Recalls and Alerts: April 1 – 8, 2018

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.

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United States

Mandatory Food Safety Recall: FDA issues mandatory recall order for for all food products containing powdered kratom manufactured, processed, packed, or held by Triangle Pharmanaturals LLC. FDA’s action follows the company’s refusal to conduct a voluntary recall after several of its products were found to be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled products include, but are not limited to, Raw Form Organics Maeng Da Kratom Emerald Green, Raw Form Organics Maeng Da Kratom Ivory White, and Raw Form Organics Maeng Da Kratom Ruby Red. Numerous brands of kratom-containing products have been linked to a multi-state outbreak of salmonellosis from multiple strains of Salmonella.

Allergy Alert: Good Foods Group, LLC recalls approximately 130 pounds of fully cooked ready-to-eat curry chicken salad products due to undeclared cashews. Please refer to the recall notice for additional details about the affected product, which was shipped to a retail locations in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Allergy Alert: Izzy’s Ice Cream, LLC recalls Izzy’s Maple Nut Ice Cream (1-pint containers; Lots #18012729, 18020312, 18024706, 18028819, 18025206, 18020327, and 18028806) due to undeclared peanuts.

Allergy Alert: Aspire Food Group recalls EXO bars (various flavors) due to undeclared sulfites. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert: Independent Nutrition Inc, dba Back to Health of Eugene, Oregon recalls Ignite High Endurance Pre-Workout Supplement products (specific lots) due to undeclared milk. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Allergy Alert: AdvoCare International recalls two lots of Muscle Strength and four lots of Nighttime Recovery dietary supplements due to undeclared milk. Please refer to the recall notice for complete information on the recalled products.

Allergy Alert: Cut Fruit Express, Inc recalls Bruschetta Mixes and Dips (distributed under various brand names) due to undeclared milk and soy. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were sold to distributors or retailers in Minnesota.

Outbreak Alert/Food Safety Recall: Global Commodities Corporation recalls Buenas Brand frozen grated coconut (16-oz plastic bag; Lot #10BAAGA; UPC 4806514650443; Product of The Philippines) due to Salmonella contamination. The contamination was detected by the California Department of Public Health while investigating reported illnesses. The recalled product was distributed to various grocery stores and ethnic food markets in Northern California.

Food Safety Recall: Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods recalls Organic Amaranth Flour (22 oz; Sell By 11/26/2015; Lot #169617; UPC 0 39978 00911 1) due to possible Salmonella contamination. The recalled product was distributed in CA, FL, MI, ND, N, NY, OH, OR, TX, and WA starting June 11, 2014 and ended shipping on August 7, 2014.

Food Safety Recall: J.T.M. Provisions, Co. recalls approximately 14,525 pounds of fully cooked not shelf stable pulled barbequed beef products that may contain foreign matter (rubber). Please refer to the recall notice for details on the affected products, which were shipped to retail locations in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

Food Safety Recall: Pelleh Farms Inc. recalls Bethel Creamery brand Pasteurized Whole Organic Milk Non-Homogenized (64-fl. oz. plastic bottle; Use by APR 08 2018) due to improper pasteurization. The recalled milk was sold in Rockland County and Brooklyn, NY.

Dietary Supplement Safety Recall: NutriZone, LLC recalls various lots of multiple dietary supplements due to potential Salmonella contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were sold in Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Washington, Missouri, Florida, Mississippi, California and Texas.

Canada

Allergy Alert: La Cocina Dyck recalls all lots of La Cocina Dyck Turkey Tamales (UPC 7 36211 18527 3) and La Cocina Dyck Pork Tamales (UPC 7 36211 18517 4) due to undeclared wheat. The recalled product was distributed to retailers in Ontario.

Allergy Alert: Sobey’s Inc. recalls Sensations brand Pecan-Crusted Cheesecake Collection (340g; Product codes 18008A4 1A, 18008A4 2A and 18008A4 2P; UPC 6 23682 11931 2) due to undeclared wheat. The recalled product was distributed to retailers in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.

Allergy Alert: Metro Richelieu inc recalls Carré costarde – Custard square (560g; All lots sold up to and including April 4, 2018; UPC 234043706999) due to undeclared sesame seeds, egg, peanuts and other nuts.

Food Safety Recall: Les Cuisines Gaspésiennes de Matane Ltée recalls Gaspésien brand ham products due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were distributed to retailers nationwide.

Food Safety Recall: Labatt Brewing Company Limited recalls Certain Stella Artois brand Beer due to possible presence of glass particles. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were distributed to retailers nationwide.

Europe

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Vleeswaren De Keyser recalls Carrefour brand Filet de poulet BIO (100g; Lot 102120; Best before 23/04/2018) due to undeclared milk.

Allergy Alert (Belgium): Delhaize recalls Delhaize Lait Demi-Ecrémé sans Lactose / Delhaize Lactose-free Part-skim milk (1-L brick; Lot #350013; Best before 15/06/2018) due to the presence of lactose in excess of authorized level.

