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Thursday, July 23, 2009

Salmonella Outbreak Prompts Ground Beef Recall

July 23, 2009

At least 14 Coloradans have been infected with a multiple antibiotic-resistant strain of Salmonella Typhimurium DT104, and the trail has led investigators to ground beef produced by King Soopers, Inc. of Denver.

King Soopers announced yesterday that it was recalling nearly 470,000 pounds of ground beef products, processed on May 23, 2009 through June 13, 2009. The meat, which USDA believes is no longer available in stores, was sold at King Soopers and Dillon supermarkets in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. So far, no state other than Colorado has reported illnesses.

Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 ("DT104") was described as an "emerging foodborne pathogen" by USDA in 1997. In an eerie echo of the emergence of E. coli O157:H7, early reports of DT104 in the US were associated largely with dairy herds. Of the five US outbreaks of DT104 salmonellosis that occurred prior to 1997, four were traced to consuming unpasteurized dairy products or contact with dairy cattle.

Like most Salmonella strains, DT104 can be carried by a wide variety of animals, including: pig, sheep, chicken, turkey, horse, goat, emu, cat, dog, elk, mouse, coyote, ground squirrel, raccoon, chipmunk and several species of birds. Its broad host range makes DT104 very difficult to control.

In time – just like E. coli O157:H7 – DT104 will make the leap from feedlots to farms. Fresh produce growers and food safety regulators must arrest the spread of this "emerging" antibiotic-resistant pathogen before it fully emerges into salad bowls around the world.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Recall Roundup: July 22, 2009

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.

United States

Food Safety Recall: Tanimura & Antle recalls one lot of romaine lettuce after Wisconsin Department of Agriculture finds Salmonella in random sample. The recalled lettuce was distributed to wholesale, retail (including Wal-Mart) and food service outlets in Canada, Puerto Rico and 29 US states.

Canada

Food Safety Recall: Tanimura & Antle recalls one lot of romaine lettuce after Wisconsin Department of Agriculture finds Salmonella in random sample. Some of the recalled lettuce was exported to Canada.

Europe

Allergy Alert: Wm Morrison Supermarkets recalls one batch of Morrisons Frozen Sweet and Sour Battered Chicken (500g) after a packaging error results in the presence of undeclared sesame and soy.
Food Safety Recall: Heinz recalls one batch of Heinz Mum’s Own Spaghetti Bolognese because of possible contamination with small pieces of plastic.

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.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

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Lettuce Recall: Tanimura & Antle Shows How It Should Be Done

July 22, 2009

No one likes to hear of another lettuce recall due to Salmonella contamination. But if it has to happen, there's a "right way" to do it.

Tanimura & Antle, a Salinas valley grower, issued the following press release yesterday.

Tanimura & Antle Voluntarily Recalls One Lot of Romaine Lettuce Because of Possible Health Risk
July 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2009

Tanimura & Antle, Inc. of Salinas, Calif. is voluntarily recalling one lot of romaine lettuce because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. No illnesses have been reported to date, and the company is working with FDA to inform consumers of this recall.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected withSalmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. The recall comes after a random test conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture tested positive.

Within hours of being notified yesterday, Tanimura & Antle, Inc. traced back the entire lot of romaine and advised all customers who received the recalled product of the test result. Tanimura & Antle, Inc. has instructed these customers to destroy the product. Although the recalled product is past its shelf life, the company is issuing this voluntary recall out of an abundance of caution to ensure that any product purchased by consumers will also be destroyed. Consumers who have purchased the recalled romaine as described above should not consume it, and should destroy the product.

The cartons of bulk or wrapped romaine being recalled are marked with the lot code 531380 and were harvested June 25 - July 2. This recall includes only this single lot of romaine; no other products are involved.

The recalled romaine was sold to retail, wholesale and food service outlets in Canada, Puerto Rico and the following 29 states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Texas, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, North Carolina, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

“Tanimura & Antle is committed to our customers and the shoppers who buy our products every day. We practice strict food safety guidelines, using technology and scientific information to ensure that our products are as safe as possible. We will continue to review opportunities for improvement,” said Rick Antle, CEO. “Although the recalled product is well beyond the 14-16 day shelf life, we are voluntarily issuing this recall because we want to ensure that we minimize even the slightest risk to public health.”

Consumers with questions or who need information may call Tanimura & Antle at 1-877-827-7388 or may visit our web site for updates, www.taproduce.com.

