Cholera Chronicle: May 31, 2009

Welcome to the eFoodAlert Cholera Chronicle. Periodically, we'll present a summary by region of cholera news from around the world.

Cholera is spread through human fecal contamination of food and water supplies. It is a frequent Disease of Disaster, accompanying famines, floods, wars, and other natural- or man-made disasters. Its victims typically are destitute, displaced or debilitated. And, all too often, dead.

Africa

• Kenya, May 27 – A cholera outbreak on the outskirts of Nairobi has prompted government officials to close 20 food outlets in an effort to prevent the spread of the disease. Fourteen cases have been reported so far in this most recent episode.
• Swaziland, May 30 – Two 9-year old girls in the Lubombo region of Swaziland have been diagnosed with cholera and are undergoing treatment. Officials expressed themselves as surprised by the mini-outbreak, since the rainy season – when cholera is most likely to show its face – has passed.
• Zimbabwe, May 26 – The Red Cross reports that the country's cholera epidemic has slowed, but not yet stopped. Infection rates, which have fallen from their February peak, remain at a shockingly high 4.5% of the population. Red Cross officials predict that the number of confirmed cases soon will surpass 100,000; already this year, 4,283 people have died as a result of the disease.

Asia

• India, May 28 – A broken pipeline resulted in an outbreak of cholera and other diarrheal diseases in Kerala. Eight victims are thought to have contracted cholera. Four people have died in the district, but officials deny that their deaths are linked to the cholera outbreak.
• Vietnam, May 24 – The cholera outbreak, which began in mid-April, has infected 56 Vietnamese people so far. Despite the government's efforts at containment, cholera cases have been reported in 16 cities and provinces. Vietnam's northern neighbor, China, has strengthened its border surveillance in an effort to prevent the disease from spreading into Yunnan Province.

Cholera can be treated successfully, if adequate medical facilities are available. More importantly, outbreaks can be prevented, by providing communities with safe drinking water, and with sanitary disposal facilities for human waste.

2008 was the International Year of Sanitation. The World Health Organization partnered with other agencies to promote improvements in sanitation in underdeveloped areas of the world. But it will take many years before these efforts make a significant dent in the problem.

Meanwhile, cholera will continue to follow in the wake of world disasters.

Recall Roundup: May 31, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific

• Food Safety Recall (Singapore): The Royals (Premium Cakes) Pte Ltd. recalls confectionery products sold through the six "The Royal Premium Cakes and Pies" retail outlets. The recalled items are believed to have been accidentally contaminated with a chemical – probably a bleaching agent – during manufacture. The factory has suspended operations.

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Recall Roundup: May 30, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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

• Class III Meat Recall (Low Risk): XL Four Star Beef, Inc. recalls approximately 14,560 pounds of beef primal and subprimal products that were imported from Canada and not presented for re-inspection upon entry into the United States.
• Class III Meat Recall (Low Risk): Holten Meat, Inc. recalls approximately 241,000 pounds of ground beef product that may contain foreign materials. The recalled meat was distributed to institutional customers in several states.

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Recall Roundup: May 29, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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.

Pistachio Product Recalls

• Season Produce Co. recalls Roasted & Salted Shelled Pistachios 
  

United States

• Food Safety Recall: Chang Farm recalls certain expired code dates of Chang Farm Bean and Soy Sprouts, due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled items were sold to restaurants and retailers in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.
  
• Food Recall: Food City recalls Food Club Salsa Sante Fe (Corn and Black Bean) Mild Salsa (16 oz jars). No reason is given for the recall.
  

Australia and New Zealand

• Food Recall (Australia): The Smith's Snackfood Company certain packages of Smith's Classic Crinkle Cut Potato Chips due to contamination with pieces of rubber.
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

NUTRO: Was It Something I Said?

May 29, 2009

Oops! 

I think I may have triggered last week's Nutro recall.

• On Thursday, May 14th, I had a pleasant conversation (see my May 22nd Nutro article) with Josie, in Nutro's Customer Service department. During my discussion with Josie, I asked the following question:

"Does Nutro ever test its ingredients or finished products to ensure the correct levels of nutrients, vitamins, and trace minerals?"

• Before the weekend was out, I noticed a new "follower" on my Twitter site – ReneeATNutro, a member of the Nutro Ambassador program. 
  

• Nutro claims that it first became aware of the premix formulation problem – too much zinc; too little potassium – on Monday, May 18th. 
  

Is it possible that my May 14th question caused Nutro's Quality Assurance personnel to review their documentation?

If so, Nutro, I was happy to help!

Recall Roundup: May 28, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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.

Pistachio Product Recalls

• Québec's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food issues two additional notices –#1779 and #1780 – recalling pistachios
  

Australia and New Zealand

• Food Safety Recall (Australia): Kyana Farms recalls Ready-to-Eat IGA Deli Roast Beef (100g packets; use-by date 24 Jun 09) due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled item was distributed in Victoria and South 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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Swine Flu and Snake Oil

May 28, 2009

The (unofficial) swine flu pandemic continues to claim victims and disrupt lives. As of yesterday:

• 95 people have died
  
• 13,398 people have been infected (lab-confirmed)
  
• 48 countries have reported at least one confirmed case.
  

International, national, state and local health authorities have spent millions of dollars on lab tests to track the progress of the pandemic. South Dakota, for example, has confirmed 6 cases of swine flu, out of 3,082 people tested. The state has tested nearly 0.4% of its entire population – 4 out of every 1,000 residents –  for swine flu.

Pork producers in North America have been badly hurt by the disease. In knee-jerk reactions to the term "swine flu", Russia, China, Ukraine, and several other countries banned the importation of swine and pork products from Mexico, the United States and Canada. Those bans are gradually – and quietly – being lifted.

While the cost of tracking and treating this virus continues to rise as the disease spreads to every corner of the world, some entrepreneurs are seeing a silver lining.

Sales of protective face masks skyrocketed during the early days of the epidemic, even though these masks offer little or no protection. Companies that produce anti-viral medications –including Roche, the manufacturer of Tamiflu – will reap the benefits of increased sales. And vaccine manufacturers such as Sanofi Pasteur already have received orders for swine flu vaccine. 

FDA reported recently that some unscrupulous web sites are taking advantage of people's fears to flog their anti-flu products. The agency has posted a Fraudulent 2009 H1N1 Influenza Products List and is updating the list daily. 

FDA has been warning these modern snake oil salespeople to stop making false or unsupported claims. As a result, many of the sites listed by FDA have removed their swine flu claims or have indicated that their products are unavailable in the USA. Nevertheless, consumers must remain on guard.

Avoid getting ripped off by fraudulent anti-swine flu claims.

• Check to see whether a product or web site is on the FDA's warning list
• Be skeptical of claims such as "Recommended by the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and World Health Organization to prevent a pandemic flu virus." 
  
• Think twice before relying on "microbial rebalancing"
  
• Disbelieve miracle cures that sound too good to be true; they probably are – and might even be harmful.
  
• Run the other way from web sites that practices fear-mongering.
  

We live in a free enterprise society. We expect companies to take risks, make investments, market their products and services honestly, and earn profits. Marketing untested products by making unsupported or false claims is not free enterprise. It is fraud, and must be treated as fraud.

We urge the FDA, the US Consumer Products Safety Commission, and their counterparts in other countries, to stamp out "snake oil" web sites.

Recall Roundup: May 27, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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.

Pistachio Product Recalls

• Québec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food issues notices #1777 and #1778 to alert consumers to the recall of bulk-packed pistachios
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Coming Clean: Campaign for Safe Cosmetics vs J&J

May 26, 2009

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) has asked Johnson & Johnson to reformulate its line of personal care products. The request was triggered by lab tests that revealed the presence of very low levels of formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane (“dioxane”) in Johnson’s Baby Shampoo as well as in other cosmetics and toiletries from several different manufacturers.

The test results, released in March, are detailed on the CSC web site. In addition to J&J, CSC’s independent lab found formaldehyde and/or dioxane in brands such as Ascendia, Bath and Body Works, CVS/Pharmacy, Gerber, Kimberly-Clark, Kirkland (Costco), L’Oreal, Procter & Gamble and Unilever, among others. 

CSC contends that alternative manufacturing procedures and preservatives can be used, which would not introduce any formaldehyde or dioxane into cosmetics and toiletries. According to this coalition of consumer advocacy groups, there is no excuse for the existence of trace quantities of these contaminants in products such as baby shampoo. Why, then, are they present? 

Formaldehyde is a breakdown product of Quaternium-15, a Dow Chemical preservative that is used to prevent bacterial and fungal growth in personal care products. In fact, formaldehyde is the actual anti-microbial agent, slow-released over the life of the product. Both Quaternium-15 and formaldehyde can cause skin irritation, and some consumers may be allergic to Quaternium-15. 

As long as Quaternium-15 – or another other similar preservative – is used, there is no way to avoid the presence of formaldehyde. Dioxane, however, is a different story. It’s an incidental contaminant in personal care products, and not a deliberate addition to the formula. 

Some of the older ingredients used in shampoos and other soaps – sodium lauryl sulfate, for example – are skin irritants. Chemical modification of these ingredients eliminated the irritation, but added a dioxane residue, which can be removed by a final “vacuum-stripping step. Shampoo manufacturers can ensure that their products are dioxane-free simply by paying a little more to purchase “vacuum-stripped” ingredients. 

The National Institutes of Health has long considered that dioxane is “…reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” While supporting data are very limited, the chemical was shown to promote an increased incidence of skin tumors in a two-stage cancer study in mice. 

According to FDA, which has been monitoring the dioxane situation for more than 30 years, levels of this contaminant in personal care products have declined “significantly” during this time. 

Is this all a tempest in a teapot? After all, the United States does not prohibit formaldehyde in personal care products. 

In fact, FDA’s Guide To Inspections Of Cosmetic Product Manufacturers specifically mentions the use of “formaldehyde-releasing preservatives” as an example of an adequate preservation system for cosmetic hair products. Nor has FDA banned or placed a limit on dioxane in personal care products. But some other countries have acted. 

According to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D, NY), the European Union has banned dioxane from all personal care products. Canada and the EU limit formaldehyde in personal care products to 2,000 parts per million – nearly 10 times the levels found in Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. Japan and Sweden have completely banned formaldehyde from these products. 

Last month, Senator Gillibrand introduced a bill that would require FDA to survey a range of cosmetics and personal care products, marketed to or for children, for the presence of dioxane, formaldehyde and several other chemical contaminants, and to report their results to Congress within one year after the bill’s enactment. The Safe Baby Products Act of 2009 is co-sponsored by Senators Charles Schumer, Roland Burris and Dianne Feinstein. 

Based on what we’ve read, the risks posed by the levels of dioxane and formaldehyde found in shampoos and cosmetics appear low. But why should consumers – and especially their children – be exposed to any unnecessary risk? There are alternatives! 

