Recall Roundup: July 9, 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

• OTC Pharmaceutical Safety Recall: McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., recalls 21 lots of over-the-counter medicines that were manufactured in the company's Puerto Rico facility and that may contain trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole. The recall includes specific dosage formats and lot codes of Benadryl Allergy Ultratab, Children's Tylenol Meltaways, Motrin IB, Tylenol Extra Strength, and Tylenol PM products. The recalled products were sold in the United States, Fiji, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, and Jamaica. Please follow the link to the McNeil recall notice for additional details on the recalled products.
• Food Safety Recall (Update): USDA updates the retail distribution list for bison meat products that were recalled recently by Rocky Mountain Natural Meats due to contamination with E. coli O157:H7.
• Food Safety Recall: Miravalle Foods, Inc. (S. El Monte, CA) recalls 37,318 lbs. of Miravalle Chile California and Miravalle Chile Nuevo Mexico Peppers distributed between March 15th and May 6th 2010 to some customers in California, Colorado, Utah, North Carolina, Nebraska, Idaho, Oregon and Nevada because they may be contaminated with Salmonella. The recalled was initiated after FDA detected Salmonella in a random sample of the peppers.
• Food Safety Recall: J. Hellman Frozen Foods, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA) recalls 992 cases (4,960 retail units) of Señor Mexicano™ Avocado Pulp (A 21 04 10 / A 21 04 12), after FDA finds Listeria monocytogenes in a random sample of the product. The recalled avocado pulp was distributed in California and Hawaii.
• Dietary Supplement Safety Alert: FDA warns that Que She, marketed as an herbal weight loss supplement, contains active pharmaceutical ingredients not listed on the product label that could harm consumers, especially those with cardiovascular conditions. An FDA lab analysis of the product found that it contains fenfluramine, propranolol, sibutramine, and ephedrine. Que She has been widely distributed on Internet sites such as the Bouncing Bear Botanicals website, and at retail outlets, including Sacred Journey in Lawrence, Kansas.

