Recalls and Alerts: September 14–20, 2024

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.

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Outbreak/Illness Investigations

DENMARK: The Statens Serum Institut reports 20 cases of Salmonella Umbilo infections in an outbreak that has affected 14 men and 6 women in various parts of the country. Affected individuals range in age from 0-85 years, with a median age of 52. The source of the outbreak is under investigation.

United States

Allergy Alert: HP Hood LLC recalls 5 varieties of LACTAID Milk (96-oz plastic containers; Batch code 51-4109 P2; Various Best By dates) due to undeclared almond traces. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert: Grace Imports, LLC recalls Kara Boondhi (250g; Batch 2Al488; Use by 07/30/2025), Kerala Mixture (300g; Batch 2Al564; Use by 07/30/2025) and Spicy Murukku (250g; Batch 2Al504; Use by 07/30/2025) due to undeclared wheat.

Allergy Alert: Avole Inc. recalls Bacalaitos Criollos Codfish Frying Mix (7-oz bag; Use by 06/2025) due to undeclared fish (pollock). The recalled product was distributed in Puerto Rico.

Allergy Alert: KTM Services, Inc. recalls Enjoy Premium Taro Cookie and Enjoy Premium Coconut Cookie (5.3 ounce and 17.7 ounce packages; Best by dates between 9/12/24 through 8/7/25) due to undeclared milk.

FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns St. Louis Calco, LLC that an inspection conducted on September 18-22, 2023, and on September 29, 2023, of the company’s sprout operation revealed serious violations of the Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption regulation.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Seoul Trading Corp. recalls Jinju brand Fish Cake (500g; Batch code 2501; Expiry date 06.25.2026; UPC 8801077529805) due to undeclared egg.

Allergy Alert: 9231-0218 Québec Inc. recalls Pirates BBQ brand Barbe Noire BBQ dry rub All-Purpose (180g; Batch code EA-0009; UPC 1 81836 00060 7) due to undeclared wheat and gluten.

Food Safety Recall: Agropur Coopérative recalls Central Dairies brand and S’Milk brand 2% Partly Skimmed Milk (Multiple pack sizes and Best before dates) due to spoilage. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

United Kingdom and Ireland

Allergy Alert (Ireland): FSAI issues Precautionary notification to consumers with a peanut allergy concerning all food products containing mustard as an ingredient, and / or mentioned in an allergen warning statement on the label.

Allergy Alert (UK): FSA issues Urgent Allergy Advice to consumers with a peanut allergy concerning all food products containing mustard as an ingredient, and / or mentioned in an allergen warning statement on the label.

Allergy Alert (Ireland): Manufacturer recalls Domino’s Garlic & Herb dip (100g and 25g; provided up until Sunday 15th September 2024; Product of UK) and Domino’s Honey & Mustard dip (25g; provided up until Sunday 15th September 2024; Product of UK) due to undeclared peanuts.

Allergy Alert (Ireland): Manufacturer recalls Carlos Takeaway Garlic & Herb Dip (100g; Best before 19/11/2024, 26/11/2024 and 02/12/2024; Product of UK) due to undeclared peanuts.

Allergy Alert (UK): FGS Ingredients Ltd recalls multiple products containing mustard powder due to undeclared peanuts. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert (UK): Farmfoods recalls Qualiko Frozen Chicken Battered Premium Nuggets (1 kg; Batch codes 12123 and 12132; Best before all date codes up to and including December 2025) due to undeclared milk.

Food Safety Recall (Ireland): Industry recalls Creamy Delicious Foods Coleslaw, Creamy Delicious Foods Low Fat Coleslaw, and Creamy Delicious Foods Salad Box with Egg (225g; Use by 17/9/2024 and 19/9/2024) due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Ireland): Industry recalls Karma Kefruit Citron Figue (Lemon Fig) (750 ml; Batch code 12/04/25G1C1; Best before 12/04/25; Product of France) due to possible foreign matter contamination (glass fragments).

Food Safety Recall (UK): Carley’s recalls Carley’s Organic Light Raw Tahini (250g & 425g; Batch code TR4130; Best before 16 December 2025) due to possible foreign matter contamination (pieces of metal).

Food Safety Recall (UK): James Hall & Co Ltd recalls SPAR Corned Beef (120g; Use by 20 September 2024) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Hong Kong and Singapore

Allergy Alert (Singapore): Goy Chiap Hin Pte Ltd recalls Gold Plum Vinegar (550ml; Best before 30/6/2027; Product of China) due to undeclared sulphur dioxide.

Australia and New Zealand

Allergy Alert (Australia): Birchan Pty Ltd recalls BBQ Kurobuta Pork Buns (480g; Best before 5/12/2024 and 19/02/2025) due to undeclared gluten, egg, and milk.

Food Safety Recall (New Zealand): Arran Trust recalls Arran Farm brand Raw Drinking Milk (unpasteurized) (Sold between 23 August 2024 and 17 September 2024 inclusive) due to Campylobacter contamination.

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Links to national recall sites

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Canada

Czechia (Czech Republic)

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hong Kong

Hungary

Iceland

Ireland (Republic of)

Israel

Italy

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Norway

Romania

Singapore

Slovakia (Slovak Republic)

Spain (food safety alerts)

Spain (allergy alerts)

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom

United States of America (FDA)

United States of America (USDA/FSIS)

Boar’s Head shutters Jarratt plant ‘indefinitely’

Boar’s Head Provisions Co., Inc. has announced its intention to ‘indefinitely close’ its Jarratt production location. The announcement was posted yesterday (September 13, 2024) on the company’s website.

