eFoodAlert.com: Recalls and Alerts: June 28, 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

Allergy Alert: Risvold's Salads Inc. (Gardena, CA) recalls Seafood Pasta Salad (Use by 7/17/11) and Seafood Salad (Use by 6/27/11, 7/4/11 and 7/11/11), because they may contain undeclared milk, sunflower, sesame and soy. The recalled salads were sold behind the deli case in retail markets in Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Montana and Idaho.

Allergy Alert: JFC International, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA) recalls all UCC and Taitan Instand Drink Mix (Product of Taiwan), because they contain undeclared milk.

Pet Food Safety Recall: Nestlé Purina PetCare Company recalls Cat Chow Naturals Dry Cat Food (6.3-lb bag; Best by Aug 2012; Production Code 10331083 13), and Friskies Grillers Blend Dry Cat Food (3.15-lb and 16-lb bags; Best By Aug 2012; Production code 10381083 06), because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella. The bags were distributed in error in February 2011 to a small number of customers in Colorado, Idaho and Oregon, which may have further distributed the products to other Western states.

Food Safety/Outbreak Alert: FDA warns the public not to eat alfalfa sprouts or spicy sprouts from plastic bags labeled "Evergreen Produce" or "Evergreen Produce Inc." because the sprouts may be linked to 21 confirmed Salmonella Enteritidis infections in five US states: Idaho (3), Montana (7), North Dakota (1), New Jersey (1) and Washington (9). Three people have been hospitalized. The investigation is ongoing, and the producer has not (yet) recalled the implicated sprouts.

Outbreak Alert: The Alaska Section of Epidemiology is investigating four known cases of Campylobacter infections associated with drinking raw milk from an Alaska dairy farm in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley that operates a cow-share program.

Outbreak Alert Update: The Alabama Department of Public Health is continuing its investigation into an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in Lee County that has sickened 13 children and two adults who either played in the Splash Park or swam in the pool at the Opelika SportsPlex and Aquatic Center. Five of the children have been confirmed positive for E. coli O157:H7; four children were hospitalized initially, and two remain in hospital.

FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Wild Foods, Inc., dba Ma Baensch's, Baensch Food Products Co. (Milwaukee, WI) that a February-April 2011 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 La Fiesta Food Products, Inc. (San Jose, CA) that a February 2011 inspection of the company's seafood repackaging facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.

FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Ozark Bottling Co. (Lake Ozark, MO) that a January/February 2011 inspection of the company's facility revealed serious deviations from the Acidified Food regulations described in Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 108, Emergency Permit Control (21 CFR Part 108) and Part 114, Acidified Foods (21 CFR Part 114).

FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Sally Jackson Cheeses (Oroville, WA) that a December 2010 inspection of the company's cheese processing establishment revealed the presence of the pathogen E. coli O157:H7 in a sample of aged cow milk cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves, and the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes in a sample of aged raw goat milk cheese wrapped in grape leaves, rendering these cheeses adulterated. The E. coli O157:H7 isolate obtained from the aged cow milk cheese sample was indistinguishable from a strain of E. coli O157:H7 that caused an outbreak of human illness.

FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Los Genuinos, Inc. (Bayamon, PR) that a January 2011 inspection of the company's food manufacturing facility revealed serious violations of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 110 (21 CFR 110), Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) in Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food.

FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Baxter Healthcare Corporation (Deerfield, IL) that a July/August 2010 inspection of the company's pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Jayuya, PR revealed significant violations of Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations for Finished Pharmaceuticals, Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 210 and 211.

FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Mutual Trading Company, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA) that a May 2010 inspection of the company's seafood processor/importer/distribution facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point regulation, and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.

Canada

Pharmaceutical Product Safety Advisory: Following an R.C.M.P. seizure of counterfeit Cialis in the Greater Toronto Area, Health Canada is reminding Canadians that unauthorized and counterfeit health products can pose serious risks to their health. The seized product contained sildenafil, instead of the authorized prescription medicine tadalafil.

Europe

Allergy Alert (UK): Asda withdraws Asda Extra Special Strawberry & White Chocolate Popcorn, 150g (Best before 04/11/11), because a packaging error has resulted in the packages containing Pecan and Milk Chocolate Popcorn, and presents a risk to people who are allergic to nuts.

Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Lantmännen Cerealia recalls Kornkammeret organic muesli (Best before 15.02.2012), because the product contains a foreign object which may be rodent residue.

Outbreak Alert Update (France): Sixteen cases of E. coli O104:H4 infections in Gironde have been linked to the consumption of raw sprouts. Eight of the patients are suffering from hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

Food Safety Recall (Hong Kong): AIC Merchandising (Japan) Ltd recalls TOPVALU TV SALT Flavoured Instant Ramen Noodles (Product of Japan; Expiry October 6, 2011), because the sachet of soup powder included in the noodle pack was found to contain DEHP.

Chinese Medicine Safety Recall (Hong Kong): Wah Shun Medicine Limited recalls [W.S] Gan Mao Ling, because the medicine contains excessive arsenic.

Chinese Medicine Safety Alert (Singapore): The Health Sciences Authority warns consumers not to use Ren Sem Tu Chon Chin Kuo Pill and Huo Li Bao, as these Chinese medicines contain undeclared western pharmaceutical ingredients, including dexamethasone, chlorpheniramine, piroxican, and/or frusemide.

Australia and New Zealand

Food Safety Recall (Australia): Shin Mi (Australia) Pty Ltd. recalls WANG Dried Kelp Varech Speche (56g and 170g plastic packets; Product of Korea; Date Marking 2013.01.20), because the dried seaweed contains high levels of naturally occurring iodine.

Safety Advisory (Australia): The Therapeutic Goods Administration warns consumers that Pure Fat Three Days Reduce Weight Capsules, sold over the internet, contain therapeutic quantities of sibutramine, and are not 100% herbal as claimed. Sibutramine was a prescription-only medicine supplied in Australia until it was withdrawn in October 2010 due to safety concerns.

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.