Recalled Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken Still In Circulation

Oregon warns that Salmonella-contaminated entrées may still be in stores

Marie Callender Cheesy Chicken frozen entrées – recalled one week ago due to Salmonella contamination – are still being sold in some grocery stores in Oregon, according to Emilio DeBess of the Oregon Public Health Division. Oregon Department of Agriculture inspectors "... found the recalled product still available in a limited number of stores," DeBess said today.

The entrées have been linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Chester that has affected at least 30 people in 15 states between April 11th and May 29th. The youngest victim was less than one year old; the oldest was 88. Six people were hospitalized.

ConAgra, the manufacturer of the frozen entrées, has recalled all 13-ounce packages of Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken & Rice and Marie Callender's White Meat Chicken and Broccoli over Rice Topped with Rich Cheddar Sauce. The entrées were distributed to at least 41 national, state-wide and local retail grocery chains.

One week into the "public" phase of this outbreak, here is where things stand.

Profile of outbreak victims

The thirty individuals who are confirmed to have been infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Chester are scattered from coast to coast, across 15 of the 48 contiguous states:

• California: 4 confirmed cases
• Colorado: 2 confirmed cases
• Georgia: 6 confirmed cases
• Illinois: 1 confirmed case
• Kentucky: 1 confirmed case; patient was age 65 or older and was hospitalized
• Massachusetts: 2 confirmed cases
• Minnesota: 2 confirmed cases; 1 child and 1 adult; both female; one person hospitalized
• Missouri: 1 confirmed case
• North Carolina: 1 confirmed case
• Oklahoma: 1 confirmed case
• Oregon: 2 confirmed cases; one person hospitalized
• South Carolina: 2 confirmed cases
• Tennessee: 1 confirmed case
• Utah: 1 confirmed case
• Virginia: 3 confirmed cases; 1 child and 2 adults; 2 females and 1 male; 2 people hospitalized

The smoking gun

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture found Salmonella Chester in an intact package of Marie Callender’s Cheesy Chicken and Rice, collected from the home of a person who was infected with the outbreak strain. The Salmonella that was recovered from the chicken was a genetic match for the outbreak strain. The link between the outbreak and Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken and Rice is incontrovertible.

What next?

State health departments and CDC are continuing to watch for new cases of Salmonella Chester, and also are back-checking PulseNet records for any other cases that were reported before the outbreak was identified. CDC expects to update its investigation status report tomorrow (June 25th).

Salmonella Chester is reported infrequently in the United States. West Virginia, for example, has recorded just one case in the last 10 years; New Mexico and Wyoming haven't seen a Salmonella Chester since 2003. The relative rarity of this particular type of Salmonella will make it easier to spot any other cases that may be part of the Marie Callender outbreak.

In addition to watching for new illnesses, state labs are continuing to test packages of the recalled entrées in order to determine the extent of the contamination. Oregon Public Health officials are especially interested in examining packages of Cheesy Chicken & Rice with ‘best if used by’ dates from any time in August 2011. Any consumers who still have boxes containing those date codes are asked to contact the Oregon Foodborne Illness Prevention Program at 971-673-1111.

What's a consumer to do?

1. Check your freezer and discard or return all recalled packages of Marie Callender's frozen entrées.
2. Take a copy of current recall notices with you when shopping for groceries, especially when visiting a local or independent grocery store that might not be as watchful of recall notices.
3. Always handle frozen entrées – especially those that contain chicken – the same way you would treat raw foods. Cook frozen entrées according to package directions, and always use a meat thermometer. Poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165ºF.
4. If you think that you have become ill as a result of having eaten a Marie Callender frozen meal, consult a doctor and inform your local or state health department.
5. Stay tuned to eFoodAlert for further updates.

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Marie Callender Frozen Dinners Sicken People In 15 States

Salmonella Chester found in package of Cheesy Chicken & Rice

CDC reports that, since April 11th, 30 people in 15 states have been infected with the identical strain of Salmonella Chester. Many of the victims reported having eaten a Marie Callender's frozen meal in the week before becoming ill.

The outbreak victims range in age from less than one year old to 88 years old. At least 6 people have been hospitalized.