The company initially suspended production after receiving a Notice of Suspension from the USDA on July 26, 2024.

Liverwurst manufactured at the Jarratt location was identified as the probable source of a deadly outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes, which has sent 57 people to hospital, killing nine of them, according to the most recent update from the CDC, posted on August 28, 2024.

The Jarratt plant is one of five Boar’s Head production facilities registered with the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The other four facilities have not been implicated in this outbreak.

According to the company’s announcement, an investigation “identified the root cause of the contamination as a specific production process that only existed at the Jarratt facility and was used only for liverwurst.”

As a result, Boar’s Head also has decided to permanently discontinue production of liverwurst.

What FSIS found

The FSIS Notice of Suspension highlighted multiple findings of product adulteration and unsanitary conditions, including:

Listeria monocytogenes outbreak strain was recovered from an unopened package of Boar’s Head liverwurst by the Maryland Department of Health
Listeria monocytogenes outbreak strain was recovered from the surface of a pallet jack during production of Beechwood Ham. The environmental swab sample was collected as part of the FSIS Intensified Verification Testing as part of the outbreak investigtion.
Beaded condensation on door opening and inside blast cell dripping over nine trees (ie., support racks) of Beechwood Hams
Clear liquid falling from a patch in the ceiling within ten feet of a fan that was blowing the liquid into an area where nine trees of Assorted Hams were stored.

The Jarratt location relied solely upon its Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures and sanitation program to control the risk of Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The FSIS determined that the recovery of Listeria monocytogenes from both a finished product and an environmental sample demonstrated the inadequacy of the company’s control methods.

The Notice of Suspension summarized the FSIS’s conclusions as follows:

The wholesomeness of your product is directly dependent on the design and implementation of your sanitation program, adequate Listeria monocytogenes control measures and overall maintenance of your facility, including the sanitary procedures conducted in your food production. Evidence demonstrates failure to comply with regulatory requirements identified in 9 CFR 416, including SPS and SSOP requirements, as outlined above. Findings result in FSIS being unable to conclude that sanitary conditions are being maintained, resulting in your establishment’s producing and shipping adulterated product. As such, product may have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions, whereby product may have become contaminated with filth or whereby product may have been rendered injurious to health, rendering the product adulterated.

Boar’s Head’s response

In it’s September 13th announcement, the company revealed the measures it is taking to implement “enhanced food safety and quality measures.” Specifically,

Appointing a new Chief Food Safety & Quality Assurance Officer, to report directly to the president of the company.
Establishing a “Boar’s Head Food Safety Council” comprised of independent industry-leading food safety experts. Founding members of the Council will include Dr. David Acheson, Dr. Mindy Brashears, Dr. Martin Wiedmann, and Frank Yiannas, MPH. Some of these individuals have been assisting with the investigation of the problems in the Jarratt facility.
Creation of an enhanced companywide food safety and QA program, to be led by the Chief Food Safety Officer.

The bottom line

The evidence of unsanitary conditions at the Jarratt location was well documented during the course of a Food Safety Assessment conducted by the FSIS in October 2022.

Yet, the company was allowed to continue production.

The FSIS owes an explanation and an apology to the general public over its failure to act in the face of egregious sanitation and food-safety lapses on the part of the company.

Boar’s Head has apologized to consumers. When will the FSIS do likewise?

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Chapter 6. Birth of a Pathogen

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Recalls and Alerts: September 12–13, 2024

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“An invaluable resource for busy pet owners” – Food Safety News

Available from all major on-line retailers, including:

Outbreak/Illness Investigations

SWEDEN: Sweden’s Food Agency and Public Health Agency are investigating an outbreak of 27 confirmed cases of Salmonella Typhimurium. Cases are spread across 11 regions of the country. Authorities suspect a food source with broad distribution, but have not yet identified the source of the outbreak.

United States

Allergy Alert / Misbranding: Dearborn Sausage Company, Inc. recalls BROOKSIDE BRAND FULLY COOKED NATURAL CASING BEEF WIENERS (2 lb; Lot code A0122024; Sell by 11/05/2024) due to undeclared pork and recalls BROOKSIDE BRAND NATURAL CASING FULLY COOKED WIENERS (2 lb; Lot code A0322024; Sell by 11/05/2024) due to undeclared soy.

Food Safety Recall: American Outdoor Products, Inc recalls American Outdoor Products – Astronaut Strawberries (Multiple Lot numbers and Best-by dates) due to elevated lead. Please refer to the Enforcement Report for a complete list of affected products.

Canada

No Alerts

United Kingdom and Ireland

Allergy Alert (UK): Infinity Foods Co-operative Ltd recalls several herb and spice products due to undeclared mustard. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert (UK): Iceland Foods Ltd recalls Iceland 2 Vegetable Balti Bakes (280g; Best before 09 July 2026) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (UK): Lidl NI recalls Deluxe Chicken & Vegetable Soup (400g; Use by 29 September 2024) due to undeclared gluten (barley and wheat).

Hong Kong and Singapore

Food Safety Recall (Singapore): Ewayz Pte Ltd recalls Baker’s Cottage – Snow Skin Signature Yam Mooncake (Expiry date 31 Dec 2024; Product of Malaysia) due to E. coli contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Singapore): Four Seasons Durian Pte Ltd recalls Mini D24 Durian Mooncake (All batches; Product of Singapore) due to Bacillus cereus contamination.