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: Summit Import Corp (Jersey City, NJ) recalls Bin Bin Snow Rice Cracker (5.3 oz pack; UPC 8 852098700124) and Bin Bin Rice Cracker (15.8 oz bulk pack; UPC 8 8520098701510), due to the presence of undeclared egg. The recalled products were distributed nationwide to Asian retail stores.
• Allergy Alert: Han Yang Inc. (Milwaukee, WI) recalls Jang Chung Dong Han Yang King Joak Bal Cooked Pork Hocks (variable weight; shrink-wrapped; Est. 21880; Produced between October 7, 2011 and February 7, 2012), due to the presence of undeclared wheat. The recalled pork hocks were distributed for wholesale and retail use in the Los Angeles, CA and Chicago, IL areas.
• Food Safety Recall: ZIP International Group LLC (Edison, NJ) expands its earlier recall of Sliced Herring Fillet in Oil/Forelka (330g and 600g plastic packaging; Product of Ukraine; Best by 5/18/2012), due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled product was sold to retail grocery stores in New York State.
• Consumer Product Safety Recall: Kraft Foods Global Inc. (Northfield, IL) recalls Tassimo Espresso T Discs, sold under the Gevalia, Maxwell House Café Collection and Nabob brands (8 or 16 T Discs/pkg; Codes ending with 11213 through 12020), because the recalled T Discs can become clogged and spray hot liquid and coffee grounds onto consumers and bystanders during or after brewing. The recalled products were distributed nationwide.
• “Herbal” Medication Safety Recall: Wholistic Herbs Inc. (Dallas, TX) recalls Koff & Kold Spray with Herbal Extract (1 fl. oz spray; All “use by” dates), and Kold Sore Spray with Liquid Sea Mineral (1 fl. oz spray; All “use by” dates), as the products are not sterile and have the potential to cause eye infections and respiratory infections. The recalled products were distributed through retail stores in Texas, California, Washington, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Illinois, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida, through acupuncture clinics nationwide and via the company’s website at http://www.naturalapothecary.com.
• Outbreak Alert Update: At least 192 participants and attendees at the state high school cheerleading tournament held in Everett on February 4th have developed vomiting and diarrhea. Thirty of the victims sought medical treatment. The cause and source of the illnesses are still under investigation.
• Outbreak Alert: Norovirus was behind an outbreak of gastroenteritis that affected more than 100 people who had eaten at a Subway restaurant in Hartford City, Indiana. Three people were hospitalized and treated for dehydration. It’s not known whether the virus was introduced by an employee or a customer of the Subway franchise.
• Outbreak Alert: Norovirus is the suspect in another flare-up of “stomach flu” among eleven Rider University and seven Princeton University students. About 160 outbreak victims have been reported at the two schools since late January.
• Outbreak Alert: Burke County, North Carolina also is experiencing norovirus outbreaks, including one reported by Grace Hospital. The total number of cases is not known.

Canada

• Allergy Alert: Canadian Hazelnut Inc. (Agassiz, BC) recalls Canadian Hazelnut brand Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Bark (100g), Hazelnut Chocolate Butter (227g & 16 oz), Dark Chocolate Fruit and Hazelnut Bark (100g), Dark Chocolate Cranberry Hazelnut Bark (100g), and Dipped Dark Chocolate Hazelnut (62g and 124g), due to the presence of undeclared milk. The products were sold from the Canadian Hazelnut Inc. retail outlet in Agassiz, BC.
• Consumer Product Safety Recall: Kraft Canada Inc. recalls Tassimo Gevalia and Tassimo Nabob brand Espresso T Discs (Product of USA; Code range 11213-12020), because the recalled T Discs can become clogged, and during brewing or upon opening of the brewing mechanism, hot liquid and/or coffee grounds could spray onto consumers and bystanders, posing a burn hazard. The recalled T Discs were sold by retailers across Canada and on websites from August 2011 through February 2012.

Europe

• Allergy Alert (Ireland): Consumers with milk allergies are alerted that Suma Organic Pesto Alla Genovese with Basil (190g glass jar; Best before 04/2014) contains undeclared milk. The product is labelled as “Suitable for Vegans”; however, this batch contains a non-vegan cheese.
• Allergy Alert (Denmark): Unilever Denmark A/S recalls Knorr Bearnaise Sauce (4 + 2 economy pack; Lot #L12551B802); due to a packaging error, some Bearnaise Sauce packages have been filled with Hollandaise Sauce, resulting in the presence of undeclared egg in these packages.
• Allergy Alert (Germany): REWE Group recalls REWE Walnut Ice Cream (900ml; All batches), RIOS Premiumeis Walnut Ice Cream (1000 ml; all batches) and Sweet Emotion Walnut Ice Cream (1000 ml; all batches) because the products may contain traces of undeclared peanuts.
• Food Product Withdrawal (Denmark): Semper AB withdraws Beauvais Risgrød 4 months (250g; Best before 12/2012), because microleaks in the foil pouch may allow the entry of oxygen into the packages, with the resulting risk of rancidity developing.
• Outbreak Alert (UK): Warwick Hospital (Leamington) has been hit with a reoccurrence of norovirus. The Farries Ward will be shut to visitors until further notice.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Outbreak Alert (India): Nau Pnau village in Himachal Pradesh has been struck with an outbreak of typhoid, thought to be due to contamination in the drinking water pipeline. Sixteen people have been confirmed with typhoid out of a total of thirty who reported suffering from nausea and high fever. Eight people have been admitted to a primary health care center for treatment.

Australia and New Zealand

• Outbreak Alert (Australia): North Queensland has been experiencing double the usual number of cases of Campylobacter gastroenteritis, according to a media statement released by Queensland Health. The public is being urged to maintain good food safety practices.

Latin America and the Caribbean

• Outbreak Alert (Bermuda): Fifteen guests at a children’s party held at Magnum Power Force Gym’s Kid Zone last Saturday became ill gastroenteritis symptoms, suspected to be due to norovirus.
• Outbreak Alert (Mexico): More than 700 people who attended a political rally became ill with food poisoning. One of the victims reported starting to feel sick after eating egg tacos at the rally, which was held on Tuesday in Chilapa, Guerrero.
• Outbreak Alert (Argentina): A recent outbreak of gastroenteritis that developed in San Carlos de Bariloche was determined to be due to norovirus.
• Outbreak Alert (Chile): Fifteen patrons of Bar-Restaurant The Clinic (Santiago) were stricken with food poisoning. The eatery was closed after an investigation found food-handling errors and infrastructure deficiencies.

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.