Contact:
Amy Philpott, 202-384-1840, aphilpott@watsonmulhern.com
Lisa Watson, 202-251-0012, lwatson@watsonmulhern.com

The lettuce was sold at Wal-Mart stores, and may also have been available through other retailers.

Tanimura & Antle deserves a pat on the back for:

Acting promptly after being notified by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture of a Salmonella-positive result;
Having in place a tracing system that allowed it to identify, within hours, where all the recalled lettuce had been shipped; and
Including in the recall notice a list of states and countries where the lettuce was distributed.

The only item missing from the Company's recall notice is a list of retailers. Maybe next time.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Risky Eating: Pre-Chewed Food

July 21, 2009

Pre-chewing food is one way for mothers who have no access to commercial baby food – or who simply can't afford it – to prepare puréed food for their babies. The practice of pre-chewing food usually is associated with poor countries. Occasionally, though, mothers and care-givers in the developed world engage in the practice – perhaps as a way to induce a baby to eat.

The practice of feeding pre-chewed food was already known to increase the risk of early development of tooth decay in children. Now, researchers at St. Jude's and the CDC have discovered that pre-chewed food also can transmit the AIDS virus (HIV) from mother to child.

The research report, which will appear in the August 2009 issue of Pediatrics, documents three such cases of AIDS transmission in the United States. HIV is not transmitted in saliva; blood must be present. This can happen if the person doing the chewing suffers from bleeding gums. The baby, too, must have an open sore in its mouth – perhaps as a result of teething.

While the practice of pre-chewing is uncommon in developed countries, it is not unheard of. A quick Google search turned up several websites where the practice is discussed: Alternative Baby and Yahoo! Answers, to name just two.

If, for some reason, you feel compelled to engage in this practice, be sure that your dental hygiene is impeccable. Otherwise, your baby will receive an unexpected and unwanted dietary supplement – a smorgasbord of all the bacteria and viruses that live in your mouth.

Recall Roundup: July 21, 2009

United States

Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning Alert: Oregon Department of Agriculture has extended the area closed to recreational mussel harvesting to include the entire coast, from the mouth of the Columbia River to the California border. The closure is due to elevated levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning or PSP toxins and includes mussels on all beaches, rocks, jetties, and at the entrance to bays along the Oregon Coast.
Cosmetic Product Recall: Celeste Industries Corporation recalls all lots of SimplySmart™ "Remove" Make Up Remover in the US and Canada, packaged as a single towelette with hiexpress.com shown on the packet, due to possible contamination by Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. The towelettes are provided as an amenity at Holiday Inn Express hotels in the United States and Canada.
Food Safety Recall: Wirth's Nutcracker Sweet (Sanford, MI) recalls 258 of their 2-lb holiday party trays, due to possible Salmonella contamination after learning that pistachios used in the products were recalled by Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc.
Consumer Product Recall: Giant Food and Stop & Shop Supermarkets recall Cottontails Icy Bite Teether Keys because the gel in the rings may be contaminated with Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus circulans.

Canada

Cosmetic Product Recall: Celeste Industries Corporation recalls all lots of SimplySmart™ "Remove" Make Up Remover in the US and Canada, packaged as a single towelette with hiexpress.com shown on the packet, due to possible contamination by Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. The towelettes are provided as an amenity at Holiday Inn Express hotels in the United States and Canada.

Europe

Food Safety Recall (UK): Kestrel Foods Ltd has recalled some Supervalu brand and Centra brand sesame seeds products in Northern Ireland, due to Salmonella contamination.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

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Monday, July 20, 2009

Milan McDonalds Reopens; Illinois Offers Hepatitis Vaccinations

July 20, 2009

The Milan (Illinois) McDonalds restaurant – closed last week after one of the restaurant's employees was diagnosed with hepatitis – reopened for business on Saturday, according to the Quad City Times.

The Illinois Department of Health reported yesterday that it had traced 18 cases of hepatitis to the Rock Island County fast food restaurant. Media reports put the number of confirmed cases higher – at least 20 victims in five counties, according to WGN News in Chicago.

Two McDonalds employees have been diagnosed with hepatitis A, one of them on June 17th. But the health department claims that it wasn't informed of the June diagnosis until July 13th. Even though the health department notified McDonalds without further delay, the damage already was done. Hundreds of additional restaurant patrons were put at risk of infection for a delay that has not been explained, and cannot easily be excused.