Cases of salmonellosis that form part of this outbreak have been confirmed in California (4), Colorado (2), Georgia (6), Illinois (1), Kentucky (1), Massachusetts (2), Minnesota (2), Missouri (1), North Carolina (1), Oklahoma (1), Oregon (2), South Carolina (2), Tennessee (1), Utah (1), and Virginia (3).

Both of the Minnesota victims are female, one of them a child. One of the Minnesota victims was hospitalized, but has since been released. Oregon's two cases are both adult males from Clackamas County; one of them also was hospitalized.

I have been advised by Kentucky health authorities that their outbreak victim is in the "65 and older" age group, and was hospitalized. Virginia's three cases include one male and two females; one of the victims is a child; two Virginia victims were hospitalized.

Minnesota has recovered Salmonella Chester from a previously unopened package of Marie Callender’s Cheesy Chicken and Rice, retrieved from the home of one of the two Minnesota outbreak patients. That package was purchased at the same time as another package of the product that had been consumed prior to victim's having fallen ill. Tests are under way to determine whether the Salmonella found in the package is a genetic match for the outbreak strain recovered from patients.

Last night, ConAgra recalled "all Marie Callender's brand Cheesy Chicken and Rice frozen meals in commerce, regardless of production date." The recalled meals were distributed throughout the United States.

The outbreak investigation is on-going, and more cases will almost certainly be identified. CDC has posted the following Advice To Consumers:

• Salmonella is sometimes present in raw foods (e.g., chicken, produce, and spices) which can be used as ingredients in not-ready-to-eat frozen dinners.
• Consumers should follow the instructions on the package label of the frozen dinner. Conventional ovens are better at cooking foods thoroughly. Microwave ovens vary in strength and tend to cook foods unevenly.
• If you choose to cook the frozen dinner using a microwave, be sure to: cook the food for the time specified for your microwave’s wattage; let the food “stand” for the stated time, so cooking can continue; and use a food thermometer to make sure that it is fully cooked to an internal temperature of 165º Fahrenheit.
• Individuals who think they might have become ill from eating a Marie Callender’s frozen dinner should consult their health care providers.
• Consumers who have Marie Callender’s Cheesy Chicken & Rice single-serve frozen entrées in their freezer should discard or return the entrées to their retailer for a refund.
• Consumers are urged to read and follow the preparation instructions on the label of all frozen entrees. If the package says “Do Not Microwave,” consumers should follow that instruction and use a conventional oven.
• Consumers should use a food thermometer to make sure the entrees reach at least 165º Fahrenheit.

While only one variety of Marie Callender's frozen dinner has been implicated so far, it would not surprise me if the scope of this recall is expanded to include other frozen dinners produced in the same ConAgra facility – whether under the Marie Callender brand name or under a different ConAgra brand.

Please be especially careful to follow CDC's recommendations and to use a food thermometer to check each frozen dinner portion before serving it.

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Recall Roundup: June 18, 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: ConAgra Foods Packaged Foods, LLC (Council Bluffs, IA) recalls Marie Callender's brand Cheesy Chicken and Rice frozen meals, after learning from CDC that the product may be associated with a 14-state outbreak of salmonellosis due to Salmonella Chester. Eight of the outbreak victims reported having consumed a Marie Callender Cheesy Chicken and Rice meal prior to onset of their symptoms. The recall includes all production date codes of 13-ounce packages of "Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken & Rice White Meat Chicken and Broccoli over Rice Topped with Rich Cheddar Sauce." The recalled frozen dinners were sold in retail grocery and supermarket stores nationwide.
• Food Safety Recall: Campbell Soup Supply Company, LLC (Paris, TX) recalls approximately 15,000,000 pounds of "SpaghettiOs with Meatballs" canned products due to possible under-processing. The recall covers three varieties of 14.75-ounce cans of SpaghettiOs with Meatballs, bearing EST 4K, as well as a "Use By" date between June 2010 and December 2011 ink-jetted on the bottom of each can. The problem was discovered during the course of a routine warehouse inspection.
• Allergy Alert: Roma Food Products recalls Orgran Gluten Free Molasses Licorice(200g resealable plastic pouches; best before 31 Oct 2011), because the product contains undeclared gluten. The recalled item, which has been on the market for nine weeks, was sold in small businesses, health food stores and specialty stores in Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, West Australia, South Australia and Victoria. It was also exported to New Zealand, Indonesia, the USA and the United Kingdom.
• Animal Feed Safety Recall: Kent Nutrition Group, Inc. recalls some Kent Feeds swine feed products due to insufficient vitamin D levels in premixes it purchased from Tri Ag Supply, Inc. that were used in those swine feed products. The recall is being implemented in order to prevent health problems in swine consuming feed products where there is a vitamin D3 deficiency.
• Fraudulent Drug Safety Warning: FDA warns consumers about a potentially harmful product represented as “Generic Tamiflu” sold over the Internet. FDA tests revealed that the fraudulent product does not contain Tamiflu’s active ingredient, oseltamivir, but cloxacillin, an ingredient in the same class of antibiotics as penicillin. Cloxacillin is completely ineffective against viral infections, and may cause an allergic reaction in individuals who are allergic to penicillin.
• Consumer Product Safety Recall: Target Corp. (Minneapolis, MN) recalls Cherokee boys’ belts and Circo girls’ belts because the belt buckles contain excessive levels of lead.

