Recalls and Alerts: July 28-29, 2022

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.

Interested in learning more about food safety and the history of foodborne disease outbreaks and investigations? Click on the TAINTED menu at the top of the page to read or listen to a short excerpt, then follow the buy links to add a digital, print or audio copy to your personal library.

Listen to an excerpt of the new audiobook edition right here

Chapter 6. Birth of a Pathogen

United States

OUTBREAK INVESTIGATION UPDATE: FDA continues to investigate consumer complaints of gastrointestinal illness and abnormal liver function that may be attributable to eating Daily Harvest French Lentil & Leek Crumbles frozen product. FDA has received 329 reports of illness, including 113 hospitalizations.

Allergy Alert: Wilbur’s of Maine Chocolate Confections recalls Milk Chocolate Blueberries (8-oz pouch; Expiry date April 5, 2023; UPC 81321300430) due to undeclared almonds.

Food Safety Recall: Danny’s Sub and Pizza (dba Danny’s Cuban Pizza) recalls approximately 19,275 pounds of frozen meat pizza products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Lyons Magnus LLC recalls 53 nutritional and beverage products due to the potential for microbial contamination, including from the organism Cronobacter sakazakii. Preliminary root cause analysis shows that the products did not meet commercial sterility specifications. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Daniel Chocolates and Groove Chocolate Inc. recall certain dark chocolate bars due to undeclared milk. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall: Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Casablanca inc. (Montréal, QC) recalls pastries and bakery products sold up to 27 July 2022 due to a food safety hazard. Consumers who purchased products from this location should either discard them or return them to the store.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): De Zaligheden recalls Chipolata de campagne / Country sausage (500g; Use by 31-07-2022, 03-08-2022 & 04-08-2022) due to undeclared eggs.

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Flavori international recalls Flavori brand épices couscous 7 légumes / 7-vegetable couscous spices (100g; Lot M09102004; Best before 25/11/2024) due to undeclared wheat (gluten).

Allergy Alert (Finland): Mums Oy recalls Fallero Roasted beetroot and Fallero Pea – Kale (210g; Products dated 31.7., 2.8., 7.8. and 9.8. 2022) due to undeclared gluten.

Allergy Alert (France): BJORG ET COMPAGNIE recalls Bjorg brand Muesli superfruits (375g; Lot A1 05/05 8:30 to A1 05/05 16:00; Best before 03/09/ 2023) due to undeclared soy and hazelnuts.

Allergy Alert (Germany): Niococktails srl recalls Nio Cocktails – Mai Tai (100 ml; Product of Italy) due to undeclared almonds.

Allergy Alert (Italy): Eskigel s.r.l. recalls Decò brand 6 Lemon Stecchi con bastoncino alla liquirizia / 6 Lemon sticks with licorice (480g (6 x 80g); Lots LTE 2186, LTE 2192, LTE 2193, LTE 2200 & LTE 2201; Best before 05/2024) due to undeclared gluten.

Allergy Alert (Italy): Niococktails srl recalls Nio Cocktails – Mai Tai (100 ml; Product of Italy) due to undeclared almonds.

Allergy Alert (Luxembourg): De Zaligheden recalls Chipolata de campagne / Country sausage (500g; Use by 31-07-2022, 03-08-2022 & 04-08-2022) due to undeclared eggs.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Delhaize recalls Delhaize brand ROTI FILET DINDE FICELE / Roasted turkey tenderloin (Use by 07-08-2022) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): FRUITS ROUGES & CO recalls FRUITS ROUGES & Co. brand Framboises surgelées / Frozen raspberries (500g; Lot 34073001; Best before 18/11/2023) due to Norovirus contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): FROMAGERIE LA CAPRARIUS recalls LA CAPRARIUS brand TOMME DE BREBIS AU FENUGREC / Sheep’s milk cheese with fenugreek (Lot 20 2022) due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): SUD VENDEE DISTRIBUTION LECLERC recalls ELPOZO brand Longanisse douce / Sweet Spanish pork sausage (Lot 09RR080000021372; Use by 15/08/2022) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): LE FROMAGER DES HALLES recalls Tomme fraîche fermière / Fresh farm cheese (Lot 1607; Use by 09/08/2022) due to possible shigatoxin-producing E. coli contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): ARRIVE SAS recalls MAÎTRE COQ brand Nuggets de Poulet / Chicken nuggets (1 kg; Lot 2P22201; Use by 12/08/2022) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): DöllingHareico Fleisch- und Wurstwaren GmbH & Co. KG recalls ja! Delikatess Cervelatwurst / Cervelat sausage slices (200g; Best before 15.08.2022) due to foreign matter contamination (part of conveyor belt).

