Recalls and Alerts: May 1 – 7, 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.

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

Outbreak Alert (Alabama): The Alabama Department of Public Health is investigating an outbreak associated with a college baseball tournament in Montgomery, Ala. At this time, reports estimate that 25 to 30 individuals have experienced gastrointestinal illness that includes the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping and lethargy. Some ill persons have visited various emergency rooms in the area. Tournament participants are from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Allergy Alert: Quality Nut Co. (Massilon, OH) recalls various nut products due to undeclared soy, wheat, and/or milk. The recalled products were sold prior to May 1, 2017 at retail locations throughout Ohio. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert: Unilever recalls Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie Pint Slices (9 fL oz (266 mL) (3 individually wrapped ice cream slices); UPC 076840657940; Best by/Lot No. AUG1218LT2) due to undeclared peanut. The recalled product was sold through retail stores throughout the US.

Allergy Alert: Blount Fine Foods, Corp. recalls SAFFRON ROAD BEEF CHILE COLORADO WITH MESQUITE BLACK BEANS & GARLIC RICE (10-oz retail cartons; Best by 05/23/18 AP) due to undeclared milk. The recalled items were shipped to distribution centers located in Pennsylvania and Texas.

Allergy Alert: Herbalife International of America Inc. recalls Protein Bar – Peanut Butter (Lot No. 066539A11, 066553A11, 066601A11, 066660A11, 066688A11, and 066691A11) due to undeclared fish gelatin.

Food Safety Recall: U.S. Deer Antler Ex. & Imp. recalls Herbal Tea Variety Batches (120 mL/pouch; 40 pouches/case; prepared on premise between 3/1/17 – 4/30/17) because the products were not produced according to approved guideline, making them susceptible to contamination by Clostridium botulinum. The Herbal Teas were distributed to individual customers and acupuncturists in California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.

Food Safety Recall: Maple Leaf Foods, Inc. (Ontario, Canada) recalls Frozen SCHNEIDERS LORRAINE HAM & CHEESE Quiche (24-oz. individually-packaged plastic clam-shell containers; Package code 62000 8096 9) and Frozen H.E.B. Chef Prepared Foods Ham & Cheese Quiche (24-oz. individually-packaged plastic clam-shell containers; Package code 41220 63400 9), because the products were distributed without benefit of import inspection.

Food Safety Recall: NOW Health Group, Inc. recalls Ellyndale® Nutty Infusions™ Roasted Cashew Butter (10 oz.; Item #E0540; Lot No. 2125155; Best by 2/19) and Ellyndale® Nutty Infusions™ Ginger Wasabi Cashew Flavor (10 oz. plastic jars; Item #E0541; Lot No. 2124118; Best by 3/19) due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

Food Safety Recall: Pinnacle Foods Inc. recalls Aunt Jemima Frozen Pancakes, Frozen Waffles & Frozen French Toast Slices (All ‘best by’ dates) due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of recalled products. The affected products were distributed across the USA and one product was exported to Mexico.

Food Safety Recall: Perdue Foods LLC recalls PERDUE HARVESTLAND Italian Style Organic Chicken Sausage (24-oz pkg; Package code 64405; Sell or freeze by date 6/25/17) after receiving three consumer complaints of blue plastic materials in the sausage. The recalled sausages were shipped to a retail distributor in Connecticut and Maryland.

Food Safety Alert: Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) has been notified of imported frozen raw tuna or ahi cubes distributed by Tropic Fish Hawaii, LLC on Oahu that tested positive for hepatitis A. The product, imported from Indonesia, was used to prepare poke sold between April 27 – May 1 by food establishments on Oahu. Please refer to the official FDA notice for additional details.

Food Safety Alert: The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today warned consumers not to eat recreationally harvested bivalve shellfish, including mussels, clams and whole scallops, from Santa Barbara County. The health advisory includes rock crab caught in state waters around Santa Rosa Island and the northern Channel Islands. Dangerous levels of domoic acid have been detected in mussels and rock crab from this region, making them unsafe to consume.

Pet Food Safety Recall: Smallbatch Pets Inc. recalls Smallbatch brand Frozen Chicken Blend for Dogs and Cats (2 lb packages; UPC 705105970974; Lot #D032 and E058; Best by 2/1/2018 and 2/27/2018 respectively) after routine testing by FDA revealed contamination with Salmonella.

Dietary Supplement Safety Recall: Genetic Edge Compounds recalls GEC Laxoplex dietary supplement capsules (all lot codes distributed between February 2, 2015- May 2, 2017) due to adulteration with anabolic steroids and steroid-like substances.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Marché de la Côte / Bonichoix (Escoumins, QC) recalls various products due to undeclared wheat, milk, mustard and soy. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Alert: La Boule-Miche micro-boulangerie inc. (Sainte-Foy, QC) recalls Riopelle and Pied-de-Vent cheeses (variable sizes; all lots that do not declare the presence of unpasteurized milk), as the labeling does not declare the presence of raw (unpasteurized) milk in the cheeses.

Food Safety Recall: CFIA advises of an industry recall of Pezzetta brand Montasio DOP cheese (variable size & UPC; Sold from March 24 to May 1, 2017, inclusive) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recalled cheese was sold from March 24 to May 1, 2017 inclusive at Del Fresh Foods, 6923 Steeles Avenue West, Unit 43-44, Etobicoke, ON or 24 Steinway Boulevard, Unit 43-44, Etobicoke, ON and Importation Berchicci Ltée, 6205 Boulevard Couture, Saint-Léonard, QC.