The state has announced that it is providing free hepatitis vaccinations to individuals between the ages of one and forty years old, and immune globulin injections to children less than one year old and adults over the age of forty. Only patrons of the McDonalds Milan restaurant who consumed food or beverages at the restaurant from July 6 through July 10 or from July 13 through July 14, 2009 are eligible for the free treatments. Customers who patronized the restaurant on July 11 or July 12 were not exposed to potential infection, according to the Illinois Department of Health.

As many as 10,000 restaurant patrons, family members, friends and associates may be at risk of contracting hepatitis, according to WGN, and should attend the vaccination clinic, which is being held at the Rock Island High School, 1400 25th Avenue, Rock Island, IL. The clinic will be open on July 20 and July 21, from 10:00AM to 6:00PM (CDT). People who were vaccinated against Hepatitis A Virus in the past should still be immune to infection and need not be vaccinated again.

One aspect of this outbreak that has not yet received media attention is the risk of a secondary outbreak if someone who becomes infected with hepatitis prepares food for others. Hepatitis has a long incubation period, and an infected person can shed live virus even before experiencing symptoms.

Anyone who may have been exposed to the virus and who prepares food – whether in a restaurant or just for family members at home – should take extra care to wash his or her hands carefully and thoroughly before touching any food or utensils.

If you are at risk of hepatitis as a result of this outbreak, please take advantage of the free clinic. If you are not at risk, please cooperate by staying away.

Recall Roundup: July 20, 2009

Europe

Food Safety Recall (UK): The Food Standards Agency advises that Active brand peanut butter, Active brand groundnut paste and peanut butter made by Jesu Aka Ltd contain excessive aflatoxin and should not be consumed. The peanut products, manufactured in Ghana and imported into the UK by Mardoro Ltd., are sold mainly in food stores that sell African or African-Caribbean foods. Enforcement officers have been instructed to visit stores in their area that may be selling these products and ensure that the products are removed from sale. Aflatoxin is a natural toxin produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus.

Australia, New Zealand & the Pacific

Allergy Alert (Australia and Guam): Cadbury recalls one date code of Cadbury Old Gold Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa, due to the presence of undeclared milk.
Mislabeled Product Alert (New Zealand): Armenian Imports Limited (trading as Super Juice) recalls Yan brand fruit juice products, after independent lab tests show that the products – labeled as '100% juice' – contain little or no fruit
Prosecution of Juice Company (New Zealand): The Commerce Commission advises that it will institute prosecution of Brownlie Brothers Limited (trading as Simply Squeezed), a juice manufacturing and distribution company for alleged breaches of the Fair Trading Act in relation to a television advertising campaign that ran from March to May 2008 for Simply Squeezed Chilled Orange Juice.

Latin America & Caribbean

Consumer Alert (Guyana): The Government Analyst Food and Drug Department advises consumers to avoid purchasing certain Cadbury chocolate bars, specifically the fruit and nut and whole nut ones displaying the expiry date July 2009 and batch numbers L8017-DA1-17:22 and L8038DC1-14:25. The specified bars were found to be worm-infested and tainted, possibly due to substandard materials and/or improper storage conditions.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

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Sunday, July 19, 2009

Recall Roundup: July 19, 2009

United States

Food Safety Recall: Sweet Superior Fruit LTD. Co. recalls 104 crates of fresh cilantro (coriander) after FDA detects Salmonella in a sample. No illnesses have been reported. Sweet Superior Fruit, based in McAllen, Texas – less than 10 miles from the US border with Mexico – is an importer of fresh produce. The recalled cilantro was distributed between July 13 and July 16 to individuals and companies through cash sales at Sweet Superior Fruit. It may also have been sold through direct sales in and around McAllen, or used as an ingredient in other food products.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Hepatitis Outbreak Prompts Closure of Milan McDonalds

July 18, 2009

An outbreak of hepatitis A among patrons of a Milan (Illinois) McDonalds restaurant has forced the temporary closure of the fast food outlet.

News of the outbreak first broke on July 15th, when the Illinois Department of Public Health reported that it was investigating 11 confirmed and 2 suspect cases of hepatitis A among residents of Henry, Mercer and Rock Island counties. As of yesterday evening, the outbreak had grown to include 19 victims, 11 of whom were hospitalized due to the severity of their symptoms. Additional suspect cases are being investigated.

