Tag: Food

Recalls and Alerts: December 24, 2012

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: Stehouwer’s Frozen Foods (Grand Rapids, MI) recalls Stehouwer’s Pigs in the Blanket (12 x 18-oz pkgs per case; Produced Sept. 27, 2012, October 25, 2012 and Dec. 13, 2012; Use by date Sept 27, 2013, Oct. 25, 2013 and Dec 13, 2013) and Stehouwer’s Pigs in the Blanket “FOR INSTITUTIONAL USE ONLY” (5-lb bulk pkgs; Produced Oct 25, 2012; Use by date 102513), due to the presence of undeclared milk.
  • Allergy Alert: Wayne Farms (Decatur, AL) recalls GFS® Honey BBQ Flavored Chicken Wings (4 x 4-lb bags/case; Est P-33885; Case code 572160; Production date 11/28/12), due to the presence of undeclared egg. The recalled products were shipped to a foodservice distribution center in Kentucky for distribution at the retail level in Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.
  • Outbreak Alert: The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reports widespread gastrointestinal illness due to norovirus throughout Colorado, including in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, schools and child care centers.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Charcuterie Transilvania (Laval, QC) recalls Saucisse ardelenesc (All products sold since December 12, 2012), because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled product was sold only at Charcuterie Transilvania, 806 boulevard Curé-Labelle, Laval, QC.
  • Outbreak Alert: Maltese Grocery (Thunder Bay, ON) has shut down its catering operations temporarily after 85 people developed norovirus gastroenteritis as a result of eating food at three events catered by the company, according to a CBC report.
  • Outbreak Alert: CBC reports that health officials in southwestern Alberta are investigating an outbreak of more than 30 Salmonella infections, mostly in rural areas. Many of the infections are secondary – spread by household contact.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (Netherlands): Unilever Benelux recalls Unox Beef Ragout (Bar code 8712566235735; Expiry date 15/09/17) because the cans may have been filled with goulash soup and thus contain undeclared mustard.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Recall (Israel): Foodlee Sauces Food Products Ltd. recalls Soy Sauce (750g bottle; sell by date 10/19/2013), Sweet Soy Sauce (720g bottle; sell by date 10/19/2013) and Teriyaki Sauce (720g bottle; sell by date 10/19/2013), due to a failure on the fill lines that could affect product safety.
  • Outbreak Alert (Japan): The Japan Times reports that six patients have died of norovirus gastroenteritis during an outbreak at Shunkokaihigashi Hospital in Nichinan, Miyazaki Prefecture. In all, 44 patients and staff developed symptoms of gastroenteritis. Separately, 1,184 individuals at 372 companies based in Yamanashi developed food poisoning after they ate boxed lunches bought from the Runrun Lunch catering service.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Outbreak Alert (Australia): Health officials in several states are investigating an outbreak cluster of eight confirmed cases of Listeria monocytogenes that have been linked to consumption of Jindi and Wattle Valley brand brie and camembert cheeses. An additional three suspect cases may also be linked to the contaminated cheese. Illnesses have been reported in Queensland (1), Tasmania (1), Western Australia (1), Victoria (2) and New South Wales (3). Cheeses implicated in the illnesses were recalled on December 19, 2012.

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 web site.

*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.

Cheese Blamed For Australia Listeria Outbreak

Authorities in several Australian states are investigating an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes that has sickened eight people in New South Wales (3), Victoria (2), Queensland (1), Tasmania (1) and Western Australia (1). Three more cases are under investigation and may also be part of the outbreak. No other details have been released.

According to health warnings posted by the New South Wales and Victoria departments of health, the outbreak is linked to a number of Jindi and Wattle Valley brand soft cheeses sold at delicatessens and supermarkets throughout Australia. On December 19th, a recall notice for the following cheeses was posted on the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website:

  • Jindi Brie – 1 kg
  • Jindi Camembert – 1 kg
  • Jindi Food Service Brie – 1 kg
  • Wattle Valley Brie – 1 kg
  • Wattle Valley Camembert – 1 kg

All of the recalled cheeses carry a Best Before date of 21 December 2012. As these cheeses are commonly cut into smaller portions for sale to the public, the original identifying packaging may no longer be available.

Advice to Consumers

  • Consumers are advised to check the best before date of any Jindi or Wattle Valley soft cheeses and, if from the identified batch, they should discard it or return to the place of purchase for a full refund.
  • Consumers who have purchased a cut portion of camembert or brie from a supermarket or delicatessen who are unsure of the brand should discard it. If in doubt, THROW IT OUT.
  • Healthy people usually show only mild symptoms. However, in people at risk, early symptoms of listeriosis include fever, headache, tiredness and aches and pains. Listeria monocytogenes can cause miscarriages in pregnant women, stillbirths, and death in people with compromised immune systems. Anyone who experiences symptoms consistent with listeriosis and who consumed brie or camembert within 70 days prior to becoming ill should seek immediate medical attention.

Recalls and Alerts: December 21, 2012

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: S&M International Inc. (Bayonne, NJ) recalls Yang Sheng cooked salted duck eggs (6 eggs/12.69-oz vacuum-pkg; UPC 6949682803568; Lot code YS12-02C), because the product was not processed in a manner to prevent growth of Clostridium botulinum. The recalled eggs were distributed between August to October 2012 to stores and markets located in New York City area, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Michigan.
  • Food Safety Recall/Allergy Alert: Bi-Lo advises its customers that the manufacturer has recalled Vanilla Cake Roll with Strawberry Filling (8 oz; UPC 0-10374-49983; Item code 638796; Produced from 7/26/2012 through 10/27/2012), due to ingredient mislabelling.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Recall: P&J Trading recalls Slimdia Revolution Dietary Supplement (30 capsules/bottle; All lots), because the product contains the prescription drug sibutramine, an appetite suppressant, which is not declared on the label. The recalled product was distributed nationwide in US from March 2012 to December 2012.
  • FDA Enforcement Action: FDA announces that a Federal judge has signed a consent decree imposing requirements on Sunland Inc. The consent decree requires that Sunland retain an independent sanitation expert to develop a sanitation control program that the company must then implement. The requirements also include compliance with the cGMP regulations. In addition, for the peanut butter plant, the company must conduct environmental monitoring and testing to ensure that disease-causing organisms are not present in the facility or in its finished foods and must have comprehensive inspections conducted by an independent sanitation expert. The consent decree permits Sunland to receive, hold, and distribute raw, unshelled peanuts from its storage buildings because the raw, unshelled peanuts are bound for processing facilities that include a “kill step” to eliminate Salmonella and other pathogenic bacteria. Peanut butter products manufactured by Sunland were linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney that sickened 42 people in 20 states.

Canada

Europe

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reminds the public not to consume puffer fish. The alert was released after CHP received a report of a suspected poisoning associated with consumption of this fish.

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 web site.

*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.