Food Safety Recall: Pinnacle Foods Canada Corporation recalls Aunt Jemima Waffles (144 Count/3.57 kg; UPC 1 00 19600 43575 1; All codes), Aunt Jemima Original Thin French Toast (144 Count/6.1 kg; UPC 0 00 19600 05870 0; All codes) and Aunt Jemima Thick French Toast (72 Count/4.86 kg; UPC 0 00 19600 43560 0; All codes) due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Le Buffet Bernard (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC) recalls various ready-to-eat products that were manufactured under conditions that do not ensure product safety. Please refer to the recall notice for details.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Denmark): Geia Food A/S recalls Délifrance brand Croissants (330g; Best before 22.01.2018 and 31.01.2018) due to undeclared gluten, eggs and milk.

Allergy Alert (Ireland): SuperValu recalls SuperValu Signature Tastes Irish Sherry Trifle (pack size: 350g & 800g) due to undeclared almonds. Please refer to the recall notice for a list of affected batch codes.

Allergy Alert (UK): Cofresh recalls Cofresh Cornflake Mix (325g; Batch code L13/080; Best before 16 December 2017) due to undeclared gluten.

Allergy Alert (UK): Renew Life UK recalls five probiotic supplements due to undeclared milk. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Løgismose Mejeri og Fødevarer recalls RØRT OST med creme fraiche og purløg / cheese with creme fraiche and chives (140g plastic cups; Labeled with best before dates 24.05.2017 and 25.05.2017) due to incorrect best before dates. The correct dates are 09.05.2017 and 10.05.2017 respectively.

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Bio Vitality Wellness Food recalls Grilled, Salted Pistachios in Shells (125g bags; Best before 31/03/2018) due to elevated levels of aflatoxin.

Food Safety Recall (Sweden): Atria Scandinavia recalls Arboga Skivbar pastej (250 g;  Item No. 180322; Best before 12 juni 2017) and Arboga Bredbar pastej (200 g; Item No. 180174; Best before 12 juni 2017) due to the absence of nitrite, which could result in the growth of bacteria.

Food Safety Alert (Germany): The Lower Saxony Ministry of Agriculture warns against consumption of Rutilus rutilus dried and salted fish due to potential for Clostridium botulinum contamination. The product is sold in Russian shopping malls.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Allergy Alert (Israel): Soglowek recalls various products due to undeclared traces of peanut. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products and batch codes.

Food Safety Alert (Israel): Miki Delicatessen Company alerts its customers to the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes in certain Smoked Salmon products manufactured on 19/04/17. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Medical Product Safety Recall (Israel): Kamada Ltd., recalls Albumin 20% (active component Human Albumin), manufactured in Germany by Biotest, due to inadverent contamination with ethylene glycol. Please refer to the recall notice for a list of affected batch numbers and expiration dates.

Latin America and the Caribbean

Food Safety Recall (Mexico): Pinnacle Foods Inc. recalls AUNT JEMIMA PANCAKE MEXICO (60CT; UPC 019600435921; All ‘best by’ dates) due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

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.

Evanger’s sues supplier; says beef included tainted horse meat

Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company Inc. is suing Bailey Farms LLC, claiming that the meat supplier was at fault for a euthanasia drug found in Hunk of Beef and Against the Grain dog foods made by Evanger’s.

The suit, filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County in Illinois on April 25, names Bailey Farms LLC as the sole supplier of meat for Evanger’s Hunk of Beef canned dog food. Holly and Joel Sher, owners of the Wheeling, IL, Evanger’s want $20 million in punitive damages from Bailey Farms, which is based in Marshall, WI.

Beef supplied by Bailey Farms contained horse meat, according to Evanger’s lawsuit. The company further claims the horse meat was the source of the pentobarbital contamination that sickened several dogs earlier this year, killing at least one.

Evanger’s is seeking unspecified damages, to be proven at trial, recovery of attorney’s fees and costs, and punitive damages of $20 million.

The lawsuit alleges that Evanger’s ordered more than 21 tons of “Hand Deboned Beef” from Bailey Farms in November 2015, and an additional 21 tons of “Inedible Hand Deboned Beef” in late May 2016.

“Inedible” beef is unfit for human consumption according to federal law; however, if not contaminated or adulterated, it may be used in the manufacture of pet food.

As recently as Feb. 9, Evanger’s claimed to use “human-grade USDA inspected meats” in its products. The company updated its website shortly thereafter, dropping the reference to “human-grade” from the description.

The November shipment was used to manufacture Against the Grain Hand Pulled Beef, and the May 2016 order was used in the production of approximately 50,000 cans of Hunk of Beef.

On Feb. 3, Evanger’s recalled five production lots of Hunk of Beef canned dog food after the Food and Drug Administration found pentobarbital, a euthanasia agent, in a sample of the food. Pentobarbital is a barbiturate that is used by veterinarians and animal shelters to euthanize animals.

On Feb. 14, Evanger’s recalled a single production lot of Against the Grain Hand Pulled Beef canned dog food after FDA detected pentobarbital in a sample of the product.

On March 3, 2017, Evanger’s recalled all “chunk beef” products manufactured between December 2015 and January 2017, due to the possible presence of pentobarbital in these products. All of the recalled products contained meat from a single supplier, according to the company.

This story first appeared in Food Safety News and is reposted here with permission.

Editorial comment: This is a fine example of the pot calling the kettle black. As recently as February 9, 2017, Evanger’s was proclaiming its use of “human-grade USDA inspected meats.” The suit filed last week reveals that the company placed an order with Bailey Farms for ‘inedible’ beef.

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.

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

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.