Hepatitis A Virus ("HAV") infections can vary in severity from asymptomatic to severe. Symptoms of the infection can include: fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, clay-colored bowel movements, joint pain, and jaundice (a yellowing of the skin or eyes). Infected children, especially, often show no symptoms; yet they shed the infectious virus in their stools anyway.

The virus is transmitted when a victim ingests infectious hepatitis viruses that have been deposited on food, or when a victim touches a surface that has been contaminated with live virus particles and then transfers the virus from hand to mouth – as happens when eating finger foods. One infected food handler working at a high turnover restaurant (such as McDonalds) can, through inadequate attention to careful hand-washing and personal hygiene, infect dozens of unsuspecting victims.

This is not the first time that a McDonalds restaurant has been the source of an outbreak of hepatitis. A worker at a Davenport, Iowa McDonalds franchise was diagnosed with hepatitis in 2008. And an infected food handler working at a McDonalds in Calgary (Alberta, Canada) triggered a hepatitis alert in October 2007.

Other restaurant chains also have been the source of hepatitis outbreaks in recent years, including:

Chipotle in La Mesa (San Diego County) in 2008
Pizza Ranch in Slayton, MN in 2007
Quizno's in Boston, MA in 2007
Chi-Chi's in Beaver County, Pennsylvania in 2003

A very effective vaccine is available against HAV, but the CDC does not recommend routine vaccination for food handlers, saying,

"Although persons who work as food handlers have a critical role in common-source foodborne outbreaks, they are not at increased risk for hepatitis A because of their occupation. Consideration may be given to vaccination of employees who work in areas where community-wide outbreaks are occurring and where state and local health authorities or private employers determine that such vaccination is cost-effective."

This guidance is out of step with the recommendations of CDC's own Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices ( ACIP), which concluded the following in 2006.

"Persons who work as food handlers can contract hepatitis A and potentially transmit HAV to others. One national economic analysis concluded that routine vaccination of all food handlers would not be economical from a societal or restaurant owner's perspective. Nonetheless, to decrease the frequency of evaluations of food handlers with hepatitis A and the need for postexposure prophylaxis of patrons, consideration may be given to vaccination of employees who work in areas where state and local health authorities or private employers determine that such vaccination is appropriate. Food handlers who receive hepatitis A vaccine should be provided with a record of the immunization. Those who do not should be informed of the signs and symptoms of hepatitis A and taught food preparation practices that reduce the risk for fecal contamination."

While the frequency of hepatitis outbreaks has decreased since routine vaccination of all children between one and two years old was introduced in the mid 1990s, individual outbreaks can prove costly – to the victims, to local health agencies, and to restaurant owners. Ten years ago, the average cost per case-patient was estimated at $2,894, including lost wages, which accounted for just over half the cost.

At present, only two counties in the United States mandate vaccination of food handlers and food service workers – Clark County, Nevada and St. Louis County, Missouri (including the city of St. Louis). Los Angeles County, while not requiring that food handlers be vaccinated against hepatitis, recommends that all county residents be immunized, stating,

"The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recommends that all adults living in the County receive the hepatitis A vaccine, if not already immune, as a preventive measure. Vaccinating all adults will not only protect persons in high-risk groups but others who may be exposed to the virus. In 2006, 35% of the reported hepatitis A cases in Los Angeles County had no known risk factors for infection."

In today's business environment, which supports – even encourages – background checks and drug tests for new employees, it should be simple to require food handlers to show proof of immunity to HAV, or to submit to vaccination as a condition of employment. If one major restaurant chain takes the lead, others may follow.

Is anyone at McDonalds listening?

Recall Roundup: July 18, 2009

United States

Allergy Alert: Hiland-Roberts Ice Cream (Norfolk, NE) recalls specific lots of various flavors of Espo's (distributed by Espo’s Cucina Dolce, Inc.) and Nature's Promise (distributed by Foodhold USA LLC) Sorbetto, due to the presence of undeclared milk. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company and Giant Food LLC have issued recall notices for Nature's Promise Lemon Sorbetto and Nature's Promise Strawberry Sorbetto as a result of the manufacturer's recall.
Consumer Product Safety Recall: Luv N’ Care, LTD (Monroe, LA) recalls Nuby Gel Filled Teethers. These products have been found to contain Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus circulans in the gel. While these bacterial species do not usually cause illness, they can infect children with weakened immune systems if the teethers are punctured and some of the contaminated gel is swallowed.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Recall Roundup: July 17, 2009

