Recalls and Alerts: January 24, 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.

United States

  • Food Safety Recall: ConAgra Foods (Omaha, NE) recalls Hunt’s Tomato Sauce (8-oz cans; Best by JUL 23 2014, JUL 24 2014, AUG 29 2014, AUG 30 2014, and OCT 08 2014) and Hunt’s Tomato Sauce No Salt Added (8-0z cans; Best by JUL 23 2014, AUG 29 2014, OCT 07 2014, and OCT 08 2014) that were packaged in cans containing a defect in the inner lining. The can defect may cause the can to swell and the product to spurt out when opened. The recalled product was supplied to retail food stores and distributors in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
  • Food Safety Update: Missouri has reinstated the plant license for Homestead Creamery (Jamesport, MO) following a reinspection carried out by the State Milk Board.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Food Processing Development Centre recalls the following foods, prepared for Siwin Foods Ltd., due to undeclared soy, wheat, and/or crustacean/shellfish: Pork, vegetable and chives dumplings (2 kg; Lot B011), Korean Kim Chi pork dumplings (2 kg; Lot B047), Japanese style pork and beef dumplings (2 kg; Lot B138), Vegetable and chicken dumplings (2 kg; Lot B172), Chicken and vegetable potstickers (2 kg; Lot B143), Pork and chives potstickers (2 kg; Lot B208), Pork and vegetable potstickers (2 kg; Lot B118), Beef and celery potstickers (2 kg; Lot B039), Pork and mushroom potstickers (2 kg; Lot B209), and Pork and vegetable dumplings (2 kg; Lot B011). The recalled products were supplied to retailers in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
  • OTC Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: Prestige Brands recalls Infants’ Little Remedies for Fevers (Lot 3742), because some bottles may contain less than the claimed amount of acetaminophen. The recalled product was supplied to retailers across Canada, including Walmart and Shoppers Drug Mart.

Europe

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Outbreak Alert (Hong Kong/Thailand): The Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection is investigating two suspected food poisoning clusters involving 13 persons who ate at a Bangkok, Thailand restaurant. The first ground includes four males and five females who lunched at the restaurant on January 17th; the second group – one man and three women – ate at the same restaurant on January 20th. All of the outbreak victims complained of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, malaise, chills and dizziness about six to 28 hours after eating at the Bangkok restaurant.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Food Safety Recall (New Zealand): The Ministry for Primary Industries announces a recall of the following ‘Jindi’ brand cheeses, imported from Australia, due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination: Jindi Blue (2 kg wheel; Batch code WW22110; Best before 04.01.2013), Jindi Deluxe Blue (120g; Batch code VW191010; Best before 25.12.2012), Jindi Camembert (200g; Batch code 70111; Best before 18.01.2013), Jindi Classic Camembert (1 kg wheel; Batch code 140111; Best before 21.01.2013), Old Telegraph Road Fire Engine Red (1 kg wheel; Batch code 131610; Best before 28.12.2012), Jindi Brie (3 kg wheel; Batch code 243110; Best before 18.01.2013) and Jindi Triple Cream Brie (1.5 kg log; Batch code 40511; Best before 24.01.2013). Jindi cheeses have been implicated in an outbreak of listeriosis in Australia. The recalled cheeses were sold under the Jindi, Old Telegraph Road and Top Paddock brands between December 2012 and January 2013 at Kosher Co-op (Wellington Jewish Community Centre), New World (Wellington City), Farro Fresh Foods (Constellation Drive and Grey Lynn stores, Auckland) and On-Trays Ltd (Petone, Wellington).

Latin America and the Caribbean

Food Safety Recall

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.

Profiling Yersinia enterocolitica

Yersinia enterocolitica can grow at temperatures as low as 32º to 36ºF (0º to 2ºC).

Some history

Yersinia enterocolitica was first discovered to be a human pathogen in 1939; however, it was only recognized as a cause of food-borne disease in the 1970’s.

What is Yersinia enterocolitica, and where is its natural habitat?

Yersinia enterocolitica is cold-tolerant and can grow slowly in refrigerated food. It has been detected in many kinds of animals, and in surface waters. The serotypes that most frequently cause human disease are most likely to be found in the mouth and intestinal tract of healthy pigs, although the microbe has been detected in a variety of meats, milk, other dairy products, seafood and environmental waters.

How is Yersinia enterocolitica transmitted? What is the incubation period of the infection?

The disease is transmitted when an individual consumes food or water contaminated by one of the pathogenic strains of the bacterium. Two past outbreaks involved children who ate raw chitterlings (raw pork intestines), a traditional winter holiday dish among members of the African-American community. The incubation period can range from one day to 11 days.

What is yersiniosis? How long does it take to develop?

Yersinia enterocolitica infections in younger children usually result in enterocolitis – diarrhea, low-grade fever and abdominal pain. In older children and young adults, the infection may produce symptoms that resemble appendicitis. Symptoms typically require from one to 11 days to develop.

What are the symptoms of Yersinia enterocolitica infections?

Symptoms may include diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, and vomiting. The severity of the symptoms depends upon the age of the victim and the size of the dose. The disease symptoms last from one to three weeks in most cases.

What is the prognosis of a Yersinia enterocolitica infection?

Most infections are self-limiting; however, complications and secondary illnesses can include appendicitis, arthritis, erythema nodosum, bacteremia, or extraintestinal infections. Among individuals who develop bacteremia (infection of the bloodstream), the fatality rate is 34-50%.

What foods carry Yersinia enterocolitica?

Yersinia enterocolitica has been found in meats (beef, poultry, lamb and, especially pork), milk and other dairy products, and seafood. Many – but not all – of the strains found in food are not pathogenic to humans.

How can people protect themselves from Yersinia enterocolitica infections?

Yersinia enterocolitica is killed during pasteurization of milk and by normal cooking procedures. Ways to minimize the risk of contracting an infection include:

  • Always cook pork, beef, lamb and poultry thoroughly, to an internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC)
  • Take care to avoid contact between raw meat juices and foods that are ready-to-eat, including cooked meats, side dishes, salads and desserts
  • Wash and sanitize hands, utensils and work surfaces after working with any raw meat
  • Avoid consuming raw milk and dairy products made using unpasteurized milk
  • Avoid drinking untreated water
  • Always wash hands after touching a pet or barnyard animal
  • Do not allow toddlers and young children to play with pets or barnyard animals unsupervised.

For more information on Yersinia enterocolitica and other food-borne pathogens, visit the CDC website or read Food Safety: Old Habits, New Perspectives.

Recalls and Alerts: January 23, 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.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Newfoundland Chocolate Company recalls all Best Before dates and sizes of the following Newfoundland Chocolate Company brand chocolates, due to undeclared egg and wheat: Smiling Land Series Gourmet chocolates featuring Newfoundland wildberries, Rum Runners & Rogues Series Gourmet chocolates featuring Newfoundland spirits and liqueurs, Lighthouse Series Gourmet dark chocolates, Quiet Cove Series Gourmet milk chocolates, and Jigs n’ Reels Series Gourmet milk, dark and white chocolates. The recalled products were distributed in the Atlantic provinces, Quebec, Ontario and Alberta, and may have been distributed nationally.
  • Food Safety Recall: Pâtisserie La Lorraine inc (Repentigny, QC) recalls Sauce au Poulet pour Vol-au-vent/Vol-au-vent chicken sauce (500 ml and 1 liter glass jars, with or without labels; sold up to and including January 11, 2013), because the jars were not labeled “Garder réfrigéré” and the contents, therefore, may not be safe for consumption.

Europe

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.