Europe

• Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2010.0916): Undeclared peanut (9 mg/kg - ppm) in coconut ice-cream bar from Poland; distributed in the Czech Republic.
• Food Safety Recall (France): Covial (Establishment #FR 15 014 032 CE) recalls 3.8 tonnes (3,800 kg or 8,378 lb) of fresh ground meat and vacuum-packed ground meat after detecting E. coli O157:H7 in a sample. The recalled meat was sold under the Carrefour (Use by dates of July 6 and July 7) and Casino (Use by date of July 7) brand names. The recalled meat was sold in Carrefour, Carrefour Market, Carrefour City, Carrefour Contact, Shopi, 8 À Huit, Marché Plus, Géant Casino and Casino supermarkets. Carrefour products were available in Aquitaine, Auvergne, Bourgogne, Centre, Franche-Comté, Haut-Rhin, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Midi-Pyrénées, Poitou-Charentes and Rhône-Alpes; the Casino-labelled meat was sold in the central and south-west regions of France (recall notice forwarded by Albert Amgar).
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Nordic Seafood A/S recalls fresh tuna steaks, due to illegal treatment with carbon monoxide.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Altia Denmark recalls Santa Veda CS boxed wine, sold in SuperGros stores, because some of the boxes are bulging.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0912): Residue level above MRL for oxytetracycline in chilled horse meat from Argentina, via Belgium; distributed in Germany and Switzerland.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0913): Potentially pathogenic bacteria in sardines in olive oil from Morocco; distributed in Italy and Hong Kong.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0914): Listeria monocytogenes in smoked salmon from Poland; distributed in France and Poland.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0915): Monocrotophos (pesticide) in fresh okra from India; distributed in Germany.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0917): Parasitic infestation with Anisakis of frozen hake from Spain, via Latvia; distributed in Lithuania.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0918): Listeria monocytogenes in Lavistown cheese from Ireland; distributed in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0919): Mercury in frozen sliced swordfish from Portugal; distributed in Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0920): Salmonella spp. in sliced dry turkey sausage from France; distributed in France and the United Arab Emirates.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0921): Glass fragment (2x4 mm) in potato salad from Germany; distributed in Denmark.
• Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2010.0922): Salmonella in rapeseed meal from Switzerland; distributed in Sweden.
• Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2010.0923): Salmonella cubana in soya pellets from Brazil, via Aruba and via Germany; distributed in Sweden.
• Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2010.0924): Excessive Enterobacteriaceae in poultry meal from Germany; distributed in Belgium.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0925): Aflatoxins in red pepper powder from China; distributed in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0927): Mercury in frozen sliced swordfish from Portugal; distributed in Italy.
• Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2010.0928): Feather meal (possible contamination) in poultry meal from Spain; distributed in Spain.
• Consumer Product Safety Notification (EU #2010.0929): Migration of formaldehyde from melamine bowls from China, via Spain; distributed in Slovenia.
• Consumer Product Safety Notification (EU #2010.0930): Migration of formaldehyde from melamine bowls from China, via Italy; distributed in Slovenia.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0931): Salmonella typhimurium DT 104 - multiresistant in pork tenderloin without chain muscle from Germany; distributed in Denmark.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0932): Salmonella in raw sausage from Poland; distributed in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0933): Metal fragment in ice cream from Italy; distributed in Italy and Malta.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0934): Aflatoxins in ground nutmeg from India, via Poland; distributed in Czech Republic.
• Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2010.0935): Salmonella cubana in soya pellets from Brazil, via Aruba and via Germany; distributed in Sweden.
• Consumer Product Safety Notification (EU #2010.0936): Migration of formaldehyde from plastic bowl from China; distributed in Slovenia.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0937): Risk of breakage (due to glass deformation) of glass jars containing fruit puree from Slovenia; distributed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovenia.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• OTC Pharmaceutical Safety Recall: McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., recalls 21 lots of over-the-counter medicines that were manufactured in the company's Puerto Rico facility and that may contain trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole. The recall includes specific dosage formats and lot codes of Benadryl Allergy Ultratab, Children's Tylenol Meltaways, Motrin IB, Tylenol Extra Strength, and Tylenol PM products. The recalled products were sold in the United States, Fiji, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, and Jamaica. Please follow the link to the McNeil recall notice for additional details on the recalled products.
• Food Safety Seizure (China): Chinese food safety officials in Qinghai province have seized 64 tonnes of raw dairy materials contaminated with melamine. Test samples showed the milk powder carried up to 500 times the maximum allowed level of the chemical.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0913): Potentially pathogenic bacteria in sardines in olive oil from Morocco; distributed in Hong Kong.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0920): Salmonella spp. in sliced dry turkey sausage from France; distributed in the United Arab Emirates.

Australia and New Zealand

• Food Safety Recall (Australia): On the order of Victoria health authorities, Kyvalley Farms 500ml bottles of chocolate-flavoured reduced-fat milk with a use-by date of July 11 have been withdrawn from sale, because the milk may be contaminated with a chemical sanitizer.

Latin America and the Caribbean

• OTC Pharmaceutical Safety Recall: McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., recalls 21 lots of over-the-counter medicines that were manufactured in the company's Puerto Rico facility and that may contain trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole. The recall includes specific dosage formats and lot codes of Benadryl Allergy Ultratab, Children's Tylenol Meltaways, Motrin IB, Tylenol Extra Strength, and Tylenol PM products. The recalled products were sold in the United States, Fiji, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, and Jamaica. Please follow the link to the McNeil recall notice for additional details on the recalled products.

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: July 8, 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

• Baton Rouge, LA. July 7: One hundred and ninety-nine cases of oil spill exposure-related cases have been reported to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals to date; 166 of those cases involved workers on oil rigs or workers involved in the oil spill clean-up efforts, while 33 were reported by the general public.
• Baton Rouge, LA. July 7: The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals is reopening oyster harvesting Area 7 to give harvesters as much time as possible to harvest their product before any potential impact from the BP oil spill in the Gulf.
• University Park, PA. July 8: A counselor at a Penn State tennis camp was diagnosed with an E. coli infection last week. Three other participants in the tennis camp also reported digestive system problems, although none of them reported E. coli. The University, which is investigating the incident, could not confirm that the counselor, a resident of New York, contracted his illness while at Penn State.

