Canadian Sprout Recall Widens Again

August 27, 2009

The discovery of additional production batches of Salmonella-contaminated onion sprouts is behind the recall notice that was issued late yesterday by Living Foods, Ltd. (Innisfail, AB), according to information given to eFoodAlert by Food Safety and Recall Specialist Garfield Balsom, of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency ("CFIA").

The August 26th recall announcement covers Sprouts Alive Baby Onion Sprouts and Sprouts Alive Alfalfa & Onion Sprouts with best before dates of August 29 to September 11, 2009, inclusive. The recalled sprouts were available in Alberta, and may also have been distributed in British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

CFIA is continuing to investigate Living Food's sprouting operation, Mr. Balsom told us. Agency investigators have been checking the production environment, the most recent batch of seeds used for sprouting, and finished batches of onion sprouts for evidence of Salmonella. So far, only the finished sprouts have proven to contain Salmonella.

The investigation was triggered by 13 Salmonella Cubana infections that occurred between mid-May and late July of this year. Seven of the victims were from Alberta, five from Ontario and one from British Columbia. Several of the outbreak victims mentioned having consumed raw onion sprouts. As we reported yesterday, the outbreak strain of Salmonella Cubana was discovered in a sample of onion sprouts produced by Sunsprout Natural Foods (Brantford, ON).

Salmonella also was recovered from a sample of the seeds drawn from the batch that was supplied to both Living Foods and Sunsprout. The contaminated lot of seeds, which was imported from the United States, has been recalled, according to Mr. Balsom. The name of the seed supplier was released.

The onion sprout products that were recalled on August 25th and August 26th by Living Foods were grown from a different batch of seeds. As many of the lab results are still pending, we don't yet know whether Living Foods' on-going contamination problem is due to the new batch of seeds, or whether the production environment is now contaminated.

CFIA should have a clearer picture of the situation within the next few days. Meanwhile, it would be reasonable to expect the company to suspend their sprouting activities, and to carry out a comprehensive cleaning and sanitation of the entire production area before sprouting another onion seed.

Recall Roundup: August 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.

United States

• Food Recall: Price Chopper recalls Price Chopper brand Apple Juice (UPC #41735-00960; 1 gal; Lot #1129ct89-2; Best Before 07/20/2010) due to concerns about the taste.

Canada

• Allergy Alert: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency advises that certain Lotte brand snack foods, imported from Korea, contain one or more undeclared allergens and have been recalled by the importer. The recalled snack foods are known to have been sold in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, and may also have been distributed in other parts of Canada.
• Food Safety Recall: Living Foods Ltd. (Innisfail, AB) expands its earlier recalls to include all batches of Sprouts Alive Baby Onion Sprouts and Sprouts Alive Alfalfa and Onion Sprouts identified by best before dates of August 29, 2009 to September 11, 2009 inclusive, due to Salmonella contamination.
• Food Safety Recall: Essentiellement Sol (3870, rue Ontario est, Montréal, QC) recalls several food items sold in hermetically sealed 750mL glass containers, because the products were not processed in a manner that would ensure microbiological safety.

Europe

• Allergy Alert (Belgium): L'Agence Fédérale pour la Sécurité de la Chaine Alimentaire (AFSCA) advises consumers that the manufacturer of BÖHME ANANAS CREME-SCHOKOLADE (Böhme Banana Cream Chocolate) has recalled Lot #L9113 due to the presence of undeclared milk in the chocolate. The German-made chocolates were distributed in Brussels and in the German-speaking areas of Belgium, and may also have been sold elsewhere in Europe.

Australia & New Zealand

• Food Safety Recall (Australia-Update): Bruny Island Cheese Co. recalls Saint, Oen, ODO, Otto, and 1792 solft cheeses (all whole units of approx 200g; Best Before dates between September 1, 2009 to October 13, 2009) due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled soft cheeses were distributed in Tasmania only.

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
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• H-E-B
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Stop & Shop
• Sweetbay Supermarkets
• 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: August 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

• Product Recall: Food City advises that Kid's Multi-Vitamin 30 count has been recalled. No details are given.
• Insulin Safety Alert (Update): FDA reminds diabetics who use long-acting insulin Levemir made by Novo Nordisk Inc. that stolen vials of this insulin brand may still be on the market. Levemir users should check their supply of insulin for lot numbers XZF0036, XZF0037, and XZF0038, which were stolen in North Carolina earlier this year. Only 2% of the stolen 129,000 vials have been recovered so far.

Canada

• Food Safety Recall: Delstar Foods Inc. (Montréal, QC) recalls certain Delstar and Compliments brand ready-to-eat deli meats due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The recalled meat beef products were distributed in the province of Québec.
• Food Safety Recall: Living Foods Ltd. (Innisfail, AB) recalls Sprouts Alive brand Baby Onion Sprouts (70 g; UPC #0 69022 00032 0; Best Before September 4, 2009) after Salmonella is found in a sample of the product.

