Another Pentobarbital-related Pet Food Recall

Late this afternoon, Against the Grain Pet Food voluntarily recalled one lot of Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner for Dogs (12 oz. cans; Lot #2415E01ATB12; Expiration date of December 2019) due to the potential presence of pentobarbital. The recalled dog food was manufactured and distributed in 2015 to independent pet retail stores in Washington and Maryland.

Who is Against the Grain Pet Food?

The company website makes the following claim:

Unlike 95% of other brands, Against the Grain owns its own manufacturing facility and produces its own products. This gives us accessibility and the ability to create totally unique and innovative products. Our manufacturing plant adheres to the highest standards of preserving our natural resources. For example, the use of natural light (skylights) is dominant throughout our plant, we have the maximum amount of recyclable materials in our retail packaging, all packaging materials are recycled, our water is supplied by our own on-site well, resulting in our conscious efforts to be socially and economically responsible.

In fact, Against the Grain Pet Food is part and parcel of the Sher family business. The telephone number provided on the Against the Grain Pet Food Contact page is 847-537-0102, the same phone number that appears in the February 3rd Evanger’s recall notice. The Against the Grain trademark (serial number 85569018) was registered on 2013-02-12 and is owned by Chelsea L. Sher. And, according to an article in the August 2012 issue of Pet Business, the Against the Grain product line, launched by Chelsea Sher and her twin brother Brett Sher, is manufactured at the Evanger’s factory. In effect, Against the Grain is an Evanger’s brand.

So, what’s the big deal?

The big deal is that the product recalled on February 3rd by Evanger’s was manufactured in June 2016 (with a June 2020 expiry date). The Against the Grain product recalled earlier today was manufactured six months earlier, in December 2015 (with a December 2019 expiry date). This is not a one-shot event.

 

The Against the Grain recall notice states that the recall was initiated “Out of an abundance of caution.” What does this mean? Now, we enter the realm of speculation – something I am not usually willing to do. This time, though, I’ll make an exception. There are four possibilities that come to mind.

Possibility #1: The same shipment of beef was used to manufacture both recalled products.

This strikes me as highly unlikely. First of all, the February 3rd recall was for ‘Hunks of Beef’, while today’s was for ‘Pulled Beef’ – two entirely different formats. Secondly, if the same shipment was used in both products, the ‘Hunks of Beef’ product would have been manufactured with 6-month old beef. Possible, of course, but not highly probably, unless the company stores its raw meat in the deep freeze for months at a time.

Possibility #2: Beef from the same supplier was used to manufacture both recalled products, and the manufacturer is just being super-cautious.

Evanger’s February 3rd update, posted on the company website, states:

We feel that we have been let down by our supplier, and in reference to the possible presence of pentobarbital, we have let down our customers.  Despite having a relationship for forty years with the supplier of this specific beef, who also services many other pet food companies, we have terminated our relationship with them and will no longer purchase their beef for use in our Hunk of Beef product.  As Hunk of Beef is a very unique product, requiring very specific cuts of meat, this supplier’s meat was used in no other products.

If this is accurate, then the Against the Grain product should not contain meat from this supplier at all. Again, this explanation does not make sense.

Possibility #3: Either the company or FDA arranged for lab testing of a number of Evanger’s products and detected pentobarbital in a sample of the Against the Grain product.

Based on my years of off-and-on contact with the food industry and regulatory bodies, I am confident that FDA is testing extensively for pentobarbital in samples of Evanger’s products. We won’t know what, if anything, they find until their investigation is complete and they release their results. However, a positive finding of pentobarbital would certainly trigger an immediate recall.

Possibility #4: Either the company or FDA has found evidence that meat from an unauthorized source was introduced into the company’s products.

This, too, would be sufficient to trigger a recall “Out of an abundance of caution.” Again, we won’t know whether or not this took place until FDA completes its investigation.

 

The good news for pet owners is that, so far at least, this problem appears to be confined to products manufactured at Evanger’s Wheeling, IL facility. Let’s hope it stays that way.

 

 

Recalls and Alerts: February 9 – 11, 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: Legendary Baking recalls Private Selection Salted Caramel Chocolate Almond Pie, 91N (9″ pies; 34 oz.; Lot Code 17025) due to undeclared eggs and almonds. The recalled products were sold in Fry’s, Fred Meyer, Smith’s and certain Kroger stores.

Food Safety Recall: Ruth’s Salads (Charlotte, NC) expands its earlier recall of Ruth’s Salads Pimento Cheese Spreads (packed in Chester, SC) due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of recalled products.