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Cactus recalls three Cactus brand burgers due to E. coli O157 contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Allergy Alert (Hong Kong): PARKnSHOP (HK) Limited recalls CASINO brand Hazelnut Filled Biscuit (125g; Best before April 18, 2023; Product of France) due to undeclared peanuts.

Australia and New Zealand

Food Safety Recall (New Zealand): Middle East Ltd recalls Algota brand Sesame Tahini (all packaging size variations; Batches 498 & 359; Product of Syria) due to possible Salmonella contamination.

‘Tainted’ audiobook now available

This story by Jonan Pilet first appeared on Food Safety News and is reposted here with permission.

“Tainted” by Phyllis Entis is available in book, digital and audiobook formats.

Phyllis Entis’s new book “Tainted” is now available as an audiobook. The book is narrated by Entis herself.

The book is particularly topical as the first chapter talks about Cronobacter sakazakii, a dangerous bacterium that has caused an ongoing outbreak. The Cronobacter outbreak has sickened at least five infants, killing two, and has been linked to Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare infant formulas recalled Abbott Nutrition.

“Tainted” tells readers that when it comes to food safety, conventional wisdom isn’t always enough. As Entis puts it, “the food preparation skills we learned from our parents and grandparents are no longer good enough to keep us safe.”

The audiobook can be found here.

I had the chance to read the book this past December and talk with Entis about it. Whether it’s Salmonella in eggs, Listeria in deli meats, melamine in milk or Cyclospora in lettuce, “Tainted” illustrates that everyone has a responsibility to ensure that the food we eat is as safe as we can make it. Entis shows that everyone — government regulators, farmers, ranchers, food processors, food service workers, retailers, educators and consumers — are needed to accomplish this herculean task.

Phyllis Entis is a retired food safety microbiologist. “Tainted” is the update of her 2007 book, “Food Safety: Old Habits, New Perspectives.” The original version had an academic bent, but “Tainted” is more in line with Entis’s original vision of making food safety accessible to the lay reader.

In recent years, Entis has honed her storytelling abilities as she has been working as a mystery writer. She is known for the Damien Dickens Mysteries series, which includes “The Green Pearl Caper,” “The White Russian Caper,” “The Chocolate Labradoodle Caper,” “The Gold Dragon Caper,” “The Blue Moon Caper,” and “The Silver Star Caper.” Her debut novel, “The Green Pearl Caper,” was a Library Journal SELF-e Selection.

Writing mystery novels prepared her well to write “Tainted,” as food safety illnesses often function as mysteries. “Tainted” often reads like a true crime novel, where laymen and authorities uncover clues to save the public from future poisonings and reveal the culprits of past poisonings.

After reading “Tainted,” I asked Entis if she has a particular story from the novel that she finds most memorable. She pointed to the Regent Chocolate episode.

In January 1974, a Salmonella Eastbourne outbreak was linked to Regent Chocolate. Entis’s lab with Canada’s Health Protection Branch was responsible for checking all of the suspect chocolate stored in warehouses in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. “I am a chocoholic and it was torture to be surrounded by all those giant Easter bunnies and chocolate Christmas tree ornaments and not be able to nibble,” she said.

Entis was able to watch Regent’s response firsthand and see how effective the company’s approach and changes were. She explains in the book how Regent could serve as a model for how companies can learn from their mistakes.

Though “Tainted” is a great book for those interested in learning more about food safety, it’s also a book for those who simply want to be entertained by the drama behind the scenes of food safety.

If you read “Tainted” and have been spurred to read more about food safety, Entis recommends Nicols Fox’s 1997 book, “Spoiled, The Dangerous Truth About a Food Chain Gone Haywire,” Jeff Benedict’s “Poisoned,” and Deborah Blum’s “The Poison Squad.”

“Tainted” was released Dec. 2, 2020, and can be ordered on Amazon. Entis’s book reached No. 1 overall in the Microbiology category on Amazon during the first week of its release.

TAINTED. From Farm Gate to Dinner Plate, Fifty Years of Food Safety Failures is available in ebook and audiobook formats from all major on-line retailers. The paperback and hardcover editions can be ordered from Amazon or through your local bookstore.

Recalls and Alerts: February 5-7, 2022

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

Interested in learning more about food safety and the history of foodborne disease outbreaks and investigations? Click on the TAINTED menu at the top of the page to read a short excerpt, then follow the buy links to add a digital or print copy to your personal library.

United States

Food Safety Recall: La Fiesta Food Products recalls Saladitos Con Chile / Salted plums with chili (UPC 032327028290; All lots) due to possible lead contamination.

