Category: Salmonella

Recalls and Alerts: May 4, 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: Old Fashioned Foods, Inc. recalls Old Fashioned Cheese Snack Spread – Pepper Jack, Old Fashioned Cheese Snack Spread – Jalapeno, and Old Fashioned Cheese Snack Spread – Nacho (8 oz; Best by dates April 17, 2012 through April 17, 2013), because milk was inadvertently omitted from the ingredient statement.
  • Food Safety Recall: Cleveland Beansprouts Co. (Cleveland, OH) recalls all Alfalfa Sprouts, because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The contamination was discovered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture while collecting and testing samples under the United States Department of Agriculture’s Microbiological Data Program.
  • Outbreak Alert Update: Buncombe County Department of Health reports that the bacteria found in tempeh produced by Smiling Hara is a match to the Salmonella Paratyphi B outbreak strain that has sickened 46 people, and hospitalized seven of them. Smiling Hara withdrew all of its products from restaurants and retail outlets on May 1st.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Régine Fine Chocolate recalls Régine Fine Chocolate brand Chocolate Licorice (10-count; UPC 8 76689 00002 6), due to the presence of undeclared sulphites. The recalled product was sold in Ontario.
  • Food Safety Recall: Walmart Canada Corp recalls Great Value brand Polskie Ogorki Dill Pickles, Sweet Mixed Pickles, Baby Dill Pickles, Bread and Butter Pickles, and Garlic Dill Pickles (1L; All best before dates up to and including 13 DE 28), due to extraneous material (insect) contamination. The recalled pickles were sold nationally.
  • Food Recall: Costco Store #533 (Kingston, ON) recalls Kirkland Signature brand Pork Rib Chops, Pork Loin Centre Chops, Lamb Loin Chops Australian and Pork Side Ribs Breast Bone Off (various weights; Packed 12/AL/30), due to contamination with “non-harmful” unspecified extraneous material.
  • Food Safety Recall: Gort’s Gouda Cheese recalls Gort’s Gouda Heavy Cream (250mL, 500mL and 750mL; Best before April 20, 2012), due to unspecified microbiological contamination. The recalled product was sold in British Columbia.
  • Outbreak Alert (New Brunswick): New Brunswick Public Health is investigating 24 cases of bloody diarrhea suspected to be caused by E. coli; 20 of the cases are in Miramichi, 2 in Saint John and 2 in Bathurst. Several of the cases have been confirmed as E. coli o157:H7. The source has not yet been identified.
  • Outbreak Alert Update (Prince Edward Island): PEI’s Chief Public Health Office continues to investigate an outbreak of gastrointestinal illnesses that has afflicted 205 people so far. The illnesses are associated with the consumption of a roast beef dinner prepared by volunteers as part of a fundraiser for Princetown United Church on Saturday, April 28th.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (Sweden): Saltå Mill Ltd. recalls Buckwheat Flour (500g; Best before date 02 2013; Batch 47th), because the product, which is labeled gluten-free, contains gluten.
  • Food Safety Recall (Finland): Lunden Catering Ltd recalls Gourmet Quality Barberry Duckbreast, frozen (800g vacuum-pack; Best before and batch code 21/03/2014 280 312), due to Salmonella contamination. The product was supplied to cruise ships.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): DK Trading ApS recalls Chicken breast fillets and cuts thereof (eg strips) and marinated fillets and cuts (varying pack sizes; Labeled with stores own label; Expiry dates 22/4 – 30/4-2012), after Salmonella Newport is found in samples of the chicken breast fillet. The products have passed their expiration date, but may still be in consumers’ freezers.
  • Food Safety Recall (Greece): Carrefour SA Marinopoulos recalls certain yogurt desserts due to mold growth. Please refer to the recall notice for details.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0611): High level of alkalinity (pH 14; 3% active chlorite solution) in sparkling mineral water from France, via Belgium; distributed to the Netherlands.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0612): Glass fragments in nut cream from Italy; distributed to Italy and Slovakia.
  • Pet Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0615): Salmonella spp. in dog chews from India; distributed to the Netherlands.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0616): Mercury in swordfish steaks from Vietnam, via the Netherlands; distributed to Belgium.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Cosmetic Product Safety Alert (Hong Kong): The Department of Health advises consumers not to buy or use Dokter Pemutih Special cosmetic cream, as it may contain excessive mercury that is dangerous to health.
  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (Hong Kong): Synmosa Biopharma (Hong Kong) Co. Ltd. recalls Noderin Tablets, 200mg, after one batch of the product fails the dissolution test.