Allergy Alert (Denmark): Nordisk Kellogg ApS recalls Pringles Salt & Vinegar (165g; Best before 15/03/2019, 30/04/2019, 01/05/2019, 13/05/2019 & 06/06/2019) due to undeclared lactose (milk) and gluten (wheat and barley).

Allergy Alert (Finland): HKScan Finland Oy recalls HK Viljaporsaan marinoitu kasslerpihvi (450g; Best before April 8, 2018 and April 9, 2018) due to undeclared mustard seed.

Allergy Alert (Ireland): FSAI advises consumers that Rolnik Beer Mustard (250g/275mL; Best by 09.11.2018; Batch no. BL.11 09/GK) contains undeclared sulphur dioxide.

Allergy Alert (Italy): Multicedi S.r.l. recalls Deco’ Vaschetta Tiramisu (500g; Lot K7235 – K7249; Best by 06/19 to 07/19) due to undeclared gluten.

Allergy Alert (UK): Nevis Bakery recalls Empire Biscuits (110g; Best before 2nd April 2018 to 2nd July 2018; Batch codes 001 to 094) due to undeclared egg.

Allergy Alert (UK): Maxela Ltd recalls Rolnik Beer Mustard (250g / 275ml; Best by 9 November 2018; Batch code BL.11 09/GK) due to undeclared sulphur dioxide.

Allergy Alert (UK): Interlink Direct Ltd recalls CG Classic Coconut Candy (250g; Best before 6 August 2019) due to undeclared milk.

Food Safety Recall (Various countries): ABInBev recalls Stella Artois beer (33 cl; green bottles only) due to possible presence of glass fragments. Please refer to the recall notice for instructions on determining the affected production lots. The recalled beer also was distributed in Azerbaijan, Cyprus, France, Greece, Iceland, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Réunion, Singapore, Spain, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, USA and Uzbekistan.

Food Safety Recall (France): Carrefour recalls Carrefour brand Boîte de bonbons Extra Mix (525g; Best before 04 2019, 05 2019 & 08 2019) due to foreign matter (metal) contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Le Délice du boucher recalls Ground Beef, 15% fat sold under various brands (400g; Best by 28 March 2018; Lot #31118894) due to contamination with E. coli O26:H11. Please refer to the recall notice for a list of affected brand names.

Food Safety Recall (France): Tallec recalls Tallec brand old-style head cheese cooked in white wine due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for details on affected production lots.

Food Safety Recall (France): PLATEAU DES TRADITIONS FROMAGERES recalls Brie de Meaux cheese wheels (Best before 11/04/18; Lot #18009334) due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): Sté Fromagère de la Brie recalls various raw milk cheeses due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products.

Food Safety Recall (Sweden): SP Chark recalls Sliced TORPARESKINKA (Batch #8037 & 8058) due to possible Listeria contamination.

Food Safety Recall (UK): TRS Wholesale Co Ltd recalls TRS Turmeric Powder (100g; Batch #P41411; Best before 31 October 2019) due to possible Salmonella contamination.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Food Safety Recall (Hong Kong): Horsinvest Holding Co Ltd recalls Stella Artois Beer (330mL bottles; Best before September 15, 2018 and September 16, 2018; Manufactured by InBev Belgium NV) because the product may contain particles of glass.

Australia and New Zealand

Food Safety Recall (Australia): Entyce Food Ingredients recalls Creative Gourmet Pomegranate Arils (180g; All Best Before Dates up to and including 21/03/20) due to potential Hepatitis A contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Australia): Ingham’s recalls Ingham’s Sweet Chilli Breast Tenders, frozen (400g; Best before 28/02/2019 and 01/03/2019) due to foreign matter (hard plastic pieces) contamination.

FDA gives Darwin’s pet food owners 15 days to clear up issues

Adulterated pet food, dead kitten, use of unapproved additive spur FDA warning letter

The FDA issued a formal warning letter to Arrow Reliance Inc. doing business as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, citing pathogen problems at a production plant and saying scientific evidence shows the company’s cleaning solution is ineffective.

Darwin’s is a manufacturer of raw pet foods and is based in Tukwila, WA.

The April 2 warning letter from the Food and Drug Administration cites a history of consumer complaints and product recalls leading to the agency’s analysis of several Darwin’s products. Laboratory tests detected Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and E. coli O128 in one or more samples of the pet foods.

Foods under FDA jurisdiction, including pet foods, are deemed to be adulterated if they bear or contain a poisonous or deleterious substance that may render them injurious to health, according to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act). Introduction of an adulterated food into interstate commerce is a prosecutable violation of the Act.

Federal officials also found two Darwin’s products were also contaminated with Listeria innocua. Although it is not considered a pathogen in terms of human health, the warning letter underscored that the presence of Listeria innocua is an indicator that Listeria monocytogenes would be capable of surviving and growing in the product.