Europe

• Food Safety Alert (UK): The UK Food Standards Agency warns consumers to avoid certain clay-based brands of drinks due to unsafe levels of arsenic and lead in the beverages.

Australia & New Zealand

• Food Safety Recall (Australia): Bruny Island Cheese Company (Tasmania) recalls all soft cheeses and suspends production after Listeria monocytogenes is found in two separate batches of its soft cheese.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific

• Food Safety Recall (Singapore): M/s Lam Hock Leong Trading Company recalls two Chinese wine products after Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore detects excessive levels of methanol.

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
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• H-E-B
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Stop & Shop
• Sweetbay Supermarkets
• 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.

BREAKING NEWS: Sprouts Confirmed Source of Canadian Salmonella Outbreak

August 26, 2009

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency ("CFIA") has confirmed that the Salmonella that was recovered from a Sprouts Alive onion sprout product grown by Sunsprout Natural Foods (Brantford, ON) matches the genetic fingerprint of the Salmonella Cubana strain that sickened 13 Canadians between April 15th and July 26th, 2009.

Garfield Balsom, a Food Safety and Recall Specialist with CFIA, also told eFoodAlert today that Sprouts Alive brand onion sprouts recalled by Living Foods Ltd. (Innisfail, AB) on August 19th were linked epidemiologically to cases of salmonellosis. But the agency has not yet received either serotyping or genetic fingerprinting results on the Salmonella that was recovered from the Alberta-produced sprouts.

The recalled Ontario- and Alberta-produced onion sprouts were grown from the same batch of seeds.

The seeds, which were imported from the United States according to Mr. Balsom, are under investigation. So far, however, Salmonella has not been detected in samples from the implicated batch of seeds. CFIA and the Public Health Agency of Canada are in communication with FDA, which is cooperating in the investigation.

Late yesterday, Living Foods Ltd. announced a second recall of Sprouts Alive brand Baby Onion Sprouts (Best Before September 4, 2009) due to Salmonella contamination. No illnesses have been associated directly with these sprouts, which were produced using a different batch of seeds. Detailed serotyping and genetic fingerprinting of the Salmonella isolate is in progress.

If Salmonella is recovered from either batch of sprouting seeds, a cross-border recall is likely to follow. Meanwhile, our previous warning to consumers is still very much in force:

Avoid Raw Onion Sprouts

Salmonella Cubana Now In British Columbia

August 24, 2009

Salmonella Cubana, which has infected seven Albertans and five Ontario residents, also has infected one person in British Columbia, according to a report released earlier today by the BC Center for Disease Control.

All 13 cases of salmonellosis have been linked tentatively to Sprouts Alive brand onion sprout products, which were produced in Alberta by Living Foods Ltd. and in Ontario by Sunsprout Natural Foods. While the presence of Salmonella in the sprouts has been confirmed, the Canadian government has not yet announced whether or not the strain that they found is a genetic match for the Salmonella Cubana outbreak strain isolated from the 13 victims.

Sprouts Alive onion sprout products were recalled by Living Foods and Sunsprout Natural Foods earlier this month due to Salmonella contamination. A contaminated batch of seeds that was supplied to both sprout processors is being blamed for the Salmonella-contaminated batches of onion sprouts.

There has been no indication of where the contaminated onion seeds originated, where they were distributed, or whether their distribution was limited to Canada.

Recall Roundup: August 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

• Allergy Alert: Cleopatra Candy Inc. (1135 E 95th Street, Brooklyn, NY) recalls “Cleopatra Candy” Mixed Nuts due to the presence of undeclared sulfites. The recalled product, which is distributed in metropolitan New York and New Jersey, also contains undeclared dried apricots, pineapple, papaya, banana chips and raisins.
• Allergy Alert: Van's International Foods recalls lot # of 12.4 ounce packages of frozen Van's Wheat Free Homestyle Pancakes (Lot #200060629B1) because the product contains undeclared wheat, gluten, milk and egg. The recalled product may have been distributed in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Idaho and Hawaii, through retail outlets that include but may not be limited to Whole Foods, Wegmans, Giant Carlisle, Sprouts and Martins.

Canada

• Allergy Alert: Shakespeare Pies (Shakespeare, ON) recalls 5" and 9" frozen Shakespeare meat pies because the products contain egg, milk, sulphites and/or soy which are not declared on the label. The recalled meat pies were distributed in Ontario.
• Food Safety Recall: Living Foods Ltd. (Innisfail, AB) recalls Sprouts Alive brand Baby Onion Sprouts and Alfalfa & Onion Sprouts (all date codes up to and including August 28, 2009) due to Salmonella contamination. Several illnesses have been reported.

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
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• H-E-B
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Stop & Shop
• Sweetbay Supermarkets
• 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.

Canada Confirms Sprouts Behind Salmonella Outbreak

August 20, 2009

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency ("CFIA") has confirmed – albeit indirectly – that contaminated onion sprouts are behind Canada's recent outbreak of Salmonella Cubana.

