healthy dose of luck.

All of these elements were indispensable to the detection and definition of the Salmonella Infantis outbreak that is linked to contaminated dry pet food manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods in Gaston, South Carolina.

We know the toll of confirmed human illnesses caused by contaminated dry pet food from Diamond Pet Foods’ Gaston facility – 22 cases as of June 13, 2012. These have been documented by CDC and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Thirteen states are reporting outbreak illnesses, all of them caused by a single strain of Salmonella Infantis. The US reports come from Alabama (2), California (1), Connecticut (1), Illinois (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (3), North Carolina (3), New Jersey (1), New York (1), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (1) and Virginia (1). Canada has confirmed two outbreak cases, one each in the provinces of Quebec and Nova Scotia.

Distribution of confirmed US outbreak illness reports

Outbreak-related illnesses began as early as October 8, 2011; the most recent illness onset was May 11, 2012. Infected individuals cover the entire age spectrum – from less than one year old to 82 years old. Two-thirds (68%) of the  patients are female, and at least six of the outbreak victims were hospitalized.

In response to the outbreak and to the finding of Salmonella Infantis in samples of three different Diamond Pet Foods products by Michigan, Ohio and FDA, the company recalled a range of products that were manufactured in its Gaston, South Carolina facility between December 9, 2011 and April 7, 2012.

Let me repeat (in case you missed it). The outbreak began, as far as CDC is concerned, with an illness that developed on October 8, 2011. The earliest production date that was recalled was December 9, 2011.

I’ve been wondering about this disparity for quite some time. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to put the question to Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh, of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during a telephone interview. Here is what I learned:

The outbreak first came to light as a result of a routine retail-level pet food sampling program conducted by the state of Michigan. On April 2nd, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development detected Salmonella in an unopened bag of Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food, which had been collected March 14, 2012. The state profiled the Salmonella strain using Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE), often referred to as “genetic fingerprinting.” As is routine, Michigan reported the PFGE result to CDC.

Whenever CDC receives this type of report, the agency looks back at recent reports of human illnesses – reporting human Salmonella illnesses to CDC is mandatory – and checks for matching PFGE profiles. In this instance, CDC found several reports, dating back to the beginning of 2012. The next step was to contact the people who had been infected, and interview them to determine whether an outbreak was underway. These interviews, most often, are carried out by state or local health authorities.

There are two dates that are highly relevant to CDC in this type of investigation. One is the date of onset – the first day that a person experiences symptoms. The other is the date that the microbe was actually recovered from the patient. Typically, these two dates are fairly close in time. But this outbreak wasn’t typical.

When the state or local health authorities contacted one of the people for whom the isolation date was reported as January 2012, they were told that this person actually had begun to experience symptoms on October 8, 2011. The individual also reported “dog contact,” but could not name a specific brand of dog food that was involved. The combination of “dog contact” AND the fact that the individual had been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Infantis, convinced CDC to include this individual in the case count.

What was the rationale for choosing December 9, 2011 as the earliest production date to include in the recall? I didn’t ask this question of Dr. Barton Behravesh, as recalls come under the auspices of FDA, not CDC. I suspect, though, that there was not enough firm evidence to convince Diamond Pet Foods (and, perhaps, FDA) that the October victim had been infected through handling a Diamond product. But, why December 9th, rather than January 3rd, which was the earliest production date of a batch that was proven to contain Salmonella?

I believe that the answer lies with the second outbreak victim, whose symptoms began on January 4, 2012. This person would have been using a batch of food that was manufactured prior to that date – perhaps several weeks prior to the January 4th illness onset date. It’s even possible that the victim was able to report the actual production code to investigators.

And what about reports of sick and dead pets? CDC doesn’t track those (unless they occur in a household where a human outbreak case is confirmed). Dr. Barton Behravesh referred me to FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) for an answer to this question. She also declined to provide a specific answer to my question about which brands of Diamond Pet Foods products were used in households where outbreak cases had been confirmed – saying only that all of the brands reported by outbreak victims were included in the various Diamond recalls.

Veterinarians and pet owners are encouraged by CVM to report pet illnesses that may be related to pet food, treats or medications. Unfortunately, the data generated by these reports are not readily accessible to the public, and not easily searched, even within FDA. Thus, as has happened several times in the past, my request for statistics on pet illnesses related to Diamond Pet Foods brands was met with “You will need to submit a Freedom of Information Act request.”