Europe

• Allergy Alert (UK): Roma Food Products recalls Orgran Gluten Free Molasses Licorice(200g resealable plastic pouches; best before 31 Oct 2011), because the product contains undeclared gluten. The recalled item, which has been on the market for nine weeks, was sold in small businesses, health food stores and specialty stores in Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, West Australia, South Australia and Victoria. It was also exported to New Zealand, Indonesia, the USA and the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Foodline recalls Sirma brand apple flavor soda (product of Turkey), because it contains the unauthorized artificial sweeteners Aspartame and Azesulphamkalium.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Coop Trading A/S recalls basmati rice (1 kg., Best before dates from 15/6-2011 through 5/11-2011), imported from Müller's Mühle, Germany), because the rice contains residues of the pesticide Isoprothiolan that exceed the allowable limit.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): ISIS A/S recalls ISIS brand Hip/Apple Jam (300g; Lots #2903 2011, 1904 2011, and 1405 2011) due to mold growth in some jars.
• Consumer Product Safety Notification (EU #2010.0794): Migration of formaldehyde from soup spoon from unknown origin, via Poland and the Netherlands; distributed in Germany.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0795): Unauthorized ivermectin (veterinary drug residue) in cooked beef meat from Brazil; distributed in Italy.
• Consumer Product Safety Notification (EU #2010.0796): Migration of formaldehyde from fish shaped melamine dish from China; distributed in the Czech Republic.
• Consumer Product Safety Notification (EU #2010.0797): Migration of formaldehyde from melamine fish-shape plate from China; distributed in the Czech Republic.
• Food Safety/Food Outbreak Notification (EU #2010.0798): Foodborne outbreak suspected to be caused by Salmonella typhimurium DT 120 (DT7; MLVA 334; R-ASSuT) in salami with deer meat from Germany; distributed in Denmark.

Asia and Africa

• Allergy Alert: Roma Food Products recalls Orgran Gluten Free Molasses Licorice(200g resealable plastic pouches; best before 31 Oct 2011), because the product contains undeclared gluten. The recalled item, which has been on the market for nine weeks, was sold in small businesses, health food stores and specialty stores in Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, West Australia, South Australia and Victoria. It was also exported to New Zealand, Indonesia, the USA and the United Kingdom.

Australia and New Zealand

• Allergy Alert: Roma Food Products recalls Orgran Gluten Free Molasses Licorice (200g resealable plastic pouches; best before 31 Oct 2011), because the product contains undeclared gluten. The recalled item, which has been on the market for nine weeks, was sold in small businesses, health food stores and specialty stores in Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, West Australia, South Australia and Victoria. It was also exported to New Zealand, Indonesia, the USA and the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Recall: Solomon Kosher Butcher Pty Ltd recalls Premium beef mince and Diet beef mince (purchased on 16th June 2010 or 17th June, 2010), because the minced meats may be contaminated with pieces of natural latex rubber. The recalled minced meats were sold only in Victoria.