The agency announced late yesterday that Sprouts Alive onion sprout products were being recalled by the manufacturer, Living Foods Ltd. (Innisfail, AB). CFIA added, in its usual terse manner, "There have been reported illnesses."

An earlier (August 9th) recall of Sprouts Alive brand onion sprouts was initiated by a different sprout manufacturer – Sunsprout Natural Foods (Brantford, ON). This recall, too, was triggered by the detection of Salmonella.

The recalled sprouts were distributed in Alberta and, possibly, also in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia (Living Foods Ltd), as well as in Ontario, the Maritime provinces and perhaps in Québec (Sunsprout Natural Foods).

The recalls follow an outbreak of salmonellosis that, at last report, had sickened 5 Albertans and 7 Ontario residents. Several of the outbreak victims reported having eaten raw sprouts.

Neither CFIA nor the Public Health Agency of Canada ("PHAC") has confirmed to the public that the recalled sprouts were contaminated with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Cubana – yet.

How did two different companies – one in Alberta and the other in Ontario – both produce Salmonella-contaminated sprouts at the same time? It's a safe bet that both companies were supplied with onion seeds from the same contaminated batch. It's equally possible that other sprout producers were supplied with Salmonella-contamination onion seeds. Onion seeds for sprouting also are readily available for direct purchase by consumers over the Internet.

CFIA and PHAC should be warning consumers that Salmonella-contaminated onion seeds may still be on the market. PHAC is missing an opportunity to remind Canadians of the risks associated with eating raw sprouts of any kind.

Raw sprouts – whether onion, alfalfa, bean or broccoli – are grown from seeds that may be contaminated with bacterial pathogens, including Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, or other toxin-producing E. coli. These pathogens can multiply during the sprouting process, increasing the risk of illness.

Until the Salmonella that was found in the recalled onion sprouts has been traced to its source, consumers should avoid raw onion sprouts. And pregnant women, together with anyone who is very young, elderly, or immuno-compromised, should never eat any type of raw sprouts.

New Salmonella Outbreak Sprouts Up In Canada

August 13, 2009

Salmonella-contaminated onion sprouts that were recalled on August 9th may be behind an outbreak of Salmonella Cubana infections in Ontario and Alberta, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada ("PHAC"). Some of the victims reported having eaten sprouts.

The link between the outbreak and the recently recalled sprouts has not yet been confirmed. In fact, the retail distribution of the sprouts (Ontario, the Maritime provinces, and possibly Québec) does not correlate with the distribution of outbreak victims – 7 in Ontario and 5 in Alberta.

PHAC has not indicated why it suspects that the 12 cases of Salmonella Cubana are linked to sprouts:

• Was Salmonella Cubana detected in a sample of the sprouts or in seeds used for sprouting?
• Has a genetic match been confirmed between an isolate from the sprouts and isolates from the outbreak victims?
• Were the sprouts distributed in Alberta, where 5 of the outbreak victims live?

Does PHAC know more than it is letting on?

Recall Roundup: August 10, 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 Recall: Buehler Food Markets, Inc. advises that Batter Blaster (18 oz.) has been recalled by the manufacturer due to an unspecified quality issue.
• Allergy Alert: Wegman's reports that Rising Moon has recalled specific code dates of Rising Moon Organic Roasted Veggies Ravioli (frozen), 8oz because the product contains a dairy ingredient that is not listed on the label.
• Food Safety Recall: The Kroger Co. recalls cantaloupes sold in Jay C stores July 22-27 because they may be contaminated with Salmonella.
• Food Safety Recall: Adams Extract and Spice, LLC recalls several Adams, Rex and Carniceria brands of spice blends, distributed in Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico through retail stores, mail order, internet sales and direct delivery. The recalled items contain a specific lot of ground red pepper, that was supplied by Van de Vries Spice Corporation and has tested positive for Salmonella.
• Food Safety Recall: USDA and the California Department of Public Health release retail distribution lists for Salmonella-contaminated ground beef that was recalled last week by Beef Packers, Inc.
• Food Seizure: FDA seizes tuna salad sandwiches and other products from Bearden Sandwich Company Inc., doing business as Southern Belle Sandwich Company, in Baton Rouge, La., because the products were manufactured under insanitary conditions in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Canada

• Food Safety Recall: Sunsprout Natural Foods (Brantford, ON) recalls certain varieties of Sprouts Alive and Sun Sprout brands that contain onion sprouts, because the onion sprouts may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled sprouts were distributed in Ontario and the Maritime provinces and possibly also in Québec.

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
• Hannaford Brothers Co.
  
• Harris Teeter
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• H-E-B
• The Kroger Company*
  
• Price Chopper
  
• Roundy's Supermarkets, Inc.
  
• Sainsbury's
  
• ShopRite
  
• Stop & Shop
• Sweetbay Supermarkets
• 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.