Food Safety Recall: Taylor Farms establishments in Dallas, TX and Tracy, CA recall 6,630 pounds of chicken and pork salad products due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recalled items include 10.5 oz plastic trays of Signature Café Southwest Chicken Premade Saled (USE BY 2/13/17, 2/14/17 or 2/15/17), Signature Café Southwest Style Salad with Chicken (USE BY 2/14/17, 2/15/17 or 2/16/17) and H-E-B Shake Rattle & Rowl Rowdy Ranch Hand (contains pork) (USE BY 2/17/17, 2/18/17 or 2/19/17). The recalled products contain Bevel Shred Pepperjack cheese supplied to Taylor Farms by Sargento Foods, Inc. and recalled recently by Sargento due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Meijer recalls Meijer Brand Colby Cheese and Colby Jack Cheese sold through Meijer deli counters  from Nov. 10, 2016 to Feb. 9, 2017 due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Sargento Foods Inc. recalls Sargento Ultra Thin Sliced Longhorn Colby (6.84 oz.; Sell By 12APR17B and 10MAY17B) and Sargento Chef Blends Shredded Nacho & Taco Cheese (8 oz.; Sell By H14JUN17 and H12JUL17), packaged at the Sargento facility in Plymouth, WI after receiving notification from their supplier that the cheese may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Food Safety Recall: Deutsch Kase Haus, LLC (Middlebury, IN) recalls various cheese products after the Tennessee Department of Agriculture detects Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of cheese obtained from a store in Trenton, TN. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of recalled products. Some of the cheese was supplied to US Foods for distribution to food service customers.

Food Safety Recall: Riviana Foods Inc. recalls Mahatma Yellow Rice (1o oz.; Best By July 2018) because the products may be contaminated with grey metallic dust particles.

Food Safety Recall: Stubb’s BBQ recalls Stubb’s Sticky Sweet BBQ Sauce (18 oz; Best By 01/17/2020) due to a glass bottle defect.

Food Safety Recall: Pride & Joy Creamery (Toppenish, WA) recalls organic retail raw fluid milk (Best By FEB 10 through FEB 24) after sampling conducted by the Washington State Department of Agriculture detected the presence of toxin-producing E. coli in the product.

Pet Food Safety Recall: WellPet LLC recalls seven varieties of Wellness Canned Cat food (12.5 oz) after learning that foreign material was found in non-WellPet products made in the same facility. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of recalled products.

Pet Food Safety Recall: PetSmart recalls Grreat Choice® Adult Dog Food with Chicken & Rice Classic Ground (13.2 oz cans; Best By 8/5/19; Lot 1759338) due to metal contamination that could potentially be a choking hazard.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Schneider’s Gourmet World recalls Salt and Vinegar Seasoning (14g and 100g pkgs) and Dill Pickle Seasoning (14g and 100g pkgs) due to undeclared milk.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Czech Republic):  Government monitoring activities have detected undeclared sulphites in a lot of F.W. Tandoori al. s.r.o. Shi-ta-ke mushrooms (50g; Best before 16.2.2018; product of China.

Allergy Alert (Ireland): A consignment of Toblerones were sold in Ireland with an incorrect oversticker, which omitted the ingredient, egg white. Consumers who are sensitive to egg should avoid packages labeled with the oversticker.

Food Safety Recall (France): Société MCD CHAMSYL recalls Cêpes de France dried mushrooms (60g pkg; Expiry date 03/10/2020) due to unspecified microbiological contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): Sidroga GfGmbH recalls Sidroga Bio Säuglings- und Kindertee due to contamination with pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): Tugra Großhandel recalls Sour Pickled Beets due to the presence of Rhodamine B dye. Please refer to the recall notice for details.

Food Safety Recall (Ireland): Tesco Ireland recalls Tesco Mackerel Fillets (300g pack size; Use By 01 Feb 2017) due to elevated levels of histamine.

Food Safety Recall (UK): Sainsbury’s recalls various stir fry products due to possible Salmonella contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of affected products.

Australia and New Zealand

Allergy Alert (New Zealand): Icelandic Holdings Ltd. recalls all batches and date codes of Sun Valley Foods brand Granny’s Treat Mix (300g re-sealable plastic pouch) due to undeclared gluten. The product is sold in FreshChoice and Four Square supermarkets throughout the South Island.

 

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.

Expanded Baby Food Recall in Canada – Illnesses Reported

Example of recalled PC Organics baby food
Example of recalled PC Organics baby food

An unspecified number of illnesses that may be associated with consumption of PC Organics brand baby foods have been reported in Canada.