One of the consumer complaints that triggered the FDA investigation was lodged by the owner of a kitten that died as a result of a “severe systemic Salmonella infection” after being fed Darwin’s Natural Selections Duck Meals for Cats.

Salmonella was isolated from the dead kitten’s liver and from an unopened raw pet food package. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis, often referred to as genetic fingerprinting, confirmed that the Salmonella recovered from the dead kitten and from the pet food sample were identical.

FDA also performed WGS analysis on Salmonella recovered from various other Darwin’s samples. The identical Salmonella strain was found in two different products manufactured two weeks apart and containing two different meat sources.

The presence of the identical Salmonella in these two products, according to the warning letter, suggests pathogen contamination in Darwin’s manufacturing facility.

In the letter, FDA also expressed its concern regarding Darwin’s use of a bacteriophage product to control pathogens in the raw pet foods, citing a lack of scientifically based validation of the controls and a change in the company’s protocol for applying the bacteriophage to the products.

The agency noted that the bacteriophage product is not “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) nor is it the subject of a regulation describing additives permitted in animal foods.

The company was given 15 business days to reply to the warning letter, with a description of the steps taken to correct the violations and prevent these or similar violations from occurring in the future.

This story first appeared in Food Safety News and is reposted here with permission.

Recalls and Alerts: March 29 – 31, 2018

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United States

Food Safety Recall: PFP Enterprises, LLC, dba Texas Meat Packers, recalls approximately 7,146 pounds of raw beef products that were produced and packaged without the benefit of federal inspection. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were shipped to institutional and retail locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin.

Food Safety Recall: Target Corporation recalls an undetermined amount of frozen ready-to-eat and not-ready-to-eat meat and poultry products due to temperature abuse during transport. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were shipped to one Target retail store in Hawaii located at 1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Ste 2401, Honolulu, HI 96814.

Food Safety Recall: Target Corporation recalls an extensive list of frozen products that do not contain meat or poultry due to temperature abuse during transport. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected products, which were shipped to one Target retail store in Hawaii located at 1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Ste 2401, Honolulu, HI 96814.

Food Safety Recall: Healthy Nut Factory recalls The Healthy Nut Factory brand Organic Coconut Smiles (7-oz pouch; Expiry date 6/1/2018; UPC 8 13449 02099 3) due to potential Salmonella contamination.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Groupe Adonis inc. (Montreal, QC) recalls Crème Caramel, Crème Brulée and Custard (250g; All batches) due to undeclared soy, egg, wheat, sesame seeds and nuts.

Allergy Alert: Mini Dépanneur Général (Châteauguay, QC) recalls Choco Banana Loaf and Choco Marble Loaf (all batches) due to undeclared milk, nuts and peanuts.

Food Safety Recall: Binne à Tibi (Clerval, QC) recalls Binne à Tibi brand FÈVES VÉGÉ (345ml; all batches) and Soupe aux pois (500ml; all batches) due to inadequate preparation and processing.

Food Safety Recall: Masstown Market recalls Masstown Market Smoked Kippers (Product code 18.MR.30; UPC begins with 0 208172) and Masstown Market Cold Smoked Salmon (Product codes 18.MR.27, 18.AL.07 and 18.AL.11; UPC begins with 0 208035) because they may permit the growth of Clostridium botulinum. The recalled product was sold in Nova Scotia.

Europe

Allergy Alert (UK): Aunt Bessie’s recalls Aunt Bessie’s Croquettes (550g; Batch codes D47 352 03:09 to D47 352 03:20; Best before end June 2019) due to undeclared egg.

Food Safety Recall (Belgium): La société Dossche Mills recalls Artipan Campus Whole Wheat Flour with Roasted Malt (25KG sack; various batch codes and expiry dates) due to potential Salmonella contamination. Please refer to the recall notice for a complete list of affected batch codes.

Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Gris Lam & Co A/S recalls Økologisk Hakket Oksekød / Organic Chopped Beef 8-12 % (400g and 800g packages; Best before 28.03 2018) due to potential Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (France): La Bergerie du HOUNTACAM recalls all La Bergerie du HOUNTACAM brand Cheeses due to potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): Ding Dong Welt GmbH recalls Dried Seaweed Strips (100g pkg; Best before 30.09.2019) due to potential Salmonella contamination.

Food Safety Recall (Germany): metaX Institut für Diätetik GmbH recalls nephea Infant (Batch No. 8016-INF & 8038-INF; Expiry dates 16.01.2019 and 07.02.2019, respectively) and nepheaHD Infant (Batch No. 8061-INF; Expiry 02.03.2019) due to potential contamination with Cronobacter sakazakii.

Australia and New Zealand

Allergy Alert (New Zealand): House of Fine Foods Ltd recalls Ma Baker brand Party Mix marshmallows (200g; All batches; All dates; Product of China) due to undeclared milk.