Food Safety Recall: El Super Leon Ponchin Snacks Inc recalls El Leoncito and El Super Leon brands of Saladitos Dry Salted Plums with and without Chili due to possible lead contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for additional details.

Food Safety Recall: Rojas Inc. recalls LUPAG brand Plain Dried Salted Plums (0.5 oz; Produced December 2021; UPC 725535011337) due to possible lead contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Royal Ice Cream Company, Inc. recalls Batch Ice Cream Brand Vanilla, Ginger, and Mocha Chip Ice Cream flavors (Best by 7/19/23; UPCs 837654968505, 83765496856 & 83765496853) due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall: Golden Medal Mushroom Inc. recalls Enoki Mushrooms (Lot #300511; Product of China) due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Canada

OUTBREAK INVESTIGATION UPDATE: The Public Health Agency of Canada reports fourteen confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 infections in Alberta (13) and Saskatchewan (1). There have been no deaths or hospitalizations. The illnesses are linked to consumption of Hankook brand Kimchi products, which were distributed in multiple provinces.

Allergy Alert: Searay Foods Inc. recalls Searay brand Sauerkraut Fish, Szechuan Style spicy (400g; Lot #2101181CHG; Best before 2022 JL 02) and Searay brand Sauerkraut Fish, Golden Soup (400g; Lots 2012202CHG & 2101182CHG; Best before 2022 JN 15 & 2022 JL 02, respectively) due to undeclared milk.

Food Safety Recall: T-Brothers Food & Trading Ltd. recalls Hankook (Korean characters only) brand Original Kimchi (1670 g; Best before 22JA23; UPC 6 23431 00030 4) due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination. The recalled product was distributed in British Columbia. The recall was triggered by findings by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency during its investigation into a foodborne illness outbreak. There have been reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

Food Safety Recall: La Cidrerie Milton (Sainte-Cécile-de-Milton, QC) recalls Coccinelle brand MOÛT DE POMME ET FRAISE PÉTILLANT / Apple and strawberry sparkling must (355 ml; Lot #L141221) due to excessive pressure in the bottles, which could cause them to explode.

Food Safety Recall: La Fraîcheur Tropicale (Montréal, QC) recalls CHIKTAY / Smoked herring seasoned in oil (Sold up to 3 February 2022) due to a food safety hazard.

Europe

Allergy Alert (France): VIVRE VERT recalls VIVRE VERT brand Râpé Fin & Fondant / Grated cheese (Multiple lot codes and Use-by dates) due to undeclared soy. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert (France): VIVRE VERT recalls VIVRE VERT brand TRANCHES ULTRA-FONDANTES / Cheese slices (Multiple lot codes and Use-by dates) due to undeclared soy. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert (Luxembourg): Auchan recalls Vivre vert brand Rapé fin & fondant / Grated cheese (150g; Lots 220127, 220217, 2021112201, 2021112901, 2021120901; Best before 27.01.2022, 17.02.2022, 28.02.2022, 08.03.2022, 18.03.2022) and Vivre vert brand Tranches ultra-fondantes / Cheese slices (240g; Lots 5133, 5150, 8279, 9056, 9837, 646, 1464; Best before 01.02.2022, 02.02.2022,19.02.2022, 26.02.2022, 14.03.2022, 19.03.2022, 29.03.2022) due to undeclared soy.

Food Safety Recall (Austria): SPAR recalls SPAR Natur*pur Bio-Mandeln / Organic almonds (200g; Lots L7111297 & L7111298; Best before August 29, 2022) due to an increased content of bitter almonds, which poses a risk of cyanide poisoning.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Cora recalls Cora brand Saumon fumé d’Ecosse / Scottish smoked salmon (70g / 2 slices; Lot F0050446; Use by 05/02/2022) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): dm-drogerie markt recalls dmBio Mandeln / Almonds (200 g; Best before 29.08.2022 and 30.08.2022) due to an increased content of bitter almonds, which poses a risk of cyanide poisoning.

Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): Food Safety Authority recalls Vita Natura brand Graines d’orties Bio / Organic nettle seeds (250g; Lot AI21K1; Best before 31/08/2024) due to Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall Update (Luxembourg): Cora recalls Cora brand Saumon fumé d’Ecosse / Scottish smoked salmon (70g / 2 slices; Lot F0050446; Use by 05/02/2022) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Australia and New Zealand

Allergy Alert (New Zealand): Chemist Warehouse NZ recalls Bondi Protein Co. brand Vegan Protein Bar, Peanut butter (60g; Best before BB 161222A, BB 161222C, BB 161222E) due to undeclared cashew nuts.