Tag: Food

Recalls and Alerts: October 1, 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.

For current information on retail distribution of peanut butter products recalled due to Salmonella Bredeney, please consult the Trader Joe’s/Sunland Peanut Butter Recalls tab.

For current information on retail distribution of beef products containing Canadian beef recalled due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination please consult the Canada/USA Beef Recall tab.

United States

  • Food Safety Recall: Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. Inc. recalls certain fresh-cut fruit packages containing mangoes from Agricola Daniella, because the mangoes may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled products include Mango Slices, Tropical Fruit Medley, Tropical Fruit Bowl, Seasonal Blend, Mango Chunks, Tropical Blend, Pineapple/Mango/Grape, Strawberry/Kiwi/Mango, Apple Blend and Fruit Bowl. The products were sold under the Del Monte and 7 Eleven Fresh To Go brands, and also under Generic labels (sold at Walmart stores). Please refer to the recall notice for complete details of products and distribution.
  • Food Safety Recall: Newman’s Own Organics recalls Peanut Butter Newman-O’s Sandwich Crème Cookies (8 oz/ 6 pack; Expiration 27MAY13) and Peanut Butter Newman-O’s Sandwich Crème Cookies (13 oz/6 pack; Expiration 3MAY13), because the cookies were made using peanut butter that may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled products were distributed nationwide.
  • Food Recall: Food City alerts its customers to the recall of Valu Time Orange Juice Recon. No reason is given for the action.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency alerts the public to a further expansion of the XL Foods (Est 38) beef recall, due to potential contamination with E. coli O157:H7. Four E. coli O157 illnesses have been associated with the consumption of beef products originating from this XL Foods facility.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (France): Société Valpiform recalls Valpiform Pain Soleil (400g; Expiry 24/12/2012 & 24/11/2012), Pain de Mie (350g; Expiry 21/11/2012), and Pain de Mie aux Fibres (350g; Expiry 22/11/2012, 23/11/2012, 24/11/2012 & 21/12/2012), because the products, which are labeled “sans arachide,” contain traces of peanut.
  • Allergy Alert (France): Société Valpiform recalls Allergo Pain aux Grains (400g; Expiry 25/10/2012, 22/11/2012, 23/11/2012, & 24/11/2012), Pain de Mie (350g; Expiry 21/11/2012, 22/11/2012, 23/11/2012, 13/12/2012, & 14/12/2012), and Pain de Mie aux Fibres (350g; Expiry 24/10/2012, 23/11/2012, 24/11/2012, 14/12/2012), because the products, which are labeled “sans arachide,” contain traces of peanut.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Det Eksotiske Catering recalls Wheat Kernel Salad (325g; All best before dates from 28.09.2012 through 08.10.2012), Exotic Pasta Salad with Chicken (275g; All best before dates from 28.09.2012 through 08.10.2012), Humus (175g and 1 kg; all best before dates from 22.10.2012 through 31.10.2012) and Cacik, Tzatziki (175g and 1 kg; all best before dates from 22.10.2012 through 31.10.2012), because Listeria was found in samples of these products.
  • Food Safety Recall (Luxembourg): The manufacturer recalls Holle brand Bio Babybrei 3 Kom ab dem 6ten Monat (Product of Switzerland; 250g; Lot R11171; Expiry 25/04/2013), because the product contain Ochratoxin A in excess of permitted limits.
  • Food Safety Recall (UK): Euro Quality Lambs Ltd. recalls Euro Quality Lambs’ lamb brain (all date and batch codes), because the products entered the food chain without proper inspection.
  • Outbreak Alert Update (Germany): The outbreak of acute gastroenteritis has now affected 8,962 persons and caused 23 to be hospitalized. The outbreak involves 369 schools and child care centers in five regions: Brandenburg (2,896 illnesses), Berlin (2,223 illnesses), Sachsen (2,880 illnesses), Sachsen-Anhalt (50 illnesses), and Thüringen (913 illnesses). The source and root cause of the outbreak is still under investigation.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Outbreak Alert (New Zealand): Nine staff members at Tauranga Hospital have become infected with norovirus in an outbreak that also has affected 22 hospital patients.

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.

Here’s The Beef

On September 4, 2012, Canada’s Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) each, independently, recovered E. coli O157:H7 from a sample of raw beef trimmings from the Brooks, Alberta production establishment of XL Foods Inc., registered with CFIA as Est. 038.

According to the Summary of Events released by CFIA, no recall was initiated, because CFIA determined that neither of the contaminated batches of product (beef trimmings produced on August 24th and 28th) had reached the Canadian marketplace.

Here are a few of the key dates and events that followed the initial findings:

On September 6th, CFIA requested distribution information and testing results from XL Foods for all products from those two production dates.

On September 12th, FSIS reported two more positive E. coli O157:H7 findings to CFIA.

On September 13th, CFIA removed XL Foods from the list of establishments eligible to export meat to the USA. But, despite the multiple findings of E. coli O157:H7 in samples of beef trimmings from the Brooks plant, and despite noting several deficiencies in the plant’s operations and sampling protocols, no public recall was announced – because, in the words of CFIA, of “…the absence of evidence that any affected product from the initial discovery had reached the marketplace.”

Nevertheless, that same day, XL Foods began to advise its customers that it was recalling beef trimmings produced on August 24th, August 28th, and September 5th.

