Recalls and Alerts: March 1, 2013

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.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the sidebar link.

For up-to-date information on recalls and product withdrawals associated with the horse meat investigation, please consult the Horse Meat Synopsis and Recalls page.

For up-to-date information on recalls and product withdrawals associated with the Kasel pet treat recalls and investigation, please consult the Kasel Dog Treat Recalls: 2012-2013 page.

United States

  • Allergy Alert: See’s Candies, Inc. (San Francisco, CA) recalls Divinity Easter Egg with Walnuts (1.7 oz; Code L.A.D. 102/13), because some boxes may actually contain Peanut Butter Eggs. The recalled product was distributed to See’s shops in Arizona, California, Nevada, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah.
  • Food Safety Recall: Charley’s Food Design recalls Charley’s Fire Roasted Salsa – Original Mild (16 oz; UPC 79450406183; Sell-by dates April 1, 2013 through April 30, 2013), Charley’s Fire Roasted Salsa – Smoothie (16 oz; UPC 79450406193; Sell-by dates April 1, 2013 through April 30, 2013), Charley’s Fire Roasted Salsa – Medium Hot (16 oz; UPC 79450406203; Sell-by dates April 1, 2013 through April 30, 2013) and Fatt Daddy’s Fire Roasted Salsa – Coma (16 oz; UPC 79450406213; Sell-by dates April 1, 2013 through April 30, 2013), due to reports of product bloating.

Europe

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Oral Medicine Safety Alert (Hong Kong): The Department of Health warns members of the public not to buy or consume the oral product known as Fu Fang Feng Shi Gu Kang Ling Jiao Nang, as it has been found to contain several undeclared Western medicines, including prednisone, diclofenac, indomethacin, ibuprofen, piroxicam and metoclopramide.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Dietary Supplement Safety Alert (Australia): The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) reports that the purported herbal medicine, My Slimmer Me (soft gel capsules) contains the undeclared prescription substance sibutramine in addition to a sibutramine impurity with unknown health risks. The supply in Australia of My Slimmer Me is illegal.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Alert (Australia): The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) reports that the GNY Australia products MSV Strong Version soft gel capsules, ESV Extra Strong Version soft gel capsules and RL Rapid Loss soft gel capsules contain the undeclared prescription substance sibutramine in addition to a sibutramine impurity with unknown health risks. The supply in Australia of these products is illegal.

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, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.
**Includes Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs and Pak N’ Save.

Recalls and Alerts: February 28, 2013

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.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the sidebar link.

For up-to-date information on recalls and product withdrawals associated with the horse meat investigation, please consult the Horse Meat Synopsis and Recalls page.

For up-to-date information on recalls and product withdrawals associated with the Kasel pet treat recalls and investigation, please consult the Kasel Dog Treat Recalls: 2012-2013 page.

United States

  • Food Safety Recall: Amport Foods recalls Vanilla Almond Granola (22 oz; UPC 71725 72512), due to the possible presence of flexible metal mesh in the product. The recalled granola was sold at Price Chopper.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Les Caprices du Boucher inc (Gatineau, QC) recalls Pâté Chinois (undeclared milk and soy) and All varieties of pies, pâtés and tourtières (undeclared soy and sulfites), due to undeclared allergens.
  • Allergy Alert: Summer Star Trading Co. Ltd. recalls Preserved Lemon (150g; Code 32.5.17.9.01.2; UPC 6 902141 325179), Preserved Star Fruit (150g; Code 32.5.17.9.01.2; UPC 6 902141 325179), and Preserved Mandrin (170g; Code 3.251.7901.0; UPC 6 902141 325179), due to undeclared sulphites. The recalled products were supplied to retailers in Ontario.
  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Alert: Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Canada) Incorporated and Health Canada warn the public regarding serious skin reactions suffered by some patients taking INCIVEK™ combination therapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in adults. The reactions have resulted in a hospital treatment and death.