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
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• 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.

Outbreaks and Alerts: June 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

• Atlanta, GA. June 25: CDC reports that 37 people in 18 states are confirmed to have been infected with Salmonella Chester. At least seven people were treated in hospital. The outbreak strain was recovered from an intact package of Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken and Rice single-serve frozen dinner found in the home of one of the Minnesota outbreak victims.
• Little Rock, AR. June 25: Three cases of severe diarrheal illness have occurred in Saline County this month and have been linked to swimming in the Saline River near the Highway Five Bridge. The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) has tested water from the area and found it to be unsafe for swimming.
• Lincoln, NE. June 25: Nebraska has issued a health alert for toxic blue-green algae at Swan Creek 5A Lake near Tobias in Saline County.
• Juneau, AK. June 25: A middle-aged man from Haines is in hospital in Juneau. The man developed symptoms consistent with Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning after eating Dungeness crab in Haines on Friday.
• Cary, NC. June 26: Forty members of a Cary Baptist church – including members of the pastor's family – developed Norovirus gastroenteritis after 140 members of the congregation shared a potluck lunch last Sunday.
• Glencoe, IL. June 26: Seven cases of Salmonella gastroenteritis have been linked to the Skokie Country Club in Glencoe since June 10. The club voluntarily closed its kitchen on Thursday (June 24). According Amy Poore, spokesperson for the Cook County Department of Health, the seven cases are completely unrelated to the Salmonella Hvittingfoss outbreak that is still under investigation in the state.

Europe

• Harwich, UK. June 25: Eight-six passengers on the Jewel of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) cruise ship were reported to be suffering from Norovirus gastroenteritis when the shipped docked in Harwich on Thursday – the second outbreak reported on the Jewel of the Seas this month. The ship will be thoroughly disinfected before the next group of passengers is allowed to board, according to a Royal Caribbean spokesperson.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Mumbai, India. June 25: Twenty-four children, including a nine-month-old baby, from the Asha Sadan Rescue Home at Umerkhadi were admitted to JJ Hospital, Byculla, on June 24th, following complaints of vomiting and upset stomachs. The children, who were treated at the hospital and released, became ill a couple of hours after eating a dinner that consisted of dal, rice and dudhi halwa.
• Cameroun. June 25: The Ministry of Public Health reports that 23 people have died of cholera and 140 have been confirmed infected with Vibrio cholerae within the last several weeks. The outbreak is centered in seven health districts in the far north of the country.

Food Safety Recalls: A Tale of Two Agencies

FDA and USDA should learn from each other

On June 17th, ConAgra recalled "... all Marie Callender's brand Cheesy Chicken and Rice frozen meals in commerce..." after the frozen dinners were linked to an outbreak of Salmonella infections. One week later, USDA released a preliminary retail distribution list of recalled products, and has updated the list periodically on several occasions since then. The most recent updated list, released on July 9th, is 56 pages long.

On December 18, 2009, McNeil Consumer Healthcare recalled "... all available product lots of TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count bottles, with the distinctive red EZ-OPEN CAP..." because of an "...unusual moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor that was associated with nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea." The recall was expanded on January 15th, June 15th, and July 8th to include additional products manufactured at the same facility. McNeil also recalled, on April 30th, an extensive list of children's OTC medications, manufactured at a different location. No formal retail distribution lists have been released for any of these FDA-overseen recalls. Nor will they be.

On the other hand, FDA has released the reports of its inspection of McNeil's Puerto Rico production facility, as well as the Warning Letter issued to the company as a result of that inspection – something that USDA never does.

On the 1st anniversary of the establishment of the Food Safety Working Group, it's time for the Food and Drug Administration and USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service to compare notes on their recall notification systems and develop a single, comprehensive and open approach to communicating recall and enforcement information to consumers.

Here are a few ideas to get things started:

1. Provide a retail distribution list for all recalls. The list should include food service outlets, restaurants, cafés, and institutional kitchens – not just retail stores.
2. Require retail stores to post a prominent recall notice on the store shelf or refrigerator/freezer where the recalled product is typically displayed. This is already done in some countries, including the United Kingdom.
3. Fine retailers who ignore recall notices and neglect to remove recalled products from sale. This has been done in Australia.
   