Until J&J and the other named manufacturers take steps to eliminate formaldehyde and dioxane from their products, consumers can – and should – vote with their wallets. 

• Avoid purchasing any of the brands that were found to contain dioxane.
  
• Read the product label. If the ingredients include Quaternium-15, Imidazolidinyl urea (Germall®), Diazolidinyl urea (Germall II®), DMDM hydantoin (Glydant®), Bromonitropropane diol (Bronopol™), or Tris (hydroxymethyl) nitromethane (Tris Nitro®), leave the product on the shelf.
  

Personal care product manufacturers have a choice. They can wait until a public backlash – or Congress – forces them to reformulate. Or they can make the changes on their own, and reap the marketing benefits.

Eliminating an avoidable product safety risk should be a no-brainer.

Recall Roundup: May 26, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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

• Allergy Alert: Retail distribution list released by USDA for recall of Paisano Meat beef and pork products (Recall #023-2009).
  

Europe, Including the United Kingdom

• Drinking Water Alert: Fionn Uisce recalls bottled water due to the presence of E. coli
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Diarrhea Digest: May 24, 2009

Diarrhea Digest is an eFoodAlert feature that presents a periodic snapshot of foodborne and person-to-person gastroenteritis outbreaks from around the world.

One or twice a month, we'll survey the globe and discover what all of us have in common – a shared susceptibility to the bacteria and viruses that cause gastrointestinal disease.

Asia and Africa

• Bangladesh, May 4 – Unusually high temperatures have triggered a severe outbreak of diarrhea, which has caused more than 1,000 people a day to seek treatment in Dhaka. At least 37 of the victims have died. More than 19,000 patients were admitted to hospital with diarrhea in March of this year, and 23,000 in April. May promises to be no better.
  
• India, May 16 – Three children died in the northern state of Haryana, and 80 people have complained of diarrhea. The outbreak is blamed on contaminated water.
  
• India, May 23 – Three children attending a wedding celebration in the village of Badavali died after consuming sweets at the function, and an additional 52 people complained of stomach upsets.
  
• Malaysia, May 20 – Fried rice supplied by a local restaurant was blamed for an outbreak of food poisoning that affected 31 National Service trainees in a park camp. The food had been brought in from the restaurant after the camp kitchen was ordered closed after failing a health inspection.
  
• Pakistan, May 23 – Diarrhea claimed the lives of two seven-year old children in the Sheikh Shahzad refugee camp. 
  

Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands

• Australia, May 22, 2009 – Health authorities in the states of Victoria and in South Australia have warned about loose, semi-dried tomatoes that may be contaminated with Hepatitis A virus. There have been approximately twice as many hepatitis A cases as usual this year in Victoria (90 so far this year, versus 41 during the same period in 2008). The warning is limited to loose, semi-dried tomatoes sold in oil with herbs and garlic. Tomatoes packed in jars and pouches are not affected.
  

Europe, Including Russia

• Kazakhstan, May 22 – An outbreak of what is described as viral enteritis has affected 118 people. The source is thought to be foodborne. The source and nature of the pathogen is under investigation.
  
• Russia, May 20 – The incidence of hepatitis A is reported to be on the rise in Ufa, with 200 people hospitalized as a result of infection with this virus since the beginning of May.
  
• Ukraine, May 20 – Fourteen people in the city of Kharkov were hospitalized with salmonellosis after eating ice cream that is believed to have been contaminated with Salmonella.  
  
• Ukraine, May 23 – Sixty-two pupils at the Kiev Military Lyceum complained of upset stomach, nausea and fever after consuming breakfast at the Lyceum on May 19. All but three of the students have recovered. The source of the food poisoning outbreak is under investigation.
  
• United Kingdom, May 22 – Quaglino's, a London restaurant, closed temporarily for an investigation following the death of a 50-year old woman who consumed oysters at the restaurant during her birthday celebration. Four others who shared the oysters will the victim also felt unwell, but were not seriously ill. 
  
• United Kingdom, May 23 – Health officials in Cumbria are warning that farm visitors may be exposing themselves to Cryptosporidium infection. Fifteen individuals have been diagnosed with lab-confirmed cryptosporidiosis so far.
  

Western Hemisphere

• Mexico, May 19 – An outbreak of vomiting and diarrhea has hit 25 children in Santa María Matamoras. The source of the outbreak is unknown.
  
• United States, May 21 – The Utah Department of Health warned consumers against eating queso fresco cheese may by one or more private individuals. The Mexican-style cheese has been linked to several cases of gastroenteritis caused by Salmonella Newport. The contaminated cheese is believed to be responsible for at least seven illnesses.
  
• United States, May 22 – Health authorities in Sedgwick County, Kansas are warning parents of the potential for an outbreak of shigellosis, now that community swimming pools are opening for the season. So far this year, 52 cases have been reported in the county, up from the usual 20 cases. Shigellosis is usually transmitted through water that has been contaminated by feces. Children or adults suffering from diarrhea should stay out of swimming pools.
  
• United States, May 23 – Lubbock, Texas, which has been suffering through an 8-month long outbreak of shigellosis, may be in for a reprieve. Lubbock health officials are hoping that the outbreak will die down once public school classes have adjourned for the summer. Perhaps the Lubbock officials should compare notes with their counterparts in Kansas?
  

 

Please join us again the next edition of Diarrhea Digest.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

E. coli Claims Another Innocent Life

May 23, 2009

A 7-year old girl will never again play with her friends. She will never skip rope, sing, dance, go swimming, or ride a bicycle. She will never graduate from elementary school. She will never grow up.

All because of E. coli.

Cleveland, OH health officials suspect, but are not yet certain, that her death is linked to contaminated meat recalled on May 21st. Genetic fingerprinting of the E. coli strain that infected her is not yet complete. Nevertheless, they think that her illness might be part of the same outbreak that sickened three other Ohio residents, in addition to an undisclosed number of individuals in Illinois and Pennsylvania.

The ground beef implicated in this outbreak was produced by Valley Meats, LLC (Coal Valley, IL) on March 10, 2009 and distributed across the United States. According to a report in the Detroit Free Press, the meat was sold to institutional customers (such as restaurants and food service establishments) in 11 states. It is likely that most of the nearly 96,000 pounds of recalled meat has already been consumed.

The other three Ohio victims – all of whom have recovered – include a 3-year old girl, and two adult men (24 and 71 years old). Two of them may have become infected after eating at the North Olmsted VFW. Health officials believe that the exposure occurred early in April.

It's possible that this recall may be followed by others, if USDA investigators find that Valley Meats carried over product from one day's grinding to another. And additional cases could be linked to the contaminated meat as health officials compare genetic fingerprints to strains from other "sporadic" cases of E. coli infections. We should know in another week or two. 

How will USDA deal with Valley Meats if the 7-year old's deadly E. coli infection came from their ground beef? Probably with kid gloves, if past experience is any indication. We've seen how effective that approach has been.

What do you think should happen to Valley Meats if this little girl's death is firmly linked to their ground beef? We welcome your suggestions.

Recall Roundup: May 23, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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.

Pistachio Product Recalls

• St. Bernadette Circle, St. Rose Church recalls Pistachios-In Shell Dry Roasted and Salted
  
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency alerts consumers to recall of additional pistachio products
  

United States

• Allergy Alert: Paisano Meat, Inc. (Gardena, CA) recalls approximately 350,000 pounds of beef and pork products that may contain undeclared sulfites
  
• Cosmetics Products Alert: Fun Express, Inc. expands its May 12, 2009 recall of face paint items to include two additional face paint colors. The face paints may cause skin irritation, rashes and itchiness. The additional two face paint items are being removed from the marketplace as a precautionary measure.
  

Europe, Including the United Kingdom

• Food Safety Alert (UK): Alif Foods ‘Mix Bisar’ spice mix has been found to be contaminated with non permitted color Sudan I, a genotoxic carcinogen that is not permitted in foodstuffs in the UK. The Mix Basar was manufactured in Pakistan and imported into the UK by Alif Foods. The Food Standards Agency has been unable to determine distribution details.
  

Australia and New Zealand

• Food Safety Alert (Australia): Health authorities in Victoria and South Australia warn consumers not to eat loose semi-dried tomatoes sold in oil with herbs and garlic at IGA, Foodland, Foodworks and independent delis and cafes. The semi-dried tomatoes may be contaminated with Hepatitis A virus. Semi-dried tomatoes packed in jars or vacuum-packed are not affected by this warning.
  

Asia, Africa and the Pacific

• Food Safety Alert (Taiwan): Health authorities have discovered, confiscated and destroyed additional shipments of dried Chinese radishes that were contaminated with formalin or formaldehyde.
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

NUTRO: Some Unanswered Questions

May 22, 2009

I had an interesting telephone conversation last week with a pleasant customer service representative at Nutro Products by the name of Josie. We were discussing Nutro's new distribution policy for Greenies.

For those who aren't in the know, Greenies are a pet dental chew made by Nutro. Until recently, they were available at veterinary clinics, from pet specialty retailers and in supermarkets. As of May 1st, Nutro has restricted the sale of Greenies to veterinary clinics and pet specialty stores. 

According to Josie, this change was to ensure that pet owners purchase the correct size and harness of Greenie for their pets – pet store and veterinary clinic employees are, she said, specially trained to advise pet owners. 

While speaking with Josie, I also asked about the safety and quality control tests that Nutro carries out routinely on its pet food products. She advised me that the company draws samples every four hours during production and tests for: 

Aflatoxins

Pesticides

Melamine

Salmonella

E. coli

I asked whether Nutro ever tests its ingredients or finished products to ensure the correct levels of nutrients, vitamins, and trace minerals. Josie promised to check with her R&D people and get back to me – or have someone from the R&D department contact me directly.

I still haven't heard from Josie, or from Nutro R&D. But I think that I have my answer.

Yesterday, Nutro Products recalled several varieties of dry cat food, bearing expiration dates between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010. The recalled items were manufactured using a trace mineral premix that contained too little potassium and too much zinc. According to the news release,

"This issue was identified during an audit of our documentation from the supplier."

The recall notice raises as many questions as it answers. For example, Nutro claims to test its raw materials, stating,

"Once the raw materials arrive at a Nutro Products facility (or one of our co-manufacturers), they are checked for their quality and consistency and their chemical and nutrient properties are confirmed. These tests conform to all applicable industry standards."

How, then, did the two faulty premix batches get past the testing regimen? 

Nutro also claims a 14-month shelf life for its dry pet foods. Yet cat food with expiry dates up to August 22, 2010 were included in yesterday's recall. That's 15 months away. 

What is the true age of Nutro products that are now on the market?

And, if the distribution policy for Greenies was meant to ensure that cat and dog owners had access to trained store or clinic employees who could direct them to the correct size and variety product for their pets, why are Greenies still sold over the Internet?

