Recall Roundup: March 26, 2010

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.

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United States

• Food Safety Alert: Pennsylvania departments of Agriculture and Health advise consumers who purchased raw milk from Pasture Maid Creamery in New Castle, Lawrence County, to discard the product immediately because of potential bacterial contamination. A Department of Agriculture lab found Campylobacter in a recent milk sample taken from the dairy as part of a human illness investigation.
• Food Recall: Food City advises consumers that the manufacturer has recalled Food Club Frozen Whole Strawberries, 16 oz bag.
• Food Safety Alert: The North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services warns consumers, especially pregnant or breastfeeding women, to avoid a folk remedy called “Nzu” or “Calabash clay” because of potential health risks from lead and arsenic.
• Consumer Product Safety Recall: Carolina Biological Supply Co. (Burlington, NC) recalls Carolina Function Generator Kits, a children's educational product made in Canada, because the yellow lids in the kits contain excessive lead.

Canada

• Food Safety Recall: Central Smith Creamery (Peterborough, ON) recalls Wholesome Farms Vanilla Sundae Cups and Wholesome Farms Butterscotch Sundae Cups because the ice cream products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The Sundae Cups were distributed by Sysco Corporation primarily to food service institutions such as restaurants, hospitals, day care centres and nursing homes across Canada.
• Food Safety Advisory: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency warns consumers that some spices and seasonings sold in Canada may contain black and/or red pepper that has been recalled in the USA by Mincing Overseas Spice Company due to possible contamination with Salmonella.

Europe

• Food Safety Product Seizure (Belgium): Belgium's Food Agency has announced the seizure at import of 3120 cans of the energy beverage "Cocaine", because of concerns that the product contains excessive levels of caffeine and vitamins, and is mislabelled.
• Food Safety Recall (Italy): Ursini srl recalls Pestato di Carciofini di Capello (145 grams jars, Lot 56 09, expiration date 30/12/2010) following the report of a confirmed case of botulism and the detection of the toxin of Clostridium botulinum. Investigations of the processing facility are in progress and additional products may be added to the recall.

Australia and New Zealand

• Food Safety Recall (Australia): Thai Ha Public Company Limited and Woolworths Limited recall all outstanding production lots of Home Brand Jasmine Rice (1 Kg plastic bags), because the product may contain metal shavings. The recalled rice was distributed nationally in Australia in Woolworths, Safeway and Food For Less Supermarket stores.
• Food Safety Recall (New Zealand): Progressive Enterprises, Ltd. recalls all outstanding production lots of Home Brand Jasmine Rice (1 Kg plastic bags), because the product may contain metal shavings. The recalled rice was distributed in Food town, Countdown, SuperValue and FreshChoice supermarkets throughout New Zealand.

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
  
• Giant Food LLC
• Gros Cidac (Italy)
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• H-E-B
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Raley's
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Stop & Shop
• Sweetbay Supermarkets
• Target
  
• Top Food & Drug
• 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.