Tag: Health

Recalls and Alerts: February 3, 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: Greencore USA (Cincinnati, OH) recalls Thornton’s Quick Café Chef Salad (5.6-oz plastic containers; Enjoy By date through 2/4/2012; Est. P-38518), because the salads were prepared using eggs that have been recalled due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled Chef Salad was sold at Thorntons stores in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee.
  • Food Safety Recall: Allison’s Gourmet Kitchens (Moore, OK) recalls various prepared salads containing cooked eggs that were recalled by Michael Foods, Inc. due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled prepared salads were sold to retail stores and food service customers in Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Kansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, Tennessee and Missouri. Please see the recall notice for a detailed list of affected items, which were sold under the brand names Deli Fresh, Hill Country Fare, Brookshire’s, Allison’s Gourmet Kitchens, Food Lion, Bakers Kitchens, Dot Foods, Produce House, Hannaford Brothers, and Chef Prepared.
  • Food Safety Recall: GH Foods SW (Houston, TX) recalls Fresh Garden Highway Cobb Salad (7.5-oz plastic containers; Sell By dates through 2/6/2012), because the salads were prepared using eggs that have been recalled due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled Cobb Salads were sold at Kroger Stores in Texas.
  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: Bedford Laboratories (Bedford, OH) recalls Acetylcysteine Solution, USP (Manufactured for Roxane Laboratories, Inc.) 20% (30mL/vial; Lot 1877093; Exp. June 2013), after a glass particle was found in a single vial.
  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Alert: Pedinol Pharmacal Inc. announces health advisory for Gris-PEG (griseofulvin ultramicrosize) 125mg and 250mg, which was packaged for Pedinol by Novartis Consumer Health in Lincoln, Nebraska. Pedinol advises healthcare professionals, pharmacists and patients that, due to problems occurring when the Gris-PEG was packaged and labeled, tablets from one product type may have carried over into packaging of another product. This could result in a stray pill of one medicine ending up in the bottle of another product. Please navigate to the Pedinol site for  detailed information on how to correctly identify Gris-PEG 125mg and 250mg tablets.
  • Outbreak Alert Update: The number of people sickened by Campylobacter after drinking raw milk from The Family Cow dairy farm has risen to 35 confirmed cases in Pennsylvania (28), Maryland (4) and New Jersey (1), according to a report released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Maryland has found the pathogen in two bottles of raw milk produced at the farm. The Family Cow dairy farm voluntarily suspended sale of milk on January 31st, and health departments are advising consumers to discard any raw milk purchased from the dairy since January 1, 2012.
  • Outbreak Alert: The South Dakota Department of Health is investigating an outbreak of diarrhea – suspected to be food-related – linked to a Tuesday evening boys’ high school basketball game in Pierre.
  • Outbreak Alert: South Carolina health officials are investigating a suspected norovirus outbreak at the Lila Doyle Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Facility in Oconee County. The nursing home, which has been closed to new admissions until the outbreak has been contained, is owned and operated by the Oconee Medical Center.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd. recalls Kirkland Signature Banana Loaves, Red Velvet Cupcakes, and Mix and Match Muffins (Best before February 4th, 2012), because the products may contain pieces of white plastic. The recalled baked goods were produced in the East Winnipeg Costco warehouse between January 31st and February 1st, 2012 inclusive. Baked goods produced at other Costco locations are not affected by this recall.
  • Food Safety Recall: New Horizon Co-Operative Ltd. recalls Co-op Lean Ground Beef Ground from Canadian Trim (various weight packages; Packed JA 11, 12) due to contamination with unspecified extraneous matter. The recalled ground beef was distributed in Alberta.

Europe

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Outbreak Alert (Myanmar): More than 30 children at the Pajau Refugee Camp in Kachin have contracted cholera and one child has died., according to workers with the Relief Action Network for IDP and Refugees. Children and the elderly in other camps along the Sino-Burmese border also have been affected. The refugee camps lack both adequate safe drinking water and toilet facilities. The total number of people suffering from cholera is not known.
  • Outbreak Alert (Angola): The municipality of Massangano Cambambe has been hit with an outbreak of cholera-like diarrheal illness. Thirteen people were hospitalized.