Would anyone at Nutro Products, Inc. care to answer?

Recall Roundup: May 22, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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

• Allergy Alert: Western Bagel Baking Corporation recalls two code dates of Publix Brand 100% Whole Wheat Sliced Bagels, due to the presence of undeclared egg.
  
• Pet Food Recall: Nutro Products, Inc. has recalled several varieties of dry cat food due to incorrect levels of zinc and/or potassium. The recall pet foods were distributed nationally in the United States.
  

Canada

• Allergy Alert: Fruits et Légumes Tardif recalls various several poultry-based or meat-based patés due to the presence of undeclared egg protein. The recalled items bear packaging dates up to and including May 21, 2009 and were sold only at Fruits & Légumes Tardif, 559 chemin Saint-Jean, Laprairie
  
• Pet Food Recall: Nutro Products, Inc. has recalled several varieties of dry cat food due to incorrect levels of zinc and/or potassium. The US-manufactured pet foods were distributed in Canada.
  

Mexico, Central America, South America

• Pet Food Recall (Mexico): Nutro Products, Inc. has recalled several varieties of dry cat food due to incorrect levels of zinc and/or potassium. The US-manufactured pet foods were distributed in Mexico.
  

Australia and New Zealand

• Pet Food Recall (New Zealand): Nutro Products, Inc. has recalled several varieties of dry cat food due to incorrect levels of zinc and/or potassium. The US-manufactured pet foods were distributed in New Zealand.
  

Asia, Africa and the Pacific

• Pet Food Recall (several countries): Nutro Products, Inc. has recalled several varieties of dry cat food due to incorrect levels of zinc and/or potassium. The US-manufactured pet foods were distributed in Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Israel.
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

URGENT: NUTRO PRODUCTS RECALL

May 21, 2009

Nutro Products is recalling several varieties of NUTRO® NATURAL CHOICE® COMPLETE CARE® Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO® MAX® Cat Dry Foods with “Best If Used By Dates” between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010. 

The recalled products were distributed in across the United States, and also in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Israel.

The recall was triggered after Nutro discovered a production error by its US supplier of mineral premixes. Two premix batches contained insufficient amounts of potassium, and one of those batches also contained too much zinc. 

Nutro advises cat owners who use the recalled products to switch immediately to another formula, and to monitor their cats for symptoms that include a reduction in appetite or refusal of food, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea. 

For more information on this recall, consumers and cat owners should contact Nutro Products at 1-800-833-5330, or visit the company's web site at www.nutroproducts.com.

Summer's Coming. So Is E. coli O157:H7

May 21, 2009

Today's eFoodAlert Recall Roundup includes Valley Meats' 95,000+ pound recall of E. coli O157:H7-contaminated ground beef products.

The ground meat, distributed nationally under several different brand names, has been linked to a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 infections in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois.

None of the three affected states have posted warnings on their web sites – perhaps the Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois health departments are too busy chasing suspect swine flu cases. The outbreak also is not large enough to have made it onto CDC's web site. 

Just in time for Memorial Day Weekend, the first major ground beef recall of the grilling season is a reminder to follow safe food handling practices at all times – especially during summer cook-outs and picnics.

• Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold;
  
• Wash your hands and all utensils after handling raw meats, poultry or eggs;
  
• Buy a meat thermometer – AND USE IT!
  
• Cook foods to the internal temperature recommended by USDA – 160ºF for ground beef.
  

And watch out for more recall announcements.

Recall Roundup: May 21, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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.

Peanut Butter Outbreak Recalls

• Rio Pluma LLC (a division of Stapleton Spence Packing Company) reissues its recall of various peanut products to clarify affected codes.
  

United States

• Allergy Alert: Domega International Co Ltd., recalls FMD Brand Spiced Bean, due to the presence of undeclared sulfites. The Spiced Bean, which was sold nationwide, is a product of China. The problem was discovered by the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets during a routine sampling program.
  
• Food Safety Recall: Valley Meats LLC, (Coal Valley, IL) recalls approximately 95,898 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The recalled products, which were distributed nationally under several different brand names, have been linked to a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 infections in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois.
  

Asia, Africa and the Pacific

• Mercury Poisoning Alert (Hong Kong): The Department of Health warns consumers against using Qian Yan (White Cream) and Qian Yan (Yellow Cream) after the cosmetics were linked to a case of mercury poisoning. The two products contained 11,000 and 9,000 times the permitted levels of mercury, respectively.
  
• Food Safety Alert (Taiwan): Up to 77% of Chinese dried radish and 44% of dried small shrimp failed government lab tests due to the presence of excessive levels one or more of the preservatives sulfur dioxide, benzoic acid and sorbic acid.
  
• Food Safety Alert (Taiwan): The Taipei County government seized rice destined for school lunch programs after the rice was determined to be substandard. Noodles will be served until a new supply of rice can be procured.
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

The Next Food Safety Czar: A Modest Proposal

May 21, 2009

One of Tom Vilsack’s first acts after being confirmed as Secretary of Agriculture was to name Ronald F. Hicks as Acting Deputy Undersecretary for Food Safety. In his memo announcing the appointment, Secretary Vilsack said of Mr. Hicks that his “… extensive experience will bring great benefit to the Agency as this administration shapes its vision for a productive transition.”

And what, exactly, does Ron Hicks bring to the food safety table? An academic background in veterinary science? In microbiology? In anything biological? Or, maybe, expertise in developing and implementing food safety programs – anywhere?

Not a chance! Ronald Hicks is an attorney by training and an administrator by temperament.  His previous position was Chief Operating Officer of FSIS, with emphasis on the “…design, operations and improvement of FSIS management systems.”  In short, Ron Hicks is a desk jockey with a law degree.

Hicks’ immediate boss was Elizabeth Johnson, the Acting Undersecretary for the Office of Food Safety (She left in December 2008). Johnson worked as a research dietitian within USDA, a nutritionist within the food labeling division of FDA, and as a consultant to government and the private sector on nutrition, farm credit and livestock issues. Food safety was not in her resumé.

Reporting to Hicks is Alfred Almanza, the present FSIS Administrator. Almanza began his career as an inspector with USDA 30 years ago, and has risen through the ranks. He is the only member of the senior USDA team who has direct training and experience in food safety issues.

Secretary Vilsack badly needs a senior team member with the knowledge and experience to guide USDA’s efforts to revamp food safety policies and enforcement. We have found the perfect candidate.

Dr. David Theno has all the necessary qualifications for the position of Undersecretary for the Office of Food Safety. After earning his degrees in animal sciences, he worked for large food companies, such as Armour Foods and Foster Farms. He has led his own independent consulting firm. In 1993, following a disastrous outbreak of E. coli O157:H7, Jack-In-The-Box recruited Dr. Theno to reinvent that organization’s tattered food safety program.

The program developed and implemented by David Theno earned awards both for the company and for him. Last year, Dr. Theno retired from Foodmaker (the parent of Jack-In-The-Box), and is now an independent consultant once again. 

Dr. Theno knows the meat industry, knows food safety, and knows how to get things done. Tom Vilsack needs him at the pinnacle of the food safety pyramid.

David Theno has the right stuff!

Cholera Chronicle: May 20, 2009

Welcome to the eFoodAlert Cholera Chronicle. Periodically, we'll present a summary by region of cholera news from around the world.

Cholera is spread through human fecal contamination of food and water supplies. It is a frequent Disease of Disaster, accompanying famines, floods, wars, and other natural- or man-made disasters. Its victims typically are destitute, displaced or debilitated. And, all too often, dead.

Africa

• Zimbabwe: The United Nations reported on May 11th that the death toll for this 9-month outbreak has reached 4,271; at least 97,400 people have been infected with Vibrio cholerae since August 2008. The good news is that the number of new cases has dropped significantly – just 65 during April. Nevertheless, the conditions that allowed this outbreak to spin out of control are still in place. Zimbabwe suffers from inadequate medical facilities, inadequate sewage treatment, and and inadequate supply of fresh, safe drinking water. Mugabe inherited a system that worked. When he eventually steps down – or dies – he will bequeath to his successor a broken-down, dysfunctional national infrastructure.
  
• Kenya: The government is responding to limit the spread of an incipient outbreak of cholera in the capital city of Nairobi. Three cases have been reported so far. The city's water and sewage company also has responded, by moving to clean and repair the Nairobi sewer system, which typically suffers from an average of 600 sewage blockages and overflows per month.
  

Asia

• Vietnam: The country's annual tussle with cholera is well underway. Already, one person has died of cholera and 53 have been infected. At least 500 people have reported suffering from acute diarrhea. The outbreak has spread to 11 provinces so far. Some of the cases have been blamed on contaminated dog meat. As a result, the country has temporarily shut down a dozen or more dog slaughterhouses in an effort to contain the outbreak. 
  

Cholera can be treated successfully, if adequate medical facilities are available. More importantly, outbreaks can be prevented, by providing communities with safe drinking water, and with sanitary disposal facilities for human waste. 

2008 was the International Year of Sanitation. The World Health Organization partnered with other agencies to promote improvements in sanitation in underdeveloped areas of the world. But it will take many years before these efforts make a significant dent in the problem. 

Meanwhile, cholera will continue to follow in the wake of world disasters.

Recall Roundup: May 20, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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: Kellogg Company recalls three batch codes of MorningStar Farms Mini Corn Dogs (Veggie, 10 oz) on the advice of FDA, after a routine audit determines that they may have been packaged under conditions that did not comply with Good Manufacturing Practices.
  
• Food Recall: ShopRite of EveshamRoad (Cherry Hill, NJ) recalls all store-made ground meat produced and sold on Monday, May 18, 2009 due to possible contamination with pieces of plastic film wrap.
  

Europe, Including the United Kingdom

• Allergy Alert (UK): Tiger Retail Ltd recalls some Rotstern Crispy Rounds confectionery, due to the presence of undeclared peanut protein. The recalled items were manufactured in Germany.
  

Asia, Africa and the Pacific

• Pharmaceutical Safety Recall (Hong Kong and Macau): Prowin Laboratories Ltd recalls two batches of gels for mouth ulcer, due to contamination with unacceptable levels of bacteria and molds. No pathogens were detected in the products. The prescription and over-the-counter pain-relief and anti-inflammatory gels were manufactured for Prowin by Marching Pharmaceutical Ltd., a Hong Kong-based contract manufacturer.
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Who's Minding The [Food Safety] Store?

May 19, 2009

Yesterday, the Senate confirmed the appointment of Margaret Hamburg as the new FDA Commissioner. She joins HHS Secretary Kathleen Sibelius and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack at the top of the US Food Safety triumvirate. 

Dr. David Acheson and Dr. Stephen Sundlof – holdovers from the Bush Administration – continue to fill supporting roles as FDA Associate Commissioner for Food, and Director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, respectively.