4. Post on FDA and USDA web sites in a timely fashion the reports for all inspections during which "significant violations" or "significant deviations" were noted (FDA does this selectively, based on its perception of the public's interest in the results of specific inspections).
5. Post on FDA and USDA web sites in a timely fashion all Warning Letters and other enforcement actions taken (FDA posts Warning Letters, although not always timely).

No recall notification process will ever be perfect. But that doesn't excuse FDA and USDA from striving to achieve a system that gets as much information into the hands of as many consumers as possible as quickly as possible. Let's develop a model that other countries will want to adopt.

And we don't need to pass a new omnibus Food Safety law in order to make it happen.


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Recall Roundup: June 30, 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 (Update): USDA posts updated retail distribution list for Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken and Rice frozen dinners that were recalled after having been linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Chester gastroenteritis.
• Consumer Product Safety Recall: SmileMakers Inc. (Spartanburg, SC) recalls
• Children’s Happy Charm Bracelets and Football Rings (imported from China by Toy Network, of Indianola, Iowa and Fun Express Oriental Trading Company, of Omaha, Neb) because the metal in the jewelry contains high levels of cadmium.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Basic Food Flavors, Inc. (North Las Vegas, NV) that a February-March 2010 inspection of the company's food processing facility revealed that hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) processed by your facility is adulterated within the meaning of section 402(a)(1) and (a)(4) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. and also revealed also revealed serious violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulation for foods.

Canada

• Food Safety Recall: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency updates its earlier Health Hazard Alert to advise consumers that Salmonella-contaminated Green Cardamom Pods (imported from Guatemala) were sold at additional stores in Halifax, NS and Kitchener, ON.

Europe

• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Wiik & Co.. A / S recalls Suntree brand seedless prunes (Lot Number L69727 and L69966) due to yeast contamination.
• Food Safety Recall (Finland): Till Publishing Company recalls the Finnish translation of the "1000 Best Salads" cookbook, because a translation error resulted in a poisonous mushroom having been specified as an ingredient in one of the recipes.
• Food Safety Alert (Denmark): The Danish Food Safety Agency warns the public that meat products sold from the property located at Bakkedraget 19, 4534 Hørve was obtained from animals that were illegally slaughtered. In consequence, the meat products represent a health hazard, as they may contain pathogenic bacteria.
• Food Safety Notification Update (EU #2010.0746): Altered organoleptic characteristics (blue colour develops after opening package) of mozzarella produced by Milchwerk Jager Gmbh & Co of Germany; distributed in Belarus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0857): Foreign body (hard lumps) in Super Valu and Centra Jelly brand jelly sweets from the United Kingdom; distributed in the Republic of Ireland.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0859): Mould growth in Coop brand tomato puree from Turkey, via Switzerland; distributed in Denmark.
• Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2010.0860): Salmonella group C1 (non-motile) in soy bean meal from Germany; distributed in Austria.
• Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2010.0861): Salmonella Senftenberg in soya bean meal from Brazil, via the Netherlands; distributed in Sweden.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0862): Listeria monocytogenes in shrimps in brine from Denmark; distributed in Switzerland.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0863): Salmonella Mbandaka in cow milk camembert from France; distributed in France, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0864): Salmonella in meat preparation on spit in foil from Germany; distributed in Germany and Poland.

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
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• 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.

Outbreaks and Alerts: June 18, 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

• Washington, DC. June 17: Federal and state health and food safety officials are investigating 29 cases of Salmonella Chester illnesses in 14 states. While there is no laboratory-confirmed link to date, at least eight of the outbreak victims reported having consumed a Marie Callender Cheesy Chicken & Rice single-serve frozen entrée prior to onset of the illness. ConAgra has initiated a precautionary recall of the product.
• Springfield, IL. June 18: The magnitude of the Subway Salmonella Hvittingfoss outbreak has increased to 90 victims in 28 Illinois counties.

Canada

• Ottawa, ON. June 17: Health Canada alerts Canadians to the risk of dosing errors when feeding liquid Vitamin D supplements to infants.