Europe

  • Food Fraud Recall (Sweden): Axfood recalls Eldorado Frozen Meatballs (1000g; Best before date 12/2-2014 or earlier), Eldorado Fresh Meatballs (1000g; Best before date 8/3-2013 or earlier), Garant Frozen Meatballs (600g; Best before date 12/2-2014 or earlier), and Garant Fresh Meatballs (350g; Best before date 8/3-2013 or earlier), after the company finds horse meat in the products.
  • Food Fraud Withdrawal (Greece): FSA for Eastern Macedonia and Thrace orders the removal of AP-APC Armenian Formula Kebab (1 kg pack; manufactured by Packer Bros; sold at Kavala branch of Metro SA) and Destan Beef Salami (500g pkg; Manufactured by Dutch company DEMKA GmbH; sold at Yakup grocery store), after horse meet is found in the products.
  • Outbreak Alert (Ireland): Health officials have confirmed a case of E. coli infection in a baby at the First Steps crèche in Midleton (Cork). all 85 children and 15 staff at the crèche are now being tested for the infection.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2013.0264): Norovirus in chilled oysters from France; distributed to France.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Dietary Supplement Safety Alert (Australia): The Therapeutic Goods Administraton (TGA) has tested Natural Miaotiaoyishen Capsules and found that the so-called natural product contains undeclared sibutramine (a prescription-only medicine that was withdrawn in 2010 due to increased risk of major cardiac events) and phenolphthalein (previously used as an oral laxative, but no longer sold in Australia due to serious safety concerns). TGA advises consumers to stop taking this product and to take any remaining capsules to a local pharmacy for safe disposal.

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, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.
**Includes Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Genuardi’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs and Pak N’ Save.

FDA Bares Teeth. Kasel Flinches.

In case anyone hasn’t yet figured it out, the Mandatory Recall Authority that Congress granted FDA under the Food Safety Modernization Act was responsible for Kasel’s ‘voluntary’ recall of Salmonella-contaminated pet treats.

Earlier today, FDA released the letter in which the agency threw down its gauntlet and demanded that Kasel Associates Industries, Inc. recall contaminated pet treats. The  February 13, 2013 “Notification of Opportunity to Initiate a Voluntary Recall”, was hand-delivered to Raymond J. Kasel. The letter stated the basis for FDA’s determination that “…there is a reasonable probability that the affected pet treats are adulterated under section 402(a)(1) and (a)(4) of the FD&C Act and that there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to the pet treats will cause serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals…” A sampling of the findings include:

  • Multiple finished product samples of Kasel pet treats obtained by the State of Colorado’s Department of Agriculture in September and October 2012, were tested and subsequently found to be positive for Salmonella.
  • In response to the state of Colorado’s Salmonella-positive results, FDA conducted an inspection of Kasel’s manufacturing facility from September 19-28, 2012. During the inspection, the FDA investigators collected various samples for further testing, including bulk and finished product samples and numerous environmental samples. Many of these samples tested positive for Salmonella.
  • Salmonella is a pathogenic organism that can cause serious adverse health consequences or death in humans and animals. The presence of Salmonella in pet food can pose a particularly acute health risk to children and people who are elderly or immunocompromised.
  • [E]vidence collected by FDA and the state of Colorado, including environmental and product samples collected and analyzed by Colorado and the FDA, and observations made by FDA during the inspection of [Kasel], establishes the following:
    • Pet treat products manufactured, processed, packed, or held by [Kasel] from April 20, 2012, through September 19, 2012, are contaminated with Salmonella, or are at risk for contamination with Salmonella, based on the conditions in your facility and multiple Salmonella-positive results from environmental samples, including positive results on food contact surfaces within your facility, and from samples of your finished product. Test results indicate there are more than a dozen different Salmonella serotypes in your firm’s manufacturing facility and finished products. In addition, the test results indicate that various Salmonella positive samples from finished products are serotype matches to, and in some cases share a Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern with, other finished products and/or various environmental swabs taken at the facility during the September 2012 inspection. Due to this widespread Salmonella contamination and/or risk of contamination, FDA has determined that there is a reasonable probability these products are adulterated under section 402 of the FD&C Act and there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to these pet treats will cause serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals.
    • [Kasel] created, caused or was otherwise responsible for this reasonable probability of adulteration: under section 402 of the FD&C Act. Specifically, FDA has determined that the conditions within your facility (e.g., the presence of Salmonella in various locations throughout the facility and multiple sanitation deficiencies) that could lead to cross contamination between raw materials and finished products caused the reasonable probability.”

The letter, which was signed by Michael R. Taylor (FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine), demanded action within two (2) business days of its receipt by Mr. Kasel, and concluded with the following two statements:

“If you do not voluntarily cease distribution and conduct a recall in the time and manner described in this section, FDA may, by order, require you to immediately cease distribution of the affected pet treats. Additionally, FDA may, by order require you to immediately notify all persons manufacturing, processing, packing, transporting, distributing, receiving, holding, or importing and selling the affected pet treats to immediately cease distribution of such articles; and to immediately notify all persons to which such articles have been distributed, transported, or sold, to immediately cease distribution of the affected pet treats.”

“If a response is not received from you within two (2) business days of your receipt of this letter, FDA may by order require you to immediately cease distribution and notify applicable parties, as explained above.” 

The food and pet food industries are now on notice. FDA is ready, willing and able to use its mandatory recall authority to achieve the removal of dangerously contaminated food and pet food from the marketplace.