As usual, food safety is “tail-end Charlie” at USDA. The current FSIS Administrator, Alfred Almanza, is a holdover from the previous Administration. President Obama has yet to nominate a new Administrator for this most senior food safety position at USDA. Meanwhile, the positions of Undersecretary and Deputy Undersecretary of Agriculture for Food Safety also continue unfilled.

Vilsack, Sibelius and Hamburg most likely will guide US food safety policy for the remainder of President Obama’s first term. What do we know about them, and what do their appointments tell us about the President’s true commitment to revamping the US food safety infrastructure?

Secretary Tom Vilsack (Agriculture): Former Governor of Iowa. Secretary Vilsack was a supporter of biodiesel and ethanol production, health care reform and education reform during his tenure as Governor. He also led agricultural trade missions, promoting sales of his state’s agricultural products. The Secretary’s official biography makes no mention of his stance on food safety.

Secretary Kathleen Sibelius (Health and Human Services): Former Governor of Kansas; former Kansas Insurance Commissioner. The Secretary’s official biography does not even mention food safety. In her written testimony, submitted during her confirmation hearing, she stated, “… health reform would be my mission …”

FDA Commissioner Margaret “Peggy” Hamburg: Former Assistant Health Secretary in the Clinton Administration; Former New York City Health Commissioner. Dr. Hamburg is described as an expert in bio-terrorism. 

Secretaries Vilsack and Sibelius both were strong supporters of President Obama during his nomination campaign. Their appointments are highly political. Neither they, nor FDA Commissioner Hamburg, can claim any significant background or record regarding food safety. These are the people who now lead the President’s new Food Safety Working Group. 

The American consumer deserves – and should demand – the appointment of a Cabinet Secretary whose primary mission is food safety. This crucial public health sector must not continue to be a political football.

Recall Roundup: May 19, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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.

Europe, Including the United Kingdom

• Allergy Alert (UK): Waitrose recalls Oriental Supper For Two with Spring Rolls due to presence of undeclared fish, shellfish, milk and peanut.
  
• Food Safety Alert (France): The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries warns consumers that certain pork liver-based raw sausages may be a source of Hepatitis E virus infections. The Ministry warns that these products should only be consumed "fully cooked and has directed producers of these types of sausages to modify their package labeling accordingly.
  

Asia, Africa and the Pacific

• Chemical Contaminant (Taiwan): The health bureau of the Yunlin County in southern Taiwan has confiscated over 10,000 metric tons of dried Chinese radish contaminated with formalin or formaldehyde.
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Recall Roundup: May 18, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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.

Pistachio Product Recalls

• Troy Food Company recalls pistachios with chile
  

Peanut Butter Outbreak Recalls

• Edaleen Dairy recalls Tin Roof Sundae Ice Cream and Chocolate Peanut Butter Nut Ice Cream 
  

United States

• Food Safety Recall: L&M Companies, Inc. recalls one lot of whole cantaloupes that may be contaminated with Salmonella. 
  

Australia and New Zealand

• Food Safety Recall (New Zealand): Gourmet Foods (Tauranga) recalls Pat's Pantry and Ponsonby Pie steak pies with use by dates between May 7 and May 24, due to contamination with pieces of bone.
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Folic Acid In Our Food

May 18, 2009

What is folic acid, and why are New Zealand's bakers up in arms over it?

Folic acid, or folate, is a member of the vitamin B family. Together with vitamin B12, folate is essential for the formation of normal red blood cells and for DNA synthesis. Dietary sources for folate include citrus fruit and raw, leafy vegetables.

Folate deficiency, like vitamin B12 deficiency, produces a type of anemia. Possible sources of the vitamin deficiency can include:

• Inadequate amount of raw, leafy vegetables or citrus fruit in the diet;
  
• Overcooking vegetables (folate levels in food are greatly reduced by excessive cooking);
  
• Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol (interferes with folate absorption by the body);
  
• Interference from certain pharmaceuticals;
  
• Pregnancy and breast-feeding; and
  
• Kidney dialysis.
  

An individual whose folate level is low for any of these reasons can take an oral supplement to correct the deficiency. Often, though, a healthy woman, who has not yet realized that she is pregnant, may be lacking in folate without realizing it. And this can have a serious effect on the health of her unborn baby.

Folate deficiency during the first three months of a woman's pregnancy – and even during the six months prior to her becoming pregnant – may result in birth defects such as spina bifida – a faulty or incomplete formation of the spinal cord and spinal column.

The connection between low folate levels and defects such as spina bifida has been known for at least 15 years. The debate over how best to ensure that women of childbearing age receive enough folate to prevent neural tube defects has been going on ever since the link was established. Which brings us back to the New Zealand bakers.

The previous government of New Zealand, led by Helen Clark, had decided to mandate the fortification of most bread with folic acid. The Clark government announced this policy change after the existing program – to fortify only certain brands of bread – proved ineffective. But, according to a recent poll reported by The New Zealand Herald, 87% of New Zealanders don't want their bread fortified with folic acid. In the face of this public opposition, the current government has promised to take a second look at the policy.

The Bakers Association is fighting the planned fortification mandate, which puts the onus on individual bakers to add folic acid to each batch of bread dough, rather than requiring millers to fortify their flour, as most other countries have done.

In its fight against fortification, the Bakers Association has claimed that adding folic acid to bread would make it less safe, calling the program ". . . a mass medication experiment that won't work." The comment was echoed by the chief executive of the Food and Grocery Council, who described fortification as ". . . a medical experiment of grand proportions." The Herald article also referred to recent studies that suggest a link between folic acid fortification and increased risk of colon cancer.

The "experiment" already has been underway for more than a decade in the United States and Canada, and more than 50 other countries also have adopted folate fortification. 

This map, provided by the Flour Fortification Initiative, illustrates the distribution of flour fortification mandates worldwide. Dark blue countries mandate fortification of at least one type of flour; countries shown in light blue have a policy of voluntary fortification; yellow indicates that a policy is in the planning stages.

If the Bakers Association is correct and folate fortification causes colon cancer, the world is in for a major outbreak of this disease. A recent study from Chile suggests that colon cancer has increased in that country since mandatory flour fortification was implemented. In addition, a Dutch study released last year indicated that cancer cells in lab culture grew more rapidly in the presence of high concentrations of folic acid. But US colon cancer rates fell by 10% between 1999 and 2005, from 55 cases per 100,000 people in 1999 to 49.5 cases in 2005 (the most recent year for which CDC data are available).

In both Canada and the United States, folic acid fortification of flour has been mandatory since 1998. And this policy has born fruit. By 2007, the United States had experienced a 26% reduction in the incidence of folate-related birth defects; Canada documented a 42% drop. All at a cost of just pennies per person.

Overlooked in the folate debate is a recent suggestion that folic acid fortification of flour may be linked with increased rates of autism. Here again, though, the evidence is not clear-cut. Autism rates have been rising steadily in the United States since the 1980's – well before folate was added to flour.

Nevertheless, the New Zealand government is correct to reexamine its position. It is wrong to place the onus on individual bakers to fortify their bread. This would lead to erratic fortification levels and an enforcement nightmare. 

If fortification is desirable – and we believe that it is – the place to fortify is at the flour mill.  

The Case of The Waist-ed Cake: Thinking Outside The Box

May 17, 2009

by Quintzy Doodle

Note to Readers: This article first appeared on several Labradoodle discussion boards and has been reprinted here by permission of its author, Quintzy. Dates have been omitted to protect Momsy.

It was Momsy's birthday. Popsy and I decided to bake her a birthday layer cake, since it was a special birthday for her (it has a zero in it). But we ran into a little problem. 

We couldn't find two cake pans the same size!

No matter how hard we looked, everything was different sizes.

Finally, while Popsy was giving me breakfast, he had a brainwave.

"Gee, Popsy," I said, " I know that my food and water bowls are both the same size, but are you sure they will work as cake pans?"

Popsy said that he thought they would work, so I hurried up and finished my breakfast.

And then I did the dishes.

Now my bowls were all shiny clean and ready for their new duties.

First we greased and dusted the bowls.

Then Popsy started to assemble the cake. The mix called for butter.

By the time he was done, the batter also contained eggs and water.

Popsy poured the batter into my bowls and they were ready for the oven.

Magical things happened in the oven, and when Popsy took the bowls back out, they looked like this.

They looked like Kilauea after an eruption.

But after Popsy got through with it, the cake looked great. It even had an hourglass figure, 'cause he put the two bottoms together.

Momsy REALLY liked her special birthday cake. She said it was delicious!

Thanks, Popsy, for letting me help you bake a birthday cake for Momsy. 

Recall Roundup: May 16, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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: Los Corrales (Houston, TX) recalls all of its dried chorizo produced since January due to microbial health risks resulting from inadequate documentation of the cooking process. The recalled chorizo was distributed to stores in Dallas, Houston, and parts of East Texas.
  
• Food Safety Recall: L&M Companies Inc. has recalled some cantaloupes sold at Wal-Mart Stores in North Carolina, South Carolina and South Hill, VA after Salmonella was detected in a melon from the farm where they were grown.
  

Canada

• Allergy Alert: Rocky Mountain Grain Products recalls "More Than a Square Meal" bar with Raisins (200 g pkg) bearing UPC 8 31537 00012 2, due to the presence of undeclared sulfites.
  
• Food Safety Recall: La Fromagerie Couland recalls all cheeses sold up to and including May 15, 2009, due to microbial hazards resulting from inadequate pasteurization controls.
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Diarrhea Digest: May 15, 2009

Diarrhea Digest is an eFoodAlert regular feature that presents a weekly snapshot of foodborne and person-to-person gastroenteritis outbreaks from around the world.

Each week, we'll survey the globe and discover what all of us have in common – a shared susceptibility to the bacteria and viruses that cause gastrointestinal disease.

Africa

• Congo, May 8 – An outbreak of "bloody diarrhea" has claimed the lives of seven people and sickened at least 286 others in a single village.
  
• Uganda, May 6 – Fifty-three new cases have been added to the tally in an outbreak of Hepatitis E virus that has killed 156 people since it was first detected in 2007. Nearly 10,000 people have been infected in the past two years by this virus, which is spread via contaminated water.
  

Asia 

• India, May 10 – Puri sabji, served at a social gathering in Moresalashka village, was blamed for a sudden outbreak of vomiting and diarrhea that affected 50 participants.
  
• India, May 11 – 150 participants at a religious festival in Mandava village suffered a similar fate to the Moresalashka villagers. Contaminated food is suspected in this incident, also.
  
• Nepal, May 12 – Thirty security personnel at Tribhuvan International Airport were afflicted suddenly with stomach pain, nausea and vomiting while on duty, throwing security arrangements into disarray. Contaminated food is the suspected culprit. In an unrelated incident, more than 60 residents of a village in mid-western Nepal were suddenly stricken with acute headaches, fever and bloody vomiting, possibly due to drinking contaminated water. 
  