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: May 3, 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: Figi’s Inc. (Marshfield, WI) recalls Lemon Bar Bliss (1# tins; No expiration date codes) due to the presence of undeclared almonds. The recalled product was distributed in Missouri, Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Virginia, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, California, Louisiana, Oregon, and Utah by UPS mail directly to purchasers or recipients.
  • Food Safety Recall: H-E-B recalls 19 Asian Ready-to-Eat entrées and meals (4-oz, 8-oz, 12-oz, and 24-oz black containers with clear lid, single serve sizes and to-go containers; all products sold prior to 5/3/12) due to possible undercooking of chicken in those meals. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of affected products. The recalled items were sold in 40 stores in Texas, including one Houston store. They were available at the Grab ‘N Go section in H-E-B Delis.
  • Outbreak Alert: CDC reports an outbreak of 14 cases of Salmonella Infantis infections in nine states. The infections are linked to contaminated dry dog food produced by Diamond Pet Foods at their Gaston, South Carolina manufacturing facility.
  • Consumer Product Safety Recall: Church & Dwight Co. Inc. recalls Spinbrush® Recharageable SONIC toothbrushes (Lot # ranges DD9310 to 9365 or DD0002 to 0122; distributed between February 2010 and October 2011 in the USA and Canada), because the charging battery may overheat with localized melting and sparking, possibly causing fire, shock or burns.

Canada

  • Consumer Product Safety Recall: Church & Dwight Co. Inc. recalls Spinbrush® Recharageable SONIC toothbrushes (Lot # ranges DD9310 to 9365 or DD0002 to 0122; distributed between February 2010 and October 2011 in the USA and Canada), because the charging battery may overheat with localized melting and sparking, possibly causing fire, shock or burns.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Ireland): PepsiCo recalls Tropicana Kids Orange Juice Drink – Orange and a Splash of Water (4 x 200ml; illegible coding), because they contain water instead of orange juice drink. The water is not of a satisfactory microbial quality and should not be consumed.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): The Danish Gærfabrikker A / S recalls Maltese Cross Baker’s Yeast (50g; Package date 10/4-2012; Best before 15/5-2012), due to mold growth.
  • Food Safety Recall (Greece): Market In supermarkets recalls Daily-Toasted Unsweetened Croutons (Manufactured in Poland by Daily Orange SA; 285g; Batch #08.02.2013), because the product was manufactured with the illegal use of prepared egg yolk powder and is contaminated with Salmonella.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Recall (France): The Directorate for Competition, Consumption and Repression of Fraud advises the public of the recall of POWERtabs Dietary Supplement for Men (10- and 20-capsule packages, with Best before date of 2013-12 and 2-capsule blister-pack, with Best before date of 2015-01), because the products contain the undeclared and unauthorized pharmaceutical substance dithio desmethyl carbodenafil.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0593): Omethoate in okra from Thailand; distributed to Germany.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0594): Parasitic infestation with Anisakis of frozen mackerel from Ireland; distributed to Slovakia.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0596): Listeria monocytogenes in smoked salmon from Poland; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0597): Plastic fragments in cinnamon sugar from Austria; distributed to the Czech Republic.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0598): Parasitic infestation with Anisakis of smoked salmon from France; distributed to Italy.
  • Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2012.0599): Undeclared gluten in crispy puffed corn from Poland; distributed to the Czech Republic.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0600): Mycobacterium tuberculosis suspected in chilled raw milk from Germany; distributed to Austria and Germany.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0602): Fenitrothion in wheat from Brazil; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0604): Aflatoxins in corn dough from Ghana; distributed to the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0605): Staphylococcus saprophyticus in oyster sauce from China, via Poland; distributed to the Czech Republic.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0607): Escherichia coli and Salmonella Javiana in fresh basil leaf from Vietnam; distributed to Norway.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0608): Presence of coliforms in orange juice drink from the United Kingdom; distributed to Ireland and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0609): High Escherichia coli count in chilled cocksomb mint from Vietnam; distributed to Norway.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0610): High Escherichia coli count in chilled houttuynia from Vietnam; distributed to Norway.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Food Safety Recall (New Zealand): LHF Ltd. recalls Lisa’s Organic Hummus Roasted Garlic (200g tub; Best before 11/05/12), due to contamination with Listeria. The recalled product was sold in supermarkets and some specialty stores throughout the South Island, and in two specialist organic stores in the Auckland region.
  • Food Safety Recall (Australia): Euro Spices Pty Ltd. recalls Ground Coriander and other spice mixes (Product of India; Best before December 2015; Please refer to recall notice for a complete list of products and package sizes), due to Salmonella contamination. The recalled products were sold in fruit and vegetable shops and independent supermarkets in New South Wales.