Europe

• Denmark. June 17: Denmark is reporting a suspected foodborne outbreak caused by Salmonella typhimurium DT 120 (DT7; MLVA 334; R-ASSuT) in salami with deer meat from Germany. No information on the size or geographic distribution of the outbreak has been provided.
• Paris, France. June 17: A team of researchers estimates that as much as 270 tonnes of illegal bushmeat may be passing through Charles de Gaulle airport each year. The illegal meat poses a risk of transmission of human and animal diseases.
• Rostov-on-Don. June 17: Twenty-one employees of Frito Lay Manufacturing LLC were stricken with food poisoning after eating a catered meal at the factory canteen. Eight of the workers were hospitalized.
• Kent, UK. June 18: Three children from the same extended family have been diagnosed with E. coli O157:H7 after sharing barbecues and picnics. None of the children are hospitalized and all three are recovering.
• Palencia, Spain. June 18: Seven children who regularly attend the Grijota nursery stricken with salmonellosis late last week.
• Kaliningrad, Russia. June 18: 147 people, including 69 children, have been reported to be suffering from acute intestinal infections.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Hong Kong. June 17: The Centre for Health Protection is investigating a food poisoning outbreak that has affected nine men and three women aged between 21 and 40. The victims developed gastroenteritis symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and fever about two to 21 hours after having lunch boxes purchased from a food premises in Yuen Long on June 16. Nine of them sought medical attention. One of them has been admitted to Pok Oi Hospital. All are in stable condition.
• Hong Kong. June 17: A 26-year-old woman was arrested in a joint operation by the Police and the Department of Health (DH) for selling a slimming product, "2007時尚瘦吧", which was earlier found in 2008 to contain sibutramine and its analogues which are western drug ingredients that may cause serious side effects.
• South Africa. June 18: Ninety Fifa World Cup volunteers were treated for food poisoning after eating breakfast at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.

Recall Roundup: June 26, 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 (Update): USDA releases updated retail distribution list for recalled SpaghettiOs With Meatballs.
• Food Safety Recall (Update): USDA releases updated retail distribution list for recalled Marie Callender's frozen dinners.
• Food Safety Recall: Kellogg Company (Battle Creek, MI) recalls certain breakfast cereals due to an uncharacteristic off-flavor and smell coming from the liner in the package. The recall covers specific date codes of Kellogg's® Apple Jacks®, Kellogg's® Corn Pops®, Kellogg's® Froot Loops® and Kellogg's® Honey Smacks® Only products with the letters "KN" following the Better If Used Before Date are included in the recall. The recalled products were distributed nationwide in the USA only.
• Food Safety Recall: Great Kitchens, Inc. (Est P-2539B; Romeoville, IL) recalls approximately 109,800 pounds of BBQ chicken pizza products that may contain small pieces of plastic.
• Food Safety Recall: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) warns consumers not to eat Flash Pop Candy imported from China after tests by CDPH found unacceptable levels of lead. Consumers in possession of the candy should discard it immediately. Flash Pop Candy is imported and distributed by Kidsmania, Inc., (Santa Fe Springs, CA), which is working with CDPH to remove the product from retail sale.
• Consumer Product Safety Recall: The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) recalls a small percentage of 1-liter bottles of Scope Original Mint and Scope Peppermint mouthwash with malfunctioning child-resistant caps in the United States and Canada. The affected bottles have a number 4 on the bottom of the bottle to the far right of the recycling symbol.

Canada

• Food Safety Recall: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency expands its earlier Health Hazard Alert to include additional distribution information for Salmonella-contaminated Cardamom Seeds.
• Food Safety Recall: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency warns the public not to consume the pods of Green Cardamom (product of Guatemala), sold in various size packages or from bulk bins, because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The Cardamom Pods were sold in certain retail stores in Ontario and Nova Scotia. Please follow the live link to CFIA's Health Hazard Alert for a list of the stores.
• Consumer Product Safety Recall: Procter and Gamble (Toronto, ON) recalls certain 1-litre Scope Original Mint (UPC 056100033165 and UPC 056100003038) and Scope Cool Peppermint (UPC 056100003205) mouthwash bottles. The recalled bottles, which have the number 4 on the bottom of the bottle to the far right of the recycling symbol, may have defective child-resistant closures. The recalled mouthwash was manufactured in the USA and sold across Canada between February 2010 and June 2010.