• Pakistan, May 14 – Refugees – especially the children – living in crowded conditions in Yar Hussein Camp and other relief camps are at risk of severe outbreaks of diarrhea as temperatures soar above 40ºC. Supplies of safe drinking water are limited, and health care facilities inadequate. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has called for international assistance.
  
• Vietnam, May 13 – Several provinces have reported outbreaks of acute diarrhea, blamed on contaminated water and produce.
  

Europe, Including Russia

• Ukraine, Apr 23 – Fourteen children from a single pre-school were taken to hospital after suffering symptoms of gastroenteritis. Six of the children were hospitalized, while the other 8 were treated and released. Health authorities suspect a virus. Norovirus, perhaps?
  
• Ireland, May 8 – Eleven and five staff members at the St Fionnan's Community Nursing Unit in Co. Mayo developed symptoms of gastroenteritis, suspected of being food related. One of the stricken patients, an 89-year old resident who suffered severe vomiting and diarrhea, has died. The source of the outbreak is under investigation.
  
• Russia, May 13 – Hepatitis A has infected 130 people in the town of Ufa since late April. People who were exposed to the virus are being vaccinated, and there have been no fatalities.
• Denmark & Sweden, May 14 – According to a report in this week's Eurosurveillance, Hepatitis E Virus is endemic in the population of these two Scandinavian countries. Hepatitis E, like its alphabetic cousin Hepatitis A, is transmitted by the fecal-oral route. Contaminated water, contaminated food, or an infected food handler are the most common sources of Hepatitis E. Most, but not all, infections with Hepatitis E are contracted during travel in Asia and Africa. In Sweden and Denmark, there is a high degree of genetic similarity between human and swine Hepatitis E viruses, suggesting that direct contact with pigs may be another route for infection.
  

Western Hemisphere

• Canada, April 27 – Patrons of a Tim Horton's outlet in Newmarket, Ontario learned that they may have been exposed to Hepatitis A virus, after two employees tested positive for Hepatitis A. Customers who visited the Newmarket Tim Horton's between April 2 and April 22 were invited to attend a vaccination clinic.
  
• Canada, May 1 – The Public Health Agency of Canada repeated its earlier warnings of an outbreak of Salmonella Carrau. The outbreak strain has been confirmed in 33 patients spread over eight provinces. The most recent victim began to display symptoms on March 31st. PHAC has been unable to determined the source of the uncommon serotype of Salmonella, but adds that cases also are being investigated in the United States.
  
• USA, April 21 – Customers of an Albertson's supermarket in Littleton, Colorado learned that a produce worker who handled a variety of fruits and vegetables between April 6th and April 19 has tested positive for Hepatitis A virus. The local health department suggested that anyone who ate produce from the Littleton Albertson's during the identified risk window should consider vaccination.
  
• USA, May 12 – The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs reminded consumers of the risks associated with eating raw oysters, due to the risk that they may be contaminated with Vibrio vulnificus. In 2008, Florida investigated seven cases of V. vulnificus illness linked to raw oysters; three of the victims died. There already has been one Florida fatality in 2009 that was traced to consumption of V. vulnificus-contaminated raw oysters. Vibrio vulnificus is a naturally occurring microbe in the waters of the Gulf coast.
  

 

Please join us again next week for another edition of Diarrhea Digest.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Recall Roundup: May 15, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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

• Allergy Alert: Amigo's Mexican Food, Inc. (Deming, NM) recalls approximately 4,594 pounds of red pork tamale products that may contain undeclared wheat. The recalled items were shipped to retailers in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
  
• Allergy Alert: Wayne Provision Co. (Vernon, CA) recalls approximately 2,075 pounds of frozen pork sausage products that may contain undeclared hydrolyzed soy and whey. The recalled products were shipped to restaurants in southern California and in the Las Vegas, NV area.
  

Canada

• Allergy Alert: Parmalat Canada, Inc. (Toronto, ON) recalls Sensational Soy Smooth Original and Sensational Soy Classic Vanilla products due to the presence of undeclared milk protein. The recalled products were distributed in the province of Ontario.
  

Europe, Including the United Kingdom

• Dietary Supplement Safety Alert (France): France's Ministry of Health advises consumers to avoid using Hydroxycut dietary supplements, due to the risk of liver damage and other adverse effects. While Hydroxycut products have not been approved for sale in France, the Ministry notes that the products are available over the Internet. 
  

Australia and New Zealand

• Food Safety Recall (Australia): Meatworld Fishworld Maroochydore recalls 20 Kg sliced pastrami, available for sale from 2 May 2009, due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled meat was sold only at Meatworld Fishworld Maroochydore 86 Wises Road, Maroochydore, QLD, 4558
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Recall Roundup: May 14, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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

• Allergy Alert: Tofutti Brands Inc. recalls 12 pallets of Vanilla Cuties mini-sandwich frozen dessert novelties due to possible presence of undeclared trace quantity of milk
  

Europe, Including the United Kingdom

• Allergy Alert (UK): Marks & Spencer withdraws some of its Chicken Forestier Paté due to presence of undeclared cream
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Recall Roundup: May 13, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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 (USDA): Bob's Food City (Hot Springs, Arkansas) recalls approximately 375 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The recalled meat was produced on May 7, 2009, and were sold to customers of the Bob's Food City retail store (800 Malvern Avenue, Hot Springs).
  
• Pharmaceutical Safety Recall (FDA): A S Medication Solutions, LLC recalls Digoxin, USP tablets manufactured by Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories, Ltd. due to variations in tablet size that can affect dosage accuracy.
  
• Cosmetic Product Recall: Fun Express, Inc. recalls water-based "Face Paint" products manufactured by Shanghai Color Art Stationery Company Limited, Shanghai, China, due to reports of skin reactions in children.
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Norovirus Notebook: May 12, 2009

Norovirus – also known to its victims as the Winter Vomiting Bug, the Nursing Home Bug, and the Cruise Ship Bug (and somewhat more formally as the Norwalk-like virus) – can be counted upon to make its appearance on a regular basis any time of year.

We'll be tracking the travels of this highly infectious and very rugged virus on a weekly basis.

 

Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands

• Australia, April 22 – Ballarat Health Service's Hailey House, an assisted living residence, was hit with a Norovirus outbreak that sickened 25 residents and 14 staff members of the facility. The facility, which houses 60 residents, implemented restrictions on visitors until the outbreak had run its course.
  
• New Zealand, April 24 – Wanganui and Hawke's Bay regional Hospitals reported outbreaks of gastroenteritis. Visitors were asked to stay away from both facilities until the outbreaks, which were suspected to have been caused by Norovirus, were brought under control.
  

Europe, Including Russia

• UK, April 22 – Two wards were closed, and visiting restrictions placed on a third at Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital after three patients at the hospital were diagnosed with Norovirus. Visitors were asked to stay away until the outbreak was over.
  
• UK, April 23 – Warwick Hospital also was hit with an outbreak of Norovirus gastroenteritis, resulting in the closure of three wards and limits on visitors elsewhere in the hospital. 
  
• UK, May 7 – Countess of Chester Hospital in Cheshire is experiencing an outbreak of Norovirus that has prompted hospital officials to ban visitors. Hospital management has not indicated how many patients have been infected, or whether staff members also have been stricken. A hospital spokesperson assured the public that the ban on visitors was in no way related to the current outbreak of Influenza A(H1N1).
  

Western Hemisphere

• Canada, April 23 – Macaulay Lodge, a 44-bed nursing home in Whitehorse, was quarantined by Yukon health officials after reporting an outbreak of Norovirus infections. Residents were restricted to their rooms, group activities scaled back and the public discouraged from visiting after 19 residents and 12 staff members complained of gastroenteritis. 
  
• Canada, April 25 – North Bay's North East Mental Health Centre closed its doors after a week-long struggle to contain an outbreak of Norovirus that sickened at least 22 patients and staff. The facility was expected to remain closed for several days to avoid spreading the outbreak to the community.
  
• Canada, April 28 – Ecole St. Pierre, a Sudbury (Ontario) school, was scrubbed down and disinfected after Norovirus infected 66 students and staff at the 220-student school. Students were required to remain at home for 48 hours after their symptoms disappeared before being permitted to return to school.
  
• USA (New York), April 18 – 160 students and staff at a Westchester County high school experienced a wave of gastrointestinal illnesses that left school administrators scrambling to respond. The school will be providing its students with a refresher course on appropriate personal hygiene and hand-washing techniques.
  
• USA (Nebraska), April 22 – State health officials suspect that Norovirus was the cause of an outbreak of gastroenteritis that affected dozens of patrons of the Marina Inn, a South Sioux City restaurant. The restaurant closed for disinfection at the urging of heath authorities.
  
• Panama Canal Cruise, April 23 – The Island Princess has reported an outbreak of gastroenteritis on board that has affected at least 100 passengers and five crew members. The ship, which is part of the Princess Cruise Line, sailed from Ft. Lauderdale for a 15-day cruise through the Caribbean and the Panama Canal, up the Pacific coast of Central America and Mexico, and ending in Los Angeles. The CDC has not yet confirmed a diagnosis, but the reported symptoms are consistent with Norovirus. This is the ninth cruise ship outbreak of gastroenteritis reported to CDC so far this year, and the second that involves Princess Cruises.
  

Please join us again next week for another edition of Norovirus Notebook.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Recall Roundup: May 12, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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

• Shellfish Alert (California): The annual quarantine of sport-harvested mussels along the California coastline is now in effect, and will continue until October 31st. Commercially harvested mussels are not affected by this quarantine, which is meant to protect the public from paralytic shellfish poisoning and domoic acid poisoning.
  

Europe, Including the United Kingdom

• Labeling, Handling and Shelf-life Infractions (France): Carrefour has been charged with 2,500 separate infractions, including: selling foods beyond the expiry date; holding frozen foods for several hours at room temperature; and overstating package net weight for cuts of meat. If found guilty of all charges, the supermarket chain could face fines of up to 220,000 euros.

Australia and New Zealand

• Allergy Alert (Australia): Haigh’s Manufacturing Pty Ltd recalls a single production batch of Chocolate & Almond Cookies, manufactured by Baylies of Strathalbyn due to the presence of undeclared gluten. This product is only sold through Haigh’s stores in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
  

Asia, Africa and the Pacific

• Dietary Product Warning (Hong Kong): The Department of Health has warned consumers to avoid using the slimming products SB Factor and GQ Factor. Both products have been found to contain phenolphthalein, which has been banned due to its association with an increased risk of developing cancer.
  
• Rice Wine Alert (Taiwan): The Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation has found that some inexpensive rice wines contain industrial alcohol, which can cause nervous system damage if consumed. Other inexpensive brands contain only 10% alcohol, instead of the typical 20% alcohol content.
  

