Tag: Health

Recalls and Alerts: June 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

  • Food Safety Recall: Banner Mountain Sprouts, Inc. (Sacramento, CA) recalls Organic Alfalfa Sprouts (1 & 2-lb bags and 4-oz plastic container; Sell by dates 6/17/12 to 7/6/12), Organic Clover Sprouts (1-lb plastic bag and 4-oz plastic container; Sell by 6/17/12 to 7/6/12), Zesty Greens (4-oz plastic container; Sell by 6/17/12 to 7/6/12), Sprout Salad (5-oz plastic container; Sell by 6/17/12 to 7/6/12) and Alfalfa-Broccoli Sprouts (4-oz plastic container; Sell by 6/17/12 to 7/6/12), due to possible Salmonella contamination. The recalled sprouts were distributed to wholesale and retail accounts in California.
  • Food Safety Recall: Topco Associates recalls Spartan Bacon Ranch Salad Mix (7.5 oz; Sell by 5/17/13cb85 and 5/17/13ca85), Spartan Creamy Italian Salad Mix (8.3 oz; Sell by 5/18/13ca85), Spartan Creamy Parmesan Salad Mix (8.2 oz; Sell by 5/13/13cb85), Spartan Double Cheeseburger Skillet (6.0 oz; Sell by 05/21/13cb85, 04/26/13ca83, and 04/25/13cb83), and Spartan Cheeseburger Skillet (6.0 oz; Sell by 05/21/13cb85), because of the potential for small metal fragments in the product.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Phoenicia Group Inc. (St-Laurent, QC) recalls Alkanater brand Tahina (454g; UPC 6 92551 00002 0; Lot code TT3N-280312; Expiry 28/03/2014), because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled product was distributed in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and New Brunswick, including in Whole Foods Markets, and may have been distributed nationally.
  • Food Safety Recall: Treasure Mills Inc. recalls Treasure Mills Brownie Bars (800g; Code 125 121; Best before 31MA12; UPC 8 05658 45080 7), due to contamination with unspecified harmful extraneous material. The recalled product was sold in Ontario.
  • Food Safety Alert: The Windsor Essex County Health Unit has decided to ban restaurants from serving Kibbeh, the Lebanese dish made from finely ground raw beef, according to a CBC report.

Europe

  • Allergy Alert (UK): Frozen Value withdraws Hawai Gourmand Vanilla Chocolate Cone (pack of 8 cones/960 ml), Hawai Gourmand Vanilla Cone with Sugared Hazelnuts (pack of 8 cones/960 ml and pack of 6 cones / 720 ml), Hawai Gourmand 4 Vanilla Chocolate and 4 Chocolate Pistachio (pack of 8 cones/960 ml), Super Duo Chocolate tub White and Milk Chocolate Dairy Ice Cream (875 ml plastic tub), and Albert Heijn Walnut Ice Cream Tub (875 ml plastic tub), because the products contain undeclared nuts, peanuts or sulphites.
  • Food Safety Recall (France): Auchan and Simply Market recall Pouce brand Canned Sardines in Tomato (120g can; UPC 3596710741274; Expiration date 20/01/2015, 21/01/2015 et 26/01/2015), because the product may contain histamine.
  • Dietary Supplement Safety Alert (Sweden): The National Food Administration warns that certain food supplements contain the substance DMAA (1.3-dimetylamylamin), which can be harmful to health. Affected products include Jack3D, Spriodex, Napalm, and Lipo-y Black.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0873): Insect larvae infestation in fresh red chili from Thailand; distributed to Denmark.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0874): Salmonella spp. in chilled mixed minced meat from Sweden; distributed to Germany, Poland and Sweden.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0876): Salmonella Schwarzengrund in frozen hamburgers from Spain; distributed to Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0877): Bacillus cereus in organic radish sprouts from Germany; distributed to Germany.

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: June 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

  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Gordon Food Company, Inc. (Memphis, TN) that a February/March 2012 inspection of the company’s multiple food storage facility found serious violations of Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Hai Nam Co., Ltd. (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) that an agency review of the company’s HACCP plan and associate records revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Shamrock Medical Solutions Group, LLC (Lewis Center, OH) that an August 2011 inspection of the company’s pharmaceutical manufacturing facility identified significant violations of Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations for Finished Pharmaceuticals.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Metro Produce Distributors, Inc. (Minneapolis, MN) that a February/March 2012 inspection of the company’s facility found that it was in violation of the juice Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Cal Valls (Vilanova de Bellpuig, Spain) that a January 2012 inspection of the company’s acidified foods facility found serious deviations from the Acidified Foods regulation and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns El Toro Farm Fresh Cheese Co. (Piedmont, SC) that a January 2012 inspection of the company’s soft cheese processing facility found serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation for foods.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns JC’s Fish and BBQ Inc. (Knoxville, AR) that a February 2012 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility found serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Alcaparras Luxeapers SLU (Nacimiento, Spain) that a January 2012 inspection of the company’s facility found serious deviations from the acidified food regulations.
  • FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns PT. Bonecom aka Bone Commercial Company (Jakarta, Utara, Indonesia) that a May 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility, followed by further review of documentation provided in the company’s response, found that the firm’s frozen, vacuum-packaged fish products appear to be adulterated in that the products have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have been rendered injurious to health.

Canada

  • Food Safety Recall: Neal Brothers Foods Inc. and Sobey’s Quebec Inc. recall Kettle Cheddar & Sour Cream Krinkle Cut Potato Chips (220g; Code 2012 NO 15; UPC 0 84114 11902 5), due to extraneous material (metal) contamination.
  • Food Safety Recall: Weston Bakeries Ltd. recalls No Name Steamed Hot Dog Buns (510g; Code 29JN2012 LBR B7; UPC 0 60383 67962 0), Gadoua Steamed Hot Dog Buns (600g; Code 29JN2012 LBR B7; UPC 0 56573 12202 1) and Family Steamed Hot Dog Rolls (504g; Code 29JN2012 LBR B7; UPC 0 63400 24004 9), due to extraneous material (metal) contamination. The recalled products were sold in Quebec.

