Recalls and Alerts: April 28 – 30, 2017

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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United States

Allergy Alert: Urban Remedy recalls Non-Dairy Spiced Golden Milk that was mislabeled as cold pressed apple juice (16 oz. plastic bottles with Whole Foods Market labels and best-by dates of May 7, 2017) due to undeclared cashew. The products were sold in select Whole Foods Market stores in Arizona, California and Nevada.

Food Safety Recall: Lords Organics recalls Organic Veda’s Ginger Powder (16-oz. clear jar; Batch No A324DGRP; MFD AUG 2015; Best Before July 2017; manufactured by AGF Ltd.) due to possible Salmonella contamination. The recalled product was distributed through ecommerce amazon.com online sales delivered through mail order postal delivery.

Food Safety Recall: Baraka Bakery and Grocery recalls Halal Ground Beef (processed and packaged on various dates from April 19, 2017 through April 26, 2017) due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Foster Poultry Farms recalls FOSTER FARMS Chicken Patties BREADED CHICKEN BREAST PATTIES WITH RIB MEAT (5-lb bags containing 20 pieces; Best By date of 02/15/18) due to possible foreign matter contamination. The recalled products were available at Costco stores.

Canada

Food Safety Recall: Mom’s Pantry recalls Mom’s Pantry / Jim & Leonie brand 3″ Unsweetened Tart Shells (90 x 19 g; All units sold from December 1, 2016 up to and including April 28, 2017) and 9″ Unbaked Pie Lids (15 x 142 g; All units sold from December 1, 2016 up to and including April 28, 2017) due to possible contamination with E. coli O121. The recalled products were distributed through retailers nationwide.

Food Recall: Weetabix of Canada Ltd. recalls Barbara’s Snackimals – Oatmeal Animal Cookies due to rancidity. Please refer to the recall notice for details of the recalled products.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Denmark): Coop Danmark A/S recalls Délifrance Croissanter (330g; Best before 18.02.2018 and 16.04.2018) due to undeclared gluten, eggs and milk.

Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Coop Danmark A/S recalls Coop Tomat ketchup (1 kg; Best before 15/7-2018, 1/8-2018, 11/8-2018, 3/9-2018, 7/9-2018 and 8/9-2018; product of Turkey) and X-tra Tomat ketchup (1 kg; Best before 14/7-2018, 10/8-2018, 18/8-2018 and 21/8-2018; product of Turkey) due to risk of fermentation.

Australia and New Zealand

Allergy Alert (New Zealand): House of Dumplings recalls House of Dumplings brand Mum’s Sauce (250 mL glass bottles; All batches with a Best Before date up to and including 26 OCT 17) due to undeclared gluten.

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 website.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains

**Includes Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs and Pak N’ Save.

Recalls and Alerts: April 24 – 27, 2017

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United States

Allergy Alert: Soylent (Los Angeles, CA) recalls Soylent 1.8 powder (SKU: 1WK-V108; Lot #G7076PA, Expiration / Best Buy date 02/2018) due to undeclared milk.

Food Safety Recall: Phoenix Food, LLC (Canton, TX) recalls Jalapeño Bacon Dip Trio Mix (Lot codes K110420161, K111220161 & K111120161) due to potential presence of Salmonella in the seasoning packet. Phoenix Food initiated the precautionary recall after learning of the recent recall of jalapeno powder by the supplier.

Food Safety Recall: Our Local Bounty (Rogue River, OR) recalls Farming Fish brand Organic Basil Pesto with Watercress (8.5 oz containers; UPC 7 23175 33586 8; enjoy or freeze by dates of 4/30/2017, 5/6/2017, 5/13/2017, and 5/20/2017) due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled product was sold in retail stores in Oregon.

Food Safety Recall (Update): McCain Foods USA, Inc. expands its earlier recall of frozen hash browns to include Wegman’s O’Brien Hash Browns (Production code date B161021; UPC 07789036523) following receipt of two additional consumer complaints of the hard plastic or rubber pieces. The Wegman’s product was distributed in the states of Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Food Safety Recall: Fineberg Packing Co., Inc. (Memphis, TN) recalls FINEBERG’S Finest Danish Brand BBQ Flavored Ham (14-lb package; Sell by date 03/26/2017; case code 17016) and Holly Brand hickory smoked fully cooked HAM (30.6-lb. boxes containing 2 vacuum-sealed packages; Case code 17016) due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recalled items were shipped to distributors in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Food Safety Recall: Uncle John’s Pride, LLC. (Tampa, FL) recalls various ready-to-eat sausage products due to possible foreign matter contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for full details.

