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.

United States

• Food Safety Recall: Peterson Company recalls Ricotta Salata Frescolina brand Cheese, supplied by Forever Cheese of Long Island, NY (7-oz pieces; Manufacturer codes 7022, 7212, 7272 and 7432), because the cheese may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled cheese was sold by Peterson to distributors, retailers and restaurants in Washington and Oregon states between July 17 and September 10, 2012.
• Food Safety Recall – Retail Distribution (Colorado): The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment advises consumers that Ricotta Salata Frescolina brand cheese (Production date code 441202; Lot #T9425), recalled by Forever Cheese Inc. (Long Island, NY) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination, was supplied to between July 12th and August 2nd to Colorado Whole Foods locations in Bel-Mar, Capitol Hill, Cherry Creek, Fort Collins, Highlands Ranch, Pearl Street, Southglenn, Superior, Tamarac and Washington Park.
• Food Safety Recall: US Foods advises its customers that XL Foods of Canada recalled ground beef exported to the USA after USDA sampling found E. coli O157:H7 in the product. The recalled ground beef was supplied to several processors in the USA, including Morasch Meats (Portland, OR). Three US Foods distribution centers in the Pacific Region are affected by the recall.
• Food Safety Recall: United Salad Co. recalls various products containing mangos recalled by Food Source Tomorrow, because the mangos may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled product were distributed to retailers and supermarkets in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington from 09/01/12 to 09/17/12 under the Zupan’s, Mary’s Select, United Salad Co., Garden Highway (Plant code P-002) and Trader Joe’s (Plant code P-002) brands. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of affected products.
• Food Safety Recall: Kroger recalls KRO Ground Beef 73%, 3#, 3 lb, because the product may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The recalled ground beef was sold in Kroger stores located in Greater Cincinnati, including Northern Kentucky, Dayton, OH and South Eastern Indiana, Indiana (except SW IN, -Evansville-), Illinois, Eastern Missouri; Jay C, Food4Less and FoodsCo.
• Food Safety Recall: Kroger recalls Tropical Fruit Cup SM IS, Tropical Fruit Cup LG IS, and Tropical Fruit Mixed Jumbo IS, because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled products were sold in Kroger stores located in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Knoxville, Tennessee, Greater Cincinnati, including Northern Kentucky, Dayton, OH and South Eastern Indiana, Central and Northwest Ohio and N. West Virginia panhandle, Michigan, Indiana (except SW IN, -Evansville-), Illinois, Eastern Missouri, Greater Louisville (including Indiana), Lexington, and Nashville, TN, North Carolina, Virginia, Eastern WV, Eastern Kentucky, SE Ohio, Greater Memphis, TN, Arkansas, Mississippi and Western Kentucky, Texas and Louisiana; Jay C, Dillons, Baker’s, Gerbes, Food4Less Fremont, King Soopers and City Market.
• Food Safety Recall: Kroger recalls Garden Highway Mango Spears, 16 oz., because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled product was sold in Kroger stores located in Greater Louisville (including Indiana), Lexington, and Nashville, TN.
• Food Safety Recall: Kroger recalls Mangoes, 12 ct and Mangoes Large, 10 ct, because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled mangoes were sold in Kroger stores located in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Knoxville, Tennessee, Greater Cincinnati, including Northern Kentucky, Dayton, OH and South Eastern Indiana, Central and Northwest Ohio and N. West Virginia panhandle, Michigan, Indiana (except SW IN, -Evansville-), Illinois, Eastern Missouri, Greater Louisville (including Indiana), Lexington, and Nashville, TN, North Carolina, Virginia, Eastern WV, Eastern Kentucky, SE Ohio, Greater Memphis, TN, Arkansas, Mississippi and Western Kentucky, Texas and Louisiana; Jay C, Dillons, Baker’s, Gerbes, Food4Less Fremont, King Soopers, City Market, Food4Less and FoodsCo.
• Food Safety Recall: Food Lion advises its customers that cantaloupes (PLU #4050; Sold from Sept 5th to Sept 13th) supplied by DFI Marketing Inc. have been recalled due to potential Salmonella contamination. The recalled cantaloupes were sold in Food Lion stores in North Carolina and Virginia.
• Dietary Supplement Safety Recall: Body Basics Inc. recalls ACTRA-Sx 500 Dietary Supplement Capsules (Lot 008-A; Expiration December 2013), because the product was found to contain undeclared Sildenafil Citrate. Sildenafil is the active ingredient used in an FDA-approved prescription drug to treat Erectile Dysfunction.
• Drug Product Safety Alert: FDA warns consumers not to use Intestinomicina, a drug product manufactured in El Salvador and marketed as a treatment for infectious diarrhea and acute gastrointestinal infections, because the product contains chloramphenicol, a prescription drug that was formally withdrawn from the US market in July 2012 due to the risk of serious and life-threatening injuries.
• OTC Pharmaceutical Product Safety Caution: FDA warns parents, caregivers and health care professionals that infants of any age may face an increased risk of developing a life-threatening condition called necrotizing enterocolitis if fed a thickening product called SimplyThick. Since May 2011, FDA has identified 22 infants who developed the condition after being fed the product. Seven of the infants died. SimplyThick is a brand of thickening agent—available to consumers and medical centers—used to help manage swallowing difficulties.