United States

Food Safety Recall: Trans-Packer Services Corp. expands its earlier recall of Dairy Shake Blends to include an additional 300 packets.
Food Safety Recall: Solar Farms Inc. (West Columbia, SC) recalls Solar Farms Alfalfa Sprouts after tests by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in product samples. The recalled sprouts were sold at Food Lion, Bloom and Reid supermarkets, and were distributed to food service establishments in North Carolina by Sysco.
Weight Loss Pill Recall: Young You Corporation recalls four weight loss dietary supplements after FDA detects the appetite-suppressant drug Sibutramine in the weight loss pills. Silbutramine may cause serious side effects in certain individuals, and its inclusion in the Young You supplements was neither disclosed on the label nor approved by FDA.

Europe

Food Safety Recall (Republic of Ireland): The Food Safety Authority of Ireland advises that Salmonella Orion has been detected in a second batch of sesame seeds, supplied via the UK to Centra, Supervalu, and Tesco Ireland supermarket chains. The contaminated seeds, which originated in India, have been recalled. All European Union countries have been notified of the contaminated seeds through the EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

Guest Blog: Bill Marler on Dave Theno

Nearly two months ago, I proposed that Dave Theno – the man who transformed the food safety culture at Jack In The Box after a deadly E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in 1992 – be appointed as USDA's new Undersecretary for the Office of Food Safety. I've never met Dr. Theno, but Bill Marler has. The following Guest Blog by Bill Marler shows clearly why Dr. David Theno would be an excellent addition to the Obama Food Safety Team.

Dave Theno had it right - Secretaries Vilsack and Sebelius should pay attention

Lauren Beth Rudolph died on December 28, 1992 in her mother’s arms due to complications of an E. coli O157:H7 infection - Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. She was only 6 years, 10 months, and 10 days old when she died. Her death, the deaths of three other children, and the sicknesses of 600 others, were eventually linked to E. coli O157:H7 tainted hamburger produced by Von’s and served at Jack in the Box restaurants on the West Coast during late 1992 and January 1993. Roni Rudolph, Lauren’s mom, I have known for 16 years.

Dave Theno became head of Jack in the Box’s food safety shortly after the outbreak. I too have known Dave for 16 years. However, I only learned recently a significant fact about Dave – one that made me admire him even more – one that I think, not only that all leaders in corporate food safety should emulate, but one that both Secretaries Vilsack and Sebelius should pay attention too.

Dave and I shared the stage at the Nation Meat Association annual convention a few months ago. The NMA is an association representing meat processors, suppliers, and exporters. Dave, spoke just before I did and was rightly lauded as someone who takes food safety to heart. However, it was his story about Lauren Rudolph and his relationship with Roni that struck me. Dave told the quiet audience about Lauren’s death. Dave also told us that the death of Lauren and his friendship with Roni had changed him. He told us all that he had carried a picture of Lauren in his brief case everyday since he had taken the job at Jack in the Box. He told us that every time he needed to make a food safety decision – who to pick as a supplier, what certain specifications should be – he took out Lauren’s picture and asked, “What would Lauren want me to do?”

I thought how powerful that image was. The thought of a senior executive holding the picture of a dead child seeking guidance to avoid the next possible illness or death is stunning, but completely appropriate. I wonder if Secretaries Vilsack and Sebelius do anything similar when they do their work on President Obama’s Food Safety Working Group? If they do not, perhaps they should?

Secretaries Vilsack and Sebelius right now there are hundreds of families struggling right now due to illnesses and death related to food that you oversee that has been tainted with E. coli O157:H7.

Yesterday, I spent time with a family in South Carolina whose 4 year old ate cookie dough and suffered months of hospitalizations, weeks of dialysis and seizures. She faces a lifetime of complications. And, there is a woman in Nevada who is still hospitalized, who has lost a portion of her large intestine, was on dialysis until a few days ago. She faces months if not years of rehabilitation. Both ate cookie dough that was watch over by Secretary Sebelius’s FDA.

Today I sat across the kitchen table with a family who lost their only daughter because she died from an E. coli O157:H7 infection from meat inspected by Secretary Vilsack’s USDA/FSIS. I then visited families in a Cleveland hospital whose children are struggling in their battle against Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome – again E. coli O157:H7 tainted hamburger is to blame.

