Monday, May 31, 2010

Tony Hayward Suffers Acute Case of Verbal Diarrhea

BP's CEO suggests workers' symptoms may be "food poisoning"

A number of workers who have been laboring to clean up BP's mess in the Gulf of Mexico have been hospitalized due to "... dizziness, headaches, nasal irritation and other respiratory symptoms..." according to a CNN report.

When asked by CNN to comment on whether the illnesses were due to toxicity of the crude oil and of the dispersants being used to break up the giant oil slick, BP CEO Tony Hayward replied,
"I’m sure they were genuinely ill, but whether it had anything to do with dispersants and oil, whether it was food poisoning, or some other reason for them being ill. You know . . . food poisoning is a really big issue when you’ve got a concentration of this many people in . . . temporary accommodations. It’s something we have to be very, very mindful of. It’s one of the big issues of keeping the army operating. Armies march on their stomachs.”

Excuse me? Food poisoning?

When I first studied microbiology (many moons ago), I learned that the most common symptoms of food poisoning included: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach aches, and a low grade fever.

Now, I can understand dizziness and headache as a consequence of spending hours either bent over double or bent over a toilet bowl. But nasal irritation and respiratory symptoms? I don't think so!

Coincidentally, I spent some time yesterday reading the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for the two main dispersants – Corexit EC9500A and Corexit EC9527A – that BP has been spraying over the oil slick. The MSDS for Corexit EC9527A states: "Harmful by inhalation. Repeated or prolonged exposure may irritate the respiratory tract."

And then there are the fumes from the crude oil itself. In its training presentation on oil spill clean-up safety, OSHA warns, "Inhaling oil droplets/ oily particles put into the air during cleanup operations can be irritating to eyes, nose, throat and lungs."

What about workers' complaints that BP has not issued face masks or respirators? According to BP, these are not necessary. The instructions contained in the MSDS and the OSHA material is equivocal.
  • Corexit EC9527A and EC9500A MSDS:- "General ventilation is recommended. Where concentrations in air may exceed the limits given in this section, the use of a half face filter mask or air supplied breathing apparatus is recommended."
  • OSHA says:- "Rarely, respirators ranging from an N-95 to a Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) will be used."
It would appear that BP, the dispersant manufacturers and OSHA rely on the open air and prevailing breezes to keep the respiratory irritants down to a tolerable level. Given the enormous surface area covered by the oil slick, it's hard to believe that even a moderate breeze can do anything more than stir up the fumes. OSHA should insist that BP issue respirators to its clean-up crews.

And BP should place Hayward's "food poisoning" theory on the shelf next to Top Hat, Top Kill, and all of the Company's other failed attempts to staunch the flow of crude oil that continues to billow out of the mangled mass of metal on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico.

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Posted by Phyllis E at Monday, May 31, 2010 0 comments

Outbreaks and Alerts: May 31, 2010

A daily digest of international outbreaks, alerts and food safety news

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.


Europe
  • Sarthe, France. May 29: A group of children and their chaperones were taken ill with food poisoning while traveling on the autoroute in a school bus en route from Lot in the direction of Tours. The bus stopped at the side of the highway at 2 a.m. Thirty-nine people, including 5 chaperones, were hospitalized in Mans. As of May 29th, one girl remained in hospital under observation.


Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Kampala, Uganda. May 29: Two people in a suburb of Kampala have been hospitalized with cholera. There have now been three confirmed cases of cholera reported in the last two weeks.
  • Navosa, Fiji. May 30: In spite of official reports of 25 confirmed cases of typhoid and an additional 50 suspected cases, and despite the Health Ministry having sent notices to hotels on the Coral Coast, hotels in this part of Fiji have declared "business as usual."



Posted by Phyllis E at Monday, May 31, 2010 0 comments
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Temperance, Tea Parties, and Raw Milk

“Never again will any political party ignore the protests of the church and the moral forces of the state.”
-Wayne B. Wheeler, as quoted in Smithsonian, May 2010*


The godfather of prohibition did not wait until he had a majority behind his cause when he began his Temperance crusade. He did it – according to Daniel Okrent’s illuminating article in the May 2010 issue of Smithsonian – with minorities.