Canada

• Allergy Alert: Parthenon Food Importers Ltd. expands its earlier recall of Kydon brand Tahini (Product of Greece; 500 ml; UPC 6 90651 77450 6; Best before date 16-10-2013) to include additional distribution information. The recalled product was distributed in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba, and may also have been distributed in other provinces or territories.
• Allergy Alert: Canada Safeway Limited (Calgary, AB) recalls Safeway SELECT Szechuan Chicken (345g; UPC 0 58200 10333 5; Code date 2013 FE 01) due to the presence of undeclared fish and shrimp, and Safeway SELECT Red Thai Curry Chicken (355g; UPC 0 58200 10331 1; Code date 2013 FE 01) due to the presence of undeclared sesame seed. The recalled products were distributed in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, and may also have been distributed in other provinces.
• Allergy Alert: La petite chocolatière inc (Repentigny, QC) recalls several varieties of pies, pâtés and tourtières (All products sold up to and including 17 September 2012), due to the presence of undeclared egg. Please refer to the recall notice for a detailed list of affected products.
• Food Safety Recall: Le Fromage au Village Inc. recalls Le cru du clocher Raw Milk Cheddar Cheese (200g; UPC 73536000013; 25 février 2012) and Cru du clocher regulier Raw Milk Cheddar (1.15 kg; no UPC; 25 février 2012), due to Listeria contamination. The recalled cheeses were sold in Quebec.
• Food Safety Recall: Ponderosa Mushrooms & Specialty Foods (Port Coquitlam, BC) recalls Ponderosa Mushrooms brand Sliced Lobster Mushrooms (100g/3.5-oz pkgs; UPC 8 87588 60302 7; Code 12255103), because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled product was sold at Urban Fare, 177 Davie Street, Vancouver, BC.
• Food Safety Recall: XL Foods Inc. (Edmonton, AB) recalls ground beef and ground beef products sold at Loblaws Inc., Extra Foods, No Frills, Real Canadian Wholesale Club, Shop Easy, SuperValu, Superstore, Westfair, Your Independent Grocer, Sobeys, Foodland, IGA, Metro, Super C and Entrepot de Viandes, and supplied to food service establishments, after E. coli O157:H7 was found in a sample of the beef. The recalled products were distributed nationwide. Please refer to the XL Foods List of Recalled Products for a list of products, retailers, date codes, and geographic distribution.
• Food Safety Recall: Costco Canada recalls Kirkland Signature Lean Ground Beef (Costco Item #21927), Kirkland Signature Lean Ground Beef Patties (Costco Item #52733) and Kirkland Signature Ground Beef Tubes (Costco Item #97420), due to possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination. The recalled products were sold by Costco Wholesale warehouses across Canada from August 30, 2012 to September 15, 2012.
• Consumer Product Safety Recall: Grand Fortune Import (Surrey, BC) recalls Shell Magic Children’s Jewellery, manufactured in China and sold at various stores across western Canada from 2005 to September 2012, due to elevated levels of lead and cadmium.