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
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• 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: July 10, 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 (Update): USDA releases updated retail distribution list for E. coli O157:H7-contaminated ground bison and bison steak products, recalled by Rocky Mountain Natural Meats.
• Food Safety Recall (Update): USDA releases updated retail distribution list for Salmonella-contaminated Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken & Rice White Meat Chicken and Broccoli over Rice Topped with Rich Cheddar Sauce, recalled by ConAgra.
• Food Safety Recall (Update): Miravalle Foods, Inc. (S. El Monte, CA) has recalled 37,318 lbs. of Miravalle Chile California Peppers and Miravalle Chile Nuevo Mexico Peppers distributed between March 15th and May 6th 2010 to customers in CA, CO, UT, NC, NE, ID, OR and NV because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The peppers were sold as Melissa's Dried California Chiles, 3 oz., in Dillon stores (a member of the Kroger family of supermarket chains).

Europe

• Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (UK): Sandoz Ltd. recalls specific batches of Temozolomide Capsules due to reports of broken capsules and leakage.

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
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• 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: July 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.

United States

• Food Safety Recall (Update): USDA posts revised retail distribution list for Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken & Rice White Meat Chicken and Broccoli over Rice Topped with Rich Cheddar Sauce that have been recalled by ConAgra Foods Packaged Foods, LLC due to Salmonella contamination.
• Pet Food Safety Recall: Biggers & Callaham LLC., D/B/A Mice Direct (Cleveland, GA) recalls frozen reptile feed (mice, rats, chicks), because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The frozen reptile feed was distributed in all states, except Hawaii, through pet stores and by mail order and direct delivery. CDC is investigating 30 or more cases of Salmonella infections in 17 states that may be linked to the recalled reptile feed.

Canada

• Food Safety Recall: Dats Déli Européen (Montreal, QC) expands its earlier recalls to include additional products and "best before dates" for the recalled products. The recalled items, which may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, are known to have been distributed in Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia and may have been distributed nationally.
• Food Safety Recall: Freybe Gourmet Foods (Langley, BC) recalls Freybe brand Ham Suelze (all codes purchased up to and including July 28, 2010), because the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The Ham Suelze was manufactured for Freybe by G. Brandt Meat Packers (Mississauga, ON). Freybe already had suspended sales of the Ham Suelze as part of its response to the Salmonella Chester outbreak that has been linked to Freybe Headcheese (also manufactured for Freybe by Brandt Meat).

Europe

• Food Supplement Safety Notification (EU #2010.1026): Unauthorised substance sildenafil in food supplement from the United States, via Spain; distributed in Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1027): Residue level above MRL for oxytetracycline in chilled kid (young goat) meat from France; distributed in Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1028): Dead insects in pickled gherkins from Germany; distributed in Greece.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1029-1033): Dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorobifenyls in cod liver from Poland; distributed in the Czech Republic.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1034): Benzo(a)pyrene in smoked seafood products from the Gambia; distributed in Belgium and the Netherlands.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1035): Fumonisins in maize for popcorn from Turkey; distributed in Germany.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.1036): Too high content of sulphite in gambero from Croatia; distributed in Italy.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Cosmetic Product Safety Recall (Singapore): The Health Sciences Authority has detected an undeclared western medicinal ingredient (minoxidil) in “Hair Growth Formula D-2653-B” and “Hair Growth Tonic E-0583-D”, used as haircare therapies by Beijing 101 Hair Consultants. Both “Hair Growth Formula D-2653-B” and “Hair Growth Tonic E-0583-D” are manufactured by Beijing Zhangguang 101 Science & Technology Development Co. Ltd in Beijing, China. In Singapore, minoxidil is a pharmacy-only medicine and can only be used under the supervision of doctors or sold by pharmacists for the treatment of hair loss. The affected batches of the two products have since been recalled from Beijing 101 Hair Consultants haircare centres.

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
  
• Harvey's Supermarket
  
• 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.