Recall Roundup: September 30, 2010

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.

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.

For information on the US Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak and egg recalls, please click here.

For information on the Abbott infant formula powder recall, please click here.

United States

• Food Safety Recall: California Department of Public Health publishes a detailed list of retail locations in the state where Abbott's recalled Similac and Isomil were sold.

Europe

• Food Safety Alert (Denmark): The Food Safety Authority alerts consumers to the unauthorized sale of bottled fruit and vegetables, which appear to have been produced in a private home. The production site is unknown. The bottled items, which includes pickled gherkins, pickled pumpkin, pickled cucumbers, marmalade and jam, may have been produced under unsanitary conditions, and there is no ingredient list or declaration of possible allergens or additives.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Inco Kød recalls various cured meats after Salmonella was detected during routine bacteriological tests carried out by the company. The recalled items are labeled with packaging dates from 13.09.2010 to 28.09.2010 and were sold to wholesalers, caterers, institutional kitchens, canteens, cafes and restaurants.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Bornholms A/S recalls Officer Rogn canned roe, 200g (Produced 15-09-2010; Expiry 31-12-2013; Lot #L258N) because there is a risk that some of the cans may become swollen due to air formation. Swollen cans are always unfit for human consumption due to the risk of disease-causing bacteria.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1311): Deoxynivalenol (mycotoxin) in cous cous from Italy; distributed to Austria, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Slovenia, South Africa and Spain.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1313): Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) toxins in mussels from Italy; distributed to Italy and Spain.
• Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2010.1314): Salmonella London in rape seed meal from Germany, via Poland; distributed to Finland.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1315): Parasitic infestation with Anisakis and with nematodes of frozen glaze (Merluccius hubbsi) from Lithuania, with raw material from Argentina; distributed to Estonia and Lithuania.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1316): Semicarbazide in soft shell crabs from Vietnam; distributed to the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1317): Carbon monoxide treatment of tilapia fillets from Indonesia, via the Netherlands; distributed to Germany.
• Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2010.1318): Salmonella in soyabean meal from Argentina; distributed to Poland.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1319): Listeria monocytogenes in raw spiced salmon from Poland, via Denmark; distributed to Denmark and Sweden.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1320): Parasitic infestation with Anisakis and with nematodes of frozen hake (Merluccius hubbsi) from Spain, via Latvia; distributed to Lithuania.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1311): Deoxynivalenol (mycotoxin) in cous cous from Italy; distributed to Austria, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Slovenia, South Africa and Spain.

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
• 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
  
• WinCo Foods
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

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

Recall Roundup: September 28, 2010

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.

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.

For information on the US Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak and egg recalls, please click here.

For information on the Abbott infant formula powder recall, please click here.

United States

• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Rohr Fish, Inc. (Toledo, OH) that an April/May 2010 inspection of the company's seafood processing facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Tri-Country Food Service & Distribution, Inc. (Cincinnati, OH) that a June 2010 inspection of the company's food processing facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Inaudi Commerciale Srl (Borgo San Dalmazzo, Italy) that an April 2010 inspection of the company's facility revealed serious deviations from the US low-acid canned food regulations.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Fierro Group dba Rico Brand (Salt Lake City, UT) that a June 2010 inspection of the company's seafood processing facility revealed violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) regulation and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Enriching Gifts International (Miles City, MT) that a review of the company's web sites determined that the products Plant Enzymes, Sterol Max, Pro Biotic with FOS™, Metabolic Complete™, Heart Algae™, Lightning Colloidal Silver™, and Aloe Ace Max™ are promoted for conditions that cause the products to be drugs under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The marketing of these products with the claims indicated on the web sites violates the Act.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Quinault Indian Nation (Taholah, WA) that a January 2010 inspection of its food commodity warehouse revealed serious deviations from the regulations that cause the products held in your facility to be adulterated within the meaning of Section 402(a)(4) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Peslasa SA (Guyaquil, Ecuador) that a May 2010 inspection of the company's seafood processing facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Above Sea Level (Santa Fe, NM) that a June 2010 inspection of the company's seafood processing facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Madama Oliva, S.R.L. (Carsoli, Italy) that a June 2010 inspection of the company's low-acid canned food and acidified food facility revealed serious deviations from the low-acid canned food regulations.