Wheeler focused on elections in districts where just a few percentage points separated the candidates, and mustered the temperance vote behind candidates who promised to support prohibition. His small groups of committed voters often were enough to swing close elections. Wayne Wheeler may not have invented pressure groups, but he was the first to use them effectively to gain a specific political objective in the face of a majority that was either opposed – or indifferent – to his aims.

The Tea Party movement has benefited from Wayne Wheeler’s lessons. Its members are among the most conservative elements of the US population. They represent the political opinion of a minority of the country’s citizens. They are, arguably, a minority even within the Republican Party. Yet this relatively small group of people has had a significant impact on the current round of election primary results – and on the policies of established politicians, including former Presidential candidate and self-proclaimed maverick, John McCain.


Then there’s raw milk.

The great majority of US consumers are either opposed – or indifferent – to legalizing retail sale of raw milk. Yet through the actions of a minority of committed consumers, raw milk can be purchased legally in 29 states. The number may be growing as raw milk advocates continue to refine the lessons taught by Wheeler’s temperance movement.

Earlier this month, supporters of raw milk fought successfully against a Massachusetts effort to place restrictions on raw milk “buying clubs” in that state. The movement also came within a whisker of achieving their goal in Wisconsin. A recent 1bill to legalize raw milk sales in the Dairy State was vetoed by Governor Jim Doyle.

The stated goal of the raw milk movement is to make retail sale of raw milk legal in all 50 states. Despite the occasional setback, they are well on the way to achieving that objective.


And the food safety movement?

Ask any consumer whether he or she supports food safety, and the answer will be “yes.” Why, then, has it been so difficult to achieve reform of our food safety system? I believe that the answer lies in the temperance, tea party and raw milk movements.

An omnibus food safety bill like S510 dilutes the message. It gets bogged down, and ends up taking a back seat to more politically pressing legislation. Eventually, it dies, because food safety isn’t glamorous.

We need to define our goals, rank them by priority, and tackle them one by one, district by district, and state by state.

Is mandatory recall authority for FDA and USDA our number one priority? If so, let’s promote a bill that tackles this single item, and swing our votes in favor of candidates who agree with us.

Do we want USDA to define all raw beef as adulterated if it contains Salmonella, Campylobacter, STEC E. coli, or any other human pathogen? Then we must craft a bill that focuses on this one issue.

Do we want to see true Country of Origin labeling for all food ingredients? That, too, should be a stand-alone bill.

The only way to achieve our food safety legislative goals is one step at a time – just like the temperance movement, just like the Tea Party activists. And just like the raw milk advocates.

Daniel Okrent’s article on Wayne Wheeler and the temperance movement should be required reading for all food safety advocates.

*Okrent, Daniel. “The Man Who Turned Off The Taps.” In: Smithsonian, pp. 30-37. May, 2010.


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Posted by Phyllis E at Monday, May 31, 2010 0 comments
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Recall Roundup: May 31, 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.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.


United States
  • Allergy Alert: Better Made Snack Foods (Detroit, MI) recalls Better Made 3-ounce Original Potato Sticks (Expiry date: July 23rd) because it may contain undeclared dairy. The recalled product is distributed to local stores in Michigan.


Europe


Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


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



Posted by Phyllis E at Monday, May 31, 2010 0 comments
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Saturday, May 29, 2010

Outbreaks and Alerts: May 29, 2010

A daily digest of international outbreaks, alerts and food safety news

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.


United States
  • Baton Rouge, LA. May 28: Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals closes oyster harvesting bed areas 2 and 3 in response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf.
  • Pineville, LA. May 29: Chicken salad contaminated with Clostridium perfringens was to blame for an outbreak of foodborne illness that sickened more than 40 people and killed three patients at Central Louisiana State Hospital in Pineville earlier this month.