Australia and New Zealand

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Food Safety Enforcement Action (Argentina): The Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria ordered the seizure and destruction of 1,340 kilograms of ham in San Fernando (Buenos Aires Province), after determining that the package labels were counterfeit, rendering the products unfit for human consumption.
  • Outbreak Alert (Mexico): Health authorities have quarantined two schools in Altamira (Tamaulipas), after two cases of hepatitis A were confirmed. Additional cases are under investigation.

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: February 2, 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: S&M USA Enterprise recalls ZHANG ZHOU BRAND TREMELLA (150g plastic bag; Product of China), due to the presence of undeclared sulfites. The recalled product was sold in New York and New Jersey.
  • Food Safety Recall: W & C International Import Inc. recalls Rely Sardine Anchovies (7-oz plastic packages; Product of China) and Rely Dried Yellow Croaker (bulk cartons; Product of China), because the products were not properly eviscerated prior to processing and represent a heightened risk of Clostridium botulinum contamination.
  • Food Safety Recall: Wegmans Foods Markets, Inc. recalls Hard-Cooked Eggs, and several prepared foods that contain hard-cooked eggs (sold at Wegmans’ Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Canandaigua, Newark, Geneva, Corning, Elmira, Geneseo, and Hornell stores between January 23 and February 1, 2012), because the eggs may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and were recalled by Michael Foods, Inc. The following items are included in this recall notice: Hard-Cooked Eggs (sold by the pound in prepared foods or as a choice on the Fresh Foods Bar), Eggs (special-order deli tray or 6-pack, 12 pack), Cobb Salad (10 oz, 43 oz, and 6.5 lb), Garden Salad (10 oz, 20 oz, 2 lb, and 5 lb), Baby Spinach Salad (9 oz, 1.8 lb, and 3.9 lb), Chef Salad (9 oz. and 18 oz.), Egg Salad (sold by the pound in prepared foods), Egg Salad Sub (Sub Shop), Kosher Macaroni Salad (sold by the pound in kosher deli), and Kosher Pickled Eggs (sold by the pound in kosher deli).
  • Food Safety Recall Update: ShopRite reminds consumers that ShopRite of Stanton (1600 West Newport Pike, Wilmington, DE) recalled store-made ground beef (80/20 and 85/15; various packages sizes; Sell by January 22, 2012), because the product may pieces of blue glove. Customers are asked to check their freezers and return any of the recalled meat to the store.
  • Pet Food Safety Recall Update: Advanced Animal Nutrition updates its December 13, 2011 notice alerting consumers to the recall of Dog Power Dog Foods to correct the affected lot numbers. The affected products were manufactured between Jan 4, 2011 and Nov. 18, 2011 and can be identified by lot numbers 4K1004 through 4K1322. The recalled products were distributed in Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana.
  • Outbreak Alert Update: The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has confirmed the presence of Campylobacter jejuni in two unopened samples of raw milk purchased from The Family Cow farm. Maryland has reported 4 confirmed cases of Campylobacter illnesses linked to the consumption of raw milk from this Pennsylvania farm, and Pennsylvania has confirmed 19 cases.
  • Outbreak Alert: CDC and the Pennsylvania State Health Department are cooperating in an ongoing investigation of human Salmonella enterica serotype Paratyphi B var. L (+) tartrate + infections associated with pet turtle exposures.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: JB’s Sausage Making Supplies Ltd. recalls various flavors of marinades due to the presence of undeclared soy or wheat. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products. The recalled items were distributed in Saskatchewan.
  • Food Safety Recall Update: Phoenicia Group (St-Laurent, QC) updates its earlier recall notice to correct the lot codes. The company has recalled Alkanater brand Tahini (454g containers; UPC 6 92551 00002 0; Prod: 5/7/2011; Exp: 5/7/2013), due to possible contamination with Salmonella. The recalled product was distributed across Canada.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Fredsted The A/S recalls Xtra brand Chamomile Tea (Boxes of 20 bags; Lot #889 and 1327; Best before 31/12-2012 and 30/4-2013, respectively), due to pesticide residues in excess of the permitted limit.
  • Outbreak Alert (France): Consumption of dried pork sausage was linked to a nationwide outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype 4,[5],12:I:- in November and December 2011. In all, 337 outbreak cases were identified.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0163): Insect infestation in dried figs from Turkey; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0164): Dead insects in frozen spinach leaves from Belgium; distributed to Greece.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Notification (EU# 2012.0165): Unauthorized tadalafil in food supplement from Norway; distributed to Andorra, France, Portugal and Spain.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0166): Ethephon in seedless grapes from South Africa, via Belgium; distributed to Germany.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0167): Metal fragments in chocolate pralines from Italy; distributed to Italy and Switzerland.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0168): Listeria monocytogenes in crab bread from France; distributed to France and Spain.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (Hong Kong): Allways (Germany) Medicine Ltd. recalls the pharmaceutical products Centiplex-B Tab and Abacod Cod Liver Oil Cap, as the products bear unapproved labels.
  • Food Safety Alert (Philippines): The Department of Health has announced a shellfish ban in the waters of Wawa, Bani in Pangasinan, in addition to already announced bans in Dumanquillas Bay, Murcielagos Bay, Masinloc Bay, Matarino Bay, and in Bataan costal waters of Mariveles, Limay, Orlon, Pilar, Balanga, Orani, Abucay and Samal. The ban were triggered by the finding of paralytic shellfish poison in excess of the regulatory limit.