 

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

2009: The Year Of The Nuts

May 11, 2009

Peanut Corporation of America was just a tiny blip on the US peanut industry radar, yet the company's actions triggered a tsunami of Salmonella illnesses and snack food recalls that has lasted for several months.

Setton Farms of Terra Bella, CA is the second largest processor of pistachios in the United States. Its actions, too, triggered waves of recalls due to Salmonella contamination, although CDC could not confirm that the pistachios were responsible any Salmonella illnesses.

Despite the size differences between PCA and Setton Farms, both companies indulged in practices that were likely to backfire. And backfire they did!

FDA has released its inspection reports on PCA's Georgia facility and on the Setton Farms production plant in California. Both operations were cited for the following problems and practices:

• Failure to manufacture, package, and store foods under conditions and controls necessary to minimize the potential for growth of microorganisms and contamination. Both companies were aware of their respective Salmonella contamination problems for several months, yet continued to operate without reevaluating the adequacy of their processes and handling practices. Both companies received Salmonella-positive lab reports on batches of processed (roasted) nuts. Both companies shipped untested product to a customer on at least one occasion, and learned afterwards that their product was Salmonella-positive.
  
• Proper precautions to protect food and food-contact surfaces from contamination with microorganisms cannot be taken because of deficiencies in plant construction and design. Neither company's installation was equipped with an appropriate air flow control system that would help prevent cross-contamination.
  
• Failure to maintain equipment, containers and utensils used to convey, hold, and store food in a manner that protects against  contamination. 
  
• The design of equipment and utensils fails to preclude the adulteration of food with contaminants. 
  

In addition to these shared deficiencies, each company was cited for its own unique failures, including:

• Raw materials which contain levels of microorganisms that may produce food poisoning or other disease are not pasteurized or otherwise adequately treated (Setton Farms)
  
• Failure to store finished food under conditions that would protect against microbial contamination (PCA)
  
• Failure to perform mechanical manufacturing steps so as to protect food against contamination (PCA)
  
• Failure to take effective measures to protect finished food from contamination by raw materials and other ingredients (Setton Farms)
  
• Failure to conduct cleaning and sanitizing operations for utensils and equipment in a manner that protects against contamination of food (PCA)
  

In a nutshell, both companies flirted with marginal or unvalidated roasting processes, environmental conditions that facilitated cross-contamination, inadequate sanitizing processes, and a cavalier attitude towards Salmonella-positive lab results.

In light of these findings, it's not surprising that the nut and snack food industries have suffered through two massive and complex food recalls this year. We can only wonder how many "sporadic" Salmonella infections were caused by contaminated nuts before the problems were exposed at PCA and Setton Farms.

An eFoodAlert reader asked us today whether the pistachio contamination had been traced to a specific point of origin. That probably will never happen. There are too many possible sources that have been in play for too many months or years to allow the specific origin of the contamination to be pinpointed.

Recall Roundup: May 11, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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.

Pistachio Product Recalls

• The Nuthouse (Los Angeles, CA) recalls 5-pound bags and 5-pound boxes of pistachios
  

Peanut Butter Outbreak Recalls

• Canadian Food Inspection Agency alerts consumers to recall of Isagenix brand Chocolate Dipped Honey Peanut IsaLean Bars, imported from the USA
  

Australia and New Zealand

• Dietary Supplement Recall (New Zealand): Nutrition Systems NZ PTY Ltd recalls Hydroxycut branded weight loss supplements due to the potential for liver damage
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Cholera Chronicle: May 10, 2009

Welcome to the eFoodAlert Cholera Chronicle. Every Sunday, we'll present a summary by region of cholera news from around the world.

Cholera is spread through human fecal contamination of food and water supplies. It is a frequent Disease of Disaster, accompanying famines, floods, wars, and other natural- or man-made disasters. Its victims typically are destitute, displaced or debilitated. And, all too often, dead.

One troubling side-effect of the current influenza near-pandemic is the diversion of international attention and resources from the fight against cholera and other diseases that afflict the world's underdeveloped countries.

The World Health Organization, which had been providing regular updates on the status of Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak, issued its last report on March 23rd. At that time, the number of new cases reported weekly had decreased from a peak of approximately 8,000 to just 2,076.

Asia, Including Russia

• India, May 9 – Contaminated water in Hyderabad's district of Bholakpur has led to an outbreak of cholera in the state capital. An initial report of 10 confirmed cases has now grown to at least 16 victims. A two-member team has been dispatched from Kolkata to assist local health authorities in dealing with the outbreak.
  
• India, May 10 – Officials in Vijayawada have expressed concern that their city, too, might experience an outbreak of cholera similar to the one that has struck Hydrabad. Vijayawada, which has a slum population of 350,000 people and a 20-year old water supply system, is crisscrossed by a canal system that is susceptible to sewage contamination.
  

Africa

• Zimbabwe, May 7 – The United Nations warned that the country's cholera epidemic – finally is on the wane – will reignite if attention is not paid to renewing the countries water and sewage systems, which have collapsed from neglect under the Mugabe regime.
  
• Congo, May 8 – Health authorities in the southern region of Pool have reported 130 new cases of cholera since early April.
  

Cholera can be treated successfully, if adequate medical facilities are available. More importantly, outbreaks can be prevented, by providing communities with safe drinking water, and with sanitary disposal facilities for human waste.

2008 was the International Year of Sanitation. The World Health Organization partnered with other agencies to promote improvements in sanitation in underdeveloped areas of the world. But it will take many years before these efforts make a significant dent in the problem.

Meanwhile, cholera will continue to follow in the wake of world disasters.

Alfalfa Sprouts: The Other Salmonella Outbreak

May 9, 2009

On May 7th, CDC issued a preliminary report on this year's two-pronged Salmonella outbreak that was traced to contaminated alfalfa sprouting seeds.

The seeds, which were imported from Italy by Caudill Seed Company (Louisville, KY), were the source of a strain of Salmonella Saintpaul that infected 228 people in 13 states over a three month period. The investigation was complicated, as Caudill supplied alfalfa seeds to a number of different sprout growers in several states.

The first – and larger – prong of the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak began on February 2nd, according to the Nebraska's Douglas County Health Department. This phase lasted into early March, with a few sporadic cases being reported as late as April 5th – 186 victims in all, 73% of whom reported having eaten alfalfa sprouts.

The first wave of victims – residents of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota – had consumed sprouts grown by Sunsprout Enterprises, a Nebraska company. Sunsprout purchased its alfalfa seeds from Caudill. 

While FDA did not succeed in finding the outbreak strain of Salmonella in alfalfa sprouts supplied by Sunsprout, the agency found a different strain – Salmonella Typhimurium in a sample of the company's sprouts obtained at a Nebraska restaurant. And testing of a sample of alfalfa seeds obtained at the Sunsprout facility yielded yet another strain – Salmonella Give. 

While FDA was still investigating the first outbreak, a second wave of illnesses was reported; 42 cases of Salmonella Saintpaul in Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, and West Virginia. Once again, alfalfa sprouts were the most probable source of the pathogen. The implicated sprouts were traced back to the same seed supplier – Caudill Seed Company – but this time, to three different growers, located in Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. 

On April 26th, FDA and CDC issued a joint warning to consumers to avoid eating raw alfalfa sprouts. And on May 1st, FDA sent a letter to seed suppliers, distributors and sprout growers to remind them of the agency's guidelines on safe growing procedures for seed sprouts. 

What happened to the contaminated seeds and sprouts? Caudill agreed to "withdraw" the contaminated seeds. There was no public recall of the imported seeds, as they were never distributed directly to consumers. The Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania growing operations that were the source of alfalfa sprouts in the second wave of illnesses never were identified by name; nor were their sprouts recalled from the marketplace.

Some alfalfa sprout recalls have been announced this year: Jack and the Green Sprouts (WI) in February; Sunsprouts (NE) in March; Jonathan's Sprouts, Inc. (MA) in April; Los Angeles Calco (CA) in April; and Arizona Hydroponic Farming LLC (AZ) in May. Except for Sunsprouts, none of these growers have been implicated by FDA in the Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak. And not a single alfalfa sprout grower in Michigan, Minnesota or Pennsylvania has recalled even one package of sprouts this year.

Which growers were implicated in the second wave of Salmonella illnesses? FDA is not saying. And the CDC outbreak report simply states,

"The degree to which the various sprout growers involved have appropriately and consistently implemented FDA recommendations or other protective methods is under investigation. These outbreaks might indicate a need to determine how well this important but voluntary guidance is being implemented. Additional studies of measures to prevent, detect, and eliminate contamination of seeds and sprouts also are needed."

We do not believe that a general warning against consuming raw sprouts, combined with a general statement that growers' practices are under investigation is enough. The consumer deserves – needs – to know which sprout growers may have cut corners or ignored portions of the FDA guidelines on safe sprouting. It is unfair to tarnish the reputations of conscientious sprout growers by putting all growers in the same category.

FDA has issued specific warnings against consuming products from uncooperative food processors in the past. Why not name the all of the sprout growers implicated in this outbreak?

Recall Roundup: May 8, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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 and Canada

Dietary Supplement Recall: Iovate Health Sciences USA, Inc. recalls additional Hydroxycut-branded products in the United States and Canada

Asia, Africa and the Pacific

• Pharmaceutical Product Recall (Hong Kong): Hitpharm Pharmaceutical, a licensed pharmaceutical product wholesaler, recalls 46 drugs due to unapproved packaging format and unapproved label information. 
  
• Food Safety Alert (Hong Kong): Department of Health warns consumers against a Chinese herbal tea that contains "western" prescription drugs.
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Diarrhea Digest: May 8, 2009

Diarrhea Digest is an eFoodAlert regular feature that presents a weekly snapshot of foodborne and person-to-person gastroenteritis outbreaks from around the world.

Each week, we'll survey the globe and discover what all of us have in common – a shared susceptibility to the bacteria and viruses that cause gastrointestinal disease.

For the first edition of Diarrhea Digest, we'll play some "catch-up" on news from the past month.

Asia and Africa

• Bangladesh, April 14 – Eighteen workers at a slum development company were taken to hospital with food poisoning after sharing an on-the-job meal. Most of the remaining work crew complained of milder symptoms, including stomach pain and diarrhea. 
  
• China, April 10 – Dozens of students in Heilongjiang Province complained of nausea and vomiting after eating at the university's No. 2 Canteen. Of the 101 ill college students, ten were hospitalized, 76 were given intravenous treatment and released, and 15 required no treatment.
  
• China, April 14 – Thirty film crew members and movie extras became ill with stomach pain and vomiting after eating take-out food from a local diner while filming on location in Shanghai.
  