Europe

• Food Safety Recall (Ireland): Galway Bay Seafoods recalls all batches of Galway Bay Seafoods Smoked Salmon (Approval # IE GY 0015 EC; Use-by dates up to and including 06.10.2010), due to the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): COOP Trading A/S recalls COOP Marinated Salmon, sliced (100g, 200g & 300g; Packed 06.09.2010; Best before 04.10.2010), because the product may contain Listeria. The recalled Marinated Salmon was manufactured in Poland by Coral, and was imported into Denmark by KB Finest.
• Food Withdrawal (Finland): Tuko Logistic Oy withdraws Party Time Children's Biscuit assortment (226g) because the packaging lacks Finnish markings.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1292): Mercury in fresh small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula) from Spain; distributed to Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1293 & 2010.1294): Cortisol and cortisone in horse meat from Mexico; distributed to Belgium and the Netherlands.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1295): Omethoate in water mimosa from Thailand; distributed to the Netherlands.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1296): Salmonella infantis in frozen marinated chicken breast fillets from Germany; distributed to Denmark.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1297): Unauthorised substance morpholine in apples from Chile; distributed to the United Kingdom.

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
• 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
  
• WinCo Foods
• Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
  

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

Recall Roundup: September 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

• Food Safety Recall: Bay Valley Foods, LLC (Pittsburgh, PA) recalls approximately 6,490 pounds of a chunky grilled steak with vegetables canned soup product due to possible underprocessing.

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: March 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.

Peanut Butter Outbreak Recalls

• Blue Heron Bakery 
  
• Chocolate Chewies, Inc. 
  
• Diabetic Emporium and Confectionary Shoppe, Ltd. 
  
• Dr. Smoothie Brands
• Euphoria Chocolate Company 
  
• Kerry Ingredients & Flavours 
  
• Mighty-O 
  
• Premier Packing Company 
  
• Rock Creek Nut Company 
  
• Weaver Popcorn Company, Inc.
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency adds to list of recalled  peanut products sold in Canada

United States

• Allergy Alert: Golden Chocolate International, Inc. warns of undeclared walnuts in Brighton Beach Candy
  
• Food Safety Recall: Asia Cash & Carry Inc. recalls Crown Farms brand "Gulsha" Fish after FDA detects Salmonella
  
• Mislabelled Food Recall: Bloom stores have recalled Swiss American cheeses due to a labeling error
  
• Class II Food Recall: Khong Guan Corporation recalls Essence of Chicken Drink, because the chicken drink products were ineligible for import into the United States
• Class II Food Recall: Kim Seng Company recalls granulated chicken bouillon products that were ineligible for import into the United States

Canada

• Food Safety Recall: The Québec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has announced four recalls of perishable low-acid foods that lack "Garder réfrigéré" (Keep refrigerated) and/or expiration date labeling. The recalled foods were processed or sold by Boucherie François Nadeau, Dépanneur Jean-Lou, Boucherie Au Royaume des Viandes, and Poissonnerie La Mer.
  

Europe, Including the United Kingdom

• UK Allergy Alert: Morrisons Supermarkets recalls its own brand of Chunky Vegetable Soup due to the presence of undeclared gluten/barley
  

Asia, Africa and the Pacific

• Philippines Food Safety Recall: Samuya Food Manufacturing, Inc. recalls Yummy Sweet and Creamy Peanut Spread after the Bureau of Food and Drugs detects Salmonella in the product
  

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.

• Big Y® World Class Market®
  
• BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.
  
• Bloom
  
• Brookshire's
  
• Costco Wholesale Corporation (US stores)
  
• Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd.
  
• 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.

Singapore Recalls Canned Broth From Thailand

January 16, 2009

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AFVS) has announced a recall of New Moon Brand Premium Abalone Broth (Concentrated), imported from Thailand by Goh Joo Hin Pte Ltd.

Singapore took this action after receiving information that the product had a "bad smell" on opening. AFVS is investigating the cause of the problem.

The agency warns that the public should avoid consuming the following product:

• New Moon brand Premium Abalone Broth (Concentrated), 400-gram can
  
• Product of Thailand
  
• Identification codes: SPF PRO: 10/10/2008, ABB EXP: 09/10/2011
  

There are several possible explanations for off-smell in a canned product, including the use of spoiled or substandard ingredients, inadequate heat-processing, and leaky can seams. Any of these conditions may result in food that is hazardous to health.

Home-Canned Tomatoes Linked to Botulism

The International Society for Infectious Diseases reported today that 14 people were hospitalized due to botulism recently in the Yugra district of Russia after participating in a "feast" on February 3rd. One of the victims died. Preliminary investigation results are pointing to home-canned tomatoes as the source of the illness.

This is a reminder that even relatively acid canned foods, such as tomatoes, can be a source of botulism. Boiling temperatures will inactivate the toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum. If you home-can, please reheat the canned food to the boiling point and allow it to simmer for at least 10 minutes before tasting even a tiny amount of the food.

New Era Expands Recall Again

FDA has just alerted consumers to another expansion of the New Era Canning Company recall.