Europe
  • France. May 28: The L'institut de veille sanitaire reports a nationwide outbreak of salmonellosis (Salmonella 4,12 :i :-), which has sickened 88 people (ranging in age from 1 to 89 years) in 49 départements since March 15th. At least 18 of the outbreak victims were hospitalized, but have since been released. The outbreak has been traced to the consumption of LOU MONTAGNARD Saucisses sèches droites nature La Pause Auvergnate (Lot #040020900), which was manufactured by Salaisons du Lignon and sold in Intermarché, Ecomarché, Netto et Relais des Mousquetaires supermarkets throughout France and in Intermarché and Ecomarché supermarkets in Belgium. The implicated sausage has been recalled by the manufacturer.
  • Poland. May 29: Flooding due to heavy rains has resulted in contamination of water pipes and wells in the Mazowsze region in central Poland and along the German-Polish border, raising the risk of waterborne illness in the affected regions.


Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Bangalore, India. May 29: Twenty-three girls from the New Life Centre orphanage were admitted to hospital on Thursday, complaining of diarrhea and nausea, after drinking water directly from the tap at the orphanage. Thirteen were discharged the next day. Cholera was feared, but lab tests did not confirm the presence of Vibrio cholerae in the water supply.


Australia and New Zealand


Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Chocó, Colombia. May 29: At least 140 people are believed to be suffering from symptoms that include cough, diarrhea, vomiting and fever. The source and cause are unknown.
  • Mexico City, Mexico. May 29: The Instituto Nacional de Migración has denied earlier reports of an outbreak of salmonellosis among migrants in its Tapachula immigration station. The journalist who reported the original story has asked to visit one of the stations in order to ascertain conditions first-hand.


Posted by Phyllis E at Saturday, May 29, 2010 0 comments
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Recall Roundup: May 29, 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.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.


United States
  • OTC Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: Blacksmith Brands, Inc. recalls all lots of four children's products in the PediaCare line. These products were manufactured for Blacksmith Brands by McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc., (a Johnson & Johnson Company) at McNeil's Fort Washington, PA plant and sold exclusively in the United States, including in Publix and Wegman's supermarket stores.
  • Food Recall/Product Withdrawal: Food City advises its customers that Food Club Kosher Dill Spears 24 oz Jar has been recalled/withdrawn by the manufacturer.


Canada
  • Food Safety Recall: Loblaw Companies Limited recalls all lot codes of President's Choice® Baked by You(TM) Roasted Garlic Bread with the UPC number 0 60383 80497 8 because the product may contain a metal holding pin. A holding pin may have come dislodged from a processing machine specific to the product during production. The affected product is sold in a 320g package and has a UPC number of 0 60383 80497 8. Customers can return the Garlic Bread to any Loblaw's store for a full refund.


Europe
  • Allergy Alert (United Kingdom): Northern Ireland consumers with a sensitivity to sulphites are advised to avoid eating Lundys Fine Foods' sausages (484g pkgs; 'use by dates' up to and including 7 June 2010), because the product contains undeclared sulphites. The product has been put on hold until labelling has been corrected.
  • Food Safety Recall (Belgium): La société Salaisons du Lignon recalls Lou Mountagnard Saucisse sèche droite nature La Pause Auvergnate (220g., Lot #040020900), because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled item was sold in Intermarché and Ecomarché stores. This dried sausage was imported from France and has been linked to an outbreak of Salmonella illnesses in that country.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Aktieselskabet Beauvais recalls all production lots of Pastella Creamy Pasta Sauce in variants Tomato & Chilli and Carbonara (170g pkg; prepared for Beauvais by Gala Food A/S) due to air formation (swelling) in the packages. The swelling is thought to be due to excessive numbers of lactic acid bacteria, which could lead to alteration in smell and taste and a shortened shelf life for the products.


Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Food Safety Recall (Saudi Arabia): NESTLE recalls Nescafé Collection instant –coffee products due to the possible presence of small glass fragments in the coffee powders. All 100g containers of Alta Rica, Alta Rica Decaff. Cap Colombie, Espresso, and Suraya varieties are affected.


Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


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



Posted by Phyllis E at Saturday, May 29, 2010 0 comments
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Friday, May 28, 2010

Outbreaks and Alerts: May 28, 2010

A daily digest of international outbreaks, alerts and food safety news

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.


United States
  • Baton Rouge, LA. May 26: Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals announced the closure of oyster harvesting bed Area 28 as a response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf.
  • Frankfort, KY. May 26: Two beef cattle in a Fleming County herd have tested positive for bovine tuberculosis. Authorities are waiting on the results of tests on a third animal. None of the three animals entered the food supply.
  • Idaho. May 26: Five cases of salmonellosis are under investigation in the state and may be linked to the multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Newport that has been blamed on contaminated alfalfa sprouts.
  • Richmond, VA. May 27: Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is investigating cases of mercury exposure linked to a homemade “skin lightening” cream imported from Mexico. Ten people, including both children and adults, have shown laboratory evidence of exposure to excess mercury and are being evaluated for health effects from the cream.
  • Atlanta, GA. May 27: CDC reports that J.H. Caldwell and Sons Inc.'s raw alfalfa sprouts contaminated with Salmonella Newport are responsible for 28 confirmed cases of salmonellosis in 10 states.
  • Silver Spring, MD. May 27: FDA warns consumers not to purchase or use a product called “Arrow Brand Medicated Oil & Embrocation,” also labeled as “Aceite Medicinal La Flecha (Spanish) or “箭嘜驅風油 (Mandarin).” The product is potentially toxic and contains two substances, methyl salicylate and camphor, which are poisonous when ingested. Preliminary tests indicate that it may also contain a third toxic ingredient – diethylene glycol (antifreeze).
  • Olympia, WA. May 27: Two recent infections with toxin-producing E. coli O157) have been identified in Washington residents who drank raw, unpasteurized milk produced by Jackie’s Jersey Milk in Whatcom County.
  • Mississippi. May 28: Botulism Associated with the Consumption of Home Canned Beets—A Case Report
  • Baton Rouge, LA. May 28: The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals announced that it will reopen oyster harvesting area 9, 19, 21, 22 and 23.

Canada
  • Salt Spring Island, BC. May 26: Norovirus-like illness has been reported on Salt Spring, and the Vancouver Island Health Authority is warning residents to pay special attention to careful hand-washing in order to limit the spread of the virus.


Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Hong Kong. May 27: The Centre for Health Protection reports that a 10-month old girl living in Tuen Mun has been confirmed to be infected with E. coli O157:H7. The child, who is a family member of the girl who was confirmed with E. coli O157:H7 bacteria on May 20, is the third person to be confirmed infected with E. coli O157:H7 in Hong Kong during 2010.
  • Hong Kong. May 27: The Department of Health (DH) alerts the public to the potential rare occurrences of severe liver injury in patients taking weight-loss medicines containing orlistat; namely, Xenical, Zerocal and Alli.
  • Turkana South District, Kenya. May 27: Two people are said to have died of cholera and "scores of others" have been admitted to hospital in the district. The outbreak is blamed on storm-related flooding and poor hygiene.
  • Dahod, India. May 28: Fourteen villages in the area have been affected by cholera. More than 80 people have been admitted to the community health centre for treatment.
  • Navosa, Fiji. May 28: The Health Ministry has sent a notice to hotel owners in the coastal areas to take precaution after the state of Public Health Emergency was imposed yesterday due to an outbreak of typhoid in Navosa. As of today, there are 20 confirmed cases of the disease; and additional 100 people are suspected of being infected with Salmonella Typhi.


Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Aguascalientes, Mexico. May 27: The Institute of Health in Aguascalientes (ISEA), reported that it has detected an outbreak of Hepatitis A involving 19 children in the municipality of Calvillo. All of the infected children attend the Adolfo Lopez Mateos primary school.
  • Chiapas, Mexico. May 27: At least ten Central American migrants who are detained at the immigration station Siglo XXI National Migration Institute (INM) in Tapachula, fell seriously ill in an outbreak of Salmonella detected from on 19 May.
  • Chile, May 27: After two months of speculation, the Public Health Institute (ISP) confirmed that the norovirus outbreak that affected about 30,000 people in the region had its origin in the treated wastewater that Bayes SA sold to farmers in La Chimba.



Posted by Phyllis E at Friday, May 28, 2010 0 comments
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Recall Roundup: May 28, 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.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.


United States
  • Allergy Alert: Wally's Nut House, LLC (Oak Grove, MO) recalls its 16 ounce packages of Tailgate Crunch Mix, Sweet Cajun Heat Mix, Country Western Mix, Cranberry Raisin Mix, Party Mix, Hot 'n Spicy Mix, and Louisiana Cajun Mix snack mixes because they may contain undeclared milk, soy, and/or wheat. The recalled snacks were sold through fundraising events in Kansas and Missouri and through mail order nationwide
  • Food Safety Recall: organicgirl Produce recalls 336 cases of 10 oz organicgirl Baby Spinach with an expired Use-by Date of May 22 and Product Code 11A061167 after Salmonella is found in a random sample test collected and conducted by a third-party laboratory for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The recalled spinach was sold in Alabama, North Carolina, Oregon, Wisconsin, Arizona and California.
  • Food Safety Recall: Aaron Industries recalls all lots and codes of Our Family Electrolyte products because of leaking packaging. The recalled items were sold in Buehlers stores.
  • Cosmetics Product Safety Warning: FDA warns consumers not to purchase or use a product called “Arrow Brand Medicated Oil & Embrocation,” also labeled as “Aceite Medicinal La Flecha (Spanish) or “箭嘜驅風油 (Mandarin).” The product is potentially toxic and contains two substances, methyl salicylate and camphor, which are poisonous when ingested or when applied to a large area of the skin. FDA's preliminary lab analysis indicates that the product may also contain diethylene glycol (antifreeze), which is toxic if ingested. The products are sold primarily on the Internet and in specialty stores that serve Asian and Latino communities. The FDA is asking retailers to remove the product from store shelves.


Canada
  • Consumer Product Safety Recall: Canasia Toys & Gifts Inc. (Vaughan, ON) recalls various pieces of children's jewellery because metallic pieces on the jewellery items contain lead in excess of federal standards. The jewellery was manufactured in China and sold across Canada.

Europe


Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Diet Supplement Safety Recall (Hong Kong): The Department of Health warns consumers not to buy or use four slimming products which are found to contain the undeclared Western medicine ingredients phenolphthalein and sibutramine that may cause serious side-effects.The products concerned are 苦瓜清脂減肥膠囊, Miyura Fit'x Capsules, and two unknown capsules - an orange and white capsule, and a pearl-white capsule.


Australia and New Zealand
  • Food Safety Recall (Australia): Borgo Smallgoods Co. recalls Friulano Salame, Lismore Salame and Casalingo Salame, sold in various weights in natural casings with Best Before dates of 30 AUG 10 and 06 SEP 10, because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella bovismorbificans. The recalled salame products were sold only in Queensland.




Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


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



Posted by Phyllis E at Friday, May 28, 2010 0 comments
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Thursday, May 27, 2010

Defensive Dining

How to enjoy a safe summer salad

We've been reminded recently – in case we had forgotten – that salad greens and sprouts can harbor dangerous bacteria.

Earlier this month, CDC reported an E. coli O145 outbreak linked to shredded romaine lettuce. That outbreak, which has been declared over, affected as many as 33 people in five states.

As I write, CDC is monitoring an outbreak of Salmonella Newport that has been tied to contaminated alfalfa sprouts. The sprout-related outbreak has sickened 28 people in 10 states. That number will likely rise as states work to confirm additional suspect cases. Idaho, alone, is investigating an additional five illnesses that may be part of this outbreak.