Europe

• Dublin, Ireland. July 7: Seven food businesses were ordered to shut down over safety breaches in June, according to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Overall, 10 enforcement orders were served on food businesses around the country.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Beijing, PRC. July 7: The State Food and Drug Administration, in concert with five other central government agencies, has launched a six-month crackdown campaign on livestock and poultry slaughtering to ensure meat safety for consumers. The campaign is focussing on illegal sale of diseased or dead livestock and poultry, illegal slaughtering, feeding pigs with banned substances such as clenobuterol hydrochloride, and sale of pigs injected with water.
• Beijing, PRC. July 7: China's Food and Drug Administration will investigate allegations in recent media reports, which claim that fast food giant McDonald's chicken nuggets contain excessive amounts of two chemical ingredients – tertiary-butylhydroquinone and dimethylpolysiloxane.
• Taiwan. July 8: Fast food restaurants in Taiwan have been urged to drop big burgers from their menus amid reports of a growing number of jaw injuries.
• Chaohu City, PRC. July 8: A green algae outbreak has been reported in China's fifth-largest freshwater lake, threatening the drinking water source for 300,000 residents.
• Anand, India. July 8: Six villages in the district of Gujarat are being closely watched for signs of a cholera outbreak after cases of the disease were detected in Valasan village.
• Phnom Penh, Cambodia. July 8: Officials at Preah Sihanouk provincial prison requested intervention from the provincial health department this week after 10 prisoners were stricken with severe vomiting and diarrhoea, five of whom were hospitalised.

Recall Roundup: July 8, 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: K. Heeps, Inc. (Allentown, PA) recalls approximately 17.5 pounds of fully cooked turkey breast products that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products were distributed to a single restaurant in Reading, PA.
• Food Safety Recall (Update): Rocky Mountain Natural Meats (Henderson, CO) has extended its earlier recall of 66,000 pounds of ground bison meat and tenderized steak bison products to include an additional 776 pounds of bison meat that was supplied to a Nevada firm for further processing. USDA has released a partial retail distribution list for the 66,776 pounds of meat, which was recalled due to contamination with E. coli O157:H7.
• Food Safety Recall (Update): USDA has released an updated retail distribution list for Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken & Rice White Meat Chicken and Broccoli over Rice Topped with Rich Cheddar Sauce, which was recalled by ConAgra due to Salmonella contamination.
• Food Safety Recall: Ready Pac Foods, Inc. (Irwindale, CA) recalls 702 cases of the Baby Spinach variety of Spinach Temptations 6 oz. bagged salads with Use by Dates of July 4 (Product Code 11707B, IR127121) and July 8 (Product Code 12007B, IR130373) because they could be contaminated by Escherichia coli O157:H7 (Ecoli 0157.H7). The recalled products were sold in California, Washington and Arizona.
• Food Safety Alert: The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture advises consumers who purchased aged hard cheddar cheese made with raw milk from Milky Way Farm (Troy, PA) to discard the product, after finding Staphylococcus aureus and staphylococcal enterotoxin in a sample of the cheese. Milky Way Farm has agreed to stop selling their aged hard cheddar cheese made with raw milk, and the department is moving to suspend Milky Way Farm’s raw milk cheese manufacturing permit until additional aged hard cheddar cheese made from raw milk samples are tested and found to be free of Staphylococcus aureus and other pathogens.
• Pharmaceutical Product Safety Alert: FDA is warning the public that certain Advair Diskus inhalers stolen from a distribution warehouse in 2009 have been found in some pharmacies. The safety and effectiveness of the stolen inhalers cannot be assured and they should not be used.

Europe

• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Vion Denmark recalls fresh pork tenderloin (Expiry date: 02/07/2010), produced by the German company Vion Emstek, because multi-drug resistant Salmonella has been found in the meat.
• Dietary Supplement Safety Recall (Denmark): SinoDane has been ordered to withdraw a range of imported dietary supplements containing dangerous herbal ingredients that can cause serious side effects. The products were sold to alternative health practitioners throughout Denmark.
• Food Safety Notification Update (EU #2010.0863): Salmonella Mbandaka in cow's milk camembert and brie from France; distributed in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0908): Mercury in frozen sliced swordfish from Portugal; distributed in Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0909): Chlormequat (pesticide) in grapes from India, via the Netherlands; distributed in the Czech Republic.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0910): Chlormequat (pesticide) in seedless grapes from India, via the Slovak Republic; distributed in the Czech Republic.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0911): Carbendazim (pesticide) in passion fruit from Kenya; distributed in the Netherlands.