Fortunately, someone beat me to the punch. I learned earlier today from an eFoodAlert reader that several “Incident Reports” were posted on the website of the VIN News Service on June 6th. According to these reports, various Diamond-manufactured brands were blamed by pet owners for causing the deaths of five dogs and one cat. Most of the deaths occurred in the first half of April. There is no way to confirm the cause of these deaths – or of many anecdotal reports of animal illnesses – because Salmonella testing was not carried out on most of these animals. Previously, FDA acknowledged two animal deaths – both dogs – in a household where a human outbreak case was confirmed.

As for the single production batch of Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula Dry Food that was manufactured in Meta, Missouri and recalled by the company on May 18th, Dr. Barton Behravesh assured me that CDC has checked its database of PFGE Salmonella profiles, and no illnesses have been linked to this batch. Only one individual was reported ill with the same PFGE strain; however, that person was traveling outside the USA during the entire incubation period and is thought to have become infected while away from home.

Finally, Dr. Barton Behravesh urges pet owners and people who come into contact with companion animals to follow CDC’s advice to pet owners, below:

Advice to Consumers and Families with Pets

CDC offers this advice to pet owners:

  • Consumers should check their homes for recalled dog food products and discard them promptly. Consumers with questions about recalled dog food may contact Diamond Pet Foods at telephone number (800) 442-0402 or visit www.diamondpetrecall.com.
  • Follow the tips listed on Salmonella from Dry Pet Food and Treats to help prevent an infection with Salmonella from handling dry pet food and treats.
  • People who think they might have become ill after contact with dry pet food or with an animal that has eaten dry pet food should consult their health care providers. Infants, older adults, and persons with impaired immune systems are more likely than others to develop severe illness.
  • People who think their animal might have become ill after eating dry pet food should consult their veterinary-care providers.
  • Read Additional Information for Pet Owners to learn the signs and symptoms of salmonellosis in dogs and cats, and to understand how to deal with possible Salmonella illness in your pet.

Also, be aware that dogs may be infected with Salmonella – and may shed the bacteria in their stool – without showing any outward symptoms of illness. If your pet has consumed a Diamond Pet Foods dry dog food, be especially careful to wash your hands after handling it, and supervise closely any interaction between children and your pet.

