Tag: Food

Recalls and Alerts: September 11, 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: Forever Cheese Inc. recalls Ricotta Salata Frescolina brand Forever Cheese (Product of Italy; Lot #T9425; Production code 441202), due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination, after the cheese was linked to 14 cases of Listeria monocytogenes infections in 11 states. The recalled cheese was sold to distributors for retailers and restaurants in California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington between June 20th and August 9th, 2012.
  • Food Safety Recall: Spartan Stores, Inc. (Grand Rapids, MI) recalls a number of deli products (Items labelled either with the Spartan Logo or an oval Spartan Fresh Selections label; All sizes and all lot codes), because the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of affected products, which were distributed to Family Fare, D&W Fresh Markets, Glen’s and VG’s supermarkets and a select number of independent retailers in Michigan.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Trans-Pacific Assets Management (Hayward, CA) that a July-August 2012 inspection of the company’s facility found a serious violation of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Yangpo Foods Co., Ltd. (Pohang, Korea) that an April 2012 inspection of the company’s seafood manufacturing facility found deviations from the Seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns MDK Enterprises, Inc. dba Maui Jelly Factory and Maui Fudge & Ono Chocolates (Pukalani, Maui, HI) that a May 2012 inspection of the company’s food processing facility located at Wailuku, HI found significant deviations from the requirements of the Acidified Food regulations.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Fresh Mushroom Farm, Inc. (Imperial, MO) that an August 2012 inspection of the company’s manufacturing facility found significant violations of FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations in manufacturing, packing or holding human food.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Wendell Corporation, dba Regalo Bakery (Honolulu, HI) that a June 2012 inspection of the company’s bakery found serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation for foods.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Global Biotechnologies, Inc. (Portland, ME) that a January-March 2012 inspection of the company’s dietary supplement manufacturing, packaging, labeling, and distribution facility revealed significant violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) in Manufacturing, Packaging, Labeling, or Holding Operations for Dietary Supplements.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Henry’s Farm Inc. (Woodford, VA) that an April-May 2012 inspection of the company’s soybean sprout and mung-bean sprout manufacturing facility, conducted in response to a sample ofsoy bean sprouts collected by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) that yielded Listeria monocytogenes, documented numerous insanitary conditions and practices that may have contributed directly or indirectly to contamination of your sprouts with pathogens and filth. In addition, samples collected during the inspection revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in the company’s JJBS soy bean sprout product. Henry’s Farm recalled its sprouts on April 30, 2012.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Chu Minh Corp., dba Chu Minh Tofu (Seattle, WA) that a March 2012 inspection of the company’s food manufacturing firm documented serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) regulation for foods.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Whole Foods Market recalls 365 brand Vegan Lasagna (284g; All codes; UPC 0 99482 43850 0), due to the presence of undeclared soy. The recalled product was sold in Whole Foods Market locations in Oakville, Mississauga, and Toronto.
  • Allergy Alert: Whole Foods Market (Mississauga) recalls 365 brand Vegetable Lasagna (284g; All codes; UPC 0 99482 43851 7), due to the presence of undeclared milk.
  • Allergy Alert: Super Pufft (Mississauga, ON) recalls Compliments brand Sensations Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn (297g packages; UPC 6 23682 11058 6; Lot code BB/MA 2012 NO 06), due to the presence of undeclared milk. The recalled product was sold only in Ontario.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (UK): Morrisons recalls Morrisons Dried Goji Berries (100g pkg; All date and batch codes), due to the presence of undeclared sulphur dioxide.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): KD Food recalls Irma’s brand Hummus (250g plastic trays; Best before 3/10-2012), due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recalled product was sold in Irma shops.
  • Food Safety Recall (France): La société Labo L. Peugeot recalls Boko brand canned foods (all expiry dates), due to processing anomalies. The recalled products were distributed between the end of 2012 and August 29th 2012 in the Bourgogne, Rhône Alpes and Paris regions. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of stores where the recalled canned food products were sold.
  • Food Safety Recall (Germany): Germasco GmbH recalls Dried Seaweed (113g; Expiry 31.12.2013; Lot #100929; Packed by Wing Man Trading Co. Ltd., China), due to excessive levels of iodine in the product.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Recall (Israel): Neto recalls Sterling brand Frozen Smoked Salmon (100g & 200g; Production date 30 July 2012; Expiration date 28 February 2013; UPC 7290003821761), after the Ministry of Health finds Listeria in the product.