Asia and Africa

• Food Safety Notification Update (EU #2010.0863): Salmonella Mbandaka in cow's milk camembert and brie from France; distributed in Singapore.

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.

Hospitalized in Florida? Call "1-800-Take-Out"

Florida residents at heightened risk of hospital-acquired food poisoning

The State of Florida has eliminated food safety inspections in hospitals, nursing homes and day care centers. This cost-cutting measure took effect on July 1st.

By signing the budget bill, Governor Christ has acquiesced in a state-wide experiment in food safety self-policing involving the most susceptible populations in the state – the sick, the elderly and young children. Florida, by the way, will continue to police food safety in prisons.

Let me predict the outcome of this experiment:

1. More hospital-acquired infections, resulting in longer hospital stays – and more deaths
2. More outbreaks of Norovirus, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria monocytogenes in nursing homes and day care centers
3. More day care centers forced to close temporarily due to outbreaks of Norovirus, Salmonella, Shigella and E. coli infections.
4. Higher health care costs passed through to the general public to deal with the unintended consequences of Florida's cost-cutting measure.

The danger is real. Forty-two patients and 12 staff members at a Louisiana hospital were infected with Clostridium perfringens in early May. Three patients died! Subsequent investigation traced the contamination to chicken salad that was improperly stored. Investigators highlighted deficiencies in dietary services and concerns with overall operation of the hospital. The Hospital Administrator has since resigned.

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), 15 outbreaks of foodborne illness have been linked to hospitals, nursing homes and day care centers in Florida since 1995. The elimination of food safety inspections for these cost-conscious facilities guarantees that the frequency of outbreaks will increase substantially.

"Ending food safety inspections in the kitchens that feed those [susceptible] populations is like taking seatbelts out of their cars and hoping no one has an accident."

– Sarah Klein, Center for Science in the Public Interest

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.

Outbreaks and Alerts: July 7, 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

• Tallahassee, FL. July 2: The state of Florida has eliminated food safety inspections at hospitals, day care centers and nursing homes because of budget cuts. Food safety inspections will be maintained for prisons.
• Baton Rouge, LA. July 5: The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals announced today the closures of oyster harvesting areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 in response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf.
• Washington, DC. July 6: USDA updates its list of substances that may be used in the production of meat, poultry, and egg products.
• Rhode Island. July 6: Rhode Island Department of Health issues a precautionary boil water advisory for customers of the United Water, Narragansett Pt. Judith, Narragansett North End, South Kingstown South Shore, and South Kingstown Middlebridge water systems, after water pressure drops below acceptable levels.
• Olympia, WA. July 6: A "boil water" health advisory issued Saturday for the City of Vader water supply has ended because lab tests show the water meets safe drinking water standards.
• Texas. July 7: The Texas Department of State Health Services has issued an advisory warning people not to consume any species of fish from portions of the Trinity River in Tarrant, Dallas, Ellis, Kaufman, Henderson, Navarro, Freestone and Anderson counties after lab tests of fish samples found elevated levels of dioxins and polychlorinated byphenyls, or PCBs.
• Ellensburg, WA. July 7: Kittitas County Public Health has cleared two Ellensburg day-care facilities to reopen today following an E. coli bacteria outbreak. Creative Kids Learning Center and Little Tot Town Childcare Center are approved to reopen; a third Ellensburg day care, Foursquare Church Daycare and Preschool, is expected to reopen Saturday, the release said. Thirteen children were confirmed to have become infected with E. coli in this outbreak.

Canada

• Ottawa, ON. July 5: The City of Ottawa has lifted the no-swim advisory for Westboro and Britannia beaches meaning all city beaches are open and safe for swimming. The advisory was in place because the water had tested positive for higher than recommended levels of E. coli.