Food Safety Recall: WFSP Foods LLC (Decatur, AL) recalls various ready-to-eat chicken breast products due to possible undercooking. The recall was initiated following receipt of multiple customer complaints. Please refer to the recall notice for additional details. The recalled products were distributed to the food service industry, including via USFoods.

Food Safety Recall: Baptista’s Bakery Inc. recalls 7oz Blue Cheese Savory Twist product due to potential for Salmonella contamination. The Blue Cheese Savory twist item was included in the Houdini gift basket SKU# 55263-7 sold through BJS.com with the SKU# 55263-7 and lot code LC446528.

Pet Food Safety Recall: Party Animal recalls Cocolicious Beef & Turkey dog food (13-oz can; Lot #0136E15204 04, best by July 2019) and Cocolicious Chicken & Beef dog food (13-oz can; Lot #0134E15 237 13, best by August 2019) due to potential presence of pentobarbital.

Canada

Food Safety Recall: Harlan Bakeries (Edmonton, AB) recalls various brands of pie and tart shells due to possible contamination with E. coli O121. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Rich Products of Canada Ltd. recalls Rich Products Corporation 7-oz. Pizza Dough Ball (12.9 kg; Product codes 77007016 – Use by 19/May/17, 77007045 – Use by 14/JUN/17, and 77007059 – Use by 28/JUN/17; UPC 0 00 49800 11267 4) and 18-oz Artisan-Style Pizza Dough Ball (12.2 kg; Product code 77007044 – Use by 12/Aug/17; UPC 0 00 49800 11269 8) due to possible contamination with E. coli O121.

Food Safety Recall (Update): Longo Brothers Fruit Market, Inc. recalls additional Longo’s brand ground meat products due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Boulangerie & Pâtisserie Amiens (Montreal, QC) recalls various breads due to possible presence of wood particles. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Metro Pincourt (Pincourt, QC) recalls thawed Smoked Salmon (70g; All lots sold up to and including 26 April 2017) due to unsafe storage conditions.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Denmark): Asian Food Supply ApS recalls Thin Soy Sauce – Healthy Boy Brand (300 mL bottles and 700 mL bottles; All lot codes; All expiration dates) due to undeclared wheat.

Allergy Alert (Denmark): Zelected Foods ApS recalls Spicy Nut Mix (140g; EAN 5 708229 125126) because the presence of wheat flour and soy is not highlighted on the label.

Allergy Alert (Finland): Snellmanin Kokkikartano Oy recalls Lasagne Bolognese (600g; Expiration date May 3, 2017) due to undeclared fish

Allergy Alert (Sweden): Al homsi Halmstad Mejeri och ost AB recalls Baladi cheese (Expiry dates up to 2017-03- 31) due to undeclared sesame seeds.

Allergy Alert (UK): Fazal’s recalls additional confectionery products due to undeclared wheat (gluten), and/or egg, and/or milk, and/or nuts. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of affected products.

Allergy Alert (UK): Asda recalls Limited Edition Szechuan Chicken (400g; Use by 29 Apr 2017) due to undeclared barley.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Nanuk SA recalls R. Remmery brand Noix de St Jacques sauce au vin blanc (190g; Lot 101047; Expiration date 18/10/2017) due to an error in the expiration date on the product label.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): innocent Alps GmbH recalls innocent Super Smoothie Antioxidant (360 mL; Best before 27.05.2017) due to potential contamination with a piece of plastic.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): Haak & Christ recalls various smoked fish products due to incorrect expiration dates on the product labels. Please refer to the recall notice for complete details.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Food Safety Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Food Safety has banned the import and sale within Hong Kong of a kind of prepackaged smoked salmon which might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The action follows the detection of Listeria monocytogenes in excess of legal limits in a sample of Grants Smokehouse Traditional Smoked Scottish Salmon (200g; Manufactured by MacKnight Ltd; Imported by Wilson Foods Intertrade (H.K.) Limited; Product of UK).

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains

**Includes Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs and Pak N’ Save.

E. coli outbreak strain in several flour brands from Ardent Mills

The Public Health Agency of Canada has confirmed 27 cases of E. coli O121 infections across five Canadian provinces since November 2016 that have been linked to flour produced by Ardent Mills Canada. A 28th victim was a visitor to the country.