Recalls and Alerts: June 15, 2012

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 Update: USDA releases updated retail distribution list for Trader Joe’s Cranberry Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast products, recalled by Antonelli’s and Sons due to the presence of undeclared milk, soy and MSG. The recalled products were supplied to Trader Joe’s retail locations in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
  • Food Safety Alert: FDA urges food distributors, retailers, and food service operators to remove from sale or service all fresh, frozen, canned, and processed oysters, clams, mussels, and whole and roe-on scallops (molluscan shellfish) from Korea that have entered the United States. This includes molluscan shellfish from Korea that entered the United States prior to May 1, 2012, when the FDA removed such products from the Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers List (ICSSL), and that which may have inadvertently entered the country after that date. These products and any products made with them may have been exposed to human fecal waste and are potentially contaminated with norovirus.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Saladexpress (1995) Inc. recalls Saladexpress Garden Salad (340g; Best before 18 JUN 12) and Saladexpress American Blend (340g; Best before 18 JUN 12), due to extraneous material (metal) contamination. The recalled product was distributed to the warehouse level in Quebec.
  • Food Safety Recall: Erie Meat Products Limited recalls Golden Maple Extra Lean Ground Chicken (454g; Best before FEB 15/13) and Erie Meat Extra Lean Ground Chicken (454g; Best before FEB 15/13), due to extraneous material contamination. The recalled products were sold nationally.
  • Food Safety Recall: Distagro (Division of Metro Inc.) and Sobeys Inc. recall Popchips Sea Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips (85g; Code 13MA08), due to extraneous material (metal) contamination. The recalled products were sold in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec by Distagro and in British Columbia and Ontario by Sobeys.
  • Food Recall: Pepsico Beverages Canada recalls Gatorade Perform G Thirst Quencher – Orange (6 x 591 mL; code 1221TT1), due to a labeling issue. The recalled products were sold in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (Denmark): Beauvais Foods A/S recalls Beauvais Beef Stroganoff (560g tin cans; Produced 18-11-2011/Best before October 2016, produced 14-12-2012/Best before October 2016, and produced 21-03-2012/Best before January 2017) and Beauvais Luxury Cocktail Sausages with skins (420g cans; Produced 26th October 2011 and 25th November 2011; Best before October 2016), due to the presence of undeclared soy in the cocktail sausages that are present in both recalled products.
  • Outbreak Alert (Belgium): Nineteen cases of E. coli O157 illnesses are reported in Limbourg. Three people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). All 19 illnesses are linked to the consumption of filet américain, a raw meat dish that is similar to steak tartare. Initial test results on samples of the filet américain and of sirloin from which it was prepared revealed the presence of E. coli O157. The contaminated meat was traced back to the cow from which it originated and the remaining meat was seized and will be destroyed.
  • Food Safety Alert (Italy): The Ministry of Health has extended for another 12 months a prohibition against the sale of eels from Lake Garda, due to contamination concerns.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0788): Aflatoxins in peanut paste from Côte d’Ivoire; distributed to Belgium.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0789): Salmonella Othmarschen in cumin powder from the United Kingdom; distributed to Denmark.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0794): Atropine and scopolamine in buckwheat flour from Slovenia; distributed to Slovenia.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0795): Salmonella enteritidis in broiler leg meat from Lithuania; distributed to France.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0796): Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning toxins in razor clams from the United Kingdom; distributed to Spain and the United Kingdom.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2012.0797): Salmonella Agona in soybean meal from Italy, via Switzerland; distributed to Austria.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Notification (EU #2012.0798): Unauthorized 1,3-dimethylamylamine in food supplement from the USA, via the Netherlands; distributed to Finland and Sweden.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0799): Aflatoxins in spice mix from India; distributed to Ireland.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2012.0800): Undeclared soya in chocolate biscuits from Italy; distributed to Iceland.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2012.0801): Salmonella Agona in soybean meal from Italy; distributed to Austria.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2012.0802): Undeclared mustard in curry sauce powder from Germany; distributed to Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0803): Mold infestation in yoghurt from Germany; distributed to Finland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0804): Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning toxins in razor clams from the United Kingdom; distributed to Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0805): Listeria monocytogenes in smoked bacon from Poland; distributed to Poland and Sweden.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0806): Listeria monocytogenes in smoked halibut from France; distributed to France, Germany and Luxembourg.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0807): Campylobacter jejuni in whole fresh chicken from Germany; distributed to Denmark.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0810): Unauthorized phenylbutazone in horse meat from the United Kingdom; distributed to France and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0813): Pieces of wood in ice creams from the United Kingdom; distributed to Ireland and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0814): Parasitic infestation with Anisakis of Atlantic mackerel from France; distributed to Italy.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2012.0815): Salmonella Mbandaka in soy bean meal from Germany and Switzerland; distributed to Finland.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2012.0817): Salmonella Group E in rape cake from Germany; distributed to Denmark and Germany.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0820): Excessive Escherichia coli in chilled oysters from France; distributed to Belgium and France.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0804): Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning toxins in razor clams from the United Kingdom; distributed to Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.
  • Outbreak Alert (Zimbabwe): A total of 4,185 suspected cases of typhoid fever have been identified in Harare between October 25, 2011 and May 2, 2012. Fifty-two of the suspected cases were confirmed by blood or stool culture. Forty-three percent of the victims were hospitalized, and two people died. The outbreak is thought to be due to contaminated municipal drinking water.
  • Outbreak Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Health Protection has received six reports of bacillary dystentery so far this month (June 1-14, 2012). Five of the six cases were determined to have been caused by Shigella sonnei infections. All five victims lived in Tuen Mun; three were hospitalized.
  • Food Safety Alert (Japan): The health ministry has decided to ban restaurants from serving raw beef liver, due to food poisoning concerns, according to a report in The Yomiuri Shimbun. The ban will go into effect on July 1st. Restaurant operators who ignore the ban could be sentenced to up to two years in prison or fined up to 2 million yen.
  • Food Safety Alert (China): The Beijing Food Safety Administration has accused a Beijing Wal-Mart store of selling sesame oil and squid with dangerous amounts of cancer-causing chemicals, according to a BBC report.
  • Food Safety Alert (Taiwan): Forty-seven percent (47%) of dried daikon slivers used in rick dumplings contain excessive levels of benzoic acid (a preservative), based on tests conducted by the New Taipei City health authorities, according to a report in The China Post.

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.