Recalls and Alerts: August 25 – 28, 2019

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

OUTBREAK ALERT UPDATE: CDC reports 143 cases of Salmonella infections in 35 states are linked to pig ear dog treats imported from Argentina, Brazil and possibly Colombia.

Allergy Alert: Bakkavor Foods USA, Inc. recalls SIMPLY EAT HEB MEAL SIMPLE CURRY CHICKEN SALAD (12 oz; Best by 08/28/2019) due to undeclared pecans.

Allergy Alert: Nature’s One recalls PediaSmart® SOY Vanilla Beverage Mix (12.7 oz/360g containers; Lots PSV 7271 MI1, PSV 8078 MI1, PSV 8274 MI1, & PSV 9105 MI1; Use by Sept 1, 2019, March 1, 2020, Oct 1, 2020, & April 1, 2021) due to undeclared milk.

Pet Treat Safety Recall: Brutus & Barnaby recall Pig Ears 100% Natural Treats for Dogs (All size packages; All batch codes; Product of Argentina; Product of Colombia) due to possible Salmonella contamination.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Golden Boy Foods Ltd. recalls Western Family brand Grab N’Go – Veggie Crisps (400g; Product codes 20 JA 10 LA9191, 19 SE 21 LA9080, 19 AU 19 LA9050; UPC 0 62639 34718 5) due to undeclared sulphites, almond, peanut, soy and wheat.

Allergy Alert: Krazy Dan’s Pickled Products recalls Krazy Dan’s brand Pickled Weiners and Mild Sauce due to undeclared sulphites, mustard, soy and wheat. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Super C Shawinigan Royal recalls ground beef and ground veal (Variable weights; Sold up to and including 27 August 2019) due to foreign matter (metal pieces) contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Marché du centre recalls Sauce à spaghetti / Spaghetti sauceMarché du centre (500 ml; Best before 24 August) due to inadequate refrigeration and lack of appropriate storage labeling.

Food Safety Recall: Vertdemain recalls TARTINADE DE LÉGUMES VEDGE WIZZZ (200g; Product sold up to and including 28 August 2019) due to inadequate refrigeration and lack of appropriate storage labeling.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Albert Heijn recalls Albert Heijn brand AH Bapao rundvlees / Bapao beef (120g; Best before 08-09-2019) due to undeclared celery.

Allergy Alert (Luxembourg): Naturli’ recalls Naturli Organic Vegan Spreadable (225g; Best before 30.08.2019 – 27.11.2019; Product of Denmark) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (Netherlands): Albert Heijn recalls Albert Heijn brand AH Bapao rundvlees / Bapao beef (120g; Best before 08-09-2019) due to undeclared celery.

Allergy Alert (UK): Naturli’ Foods recalls Naturli’ Organic Vegan Spreadable (225g; All date codes between 30 August 2019 to 27 November 2019) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (UK): Thomas Tucker Ltd recalls several brands and flavours of popcorn due to undeclared milk. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (France): Intermarché recalls Jean Rozé brand Merguez Véritables sausages (20-pack; Lot J92341292; Best before 10/09/2019) due to foreign matter (metal fragment) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): Franken Bräu Lorenz Bauer GmbH & Co. KG recalls Franken Bräu Pilsener Bügelverschluss / Swing-top bottle cap (Best before 05.05.2020) due to detergent traces.

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Industry recalls Bonduelle Leipziger Allerlei (200 g et 400 g; Best before 31.07.2022; Product of France) due to foreign matter (glass particles) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Netherlands): Texel chips and FZ Organic Food recall handcooked Texel chips (125g; Best before 24-01-2020) due to possible contamination with a cleaning agent.

Pig ear pet treats blamed for human Salmonella outbreak

Pig ear pet treats have been linked to an outbreak of multidrug-resistant Salmonella infections in 13 states, according to an investigation report released today by CDC.

Forty-five individuals in California (1), Illinois (3), Indiana (3), Iowa (12), Kansas (3), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (7), Missouri (3), New York (6), North Dakota (1), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (1) and Wisconsin (1) have been infected with the outbreak strain, identified as Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:-.

Twelve outbreak victims were hospitalized.

According to CDC, epidemiological evidence points to pig ear pet treats as a likely source of the illnesses.

Of the outbreak victims interviewed, 89% reported contact with a dog before getting sick and 71% reported contact with pig ear dog treats or with dogs who were fed pig ear dog treats.

In comparison, only 61% of healthy individuals reported contact with a dog, and only 16% reported having handled dog treats such as pig ears in the week before the interview.

Pig ear pet treats obtained from bulk bins at two Michigan retailers have tested positive for a number of different Salmonella strains, according to a report from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD).