On September 16th, Canadians finally were let into the dirty little secret. CFIA released its initial Health Hazard Alert. It was another four days before FSIS issued its first Public Health Alert for Imported Canadian Raw Boneless Beef Trim from XL Foods. Both CFIA and FSIS have issued multiple updates as the number of production dates under recall increased.

On September 18th, the Public Health Agency of Canada told CFIA that the Alberta Health Services was investigating five cases of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses; there was a possible link, CFIA was informed, between four of those cases and steaks purchased at an Edmonton Costco Wholesale store – steaks that had originated at XL Foods Inc.’s Brooks facility.

On September 27th, CFIA temporarily suspended the operating license for XL Foods Inc. (Establishment 038) in Brooks, AB after determining that “…adequate controls for food safety were not fully implemented in the facility.”

On September 29th, CFIA acknowledged in an updated Health Hazard Alert (for the first time) that four E. coli 0157 illnesses were associated with the consumption of beef products originating from XL Foods Inc. (Est. 38). The following day, CBC News reported that a total of nine cases of E. coli were under investigation, including the four confirmed cases.

So what’s my beef?

1. CFIA should have insisted on a recall of the meat from August 24th and August 28th production dates as soon as it was clear that there was a contamination problem at Brooks that involved more than a single batch of beef trimmings.

2. CFIA’s initial Health Hazard Alert should have been issued as soon as a decision was taken to recall product – NOT THREE DAYS LATER.

3. Neither the Public Health Agency of Canada nor Alberta Health Services have posted any information on their web pages regarding the E. coli O157:H7 illness investigations.

4. FSIS waited four extra days after the Canadian Health Hazard Alert to issue its own Public Health Alert.

5. FSIS still has not released a list of recalled products in the USA; nor has it released names of any of the meat processing or grinding or food service or distribution companies that are impacted by this beef recall – just a list of affected retailers. FSIS is relying, instead, on the individual retailers to post information listing recalled products.

On the plus side, CFIA has been very forthcoming with detailed recall information, including full identification of products by name, UPC, and packing or expiration dates, and retail distribution information by retailer and province/territory.

For a full list of products recalled to date in both Canada and the USA, including retail distribution information, please consult the Canada/USA Beef Recall page.

Recalls and Alerts: September 29, 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.

For current information on retail distribution of peanut butter products recalled due to Salmonella Bredeney, please consult the Trader Joe’s/Sunland Peanut Butter Recalls tab.

For current information on retail distribution of beef products containing Canadian beef recalled due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination please consult the Canada/USA Beef Recall tab.

United States

  • Allergy Alert: Foster Farms (Demopolis, AL) recalls Foster Farms Honey Crunchy Corn Dogs (2.67-lb, 16-ct pkgs; Est P-7322; Use by July 2, 2013; Time stamp between 06:30 and 08:30), because of misbranding and the presence of undeclared milk. The recalled products were distributed to Kroger, Walmart and Food Lion stores in the Southeastern USA.
  • Food Safety Recall: Whole Foods Market recalls Bulk Sweets Mix containing Peanut Butter Power Chews (Bulk, PLU 9663), sold in the El Segundo, California store and Treasure Trove Mix (Bulk, PLU 6922), sold in several Florida stores, because the products contain peanut butter that may be contaminated with Salmonella.
  • Food Safety Recall: Fairytale Brownies recalls Peanut Butter Sprites, Peanut Butter Brownies, and Peanut Butter Cookies (manufactured on or after August 15, 2012), because the products contain peanut butter that may be contaminated with Salmonella. Please refer to the recall notice for additional details.
  • Food Safety Recall: Walmart alerts its customers to the recall of ground beef and ground beef products due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products sold in Walmart and Sam’s Club stores.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: XL Foods Inc. (Est 38) expands its earlier recalls to include additional raw beef and beef products manufactured on August 24, 27, 28, 29 and September 5, 2012, due to potential contamination with E. coli O157:H7. Please refer to the recall notice for product and distribution details.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Bønnelykken A/S recalls Simply Fresh brand Salad with Salmon (Packaged in the Netherlands; Best before 1/10, 2/10, 3/10 and 4/10-2012), because the smoked salmon is thought to be contaminated with Salmonella.
  • Food Safety Recall (France): Société Andouille ASSELOT recalls Andouille Asselot brand Andouilles de Vire (Lot #2612, 3012, 3112), after Salmonella was detected in the product. The recalled sausages were sold directly at the Asselot store in Vire (14500), in retail stores in the Normandie region or in Carrefour, Leclerc and Intermarché stores in Vire, either as packaged product or “by the slice.”
  • Outbreak Alert Update (Germany): The food borne disease outbreak in Germany has sickened at least 8,365 individuals, including mostly children, teenagers and support staff at 342 schools and child care facilities. Twenty-three people have been hospitalized. Cases are reported from Brandenburg (97 facilities; 2,415 illnesses; 14 hospitalized), Berlin (82 facilities; 2,213 illnesses; 3 hospitalized), Sachsen (118 facilities; 2,800 illnesses; 2 hospitalized), Sachsen-Anhalt (6 facilities; 50 illnesses; none hospitalized) and Thüringen (39 facilities, 887 illnesses; 4 hospitalized). The identity of the pathogen has not yet been determined. Nearly all of the affected facilities in Brandenburg, Berlin and Thüringen were supplied with food from a common source.

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.