eFoodAlert.com: Recalls and Alerts: July 19, 2011

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Here is today's list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals, allergy alerts and miscellaneous compliance issues. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

United States

Food Safety Recall Update: USDA releases retail distribution list for imported ready-to-eat smoked duck breast products that were recalled by Palmex, Inc. (Champlain, NY) due to possible Salmonella contamination.

Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: American Regent recalls Calcium Gluconate Injection, USP, 10%, 100 mL Pharmacy Bulk Package (Lot #1006, Expiration Date: January 2013, NDC # 0517-3900-25), because some of the vials may contain silicone particles.

FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Punjab Trading, Inc. (Auburn, WA) that a February 2011 inspection of the company's food storage and processing facility revealed serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations for manufacturing, packing, or holding human food.

Boil Water Order (Florida): Residents of Sunrise, Weston, Southwest Ranches and parts of Davie are told to boil water for one minute, as E. coli was found in a Sunrise city well.

Food/Water Safety Advisory (New Jersey): The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has issued a reminder that harvesting blue claw crabs from the waters of the Lower Passaic River and Newark Bay is prohibited, as scientists have found that crabs from those waters continue to show harmful levels of cancer-causing dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), as well as other contaminants, including mercury.

Dietary Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0965): Unauthorized sildenafil thiono analogues, tadalafil and vardenafil in various food supplements from China; distributed to Andorra, Germany, Italy, Panama, Spain and the USA.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Salamina Inc. recalls Bacon and Back Bacon Topping (5 Kg; Codes 179185 and 172187), due to the presence of undeclared soy. The recalled product was distributed to hotels, restaurants, and institutional customers in Ontario and Quebec.

Allergy Alert: KO & C Enterprises Ltd. recalls Yuh Ming Dried Marinated Mustard (70g), due to the presence of undeclared sulphites. The recalled product was sold in retail stores in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.

Outbreak Alert (Ontario): A patient at Welland Hospital has become the 23rd fatality in an outbreak of Clostridium difficile, which has plagued the Niagara region since May 28th. At least 20 of the 23 patient deaths were due to hospital-acquired C. difficile infections.

Europe

Cosmetic Product Safety Recall (France): Casino Famili recalls Casino Famili brand hair care cream with shea butter, due to bacteriological contamination. The recalled product was sold in Casino supermarkets.

Food Safety Notification Update (EU #2011.0884): Salmonella spp. in mild paprika from Spain, via Belgium; distributed to Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Martinique, Morocco, Netherlands and Sweden.

Food Withdrawal (Denmark): Dansk Supermarked withdraws ATCO Almonds (200g, 500g and 1000g packs; imported from Germany; all lots with package date of 03.03.2011 onwards), due to traces of moths in the bags of almonds.

Outbreak Alert (UK-Northern Ireland): Seven cases of Clostridium difficile have been reported in the South Eastern Trust area, including one case of the virulent 027 strain at Ulster Hospital. There also has been an outbreak of Norovirus at the Ulster Hospital, with up to 50 patients and staff having been affected with vomiting and diarrhea.

Outbreak Alert (Ukraine): As of July 16th, 23 cases of Vibrio cholerae (O1 serogroup, El Tor biovar, serovar Ogawa) have been reported in Mariupol. The city is maintaining a ban on swimming and fishing in the Azov sea and in local rivers.

Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0960): Aflatoxins in roasted rice flour from India, via the United Kingdom; distributed to Germany.

Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0961): Glass fragments in banana based baby food from Spain; distributed to France.

Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0964): Salmonella in frozen marinated chicken breast fillets from Brazil, via Portugal; distributed to the United Kingdom.

Dietary Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0965): Unauthorized sildenafil thiono analogues, tadalafil and vardenafil in various food supplements from China; distributed to Andorra, Germany, Italy, Panama, Spain and the USA.

Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0966): Plastic fragments in biscuits from Italy; distributed to Belgium.

Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0967): Salmonella in spiced and marinated chicken meat from Brazil; distributed to the Netherlands.

Pet Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0968): Salmonella Agona in dog chew from Germany; distributed to Austria.

Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0969): Salmonella in spiced marinated chicken meat from Brazil; distributed to the Netherlands.

Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0970): Moths in almonds from Germany; distributed to Denmark.

Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0971): Parasitic infestation with Anisakis of chilled hake from Spain; distributed to Italy.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (Hong Kong): The Department of Health orders GlaxoSmithKline Limited to recall Augmentin 375mg tablets, because samples of the product were found to contain the plasticizers DIDP, DEHP and DINP.

Food Safety Notification Update (EU #2011.0884): Salmonella spp. in mild paprika from Spain, via Belgium; distributed to Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Martinique, Morocco, Netherlands and Sweden.

Food Safety Alert/Recall (Saudi Arabia): The Saudi Food & Drug Authority warns the public not to consume Dunya potable drinking water, produced by Wadi Al Heniya Factory for Health Water, after lab analysis shows that the water contains bromate in excess of maximum allowed limits.

Food Safety Enforcement Action (Korea): The Korea Food & Drug Administration has taken legal action against two companies who used illegal food preservatives in their products.

Outbreak Alert (PRC): China reports 2,658 cases of food poisoning in the second quarter, and 29 deaths. Bacterial causes of food poisoning accounted for 1,744 of the illnesses in the quarter.

Outbreak Alert (Thailand): The Udon Thani Provincial Health Office reports 16,851 cases of diarrhea in the province since the beginning of 2011.

Outbreak Alert (Israel): Twenty Palestinian prisoners were treated for food poisoning at a Negev prison.

Outbreak Alert (India): Two people died of typhoid recently in the city of Ahmedabad.

Australia and New Zealand

Dietary Supplement Safety Alert: Food Standards Australia New Zealand advises the public not to consume two coffee products - Sexpresso and Rock Hard - as the products contain variations (analogues) of Viagra (sildenafil).

Latin America and the Caribbean

Food Safety Notification Update (EU #2011.0884): Salmonella spp. in mild paprika from Spain, via Belgium; distributed to Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Martinique, Morocco, Netherlands and Sweden.

Dietary Food Safety Notification (EU #2011.0965): Unauthorized sildenafil thiono analogues, tadalafil and vardenafil in various food supplements from China; distributed to Andorra, Germany, Italy, Panama, Spain and the USA.

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.