Tag: Health

Recalls and Alerts: January 26, 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: M.E. Thompson, Inc. (Jacksonville, FL) recalls Anytime Deli Turkey & Ham Sub Sandwich (white butcher-wrap pkg; Expiration date January 19th and January 22nd; UPC 0543200194), because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled sandwiches were distributed on January 2nd and 3rd to convenience stores in Florida and Georgia.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Ferme Piscicole des Bobines Inc. (Hereford, QC) recalls Minis Feuilletés de truite arc-en-ciel à la Florentine (120g; Lot MLFO11-055), Minis Feuilletés de truite arc-en-ciel à la Provençale (120g; Lot MPRO11-055, MPRO11-144 and MPRO11-277) and Minis Feuilletés de truite arc-en-ciel à la Milanaise (120g; Lot MMIL11-187 and MMIL11-343), due to the presence of undeclared egg. The recalled products were sold from the retail store at Ferme Piscicole des Bobines Inc, East Hereford, QC.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Ireland): Iceland Foods Ltd. recalls Iceland Frozen Lamb Mince (454g; Best before 11/10/2012), due to the presence of Salmonella arizonae.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Taga Foods Denmark recalls Taga Serrano Ham (60g pkg; Lot 044911.1; Best before 04-08-2012; Product of Spain), because some packages are leaking, which may allow microbial contamination and growth.
  • Unlicensed Drug/Allergy Alert (UK): MHRA advises all healthcare professionals that Vigantoletten 1000IU Colecalciferol Tablets (Produced by Merck Serono, Germany), which has been imported in significant quantities into the UK is an unlicensed product and also contains undeclared soya oil.
  • Blood Product Field Safety Notice/Recall (Spain): Haemonetics Corporation (Braintree, MA) recalls certain disposable materials for red blood cells (Product  Nos. 0948F-00, 00941-00, 0942-00, 00944-00, 946FF-00, 0947F-00, 00235-00 and 0235P-00),  after microscopic leaks were detected in the internal welds at the tops of some bags.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2012.0131): Salmonella in soybean meal from Argentina, via Germany; distributed to the Czech Republic and Germany.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0132): Salmonella in paan leaves from India; distributed to the United Kingdom.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2012.0133): Salmonella in soy bean meal from Italy; distributed to Austria.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0134): Norovirus in oysters from the Netherlands; distributed to Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2012.0135): Salmonella Mbandaka in organic soypresscake from Italy; distributed to Sweden.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2012.0137): Salmonella Montevideo in soybean meal from Italy; distributed to Austria.
  • Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2012.0139): Salmonella Livingstone in corn gluten meal from the Netherlands; distributed to Sweden.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0140): Listeria monocytogenes in Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese Ltd. chilled wicklow blue Irish farmhouse cheese from Ireland; distributed to Ireland and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0141): Deterioration of oat cakes from Hungary; distributed to Poland.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Dietary Supplement Safety Recall (Hong Kong): The Department of Health warns the public not to use the unregistered slimming product Fat 2 AND 1 Burners III, as it has been found to contain the banned pharmaceutical ingredients sibutramine and phenolphthalein.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Allergy Alert (Australia): Ontrack Pty Ltd recalls Walkers Chocolates of London Milk Chocolate Selection Fruit and Nut Selection (450g plastic jar; Best before Aug 01 2012), due to the presence of undeclared brazil nut and almond. The recalled product was sold at Kmart stores across australia.