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.

Recalls and Alerts: September 10, 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

  • OTC Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: Qualitest (subsidiary of Endo Health Solution) recalls Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen Tablets, USP 10mg/500mg (100-ct; Lot #C1440512A; Expiry 12/13), because some of the tablets may exceed the weight specification and could be super-potent for the active ingredients. The recalled tablets were distributed between May 14 and August 3, 2012 to wholesale distributors and retail pharmacies nationwide.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Centrum Valley Farms, LLP (Clarion, IA) that  an April-May 2012 inspection of the company’s shell egg production facility found that the facility had serious violations of the Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) in Shell Eggs During Production, Storage, and Transportation regulation. Furthermore, samples taken during the inspection revealed the presence of Salmonella Heidelberg in two of the six hen houses at the South site of the facility.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Valley Flax Flour recalls Valley Flax Flour Wheat Free Pancake Mix (500g; Codes PC12145, PC12199 and PC12202), due to the presence of undeclared gluten. The recalled product was sold in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
  • Unauthorized Medical Test Kit Alert: Health Canada advises consumers that CuraHerbDistributor (curaherbdistributor.com) is attempting to sell online unlicensed home-use HIV test kits for use with urine, saliva and blood samples. There are currently no HIV test kits authorized for home use in Canada. Health Canada has not licenced “Home Aware” tests kits for any of the following conditions indicated on the website, namely syphilis, trichomonas vaginalis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis (B/C) or herpes simplex.

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Food Safety Enforcement Action (Argentina): The National Service for Health and Food Safety (SENASA) confiscated and destroyed 750 kilograms of meat products that were found to have been transported without refrigeration.

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.

Chamberlain Farm Produce Inc. Recalls Watermelons – Update

Chamberlain Farm Produce, the Owensville, Indiana farm whose cantaloupes were blamed for 204 cases of Salmonella Typhimurium infections earlier this summer, has recalled all watermelons produced during the past growing season.

According to a Press Release posted last Friday on the website of Schnucks Markets, Inc., the recalled watermelons may have been contaminated with Salmonella newport. Notice of this recall has not yet appeared on the FDA website.

FDA inspected Chamberlain Farm Produce from August 14th to 16th, after traceback investigations identified the southwest Indiana melon grower as the likely source of the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak. As part of the investigation, FDA collected environmental samples and cantaloupe samples from the farm. Some of those cantaloupe samples showed the presence of the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium.

On August 23rd, Chamberlain recalled all of its cantaloupes from the 2012 growing season. None of the retailers that carried the Chamberlain cantaloupes were identified in the recall notice. And, with the exception of Schnucks Markets, not a single retail grocery chain that carried the melons posted a recall notice on its website.

There is no indication whether any illnesses have been associated with the recalled watermelons. Nor do we know whether the contamination was discovered by FDA, the Indiana State Department of Health, Chamberlain itself, or some other party.

On August 16th, eFoodAlert learned from the Kentucky Department for Public Health that, in addition to cantaloupe samples, one watermelon sample had tested positive for Salmonella. At that time, detailed serotyping and genetic profiling of the Salmonella strain was still in progress. No further mention has been made of watermelon either in the CDC or the FDA investigation updates.

UPDATE (Sept 10, 2012): The Kentucky Department for Public Health has told eFoodAlert that there is “No connection that we know of” between the watermelon recall and the outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium that was linked to cantaloupes from the same grower.

Let’s hope that FDA and Chamberlain are more forthcoming with retail distribution information on the watermelons that they have been on the cantaloupes.