Europe

• United Kingdom. July 6: The Food Standards Agency is commissioning a range of research projects to tackle the food poisoning microbe Campylobacter, which causes over 300,000 illnesses per year and costs the economy more than £583m (more than US$885 million).
• Geneva, Switzerland. July 6: The Codex Alimentarius Commission has ruled that powdered infant formula must contain no more than one (1) milligram of melamine per kilogram; the amount of the chemical allowed in other foods and animal feed is 2.5 mg/kg.
• Llantrisant, Wales (UK). July 7: An unannounced spot check at Royal Glamorgan Hospital revealed "poor and sub-optimal" standards of cleanliness, including dirty commodes, dusty equipment trolleys, and inadequate infection control training for staff members.
• Angarsk, Russia. July 7: In a follow-up to a recently reported outbreak of food poisoning that prompted the hospitalization of 12 campers and one adult, an inspection of the camp kitchen revealed inadequate cooking of hamburgers and incorrect storage temperatures for compote.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Lahij, Yemen. July 6: Four people are dead and 183 have been hospitalized in what is suspected to be an outbreak of cholera.
• Hanoi, Vietnam. July 7: Cholera has returned to northern Vietnam. The Hanoi-based Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases has received 13-15 new acute diarrhea patients daily over the past week, compared to just several patients a day previously. The Hanoi Preventive Health Centre has reported 144 acute diarrhea patients in Hanoi since June 13th. Up to 66 percent of them ate dog meat, raw vegetables, shrimp paste and snail vermicelli before coming ill.

Australia and New Zealand

• Sydney, Australia. July 7: The New South Wales Food Authority and the processed meat and poultry industry will be hosting a Listeria Safety Summit on July 8th. The goal of the Summit is to "... seek out best practices in managing food safety," according to Primary Industries Minister Steve Whan

Recall Roundup: July 7, 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

• Allergy Alert: M&K II Co. (Macomb, MI) recalls approximately 8,000 pounds of beef jerky products because they contain undeclared wheat and soy.
• Food Safety Recall: Giant Food Stores advises its customers that Schneider Valley Farms has recalled four Schneider Valley Farms Milk Products due to an off-flavor.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Nicola Pizza, Inc. that a November 2009 inspection of the company's facility revealed insanitary conditions that render Nic-o-boli® products adulterated under section 402(a)(4) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Ribbon Pharmaceutical and Chemical Products (Villadose, Rovigo, Italy) that a December 2009 inspection of the company's manufacturing facility identified significant violations of Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations for Finished Pharmaceuticals, rendering the drug products manufactured at the facility adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Pharmline, Inc. (Florida, NY) that a January/February 2010 inspection of the company's facility revealed serious violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Canada

• Foreign Product Alert: Health Canada is advising the public not to use Stud Capsule For Men (Lot #060607-01/060108-01 Exp 6-2013), which was recalled by the manufacturer (Kanec USA Inc., Davie, FL) after it was found to contain Sildenafil, a prescription drug used to treat erectile dysfunction.
• Foreign Product Alert: Health Canada is advising the public not to use Po Chai Pills (capsule form), manufactured by Li Chung Shing Tong (Holdings) Ltd, Hong Kong, because certain batches were found by the Hong Kong Department of Health to contain undeclared sibutramine and phenolphthalein.
• Foreign Product Alert: Health Canada is advising the public not to use the weight-loss products LiPO-4 Cap, LiPO-8 Cap and Glucomi 600 Cap, because they contain undeclared sibutramine.