Loblaw Companies Limited has responded by expanding its initial recall notice to include all date codes of a long list of additional products. Please refer to the recall notice for a list of affected baby food pouches. According to the recall notice, published late yesterday on the  Canadian Food Inspection Agency website, a “… manufacturing error resulted in excess water in the product, which under certain circumstances could support the growth of Clostridium Botulinum and pose a health risk to consumers.”

Although food contaminated with Clostridium Botulinum may not look, smell or even taste spoiled, it may contain a toxin that, if ingested, can cause nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, blurred or double vision, dry mouth, respiratory failure and paralysis. In severe cases, the toxin can cause death.

The reported illnesses have not been definitively linked to the recalled baby food; nor have they been described as being caused by ingestion of botulinum toxin. But, the manufacturing error that triggered the food recall could have opened the door to the growth of other harmful bacteria in the baby foods – bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens, which can cause gastrointestinal illness.

Which PC Organics baby food pouch products have been recalled?

The expanded recall encompasses all date codes of the following items (128mL unless otherwise noted):

  • Apple, Blueberry & Green Pea strained baby food
  • Apple Crisp Muffin flavour puree snack
  • Apple, Carrot, Apricot & Millet strained baby Food
  • Banana, Sweet Potato & Blueberry strained baby food
  • Apple strained baby food
  • Apple, Banana & Blueberry with Yogurt strained baby food
  • Apple, Banana & Strawberry with Yogurt strained baby food
  • Apple Cherry strained baby food
  • Sweet Potato, Apple and Mango strained baby food
  • Peach Maple Cobbler Flavour puree snack
  • Banana Apple & Carrot strained baby food
  • Pumpkin, Apple, Peach & Buckwheat strained baby food
  • Prune, Apple, Butternut Squash & Quinoa strained baby food
  • Pear strained baby food
  • Mango, Apple, Carrot & Peach strained baby food
  • Blackberry Cobbler Flavour puree snack
  • Banana & Kiwi strained baby food
  • Mango strained baby food
  • Banana & Raspberry strained baby food
  • Banana, Apple, Apricot & Rice strained baby food
  • Banana Bread Flavour puree snack
  • Pear, Apple and Broccoli strained baby food
  • Sweet Potato, Banana & Apricot strained baby food
  • Tropical Twist Smoothie with Greek Yogurt puree snack
  • Banana, Mango & Apple with Yogurt strained baby food
  • Orange Twist Smoothie with Greek Yogurt puree snack
  • Prunes strained baby food
  • Apple, Banana & Strawberry with Yogurt strained baby food (6 x 128 mL)
  • Sweet Potato, Apple and Mango strained baby food (6 x 128 mL)
  • Banana Apple & Carrot strained baby food (6 x 128 mL)
  • Mango strained baby food (6 x 128 mL)
  • Pear, Apple and Broccoli strained baby food (6 x 128 mL)

How can something as simple as too much water lead to this?

Food processors walk a food-safety tightrope every day. The conditions under which sealed packages of food are processed to ensure their safety are always in a delicate balance. Even minor changes in a recipe can affect the cooking conditions required to kill harmful bacteria. One of those changes is the amount of water that is available to the bacteria, allowing them to multiply in the food. A food with little free water will need milder cooking cooking conditions (time and temperature combination) than a food with abundant free water.

Then why not treat every food with the same severe cooking conditions?

Palatability, appearance and cost. Foods processed at a higher temperature taste overcooked, lose their natural color, and their natural texture. And, higher cooking temperatures for extended periods of time are more expensive.

What should consumers do about this recall?

  1. Check your pantry and set aside any of the products listed in the expanded recall notice.
  2. DO NOT try to determine whether the food is safe by smelling or tasting them. Clostridium botulinum can multiply and produce its toxin in a food without changing its appearance, smell or taste in any way.
  3. Return any packages of recalled product to the place of purchase for a refund.

Where were the recalled products sold?

Ontario: Fortinos, Loblaws, No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, Real Canadian Wholesale Club, valu-mart, Your Independent Grocer, Zehrs, Shoppers Drug Mart, and affiliated independent stores

Atlantic: Atlantic Superstore, Dominion, Cash&Carry, Real Canadian Wholesale Club, Your Independent Grocer, Shoppers Drug Mart, and affiliated independent stores

Québec: Club entrepôt, Maxi, Maxi & Cie, Presto, Provigo, Provigo le Marché, AXEP, Pharmaprix, and Intermarché

West: Extra Foods, Loblaws City Market, No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, Real Canadian Wholesale Club, Your Independent Grocer, Shoppers Drug Mart, and affiliated independent stores

Finally, if you have fed one of the recalled products to your infant or toddler, and your child is experiencing any unusual symptoms, please seek immediate medical attention.