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.

Contaminated Kibble Sickens 14 People

Multiple brands of dry pet food produced by Diamond Pet Foods at their Gaston, South Carolina manufacturing facility has been linked to fourteen Salmonella infections in nine states, according to CDC. Five people were hospitalized.

There is no indication as to how many dogs may have become infected.

The 14 confirmed outbreak cases were reported by Alabama (1), Connecticut (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (3), North Carolina (3), New Jersey (1), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania (1), and Virginia (1). More than three-fourths (77%) of the victims are female. The outbreak patients range in age from less than one year to 82 years old (median 48 years).

All 14 individuals were infected with a single rare strain of Salmonella Infantis. The outbreak strain was found in unopened bags of three different dry dog foods manufactured at the Gaston facility.

It was a routine test carried out by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development that first pointed the finger at Diamond Pet Foods. On April 2nd, the agency’s lab found Salmonella in an unopened bag of Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food that had been collected from a retail location on march 14th. CDC’s PulseNet system made the connection between the genetic strain recovered from the dog food and the strain of Salmonella Infantis that had sickened a number of people.

Interviews of the outbreak patients established that 70% of them had been in contact with a dog in the week before becoming ill. Four out of five people who could remember the type of dog food they had contacted identified a dog food produced by Diamond Pet Foods.

Ohio, which reported two outbreak cases, was responsible for finding the outbreak strain from an opened package of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food collected from a patient’s home, and from an unopened bag of the same product obtained from a retail store. FDA found Salmonella in a sample of Diamond Puppy Formula obtained during an inspection of the Gaston manufacturing plant.

On April 6th, Diamond Pet Foods recalled a single production batch of Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice, due to “potential” contamination with Salmonella. The recall notice assured consumers that “[n]o illnesses have been reported and no other Diamond manufactured products are affected.”

The company expanded its recall on April 26th to include one production run of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula. This time, the company acknowledged that one bag of the dry dog food had tested positive for Salmonella. And instead of its previous blanket assurance, Diamond told consumers that “[n]o dog illnesses have been reported.” Four days later, Diamond added a limited number of production codes of Diamond Puppy Formula to the recall list, again assuring that no dog illnesses had been reported.

Delivery of products manufactured at Diamond Pet Food’s Gaston location has been suspended since April 8th. Although the company hasn’t specifically said so, it’s likely that production also has been suspended while FDA carries out its plant investigation. That investigation will include environmental sampling in the production and warehouse areas, as well as additional finished product and ingredient tests. I would be very surprised if the recall is not expanded to include all dry dog food manufactured at the Gaston plant over the last several months.

This is not the first time that Salmonella-contaminated dry dog food has been the source of human illnesses. Pet food produced in the Pennsylvania manufacturing plant of Mars Petcare US was responsible for a three-year long outbreak of Salmonella Schwarzengrund infections, beginning in 2006.

Dry dog food – kibble – is not a sterile product. As we have been reminded by this outbreak, it can be contaminated with Salmonella and should be handled with the same care as is used when handling other potentially contaminated foods, such as raw meats and poultry.

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 http://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.