For those who missed the earlier notices, since December 21st, New Era has been recalling an ever-increasing number of production lots and brand names of its institutional-sized cans of peas and bean, due to a potential risk of Clostridium botulinum contamination.

Please see the FDA "Hot Topics" web page for up-to-date details on the recalled products.

Clostridium botulinum grows in the absence of oxygen, making it especially liable to develop in underprocessed canned foods. The microbe produces a potentially-deadly neurotoxin. Symptoms of Clostridium botulinum food poisoning, or "botulism" can include muscle weakness, vertigo, double vision, and difficult in speaking, swallowing and breathing. If untreated, botulism is a potentially fatal disease. Treatment consists usually of supportive care, including mechanical breathing assistance.

New Era Canning Recall Keeps on Growing

New Era Canning Company has expanded its recall of canned peas and beans once again. Please see today's FDA Press Release for details on the additional recalled products. While most of these canned foods were distributed to food service establishments, some might have been sold atretail to consumers. Check your pantry for any of the products listed in the Press Release.

According to the company, the listed products were processed under conditions that "...could have led to contamination by Clostridium botulinum bacterium spores..."

When will New Era finally decide to simply recall all of its canned products that are still in the marketplace?

A Look Back at January 2008

I have just returned from a month-long trip through Southeast Asia, and have been scanning through my accumulation of news archives to see what I missed. Here are a few of the things that happened in the United States and Canada while I was away.

1. New Era Canning Company announced on January 18th a recall of green beans and canned garbanzo beans packed in #10 cans (institutional size) due to a risk of botulism. Four days later, the company expanded the recall to included all cans of green beans and garbanzo beans produced during the past five years.
2. On January 21st, Kroger's recalled it's Tri-Bean Salad from stores in 14 states. The salads had been prepared using canned beans from New Era.
3. FDA announced a recall of frozen salted yellow croaker and frozen dried yellow croaker on January 23rd, due to the possibility that the fish might be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum.
4. USDA announced on January 5th a recall of more than 13,000 pounds of steak and ground beef products from Mark's Quality Meats of Detroit due to E. coli O157:H7 contamination. The meat was sold to Detroit area restaurants. No illnesses were associated with this recall.
5. Rochester Meat Company of Rochester, MN recalled 188,000 pounds of ground beef on January 12th after six illnesses – five in Wisconsin and one in California – were linked to their meat. The ground beef had been distributed to restaurants and food service establishments nation-wide.
6. On January 22nd, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) alerted consumers to Salmonella-contaminated organic sesame seeds. The seeds were imported from Uganda. On January 28th, Shiloh Farms of New Holland, PA announced the recall of its "Organic Unhulled Sesame Seeds", after FDA detected Salmonella in a sample of sesame seeds from one of their suppliers. Coincidence?
7. On January 27th, CFIA warned consumers in the provinces of Quebec, Ontario and the Atlantic provinces to avoid consuming chicken sandwiches produced by Les Aliments Martel of Gatineau, QC, due to the risk that the sandwiches might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
8. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an on-going outbreak of Salmonella Paratyphi B var. Java that has been linked to pet turtles. As of January 18th, there have been 103 confirmed illnesses in 33 states. Young children are especially susceptible to becoming infected as a result of handling the contaminated turtles. FDA has posted a Consumer Update on the risks associated with Salmonella in pet turtles.
9. Finally, Washington State Department of Agriculture announced on January 29th that it had found Listeria monocytogenes in a coconut-flavored frozen dessert produced by Ca Rem #1 Ice Cream of Sea Tac, WA. The non-dairy frozen dessert was distributed mainly through Asian restaurants and markets in Western Oregon and Western Washington, and is being recalled by the manufacturer. Consumers are advised to throw away any unused product.

I'm intrigued by the sudden upsurge of major canned food recalls in the last year or two – first Castleberry's and now New Era. This sector of the food industry has been under a HACCP-style program for many decades with apparently good results. I wonder whether the chronic underfunding of FDA's food inspection activities is bearing some bitter fruit.

FDA Botulism Alert - Take Two

FDA has just released an update to the New Era Canning Company green bean botulism recall that I first reported on December 21st. The potential contamination was discovered by the FDA during a routine inspection.

The recall covers institutional-sized (6 pound, 5 ounce) cans of GFS "Fancy Blue Lake Cut Green Beans". The product was distributed to restaurants and food service operators in eleven states. In three of those states - Tennessee, Indiana, and Kentucky - the recalled product was also available at retail through GFS Marketplace stores.

Symptoms of botulism can appear as soon as 6 hours or as late as 2 weeks after eating food that contains the toxin. Please read the FDA recall notice for details on the recall and for a description of the symptoms of botulism.