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.

International Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Watermelon

Outbreaks of Salmonella Newport infections have been reported in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany according to information released today by the UK Health Protection Agency (HPA).

HPA has confirmed 30 cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland reported five cases; Germany’s Robert Koch Institute and the Republic of Ireland have confirmed 15 cases and 4 cases, respectively. One UK outbreak victim – an individual with serious underlying health complications – has died.

The 30 outbreak victims in England, Wales and Northern Ireland range in age from six months to 85 years; 70% of the case-patients were women, and the outbreak is tilted geographically towards the East of England. Four of Scotland’s five victims were young children, according to the HPA. The outbreak first was detected in early December 2011, and the most recently reported illness was at the end of December.

An Outbreak Control Team is working in the UK to determine the source of the illnesses. A questionnaire has been administered to 15 of the English case-patients so far; 10 of them confirmed having eaten watermelon in the three days prior to becoming ill.

Last November, HPA conducted a local food survey in Preston (Lancashire, England), and recovered Salmonella Newport from a ready-to-eat sliced watermelon fan. Genetic fingerprinting (PFGE) determined at the time that this was a previously unreported strain. The genetic profile of that strain matches the outbreak strain recovered from the four Scottish children who were diagnosed in late December. The same strain also was confirmed in patients from Germany and the Republic of Ireland.

This would not be the first time that Salmonella-contaminated watermelon was the source of an outbreak. In 1954, 17 residents of Upton, Massachusetts (USA) developed salmonellosis after consuming watermelon that was grown in Florida and purchased from a single supermarket in Milford – a neighboring Massachusetts town. Salmonella Miami was found in stool samples from outbreak victims, and from watermelon samples from the homes of two victims. And in 1991, 39 people in the USA became infected with Salmonella Javiana after eating watermelon.

HPA is not yet prepared to state definitively that watermelons were behind this outbreak, and there is no indication so far where the suspect melons may have been grown. Chances are – based on the illness onset dates that have been reported so far – that the offending watermelons will be off the market before they have been identified. Nevertheless, consumers in the affected countries would be wise to avoid purchasing cut watermelon. It is safer to buy an intact melon and sanitize the outside surface before cutting the fruit.