Europe

  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Danish Crown A/S recalls Pork Mene pork and cuts thereof, including pork, ham, chops and dices (Packed 14 and 15 June 2012), due to Salmonella contamination. The meat was sold during the period 16th June to 25th June. Please refer to the recall notice for details on the locations where the recalled pork was sold.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Kattegat Seafood A/S recalls Capella Smoked Mackerel Fillet with Pepper (100g modified atmosphere pack; Produced 04.06.2012 through22.06.2012; Expiry 07/02/2012 to 20/07/2012), because 10% of the packets have leaks in the weld, which could result in mold growth and reduced shelf life.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Falengreen A/S recalls Urtekram Shredded Organic Mozarella cheese (140g; Production date 15-05-2012; Best before 27-08-2012; Lot #F848966), due to mold growth in bags of the product.
  • Outbreak Alert (Finland): Two children became infected with shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) after consuming unpasteurized milk purchased directly from a farm in Southwest Finland. One of the children required hospitalization and spent some time in the ICU. Sales of milk from the farm were embargoed as soon as the suspected source of the infections was determined.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

  • Food Safety Alert (Philippines): Shellfish and alamang from the coastal waters of Milagros in Masbate are unsafe for human consumption due to red tide toxin. Fish, squids, shrimps and crabs are safe, if properly cleaned and prepared, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
  • Outbreak Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Health Protection is investigating two suspected food poisoning outbreaks involving 10 persons. All of the victims dined at the same restaurant in Yuen Long – the first group on June 22 and the second on June 24.
  • Outbreak Alert (India): More than 83 students from the Vetangudi Panchayat Union Middle School in Sirkazhi (Tamil Nadu) were hospitalized with symptoms of food poisoning after consuming a noon meal. The students, who complained of nausea and vomiting, are out of danger.

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.

Baby Chicks – Cute, Cuddly and Contaminated

Baby chicks are high risk pets. So are baby ducklings, geese, and turkeys.

Are they cute? Of course.

Are they cuddly? Naturally.

Are they dangerous? Definitely!

Live baby poultry has been the source of numerous outbreaks of Salmonella infections in the USA going back to 1953 – maybe even before.

Minnesota has long been at the forefront of epidemiological investigations. In May 1954, Dr. Arnold Anderson noticed that there had been 44 cases of salmonellosis in Hennepin County, Minnesota since the start of the year. More than half (24 out of 44) of the cases were due to Salmonella typhimurium; several involved children, who had been in contact with baby chicks. The chicks were distributed by two supermarkets just before Easter (April 18th) of that year. Both of the supermarkets had obtained the baby chicks from the same hatchery.

Since that first reported outbreak, baby chicks and baby ducklings have infected hundreds of children with Salmonella. Outbreaks have been reported almost every year since 1999. But parents continue to ignore the risks and allow their children to receive, play with, and cuddle baby chicks and ducklings every year at Easter.

Last month, the New England Journal of Medicine published a report that traced an eight-year long outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo infections, all due to a single strain associated with a single hatchery (identified only as a mail-order hatchery in the western United States). This 316-patient outbreak was spread over 43 US states. One-half of the victims were no more than four years old. The outbreak sent 36 people to hospital.

In 2011, live baby chicks and ducklings from the Mount Healthy Hatchery in Ohio were responsible for 96 confirmed cases of salmonellosis – 68 due to Salmonella Altona and 28 due to Salmonella Johannesburg. The same hatchery is the source of at least 123 illnesses in 25 states so far in 2012; this time, due to Salmonella Infantis, Salmonella Newport, and Salmonella Lille.

And now there is another outbreak.

Earlier today, the CDC announced that it had confirmed 66 cases of Salmonella Montevideo infections from 20 states. Illnesses are reported in Alaska (1), California (2), Colorado (1), Georgia (1), Illinois (1), Indiana (8), Iowa (2), Kansas (10), Kentucky (1), Massachusetts (1), Missouri (22), Nebraska (5), Nevada (1), New York (1), North Carolina (1), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (4), South Dakota (1), Vermont (1), and Wyoming (1). Sixteen people were hospitalized. One person has died, but the Salmonella infection was not considered to be a contributing factor in the person’s death.

Once again, a large percentage of the outbreak victims are children – 35% are 10 years of age or younger. Once again, the source of the outbreak is a mail order hatchery: Estes Hatchery in Springfield, Missouri.

The first outbreak patient (known as the “index case”) developed symptoms on February 28th; the most recent one on June 6th. The youngest outbreak victim is less than one year old; the oldest is 83 years old. Eight-five percent of the interviewed victims reported contact with live poultry before becoming ill. State health departments have recovered the outbreak strain of Salmonella Montevideo in chicks from victims’ homes in California, Kentucky, Missouri and Vermont.

Distribution of Salmonella Montevideo illnesses by onset date

In recent years, more and more cities and towns have amended zoning bylaws to allow residents to keep live poultry on their property – even in densely populated urban areas. My own city followed suit, much to my dismay, earlier this year. The family who lives on the corner of my street keeps hens. I have walked past their house and seen their children pick up the birds and hug them.

As this trend continues, I fear that the baby poultry outbreaks will no longer be confined to the period during and after Easter; they will become endemic throughout the year.

Before choosing to introduce children – especially very young children – to live baby poultry, please ask yourself if it’s worth the risk.