Seven of the outbreak victims were hospitalized, but are recovering. No deaths have been reported in relation to the outbreak.

E. coli O121 is a Shiga toxin-producing strain of E. coli. In recent years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it has been responsible for outbreaks associated with flour, frozen foods and raw clover sprouts.

Provinces reporting illnesses and the number of cases in each are:

British Columbia, 12;
Saskatchewan 4;
Alberta 5;
Ontario 1; and
Newfoundland and Labrador 5.

The country of origin of the affected visitor was not released. The 14 male and 14 female victims range in age from 8 years to 79 years, with an average of 24 years.

These are three of the recalled flour products. To read the most recent consolidated list of recalled products, please click on the image.

On March 28 the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), in concert with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), informed the public that “Original Robin Hood All Purpose Flour” was confirmed to be contaminated with the outbreak strain of E. coli O121.

Smucker Foods of Canada Corp. recalled an undisclosed amount of the Robin Hood branded flour on March 28. Robin Hood has been a member of the Smucker family of brands in Canada since 2004. Consumers and others can identify the recalled 10-kilogram bags of flour by looking for the following label information:

UPC number 0 59000 01652 8; and
Product code containing BB/MA 2018 AL 17 and 6 291 548

Ardent Mills Canada is the manufacturer of Robin Hood Flour. In a statement released April 16, the company acknowledged that it was “… aware of one illness associated with the consumption of flour,” but emphasized that no illnesses were linked to the additional products included in subsequent recall notices.

The additional recalls are a result either of the detection of E. coli O121 in a sample of the production lot or a determination that the product was manufactured using the same source material as a product that tested positive for E. coli O121, according to CFIA.

“One specific product has been directly linked to a case of illness,” a CFIA spokesperson told Food Safety News. “Other products with specific production dates, while not linked to specific cases of illness, have been analyzed by our laboratory and found to contain the same type of E. coli that is of concern in the outbreak.”

So far, CFIA has not carried out environmental sampling in the production facility, but has focussed of sampling flour products on the market.

The genetic pattern of the Canadian outbreak strain is unrelated to the strain of E. coli O121 that was responsible for an outbreak of more that 60 illnesses in the U.S. in 2016. That outbreak was traced to flour produced by a General Mills facility in Kansas City, MO.

All of the recalled Ardent Mills products were manufactured in one facility, during a three week period from Oct.14 to Nov.3, 2016.

Some of the products were distributed to retailers, including Costco Canada, while others were supplied to hotels, restaurants, and institutional customers. Additional brand names of the recalled flour include: Arrezzio, BakerSource, Brodie, Creative Baker, GFS, Golden Temple, Great Canadian Bagel, Kitchen Essentials, Robin Hood, and Sunspun.

A consolidated list of recalled products is available at eFoodAlert.

What consumers need to know
Symptoms of infection with shiga-toxin producing strains of E. coli, including E. coli O121, usually appear from one to 10 days following initial infection, and may include severe stomach cramps, watery or bloody diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and headache. Typically, there is little or no fever.

Some individuals develop no symptoms whatsoever, while others can become severely ill and require hospitalization. Those at greatest risk of developing serious complications are pregnant women, individuals with compromised immune systems, young children and older adults.
The PHAC advises consumers to check their homes to see if they have any of the contaminated flour and take the following precautions if they have it. If you have any of the recalled products in your home or place of business:

Do not use or eat recalled flour or flour products. If you have a recalled flour product in your home, secure the recalled product in a plastic bag and throw it out or return it to the store where it was purchased for a refund.
If you have flour without its original packaging and are unsure if it is included in the food recall, throw it out just to be safe.
Thoroughly wash any containers that were used to store the recalled product before using them again.
If you suspect you may have used recalled flour to make baked goods or a non-baked product, such as children’s play-dough, throw it out. Wash all surfaces or containers where the product may have been used or stored.
Wash your hands with soap and warm water immediately following any contact with the recalled product.
Do not taste raw dough, batter or any other product containing uncooked flour. Eating a small amount could make you sick.
Bake or cook items made with raw dough or batter before eating them.
Always use hot water and soap to wash any bowls, utensils, or surfaces that flour was used on.
Wash your hands with soap and warm water immediately after touching flour, raw dough or batter.
Contact your healthcare provider if you think you have become ill from eating raw dough or batter or from consuming or handling a flour product and tell them about the possible exposure to pathogens so the proper diagnostic tests can be done.