In addition to these outbreaks, Fresh Express has recalled several Romaine-based ready-to-eat salads after Salmonella was detected by FDA in a sample of Fresh Express Hearts of Romaine Salad with a use by date of May 15. And organicgirl Produce announced today the recall of limited number of cases of 10 oz organicgirl Baby Spinach with an expired Use-by Date of May 22 and Product Code 11A061167 after a third-party lab, working on behalf of FDA, found Salmonella in a sample of the Baby Spinach.

The problem of contaminated sprouts and salad greens is not limited to North America. Europe has had its share of problems, too. For example, lettuce imported from France was the likely source of a Danish Norovirus outbreak in January of this year.

As consumers rely more and more on pre-washed, pre-packaged, ready-to-eat salads, the number of outbreaks of food-borne disease caused by contaminated lettuce, spinach and sprouts increases in lockstep.

There is a cheap and easy way to minimize the risk of getting sick from eating a salad. Relying on organic products is not the answer. Irradiating our salad greens is not the answer.

The answer is simple. Buy unwashed, unpackaged lettuce, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, and other salad fixings and wash them yourself.

And omit the raw sprouts.


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Posted by Phyllis E at Thursday, May 27, 2010 5 comments
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Recall Roundup: May 27, 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.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.


United States
  • Food Safety Recall: OM Seafood Co. (Portland, OR) recalls all Oregon razor clams distributed by OM Seafood Company in 2010 (harvested from Clatsop Beach, OR), because the razor clams were received from a firm not listed on the ICSSL (Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers List). Additionally, Clatsop Beaches are not certified by the state of Oregon for interstate commerce. The clams were distributed to Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Tennessee, and Missouri. Any unused clams should be destroyed and discarded.


Canada
  • Food Safety Recall (Update): Canadian Food Inspection Agency has corrected some information contained in its Fresh Express Romaine-based Salads Health Hazard Alert.
  • Health Products Safety Alert: Health Canada has seized a number of unauthorized health products being offered for sale at YVS (Your Vitamin Store) in Metrotown, Burnaby, British Columbia.


Europe
  • Allergy Alert (Republic of Ireland): Sausages manufactured for Lundy Fine Foods, Ballina, Co. Mayo have been found to contain sulphur dioxide, which was undeclared on the original label. All use by dates up until 6th June 2010 are affected. Lundy is correcting the problem by providing temporary labels to declare the presence of sulphur dioxide.
  • Allergy Alert (Republic of Ireland): Castle Snack Food Distribution, Kilkenny recalls Suncrop Yogurt Raisins (Batch No 1070412, Best before date 15/03/2011. Bag size: 170g.) due to the presence of undeclared egg.
  • Allergy Alert (Denmark): Kraft Foods Denmark recalls Kraft Thousand Island Classic Dressing (380ml; Best before 26/12/2010) due to the presence of undeclared mustard powder.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Galla Food A/S recalls Egelykke Chicken Salad (Best before 02.06.2010, 07.06.2010 and 10.06.2010) because the product shows signs of having fermented.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Scan-Food recalls imported salt-marinated chicken breast fillets (4 x 2.5Kg cartons; Expiry February 2011) because of Salmonella contamination.
  • Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Skare Meat Packer recalls ground beef (Best before 09/03 2010 and 03/10 2010) because of Salmonella contamination.
  • Food Safety Recall (Finland): Delivet Ltd. recalls Dr. Chen Patika Virgin Tea Neitsytteekapselit (pack size 80 x 500 g, best before 201 209) because the product contains an irradiated ingredient.
  • Food Safety Recall (France): Casino recalls Casino Saveurs d'Ailleurs Chili con Carne Riz blanc et riz sauvage (300g; Expiry date of 05/01/2011) because the product may contain metallic particles. The recalled item was sold in Géant, Hyper Casino, Supermarché Casino, Petit Casino, Spar et Vival stores.
  • Food Safety Recall (France): Casino recalls Haricots Verts Extra-Fins Bio (720 mL jar; Expiry date of 31/08/2013) because the product may contain metallic particles. The recalled item was sold in Géant, Hyper Casino, Supermarché Casino, Petit Casino, Spar et Viva stores.
  • Food Safety Recall (United Kingdom): The Co-operative Group recalls all batch codes of four Truly Irresistible pasta sauces in 340g jars, due to possible contamination with small pieces of glass.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0652): Mercury in chilled skin-on tuna loins from Ecuador; distributed in France and Italy.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0653): Listeria monocytogenes in smoked salmon and smoked trout from Poland; distributed in France.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0654): Listeria monocytogenes in smoked Norwegian salmon from Spain; distributed in Spain.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0655): Salmonella infantis in frozen kebab meat from Germany; distributed in France.
  • Food Supplement Safety Notification (EU #2010.0656): Unauthorised substance sildenafil thiono analogue in food supplement from Estonia; distributed in the Czech Republic.
  • Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0657): Histamine in canned mackerel (Scomber Japonicus) from Argentina; distributed in Bulgaria.



Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket's recall web site.


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



Posted by Phyllis E at Thursday, May 27, 2010 0 comments
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Outbreaks and Alerts: May 27, 2010

A daily digest of international outbreaks, alerts and food safety news

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please click here or submit your request using the sidebar link. Please include "subscribe eFoodAlert" in the subject line.


United States
  • Miami, FL. May 26: Miami-Dade health department is testing 85 employees of a Chili's restaurant after a cook at the restaurant tested positive for typhoid fever. The cook was contagious at the time he was working in the restaurant kitchen. The health department has alerted area doctors to watch for possible cases of typhoid.
  • Minnesota. May 26: The Minnesota Department of Health and Department of Agriculture report that three cases of E. coli O157:H7 have been traced to the consumption of raw milk from the Hartmann Dairy Farm (also known as M.O.M.'s) in Gibbon, MN. The state is continuing to investigate a cluster of four cases of E. coli O157:H7, including one case of hemolytic uremic syndrome. Three of those cases report a link to milk from Hartmann Dairy Farm.
  • Chico, CA. May 26: Butte County Public Health is investigating 7 cases of Salmonella gastroenteritis reported since May 14th. All seven victims are from Chico; three of them have been hospitalized. The source of the illnesses is not yet known.


Canada
  • Hanover, ON. May 27: Hanover and District Hospital continues to struggle with an outbreak of Clostridium difficile that has contributed to nine deaths at the hospital so far.


Europe
  • Urae, Russia. May 27: Seventeen children and 8 teachers from Secondary School No. 5 were taken to hospital on the night of May 19th with symptoms that were diagnosed as staphylococcal food poisoning.


Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands
  • Hong Kong. May 26: Department of Health alerts the public to the possible increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine with high doses or long-term use of a class of medications called proton pump inhibitors, which are used in the treatment of conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, stomach and small intestine ulcers and inflammation of the esophagus. The US Food and Drug Administration released a similar warning on May 25th.
  • Navosa, Fiji. May 27: 80 people are believed to be affected by an outbreak of typhoid fever. Health authorities are examining various means of containing the outbreak, including a temporary ban on travel into and out of the area, stopping public gatherings, and banning the selling of cooked foods in schools and other public places. So far this year, Fiji has recorded 263 cases of typhoid.


Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Arequipa, Peru. May 27: Residents and merchants are worried about raw sewage being deposited in pools by a Metropolitan slaughterhouse.
  • Tegucigalpa, Honduras. May 27: The number of patients presenting with acute diarrhea at Maternal and Child Hospital has doubled in recent days from 8/day on average to 15-20 per day. The Pediatrics Department is conducting tests to determine whether the illnesses are due to rotavirus or Norovirus.


Posted by Phyllis E at Thursday, May 27, 2010 0 comments
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