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.

UK Seed Recall

The Food Standards Agency has alerted consumers to the recall of a batch of Khakshir seeds by Golden Saffron Ltd. due to Salmonella contamination. The 200-g packages of seeds are labeled with an expiry date of 12/2009.

Dill Seeds Recalled In UK - Salmonella

The UK Food Standards Agency is advising consumers that East End Foods has recalled one batch of its own brand of dill seeds due to the presence of Salmonella.

Consumers who have purchase a 250-gram package size of East End Dill Seeds labeled with batch code 7353L2A and Best Before date of 20/12/2009 should return it to the store for a refund.

Fennel Seeds Recalled In UK - Salmonella

The UK Food Standards Agency is advising that Natco Foods Ltd. has recalled one batch of its fennel seeds after Salmonella was detected in the product.

The affected seeds carry batch code 4538 and an expiry date of 12/2009. The seeds are packaged in 20 x 400g and 6 x 1kg packs.

It appears from the wording of the notice that this product has not been sold at retail stores.

Salmonella-Contaminated Seeds: Julian Graves Expands Recall

The UK Food Standards Agency advised consumers today that Julian Graves has expanded its recall of Salmonella-contaminated seeds for the second time.

The list of recalled products now include: Julian Graves Sesame Seeds, Julian Graves Sunflower Seed Kernels, Julian Graves Omega Seed Mix, and Julian Graves Walnut Salad. The UK advisory provides a complete list of recalled items, including package sizes and "Best Before" dates.

Consumers who have purchased any of these products should return them to the store for a full refund.

Alfalfa Seeds Recalled In UK - Salmonella

Our friend "Sal Monella" really gets around. The UK Food Standards Agency is alerting consumers to a recall of alfalfa seeds announced by Waitrose Ltd.

The company is recalling two batches of its own brand of alfalfa seeds, due to possible contamination with Salmonella. The seeds are packaged in 150 gram packs and carry "best before" dates of 26/03/08 and 05/04/08.

Consumers should not eat these seeds or used them to produce alfalfa sprouts. The process of sprouting encourages Salmonella growth and increases the risk of food borne illness.

Salmonella-Contaminated Seeds – UK

The Food Standards Agency has advised consumers this morning of two separate seed-related recalls.

Julian Graves Ltd., which recalled a batch of sesame seeds on February 29th due to Salmonella contamination, has expanded its recall to include 250g packages of sunflower seed kernels. The sunflower seeds packages are labeled with batch number 7353T4A, and carry a Best Before date of 30/09/08.

Suma Wholefoods has announced a recall of 12 batches of sesame seeds and mixed seeds, also due to Salmonella contamination. Please see the FSA consumer alert for details on the recalled products.

Sunflower Seeds Recalled In New Zealand

A quick word of warning to New Zealanders.

Ceres Enterprises and several bakehouses have recalled sunflower seeds and a variety of products that contain sunflower seeds due to the presence of glass particles. Please read the recall notice for details.

UK Salmonella Food Alert

The UK Food Standards Agency has alerted consumers to a recall of Premier Quality Seed Mix, manufactured by Imperial Snack Foods Ltd. The 150g packages are being recalled due to the presence of Salmonella in the seed mix.

Consumers who purchased Batch Code 7236/7236f IM should return the product to the store for a full refund.

Today's alert doesn't describe the contents of the seed mix, but readers will remember that there have been several recalls in the past few months of Salmonella-contaminated sesame seeds in Canada, the US and the UK.

Food Recall Alerts - Update

It would appear that the Salmonella-contaminated "Wholesome Seeds" have traveled farther afield than first thought.

The UK Food Standards Agency announced on November 22nd that the Waitross recall has been expanded to include additional products. Also, seed mixes sold under the Tesco label are now included in this recall alert.

Food Recall Alerts

1. Listeria monocytogenes in cheese. FDA announced on November 21st two recalls of cheese due to the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. Le Gourmet Connection recalled cheese that had been distributed in Ohio; Sweetwater Valley Farms, Inc. recalled product that had been shipped throughout the 48 contiguous US states. In both cases, the contamination was discovered during a routine inspection carried out by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. There have been no reported illnesses tied to these products.

2. A recall of Waitrose Wholesome Mixed Seeds was announced by the UK Food Standards Agency on November 21st, due to Salmonella contamination.

3. Pasteurized egg products manufactured in France and sold in the UK have been associated with two Salmonella outbreaks. The contaminated products were recalled on November 9th and November 20th. The recalled products were not distributed to retail outlets.

4. Canada announced on November 22nd an expanded recall of frozen burger patties produced by Cardinal Meat Specialists, Ltd. of Mississauga, Ontario. The patties, which may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, have not been tied to any reported illness outbreak.

All in all, a busy few days on the recall scene.