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.

United States

• Allergy Alert: Narala Bakery (Brooklyn, NY) recalls Fruit Cake (1.5-lb plastic package; uncoded), due to the presence of undeclared eggs. The recalled Fruit Cake was sold at various stores in Brooklyn and Queens.
• Allergy Alert: JKS Wholesale SVCS Inc (Beltsville, MD) recalls Torta de Pan (16-oz pkgs; Date codes up to and including 02/15/12), due to the presence of undeclared milk. The recalled product was distributed to supermarkets and delis in Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and New York.
• Food Safety Recall: Rich Products Corporation expands its earlier recall to include Vanilla Flavored Pre-Soaked Sponge Cake Artificially Flavored (8″; Product Code 62938; Produced in Ocoyoacac, Mexico after July 10, 2011), due to possible contamination with small plastic fragments.
• Food Safety Recall: Kradjian Imp Co (Glendale, CA) recalls Cedar Tree brand unripened Tresse Cheese and Cedar Tree brand unripened Shinglish cheese (16-oz pkgs; delivered before November 13, 2011), due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled cheeses were manufactured and recalled by Fromagerie Marie Kade (Quebec, Canada) and were distributed in Southern California, Northern California, Washington State, Minnesota, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee,Arizona and Michigan to Mediterranean specialty markets.
• Cosmetic Product Safety Recall: USA Far Ocean Group Inc. recalls Vagifresh Ball and Vagifresh Gel, marketed individually or under a mixed packaged named Female One, because the products contain undeclared benzocaine. In additional, FDA analysis found the presence of several bacterial species in these products, including: Staphylococcus lentus, S. sciuri, Bacillus lantus, Alloiococcus otitis, Aerococcus viridans, Aeromonas salmonicid, Gemella spp, and Leuconostoc spp. The recalled products were sold via herbal stores, beauty shops, drug stores, internet and mail order.
• Personal Care Product Safety Recall: Perfect Image Solutions, LLC recalls all lots of Men’s Minoxidil 15% Azelaic 5% Hair regrowth topical, 60mL; Men’s Minoxidil 10% Azelaic 5% Hair regrowth topical, 60mL; Men’s Minoxidil 5% Azelaic 5% Hair regrowth topical, 60mL; Women’s Minoxidil 3% Azelaic 5% Hair regrowth topical, 60mL; and Hair regrowth shampoo enhanced with Ketoconazole and salicylic acid, 180mL, because FDA deems these products to be “unapproved new drugs” under the law.

Canada

• Allergy Alert: Solly’s (Montreal, QC) recalls various cakes, knishes and homentashen (all lots), due to the presence of undeclared milk, eggs, soy, and/or sulfites.
• Food Safety Recall: Pantry Shelf Food Corp recalls Pantry Shelf Sliced Water Chestnuts (2.84L; Codes 566 824 1; PRO: 2010 03 30 4500/01053) due to unspecified microbiological contamination.

Europe

• Allergy Alert (Germany): ERUs Käsewerk Sangerhausen GmbH recalls ERUs cream cheese exquisito – Indian spices (80g tube; Best before 07/12/2012), due to the presence of undeclared mustard and celery.
• Outbreak Alert (UK): UK health officials are investigating an unusual increase in cases of salmonellosis due to Salmonella Typhimurium DT 193 in England and Wales. This strain of Salmonella is most common in beef and pork, according to a BBC report, but is also found in unpasteurized milk, desserts and sandwiches.
• Food Safety Alert (UK): The dining room used by lawyers at the Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London has been closed due to a suspected food contamination issue, according to the Redbridge Council (reported by BBC).
• Outbreak Alert (UK): A ward at Raigmore Hospital (Inverness) has been closed and some elective surgery cancelled due to an outbreak of Clostridium difficile at the hospital. Seven cases have been confirmed so far in January.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0109): Ethephon in red seedless grapes from Namibia; distributed to the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0110): Ethephon in red seedless grapes from Lebanon; distributed to the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0111): Aflatoxins in dried figs from Turkey; distributed to Germany.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0112): Insect infestation in shelled roasted groundnuts from China, via Slovakia; distributed to the Czech Republic.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Food Safety Update (China): Tests performed by the Jiangxi Province Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Jiangxi Dairy Quality Supervision and Inspection Center have cleared Synutra’s nutritional products from responsibility for the death of an infant in that Jiangxi Province. Authorities found that samples of Synutra’s products obtained directly from the family of the dead infant and from the retail store where the products were purchased complied with national microbiological standards, while tests of residential well water from the family found elevated levels of coliforms and total bacterial count that exceed national water quality standards.
• Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (Hong Kong): Bayer Healthcare Limited recalls Saridon Tablet (Batch #CM01474), due to a packaging error.

Australia and New Zealand

• Food Safety Recall (Australia): Backa Australia recalls Chabi (300g, unpackaged; No date marking), due to Staphylococcus contamination. The recalled product was sold only in Queensland, and was available at Backa Australia retail outlet, and at the following Farmers Markets: Chandler, Ascot, Rocklea, Palm Beach, Nerang, Southport and Beenleigh.
• Dietary Supplement Safety Alert (Australia): The Therapeutic Goods Administration advises consumers that the sale of AdvanceMen capsules is illegal in Australia, as it contains the undeclared prescription substance sulfoalidenafil, a derivative of sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra).

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.