According to FDA, MDARD found four different strains – Salmonella London, Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Newport, and Salmonella Infantis – in the pig ear samples.

FDA is working with CDC and state health partners to determine whether any human or animal cases of Salmonella illness may be linked to the strains found in the treats tested by MDARD.

Other brands of individually wrapped or bagged pig ears sold at multiple retail locations in the state tested negative for Salmonella.

Pet Supplies Plus (Livonia, MI) issued a voluntary recall after learning that MDARD found Salmonella in “…aging bulk pig ear product…” in one of the company’s stores.

The contaminated bulk pig ears were stocked in open bins in Pet Supplies Plus stores in AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI and WV. Prepackaged pig ears are unaffected by the recall.

The company has removed bulk pig ear treats from all of its stores and has stopped shipping these treats from its distribution center.

FDA is working to identify the source of the pig ear treats, how they became contaminated, and where they were distributed.

What consumers need to know

Salmonella can cause illness in both humans and animals. People infected with Salmonella can develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Most individuals recover without treatment. However, in some cases, the diarrhea may be so severe that hospitalization is needed.

In severe cases, without antibiotic treatment the infection may spread from the intestines into the blood stream and from there to other parts of the body.

Pets do not always display symptoms when infected with Salmonella, but signs can include vomiting, diarrhea (which may be bloody), fever, loss of appetite and/or decreased activity level. Infected pets can shed the bacteria in their feces and saliva without showing signs of being sick.

If you or a household member is suffering from symptoms of Salmonella, consult a healthcare provider.

If you believe your pet may be infected with Salmonella, consult your veterinarian.

How to alert FDA to a problem

Veterinarians who wish to have pets tested for Salmonella may do so through the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN Network) if the pet is from a household with a person infected with Salmonella.

FDA encourages consumers to report complaints about pet food products electronically through the Safety Reporting Portal. This information helps FDA further protect human and animal health.

Mexican government dismisses as ‘premature’ CDC’s link of Salmonella outbreak to imported papayas

In a July 1, 2019 news release, El Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria de Mexico / The National Service of Health, Safety and Agri-Food Quality (Senasica) has described as “premature” CDC’s June 28, 2019 report of a link between Mexican papayas and a current outbreak of Salmonella Uganda illnesses.

Senasica points out that the outbreak strain has not been recovered from a papaya sample, nor has Salmonella Uganda been isolated from papayas in Mexico.

According to Senasica, until the outbreak strain has been found in a papaya sample, Mexico does not consider CDC’s findings to be conclusive.

The outbreak under investigation comprises 62 illnesses in eight US states: Connecticut (14), Florida (1), Massachusetts (5), New Jersey (12), New York (24), Pennsylvania (4), Rhode Island (1), Texas (1). Twenty-three people have been hospitalized.

Two people who lived in different households got sick in Connecticut after eating papayas purchased from the same grocery store location in the week before becoming ill.

According to CDC, epidemiological evidence, including interviews conducted with some of the outbreak victims, points to papayas as the source of the outbreak.

FDA is conducting a traceback investigation to establish the source of the papayas. Early product distribution information indicates that they were imported from Mexico.

Senasica’s official response to CDC’s report is reminiscent of the initial Mexican response to the 2011 outbreak of Salmonella Agona illnesses caused by contaminated papayas imported from Mexico.

Back then, Mexico vehemently denied responsibility for the outbreak, even after FDA found the outbreak strain in samples of the imported papayas.

What will it take for Senasica to acknowledge reality?

And, what will it take for FDA to impose a complete embargo on the importation of papayas from Mexico?

What consumers should do

If you have purchased a papaya grown in Mexico, throw it away.
Do not eat fruit salads or other mixes that include papayas from Mexico.
If you aren’t sure the papaya you bought is from Mexico, you can ask the place of purchase. When in doubt, don’t eat the papaya. Throw it out.
Wash and sanitize places where papayas were stored: countertops and refrigerator drawers or shelves. Follow these five steps to clean your refrigerator.

What restaurants and retailers should do

In the event that restaurants, retailers and/or other food service operators are found to have handled potentially contaminated food in their facilities, they should:

Contact their local health department and communicate to their customers regarding possible exposure to a pathogen.
Wash the inside walls and shelves of the refrigerator, cutting boards and countertops, and utensils that may have contacted contaminated foods; then sanitize them with a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach to one gallon of hot water; dry with a clean cloth or paper towel that has not been previously used.
Wash and sanitize display cases and surfaces used to potentially store, serve, or prepare potentially contaminated foods.
Wash hands with warm water and soap following the cleaning and sanitation process.
Conduct regular frequent cleaning and sanitizing of cutting boards and utensils used in processing to help minimize the likelihood of cross-contamination.