eFoodAlert.com: Recalls and Alerts: May 20, 2011

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

United States

Dietary Supplement Safety Recall: The Arizona Department of Health has mandated a mass recall of Lazy Cakes relaxation brownies after a 2-year old child was rushed to hospital. The toddler fell into a deep sleep after biting into one of the brownies, which contains 8mg of melatonin, a naturally occuring compound that helps to regulate sleep cycles. A typical adult dose of melatonin is 1-3mg.

Dietary Supplement Safety Recall: Phoenix Import & Distribution LLC recalls Pentrexyl Forte Natural (Exp. 04/14; Lot #102050 and all lots distributed between November 1, 2010 and May 1, 2011), because the packaging is believed to be misleading, causing the product to be confused with an antibiotic.

Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: American Regent (Shirley, NY) recalls Sterile Water for Injection, USP, 50 mL single-dose vial (Lot 0092; Exp. February 2014), because some of the vials may contain rust-like particulate matter.

Food/Water Safety Alert (Alaska): The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reminds the public that all locally harvested shellfish may contain paralytic shellfish poison (PSP). Alaska does not have a PSP testing program for recreational or subsistence harvested shellfish, and does not certify beaches as PSP-free.

Recreational Water Alert (Ohio): Water warnings have been posted at Grand Lake St. Mary, due to an algae bloom. People should not swim or wade in the lake, or touch any of the algae in the lake.

Outbreak Alert (California): San Joaquin County has noticed a sharp increase in the number of cases of Campylobacter gastroenteritis - about twice the usual number so far this year. The County Public Health Services has not yet found a common source or specific explanation for this increase. The rise began in 2010, with 233 cases reported, versus 135 cases in 2009.

Canada

Allergy Alert: Health Canada cautions the public that cereal grains such as oats or barley may contain low levels of wheat, because of the way the grains are grown and harvested. Individuals who are allergic to wheat should review package labels carefully to determine whether the product may contain traces of wheat.

Allergy Alert: Pâtisserie St-Martin (Laval, QC) recalls Pâté au poulet (chicken pâté), Pâté au saumon (salmon pâté) and Tourtière maison (meat pie), because the products contain undeclared egg and soy.

Food Safety Recall: The Tree of Life Canada (Surrey, BC) recalls King James brand Blue Stilton Cheese (Product of England; Lot/Batch numbers between 019 and 034, inclusive), because the cheese may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The cheese was sold to retailers in 2 kg bulk round packages, but may have been cut and sold at retail and deli counters in random weight packages between April 14, 2011 and May 19, 2011. The product was distributed in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland; however it may have been sold nationally.

Europe

Food Safety Recall (France): Magasins U recalls Magasins U brand Pain de Mie extra moelleux (Extra-chewy sandwich bread; Lot 3 256 224 034 261; Best before 27/05/2011), because the bread may contain glass fragments. The recalled bread was sold in Hyper U, Super U, Marché U, U Express, and Utile stores.

Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Lantmännen Danpo A/S recalls Chicky Cuts, plucked chicken (Product of Belgium; Danpo Batch No. 20110104), because the product contains elevated bacteria levels, which may be due to defective bag seals.

Dog Food Safety Recall Update (Finland): VIP Vescor Oy recalls additional batches of Nutritional Balance Dog Food. The recalled batches include 1kg packs (Batch #OW 320, OW 246 and OW 321), 3kg packs (Batch #OW 221, OW 320, OW 321, OX 039 and OX 040) and 15 kg packs (Batch #OW 222, OW 291, OW 312, OW 356, OW 249, OW 336, OX 025 and OX 055). Lab results suggest that rice protein used in the product contains an extraordinary amount of nitrogen.

Shellfish Alert (France): Due to the presence of toxic algae in the water, the harvest, sale and consumption of shellfish is prohibited over a large part of the Seine-maritime coastline.

Outbreak Alert (UK): Redfield Edge School in Oldland Common has shut two classes after an outbreak of E. coli diarrhea, suspected to be E. coli O157. One child has been hospitalized, two others have received medical treatment, and 25 others have called in sick with diarrhea. The source of the outbreak has not yet been determined.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Outbreak Alert (Yemen): Three hundred cases of acute diarrhea have been reported in Abyan province. Four people have died. Cholera was confirmed in two cases.

Outbreak Alert (Fiji): An outbreak of 42 cases of typhoid that began in Bua in February 2011 has spread across the country.

Outbreak Alert (Madagascar): Fourteen people have been poisoning as a result of having consumed toxic sea gobidé, a pelagic fish.

Australia and New Zealand

Outbreak Alert Update (New Zealand): Five of the seven Northland rest homes that were caught up in an outbreak of gastroenteritis that sickened 303 people and killed two elderly residents have been declared "outbreak-free". Of the seven rest homes, four had confirmed norovirus infections, one was probable norovirus, one was probable Campylobacter and the last was suspected viral gastroenteritis.

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.