Europe

• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Dansk Supermarked recalls Kærlig kylling brand chicken strips (manufactured in Germany), because of Salmonella contamination (see also EU #2010.0907, below).
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): TR Thorup Meat Wholesale Ltd recalls beef hamburger and minced pork after Salmonella was found in a sample of the minced pork. The recalled meats were distributed to cafés and restaurants in Zealand.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): INCO Danmark Amba recalls several varieties of minced meat products after Salmonella was found in a sample of the meat. The recalled meats were distributed to caterers, restaurants, institutions, and corporate gourmet kitchens across Denmark.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Kolding Salater A/S recalls Kolding Salads Gourmet Deli brand Ham Salad due to the presence of excessive bacteria and yeast.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Nimb Dairy recalls organic chocolate milk, 3% (Best before 07-07-10) due to high bacterial content.
• Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall (UK): Hospira UK Ltd. recalls certain batches of Temozolomide Hospira Capsules due to reports of broken capsules and leakage.
• Dietary Supplement Safety Recall (Finland): Vitacom Pharma Ltd recalls its Inversion Femme Anti-Aging Total Beauty Vitamin/Mineral capsules (Best before 10/2012; batch D0904) because the product contains excessive benzo (a) pyrene.
• Dietary Supplement Safety Alert (Sweden): The Swedish National Food Authority warns the public that 65 dietary supplements containing steroids or steroid-like substances that were recalled in the USA by the Internet company bodybuilding.com may have been imported into Sweden.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0897): Bacillus cereus in ricotta from Italy; distributed in Italy and the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0898): Carbendazim (pesticide) in dragon fruit from Thailand; distributed in the Netherlands.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0899): Salmonella Kentucky in vacuum packed turkey breast fillets from Germany; distributed in Aldi stores in Denmark.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0900): Listeria monocytogenes in chorizo from Spain; distributed in France.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0901): Foreign body (pieces of metal blade and plastic handle) in cheese sausages from Austria; distributed in Germany.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0902): Altered organoleptic characteristics (bluish colour) of mozzarella from Italy; distributed in France, Germany and Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0903): Incorrect labelling (two different best before dates) on whipping cream from Germany; distributed in Cyprus.
• Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2010.0904): Unauthorised animal ingredients in chicken feed from the Czech Republic; distributed in the Czech Republic.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0905): Vibrio parahaemolyticus in frozen raw shrimps from Bangladesh, via Germany; distributed in France.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0906): Listeria monocytogenes in rindless cooked ham from France; distributed in France, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Singapore and Thailand.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0907): Salmonella in chilled chicken fillets from Germany; distributed in Denmark.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Herbal Products Safety Alert: The Philippines Food and Drug Administration warns consumers to avoid using unlabeled herbal products.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0906): Listeria monocytogenes in rindless cooked ham from France; distributed in France, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Singapore and Thailand.

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: July 5, 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

• Glencoe, IL. July 1: Thirty-seven people are confirmed to have been infected with a strain of Salmonella Enteritidis after eating at the Skokie Country Club in June. Eight people were treated in hospital; two are still hospitalized. The combined total of confirmed and suspected cases exceeds 80.
• Olympia, WA. July 3: Customers of the Vader water system in Lewis County are being asked to boil their drinking water until further notice.

Canada

• Calgary, AB. July 4: A Norovirus outbreak at the Alberta Children's Hospital has left four children sick and sent at least 20 staff members home.The virus hasn't spread beyond two medical and surgical units in the hospital. Children suspected of being infected with Norovirus are being isolated from other children in the units.
• Ottawa, ON. July 5: Health Canada reminds Canadians of the importance of safe handling of fresh produce to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Europe

• Astrakhan, Russia. July 5: A dysentery outbreak at a children's health resort sends 14 children and one counselor to hospital.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Kenya. June 24: Eight suspected cases of aflatoxin poisoning have been reported at Mutomo mission hospital in Eastern Province. Eighteen samples of maize taken from the National Cereals and Produce Board Kitui depot have been found to be contaminated with aflatoxin.
• Hong Kong. July 3: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is investigating two suspected ciguatoxin poisoning cases affecting four people who had consumed coral reef fish.
• Cambodia. July 5: At least 60 Cambodian people were reported dead by cholera and diarrhea that occurred in 20 out of 24 provinces and cities across the country. The Ministry of Health said in a report that 60 people died of cholera and diarrhea among the 449 cases found this year.
• Hanoi, Vietnam. July 5: The National Hospital for Tropical Diseases is treating 36 people infected with acute diarrhea, with 18 of them having tested positive for cholera. Most of the patients are from inner Hanoi.

Australia and New Zealand

• Australia. June 30: Major retailers begin the phase out of baby bottles containing Bisphenol A (BPA).
• New South Wales, Australia. July 4: A targeted NSW Food Authority investigation into suspected illegal meat manufacturers in Sydney found 29 of the 80 products inspected were produced by illegal backyard operators.