• China, May 7 – An outbreak of food poisoning that sickened 186 people in Gansu Province has been blamed on Salmonella-contaminated spices that were used in the preparation of snack foods. The outbreak, reported on April 29, affected residents of three neighboring villages. At least 28 of the victims were hospitalized.
  
• Hong Kong, April 21 – Thirteen staff members in a seniors home in Fanling reported suffering mild symptoms of gastroenteritis, including abdominal pain and diarrhea. There were no reports of illness among the elderly residents of the home.
  
• India/Sri Lanka, April 11 – Eight passengers of an Air Lanka flight from India to Colombo were taken ill with symptoms of food poisoning after having been served snacks that had passed their expiry dates.
  
• Jordan, April 14 – Some high school students at Amer Ben Jarrah Secondary School became ill after eating hummus from a restaurant located near the school. Fifteen of the ill students were treated in hospital and then released.
  
• Singapore, April 7 – The Ministry of Health received reports of 137 cases of gastroenteritis in an outbreak that appears to be due to Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The pathogen, which is most often associated with raw seafood, was recovered from two of the outbreak victims. Thirty-seven of the victims were hospitalized, while the remaining 100 received out-patient treatment and were released. Consumers were warned to avoid eating food from the "Rojak Geylang Serai" stall, thought to be the source of the outbreak.
  
• Sri Lanka, April 22 – A group of 30 elementary school children were admitted to hospital with symptoms of food poisoning after consuming string hoppers with dhal curry at breakfast.
  
• Viet Nam, April 27 – More than 500 residents of a district in the southern province of Dong Nai were stricken with gastroenteritis. Authorities are investigating the source of the outbreak, which they suspect is due to contaminated water.
  

Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands

• New Zealand, May 5 – The owner/operator of a Gisborne restaurant was told to pay fines, reparations and court costs after he lost his appeal against a conviction under the Food Act. Robin Pierson had been charged with selling contaminated food to restaurant patrons on Christmas Day. Turkey left over from the buffet was found to contain high levels of Clostridium perfringens; the same microbe also was recovered from stool samples submitted by some of the affected patrons.
  

Europe, Including Russia

• Bulgaria, April 13 – Seven school boys were taken to hospital after complaining of dizziness, vomiting  and stomach pains. Preliminary reports suggest that canned fish may have been the source of the food poisoning incident.
• Russia, May 8 – Students from Samara who were visiting St. Petersburg were handed an unwanted souvenir on their trip – food poisoning. The students believe that the source of their illness was a restaurant meal that they shared at the "Waterfall Desires" in St. Petersburg. Seventeen of the students have returned home, but others remain in a St. Petersburg hospital.
  
• Scotland (UK), April 17 – Three cases of scombroid food poisoning have been linked to tuna steaks purchased from a Tesco store in Inverness. Scombrotoxin sometimes is produced when tuna has been stored improperly. 
  

Western Hemisphere

• Chile, May 2009 – Between December 2008 and April 2009, the country registered 104 outbreaks of diarrhea caused by Shigella sonnei. Most of the 739 outbreak victims were no more than 10 years old. Shigellosis, which is transmitted directly from person to person, often is associated with nursery and child care settings.
  
• USA (New Hampshire), April 14 – 75 people who attended a Passover seder in Franconia fell victim to Salmonella food poisoning after sharing dishes prepared and brought to seder by the 150 participants.
  
• USA (New Hampshire), April 29 – An environmental camp that was the venue for a Salmonella outbreak earlier in the month has been given the all-clear to reopen after health officials traced the food poisoning outbreak to pudding prepared by Purity Springs. 
  

Please join us again next week for another edition of Diarrhea Digest.

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Influenza A(H1N1): Let Them Eat Pork!

May 7, 2009

Earlier today, the World Health Organization (WHO, together with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, a UN body) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) reissued the following joint statement in an attempt to clarify their stance on the safety of eating pork during the current influenza outbreak.

"In the ongoing spread of influenza A(H1N1), concerns about the possibility of this virus being found in pigs and the safety of pork and pork products have been raised.

Influenza viruses are not known to be transmissible to people through eating processed pork or other food products derived from pigs.

Heat treatments commonly used in cooking meat (e.g. 70°C/160°F core temperature) will readily inactivate any viruses potentially present in raw meat products.

Pork and pork products, handled in accordance with good hygienic practices recommended by the WHO , Codex Alimentarius Commission and the OIE, will not be a source of infection. 

Authorities and consumers should ensure that meat from sick pigs or pigs found dead are not processed or used for human consumption under any circumstances."

eFoodAlert has been reviewing research reports on the subject, in an effort to clarify this food safety issue for our readers. Here is what we've found.

Influenza Virus Is Restricted To The Respiratory System In Swine

USDA researchers deliberately infected pigs (through the nose) with both swine influenza viruses and with highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses. They collected organ samples from the infected pigs to determine how far the viruses spread through the body. In all cases, the influenza viruses were limited to the respiratory system – the lungs, trachea, nasal passages and tonsils. None of the other organs showed any evidence of influenza virus infection.

The researchers also investigated whether pigs could develop influenza when fed meat from chickens that were infected with avian influenza. Although the animals developed an antibody reaction to the virus, none of the pigs developed symptoms of influenza. The virus was recovered from nose and tonsil samples, but not from rectal swabs. It is likely that the pigs developed mild infections as a result of contact between the infected meat and their tonsils.

Influenza Virus Is Inactivated By Heating

Influenza viruses are inactivated within 5-6 minutes at 51ºC (125ºF), and in no more than a second or two at 70º-74ºC (158º-165ºF). USDA already recommends that poultry meat be cooked to an internal temperature of 160ºF to ensure that bacterial pathogens have been killed. 

Influenza Virus Survives For Longer Periods On Non-porous Surfaces Than On Porous Surfaces

Influenza virus particles can remain active at room temperature for hours – even days – on some inert, non-porous surfaces. These include plastic,  stainless steel (the particles are inactivated much more quickly on copper), and even Swiss banknotes, which are made using a non-porous resin. The virus particles die far more rapidly on porous surfaces, such as facial tissues; they also are inactivated rapidly on human skin.

What does this mean for someone who likes to eat pork?

• All of the federal and state agencies who have weighed in on this issue claim that a pig suffering from influenza would not be approved for slaughter. Even so, it's possible that an infected pig that is not yet exhibiting symptoms might get past this initial screening.
  
• While the influenza virus doesn't appear to invade organs outside of the respiratory system, it's possible that some live virus particles may be spread over other parts of the carcass during organ removal (evisceration) in the slaughterhouse.
  
• Stray influenza virus particles that happen to land on edible parts of the carcass almost certainly would become inactivated between the slaughterhouse and the supermarket.
  
• Any residual stray virus particles that manage to survive the trip from slaughterhouse to household kitchen will be killed by standard, recommended cooking procedures.
  

In a nutshell, it is safe to prepare and eat pork.

Recall Roundup: May 7, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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.

Europe, Including the United Kingdom

• Food Quality/Safety Alert (France): Candia recalls cartons of part-skimmed milk due to off odor and unusual taste. The company warns that the issue is due to a sterility problem with the filling equipment, and that consumption of the recalled might might result in digestive upsets.
  

Asia, Africa and the Pacific

• Pharmaceutical Product Recall (Hong Kong): Zuellig Pharma Ltd. recalls an unregistered pharmaceutical product, Milupa GES 45 Oral Rehydration Salts Sachet.
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

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Influenza A(H1N1): In The Beginning

May 6, 2009

The World Health Organization today reported that the number of confirmed cases worldwide has reached 1,893. Twenty-three countries have confirmed cases; Mexico still leads the list with 942 cases, including 29 deaths. The United States is next with 642 cases and two deaths, followed by Canada (165 cases) and Spain (73 cases).

". . . in the US swine industry, transmission of influenza viruses between swine and humans is fairly common and is bidirectional."

E. Thacker & B. Janke, writing in Journal of Infectious Diseases

In 1988, a pregnant woman was admitted to a community hospital in Wisconsin. She was complaining of fever, headaches, muscle aches, dry cough and shortness of breath. She delivered a healthy baby four days after entering hospital, and died as a result of respiratory failure four days later. After testing clinical samples submitted to it by the state, CDC concluded that the woman had suffered a case of swine influenza. Specifically, she was infected with a strain of Influenza A(H1N1).

The victim had visited a pig barn display at the local county fair four days before falling ill. According to the CDC report, veterinarians at the county fair confirmed that some of the pigs had displayed symptoms of swine influenza. No other human cases were reported in the surrounding communities.

Fast-forward to 2005. A 17-year old boy receives his flu shot on November 11th. On December 4th, he holds the front end of a freshly-slaughtered pig while his brother eviscerates the carcass. Three days later, he begins to complain of headaches, low back pain, a cough and a runny nose. He has no fever. The following day, he visits a local out-patient clinic, where his nasal passage is swabbed. In a couple of days, the youth recovers fully. His clinical specimen yields an influenza virus that is ultimately identified by CDC as an unusual strain of Influenza A(H1N1) – a triple reassortment virus that contains components of swine, human and avian influenza virus genetic material. 

Transmission of influenza virus from infected pigs to humans, while not common, has been documented a number of times. In most cases, the infection is an occupational hazard. Pig farmers, lab workers, and meat-packing workers are at greatest risk, as are visitors to pig farms and livestock shows. Occasionally, an individual becomes infected without having been exposed directly to swine.

This month, Canadians learned that a farm worker in Alberta apparently had passed the current Influenza A(H1N1) strain to a herd of swine. One-tenth of the herd – 220 out of 2,200 pigs – were infected. The herd was quarantined, and the affected pigs are recovering. So far, none of the other workers on the farm have tested positive for the virus, although some of them have complained of symptoms.

Canada's National Microbiological Laboratory has determined that the influenza virus that is responsible for the illnesses in Mexico is identical to the virus that has been isolated from flu-stricken Canadians. It has not yet mutated. Unfortunately, this doesn't provide us with any insight into how the virus strain arose, whether or not it is related to the 2005 virus, or how long it was circulating in Mexico before the country's health authorities became aware of it. In time, some of these questions will be answered.

Meanwhile, there are other questions, including whether pork – especially Canadian pork – is safe to eat. We'll explore that question next.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert – including those related to this influenza outbreak – please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Recall Roundup: May 6, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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.

Pistachio Product Recalls

• King Henry’s Inc. recalls all pistachios sold under the King Henry label in 1.5oz, 2.75oz and 4.5oz packages
  

United States

• Allergy Alert: LeClerc Foods recalls Market Pantry Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars due presence of undeclared peanuts
  
• Food Safety Recall: Arizona Hydroponic Farming LLC. recalls its “4oz Alfalfa Sprout Cup” due to possible Salmonella contaminatiion
  
• Food Safety Recall: Mayfield Dairy Farms Recalls Mayfield Homemade Vanilla Select Ice Cream because the product may be contaminated with ammonia
  
• Food Safety Recall: Melissa's/World Variety Produce, Inc. recalls Star Fruit (Carambola) sold in Price Chopper after pesticide residue was found on a sample. This product may also be available in other retail stores. The recall notice was posted by Price Chopper.
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Updating the Salmonella-Contaminated Alfalfa Sprout Story

May 5, 2009

On April 28th – one week ago today – we warned that alfalfa sprouts grown by Arizona Hydroponics LLC probably were implicated, along with other sprouts, in the most recent Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak.