Europe

• Allergy Alert (Belgium): Delhaize Belgique recalls Allergo brand Pain de mie (350g; Lot #12194; Expiry 10/01/2013), because the product, which is marketed as “peanut-free” contains traces of peanut.
• Allergy Alert (Germany): Ysco NV recalls Appassionato currant sorbet (1 L; Expiry 11-2013; Lot #L1126BB; Product of Belgium), due to the presence of undeclared milk.
• Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Flavori NV recalls Flavori brand Ground Black Pepper (100g, 200g, 500g & 1 kg bags; Lot #L18071206 and 21081201) and Flavori brand Madras Curry (100g, 200g, 500g, & 1 kg bags; Lot #L/M 08121103 and L/M 07121103), after Salmonella was found by one of the company’s Dutch clients in samples of both products.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Flensted Snitgrønt A/S recalls Hummus (1 kg foodservice cups; Item #50266; Production date 5/9-2012; Best before 26/9-2012) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
• Food Safety Recall (Finland): Kreyenhop & Klugen recalls Red Chili Powder for Kimchi (Product of China; Packaged in Korea; Batch #8723; Best before 05/23/2013), because the product contains the banned color Sudan 4.
• Food Safety Recall (Italy, Spain, Portugal): Spain’s Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition alerts the public to the recall of the following cheese products due to contamination by Listeria monocytogenes: El sabor de la casa Queso fresco (400g; Lot 12267 & 12291; Best before 13/10/2012 & 20/10/2012, respectively), Queso costeño nativo (450g; Lots 12245 & 12287; Best before 30/10/2012 & 20/11/2012, respectively) and Queso fresco latino Estilo tradicional (325g; Lot #12296; Best before 27/10/2012). The recalled cheeses were manufactured in Portugal and distributed mainly in specialty shops in Andalucía, Aragón, Asturias, Islas Baleares, Cataluña, Castilla-La Mancha, Cantabria, Castilla y León, País Vasco, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, La Rioja, Valencia, as well as in Italy and Portugal.
• Food Safety Withdrawal (Ireland): Britvic Ireland withdraws Still Ballygowan (750ml; Batch code L2222; Best before End August 2013), due to off odor. This is an expansion of an earlier product withdrawal.
• Safety Alert (EU): Authorities in Belgium, Germany and Italy are warning the public not to consume various spirit brands, including Lassky Tuzemak, Tuzemak, Svestkova Vodka, Vodka Lunar Hanacka Vodka, Merunka, and Borovicka, because the products may be contaminated with methanol. A number of cases of methanol poisoning have been reported in the Czech Republic and Slovakia; 19 people are dead.
• Pet Food Safety Recall (Belgium): Straetmans SA recalls Natures Dog Food brand Duck Complet Bouef Foie Poulet Zero Gluten frozen dog food (1 kg; Lot #D0612; Expiry 27/12/13), due to contamination with Salmonella enteritidis.
• Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2012.1324): Undeclared soy in marshmallows from Belgium; distributed to Belgium and France.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1326): Insect infestation in durum wheat pasta from Italy; distributed to the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1327): Monocrotophos in grapes from Spain; distributed to Spain.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1328): Dead insects in snow peas from France; distributed to Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.1329): Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning toxins in cockles in brine from Portugal; distributed to Spain.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (Hong Kong): Sanofi-Aventis Hong Kong Limited recalls Typhim VI Typhoid Vaccine, due to out-of-specification test results regarding the antigen content.
• Outbreak Alert (Hong Kong): The Centre for Health Protection is investigating an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis at a kindergarten in Tin Shui Wai involving 20 pupils between the ages of 2 and 5.

Australia and New Zealand

• Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (Australia): Aspen Pharma Pty Ltd. recalls Serenace 0.5mg tablets containing haloperidol (Batch #BJ431; Expiry February 2014) after some of the tablets were found to be contaminated with Penicillium mold.

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.