Recalls and Alerts: August 28, 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 Withdrawal: Charlie’s Produce and TOP Food & Drug withdraw all Daniella mangos (PLU #3114, 4051, 4311, 4584 and 4959) from stores in the TOP supermarket chain, because of a concern that the mangos may be linked to Salmonella illness. TOP Food & Drug stores are located in  Auburn, Edmonds, Federal Way, Grays Harbor, Kent, Lacey, Lake Tapps, Olympia, Puyallup, Tacoma, Woodinville, and Yakima.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall Update: North American Produce Sales expands its earlier recall of Daniella brand Mangoes (Product of Mexico; PLU #4959) to include all products sold at retail stores between July 12 and August 24, 2012. the mangoes may have been distributed in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon. The Public Health Agency of Canada reports 22 cases of Salmonella Braenderup illness linked to consumption of these mangoes.

Europe

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1229): Aflatoxins in nutmeg from Spain; distributed to Andorra, Guinea Republic-Conakry, and Spain.

Australia and New Zealand

  • Outbreak Alert (New South Wales, Australia): New South Wales Health is warning of an outbreak of gastroenteritis that has affected more than 3,500 people around the state in the past fortnight. The outbreak – due mainly to norovirus or rotavirus – has affected people in nursing homes, hospitals and child care centers.

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Food Safety Enforcement Action (Argentina): The National Food Safety and Quality Service has seized and destroyed 8,600 kilos of food products that were transported under improper conditions and/or without proper documentation.

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: August 27, 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: Cucina Fresca Gourmet Foods recalls Cucina Fresca Smoked Tomato Sauce (24-oz glass jars; Lot 11002A or 11002B; UPC 8-84337-00522-4), due to the presence of undeclared milk. The recall product was sold at Pacific Northwest Whole Foods and Quality Food Center locations in Oregon and Washington states from the end of June 2012 on.
  • Food Safety Recall: Fresh Express Incorporated (Salinas, CA) recalls Hearts of Romaine Salad (10-oz; Product code beginning with G222; Use by date August 23, 2012), due to a possible health risk from Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled product, which is now expired, was distributed predominantly in eastern and southeastern states, including in stores belonging to Food City, and Publix.
  • Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: Samantha Lynn Inc. recalls Reumofan Plus Tablets (30 tablets/bottle; lots may include the numbers 99515 ex096 and expires: 2016), after the undeclared drugs methocarbamol and diclofenac were found in the product. The recalled tablets were sold between Feb 2012 and June 2012.
  • Food Safety Recall/Outbreak Alert: The California Department of Public Health is leading an investigation into approximately 90 confirmed cases of Salmonella Braenderup in the USA. The outbreak strain is identical to the strain responsible for 22 cases of salmonellosis in Canada. California has confirmed 73 cases in that state; an additional 6 cases are reported by Washington state. Two-thirds of the California cases reported having consumed mangoes. Splendid Products LLC and Charlie’s Produce have voluntarily recalled/withdrawn Daniella mangoes (PLU 4959), which were implicated in the Canadian outbreak.

Canada

  • Allergy Alert: Cappadocia Import Export Turkish Bazaar Ltd. recalls Cappadocia Import Export Ltd. Whole Pitted Sundried Malatya Apricots (350g; Expiry May 30, 2013), due to the presence of undeclared sulphites. The recalled product was sold in Alberta.
  • Allergy Alert: Dong Phuong Oriental Market Ltd. recalls QK brand Jackfruit Freeze Dried, Sapota Freeze Dried, Durian Freeze Dried, Jackfruit Chips, Mixed Fruit Chips, and Mixed Fruits Freeze Dried (Exp. 28/13/2013), due to the presence of undeclared sulphites. The recalled products were sold in Alberta and Manitoba.
  • Food Safety Recall: Fresh Start Foods recalls GFS Sliced Mangoes (6 lb; no codes), due to Salmonella contamination. The recalled fruit was distributed to hotels, restaurants and institutions in Albert and Manitoba.

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.

California Investigating Salmonella Braenderup Outbreak

The California Department of Public Health has taken the lead in the investigation of approximately 90 cases of Salmonella Braenderup infections in the USA. Seventy-three of those cases are within California.

All of the cases involve the same outbreak strain of Salmonella Braenderup that has caused at least 22 cases of salmonellosis in Canada. The Canadian cases are linked to consumption of Daniella brand Mangoes, imported from Mexico. About two-thirds of the California outbreak victims reported mango consumption, although specific mango brands or sources have not yet been identified in the US outbreak.

On August 24th, North American Produce Sales (Vancouver, BC) – the Canadian importer of the implicated mangoes – recalled all Daniella brand Mangoes sold at retail stores in Canada from July 12th to August 14, 2012. And earlier today, both Stop & Shop and Giant Foods LLC alerted their customers that Splendid Products (Burlingame, CA) has voluntarily recalled these mangoes.

Neither the California Department of Public Health nor the CDC is prepared to list the other states that have reported outbreak cases at this time. CDC spokesperson Lola Russell told eFoodAlert by email that the outbreak is “under investigation.”