Alfalfa sprouts – grown using contaminated seeds imported from Italy and distributed in the United States by Caudill Seed Company (Louisville, KY) – were blamed most recently for 35 cases of salmonellosis in 7 US states since mid-March. An earlier sprout-related outbreak caused by the same strain of Salmonella Saintpaul sickened 140 people in five states earlier this year.

According to FDA, the contaminated seeds were sold to various growers. So far this year, Los Angeles Calco, Jonathan Sprouts and Sunsprout Enterprises have recalled batches of alfalfa sprouts and mixed sprouts due to Salmonella contamination. Arizona Hydroponics produced the sprouts distributed by Los Angeles Calco.

Today, Arizona Hydroponic Farming LLC finally announced that it was recalling certain shipments of 4-ounce cups of alfalfa sprouts due to the risk of Salmonella contamination. The company claims that no illnesses have been associated with their products.  

While FDA and CDC have pointed a finger at contaminated alfalfa sprouts as the source of both 2009 Salmonella Saintpaul outbreaks, the agencies have not named any growers that produced the contaminated sprouts blamed for the second outbreak. It's hard to believe that FDA has no idea which grower or growers are implicated, since the source of the contaminated seeds has been identified.

Is FDA having difficulty procuring "voluntary" recalls from sprout growers? Or has the agency decided that the contaminated sprouts are now past their expiration date and, therefore, any recall is moot?

Either way, we reiterate our earlier advice. Don't eat raw sprouts.

Recall Roundup: May 5, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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.

Pistachio Product Recalls

• The Wisconsin Cheeseman (Sun Prairie, WI) recalls certain in-shell pistachio products
  
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency advises consumers of additional items recalled because they contain pistachios recalled by Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc.
  

United States

• Food Safety Recall: Alex & George Wholesale, Inc. recalls approximately 4,663 pounds of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7
  

Canada

• Dietary Supplement Recall: Iovate Health Sciences Inc. recalls eleven Hydroxycut products distributed in Canada
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Influenza A(H1N1), aka Swine Flu: One Week Later

May 4, 2009

In the week since we first looked at the swine flu (oops, H1N1) outbreak, the number of confirmed cases – though not necessarily the number of actual illnesses – has increased substantially. As often happens, it takes time for reference labs to catch up to the backlog of suspect cases and either confirm or discard them.

Today, we're taking a virtual world tour to check on the status of this month's international public health panic.

International Overview

The World Health Organization, in its daily update of outbreak statistics, reported today that 21 countries have now reported at least one confirmed case of what WHO now refers to as "Influenza A(H1N1). 

More than half of the 1,085 confirmed cases – 590 of them – are from Mexico. Twenty-five of the Mexican victims have died. The United States has reported one death – a toddler from Mexico who had traveled to visit family in Texas. No other countries have recorded fatalities.

According to the WHO update, confirmed outbreak victims have been identified in Mexico (590), the United States (286), Canada (101), Spain (54), the United Kingdom (18), Germany (8), New Zealand (6), France (4), Israel (4), El Salvador (2), Italy (2), Austria (1), Hong Kong (1), Costa Rica (1), Colombia (1), Denmark (1), Ireland (1), Netherlands (1), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (1), and Switzerland (1).

But these numbers already are outdated. The Pan American Health Organization today reported 1,118 confirmed cases in 6 Western Hemisphere countries, including 727 in Mexico, 286 in the United States and 101 in Canada  – and 27 deaths. Canada now reports 140 confirmed cases; the US total, according to CDC, is 279.

While a "case count" is a useful snapshot of the status of an outbreak, it's far from being the most important – or the most accurate – information. Of equal or greater interest are: the timing and geography of new cases, the nature of transmission, and how various countries are reacting to the situation.

Over the next several days, we'll be examining some of  these issues. Here's a hint of things to come.

Mexico

Mexico's Secretary of Health told reporters over the weekend that the epidemic in that country had peaked and the number of new cases was on the decline. He also complained that some countries – most notably China – had reacted inappropriately by quarantining some travelers arriving from Mexico, even though they showed no symptoms of influenza. We'll look at how various countries have acted – even over-reacted in some cases – to protect their borders and their citizens from the possible pandemic.

Canada

The 140 confirmed cases in Canada are spread over eight provinces. British Columbia has been hardest hit with 39, followed by Nova Scotia (38), Ontario (31) and Alberta (24). Québec (3), New Brunswick (2), Prince Edward Island (2) and Manitoba (1) also have reported cases.

Canada, which was instrumental in confirming Mexico's outbreak, also has reported the first instance of transmission of the virus from an infected human to a swine herd. An Alberta farm worker who had traveled to Mexico was the vector. The herd has been quarantined to prevent transmission to other swine herds. We'll have a closer look at the implications of this human-to-swine transmission. 

United States

An article in Newsweek by Laurie Garrett (author of the 1994 book The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance) suggests that a precursor to the Influenza A(H1N1) virus strain that is raising such a ruckus worldwide may have actually evolved in the United States in 2005. Is Garrett correct? What does it mean for the future of this influenza strain?

Finally, is pork still safe to eat? Should herds be culled as Egypt has decided to do? Should farms be closed to visitors until this outbreak has burned itself out? Are slaughterhouse workers at risk of contracting influenza?

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for these and other new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Recall Roundup: May 4, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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.

Pistachio Product Recalls

• Sheridan Fruit Company (Portland, Oregon) recalls 12 oz. packages of Sheridan Fruit Company Raw Pistachio Meats, and Bulk Raw Pistachio Kernels sold between February 5th and March 30th, 2009 
  

United States

• Allergy Alert: Sugar Foods recalls The Farmers Market Butter & Garlic Crouton Products due to presence of undeclared milk in the products
  
• Dietary Supplement Recall: Iovate Health Sciences U.S.A., Inc. recalls Hydroxycut-branded products due to reported adverse reactions
  

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.

• A&P
• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• EDEKA (Germany)
• Food City
  
• Food Lion
  
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Target
  
• Tops Friendly Markets
  
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  
• Wegmans
  
• Whole Foods Market
  
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Cholera Chronicle: May 3, 2009

Welcome to the eFoodAlert Cholera Chronicle. Every Sunday, we'll present a summary by region of cholera news from around the world.

Cholera is spread through human fecal contamination of food and water supplies. It is a frequent Disease of Disaster, accompanying famines, floods, wars, and other natural- or man-made disasters. Its victims typically are destitute, displaced or debilitated. And, all too often, dead.

Asia, Including Russia

• Malaysia, April 29 – A suspected cholera outbreak has landed approximately 50 people in hospital so far. Cholera has been confirmed in one patient. The source of the outbreak is under investigation.
  
• Viet Nam, April 28 – A second person – a 91-year old man – has been diagnosed with cholera in Hanoi. The patient reported eating dog meat, shrimp sauce and raw vegetables.
  

Africa

• Zimbabwe, April 26 – The cumulative tally of cholera victims has reached 97,198; 4,244 of the victims have died.
  
• Somalia, April 20 – Cholera has claimed 5 lives in the town of Bander Bayla, while at least 20 people died of the disease in southern Somalia in a single day (April 14th).
  

Cholera can be treated successfully, if adequate medical facilities are available. More importantly, outbreaks can be prevented, by providing communities with safe drinking water, and with sanitary disposal facilities for human waste.

2008 was the International Year of Sanitation. The World Health Organization partnered with other agencies to promote improvements in sanitation in underdeveloped areas of the world. But it will take many years before these efforts make a significant dent in the problem.

Meanwhile, cholera will continue to follow in the wake of world disasters.

Recall Roundup: April 30 to May 3, 2009

Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals and allergy alerts. 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.

Pistachio Product Recalls

• Klein's Naturals recalls various pistachio products 
  
• Torn & Glasser recalls pistachio products 
  
• Québec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food advises consumers in the province of the recall of the following pistachios: "pistaches salées, Fruiterie au Melon Miel", "Code 126", "pistaches salées, Marché BK, 690 Jean-Talon Ouest", and unbranded pistachios sold at Marché Iberville (Metro) 305 rue Iberville, Repentigny
  

Peanut Butter Outbreak Recalls

• Premier Nutrition recalls of selected ODYSSEY Branded bars containing peanuts
  

United States

• Dietary Supplement Recall: FDA warns consumers to stop using Hydroxycut Products after the dietary supplements are linked to one death. Users of Hydroxycut products are at risk of liver damage. Iovate recalls 14 Hydroxycut products.
  
• Food Safety Alert: Caudill Seed Company, the US distributor of Italian alfalfa seeds implicated epidemiologically in an outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul illnesses in the United States, has withdrawn all alfalfa seeds identified with six digit lot numbers that start with “032".
  
• Food Safety Alert: The California Department of Public Health warns consumers to avoid Hola Pop La Original Lollipop Candy, imported from Mexico, due to the presence of excessive lead levels
  
• Food Safety Recall: Kleen-Pak Foods recalls 10-ounce and 1-pound packages of fresh spinach due to possible Salmonella contamination. The spinach was distributed in Wisconsin, Minnesota and the Chicago area.
  
• Food Safety Recall: Pasta & Co recalls Chinese Vermicelli Salad and Pot Sticker Salad due to possible contamination with Salmonella. The recalled items were made using chili oil recalled by Union International Food Co.
  
• Food Safety Recall: TV Food LLC recalls "Curry Spice" because of possible Salmonella contamination
  

Canada

• Allergy Alert (Québec): Metro Leblanc Marieville recalls three paté products due to the presence of undeclared egg, wheat, soy or sulfites
  
• Allergy Alert (Québec): Boucherie Jacques-St-Pierre (103, 23e rue, St-Rédempteur) recalls three prepared entrées due to the presence of undeclared gluten
  
• Food Safety Recall: Piller's recalls Piller's brand "Taste Better Than Bacon" - Maple Flavoured Smoked Ham - "Taste Better Than Bacon" - Hickory Smoked Turkey Bacon and Lean 'N' Tasty Maple Flavoured Smoked Ham Style Bacon because these products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products were distributed in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland.
  
• Food Safety Recall (Québec): ADAR brand smoked salmon spread (Tartinade Saumon Fumé) recalled due to mislabelling. The product label carries the instruction "keep refrigerated" when it should read "keep frozen".
  

Europe, Including the United Kingdom