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: January 25, 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 Enforcement Action: Mill Stream Corp (Hancock, ME) voluntarily destroys cold-smoked salmon after FDA orders administrative detention due to the presence of Listeria monocytogenes contamination within the firm’s facility and on processing equipment.
  • Outbreak Alert: Catawba County Health Department (North Carolina) has received 40 reports of gastrointestinal illness since January 17th. All of the complainants ate at Conover’s Harbor Inn Seafood restaurant on January 13th.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Diabolissimo Inc (Montreal, QC) recalls several ready-to-eat products (500ml glass jars), because these temperature-sensitive products do not carry a “Garder réfrigéré/Keep refrigerated warning, and present a health risk if they are not kept at refrigeration temperature.
  • Food Safety Recall: Krinos Foods Canada recalls Krinos Bulgarian White Sheep’s Milk Cheese (1 kg; Code L. May 2011; Best before November 2012), for unnamed reasons.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Alert: Health Canada advises consumers not to use a number of weight loss products, which have been identified by FDA as potentially hazardous.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (France): Société AR Industrie Alimentari recalls Carrefour Purée de Tomates en Bocal/Tomato puree in jars (690mL; Lot #CO2 LE 041; Best before 31.12.2013), due to possible contamination with glass particles.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Solhjulet recalls Organic Dried Beans (5kg and 25kg bags; Best before 01-05-2013; Product of Uganda), due to the presence of residues of the pesticide malathion.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Arla Foods amba recalls several flavors of yoghurt beverages due to mold contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a list of affected products.
  • Food Safety Enforcement Action (Greece): EFET seizes unfit food from Spata after receiving a citizen complaint. Many of the foods had past their expiration dates, and the foods were being stored under inappropriate and insanitary conditions.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Notification (EU #2012.0125): Unauthorized octopamine hydrochloride in fat burning diet supplement from the USA; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0127): Benzo(a)pyrene in roasted organic argan oil from Morocco; distributed to France and Germany.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0128): Salmonella Arizonae in frozen minced lamb from Ireland; distributed to Ireland, the Isle of Man, Spain and the United Kingdom.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1030): Mercury in dried boletus from Poland; distributed to Denmark, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Outbreak Alert (Zimbabwe): A fresh outbreak of typhoid fever in Harare has been blamed on the consumption of fish from a polluted lake on the outskirts of the Zimbabwe’s capital city. Approximately 600 Harare residents have been affected, including a person working in a city hotel. Ninety people have been hospitalized in the last few days.

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: January 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

  • Consumer Product Safety Recall: Lee Carter Co. (San Francisco, CA) recalls Super Luchamania Action Figures (Manufactured in Mexico; sold from June 2000 through October 2011), because the surface paint on the figures contains excessive levels of lead.
  • Outbreak Alert: The Iowa Department of Public Health advises the public that reports of norovirus outbreaks have been increasing in recent weeks.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Blount Seafood Corporation (Fall River, MA) that a November/December 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility revealedserious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation, Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 123, and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
Canada
  • Consumer Product Safety Recall: Deejay Jewellery Inc. (Montreal, QC) recalls various Impulse! & Co. and Party Princess Children’s Jewellery (Manufactured in China; sold in Canada from January 2005 to December 2011), because the recalled items may contain lead in excess of the allowable limits and may contain cadmium in excess of guidance levels proposed recently by Health Canada.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (France): Société Soufflet Alimentaire recalls Carrefour brand Fusilli Pesto (200g Doypack; Lot #2 E355; Best before 12/2012), due to the presence of undeclared traces of peanuts.
  • Food Safety Recall (UK): Iceland recalls Frozen Lamb Mince (454g; Best before 11 October 2012), because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella.
  • Food Safety Recall (Ireland): Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese Ltd. recalls Wicklow Blue Irish Farmhouse Cheese “mild creamy blue-veined brie cheese” (150g; Batch #11326B; Best before 31/01/2012), due to the detection of a high level of Listeria monocytogenes.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Gert Nielsen recalls “Rørt Fars” (Produced 17.01.12; Best before 18.01.12), due to Salmonella contamination. The recalled product was supplied to caterers and canteens east of the Great Belt.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0124): Escherichia coli in mussels from Italy, with raw material from Spain; distributed to Italy.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Alert (Israel): The Ministry of Health warns the public not to purchase or consume Power Coffee (Manufactured in China; Marketed by MM Marketing and Distribution Limited), after lab tests detected the presence of the pharmacologically active ingredient hydroxythiohomosildenafil, an analogue of the active agent in the prescription drug Viagra.
  • Food Safety Enforcement Action (Israel): The Tel Aviv District Health Office has ordered the closing of the Carmel Food Industries manufacturing plant in Bat Yam, after the plant was found to be operating under poor sanitary conditions and without a business license. The company is suspected of manufacturing fake olive oil, honey and other food products.
  • Outbreak Alert (Zimbabwe): The Washington Post reports that more than 660 people have been treated for typhoid in Harare, Zimbabwe since November 2011. The outbreak appears to be waning.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Dietary Supplement Safety Alert (Australia): The Therapeutic Goods Administration warns Australians that Miraculous Evil Root Tablets are illegal in Australia, as they contain elevated levels of the undeclared prescription drug sildenafil (active ingredient in Viagra).

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.