Secretaries Vilsack and Sebelius you should be like Dave Theno. Run your departments like Dave ran food safety at Jack in the Box. Go meet these families. Sit across their kitchen tables. Go to their child’s hospital room and see more tubes and wires than you can count. Understand what these people have lived though. Take their stories into your heart. It is hard, very hard, but it will give you a real reason to do your jobs.

William D. Marler, Esq.

About Bill Marler: Mr. Marler began litigating foodborne illness cases in 1993, when he represented Brianne Kiner, the most seriously injured survivor of the Jack in the Box E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. He is a committed international advocate for food safety, and has addressed bodies as diverse as the British House of Lords and the Annual China International Food Safety & Quality Conference. Bill Marler comments frequently on food safety issues on Marler Blog.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Recall Roundup: July 16, 2009

United States

Food Safety Recall: Kesso Foods, Inc. recalls 8 oz. and 16 oz. Kesso Foods Lowfat All Natural Plain 2% Greek Thick Yogurt. The recalled items contain nonfat dry milk that was supplied by Plainview Milk Products and may be contaminated with Salmonella.
Dietary Supplement Recall: Nature & Health Co. recalls six male enhancement products sold as dietary supplements, because the supplements contain a male enhancement drug that is not declared on the product labels.

Australia & New Zealand

Allergy Alert (New Zealand): Hubbard Foods Limited recalls Yours Faithfully Natural Muesli, because it contains undeclared peanuts and/or almonds.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific

Dietary Supplement Alert (Hong Kong): The Department of Health advises consumers to avoid using Syntrax, a weight-loss aid, because the product contains undeclared yohimbine. Yohimbine is used to treat impotence and may cause severe side effects in some individuals.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Pecan Company Comes Out Of Its Shell

July 15, 2009

Pecan suppliers across the United States can't be very happy with General Mills these days. On July 8th, the company announced a limited recall of certain lots of Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters, due to the possibility that pecans used in the Nut Clusters might be "... tainted with Salmonella."

In making this announcement, General Mills chose not to identify the supplier of the suspect pecans. Coming on the heels of major recalls of Salmonella-contaminated peanuts and pistachios earlier this year, General Mills' coyness may have the effect of tainting the reputation of all US pecan suppliers.

One pecan supplier, in particular, seems to think so. Two days after General Mills announced its product recall, Farmers Investment Co., the owner of Green Valley Pecan Co., notified the media that its pecans were NOT involved in the General Mills recall in any way. Surprisingly, other pecan suppliers have not bothered to make similar announcements. Nor has the National Pecan Shellers Association spoken up in defense of its members.

FDA also has been silent on this issue. It would be nice to have answers from General Mills and from FDA to the following questions.

Who supplied the "suspect" pecans to General Mills?
How and when were the pecans found to be Salmonella-positive?
Who else purchased pecans from the mystery supplier during the same time period as General Mills?
What is FDA doing to follow up on this potential health hazard?

We're all ears!

Recall Roundup: July 15, 2009

United States

Allergy Alert: Maya Overseas Foods, Inc. (48-85 Maspeth Avenue, Maspeth, NY) recalls Maya Overseas Foods Golden Raisins due to the presence of undeclared sulfites
Food Safety Recall: Chang Farm (River Road, Whatley, MA) recalls Soy Bean Sprouts labeled with a sell-by date of July 17, 2009 after FDA finds Listeria monocytogenes in a sample. The recalled sprouts were distributed to retailers and wholesalers in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

*The Kroger umbrella encompasses numerous supermarket, marketplace and convenience store chains, listed on the Kroger corporate home page.

If you would like to receive automatic email alerts for all new articles posted on eFoodAlert, please submit your request using the link on our sidebar.

eFoodAlert.com

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Salmonella Outbreak Prompts Ground Beef Recall

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Recall Roundup: July 22, 2009

Lettuce Recall: Tanimura & Antle Shows How It Should Be Done

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Risky Eating: Pre-Chewed Food

Recall Roundup: July 21, 2009

Monday, July 20, 2009

Milan McDonalds Reopens; Illinois Offers Hepatitis Vaccinations

Recall Roundup: July 20, 2009

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Recall Roundup: July 19, 2009

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Hepatitis Outbreak Prompts Closure of Milan McDonalds

Recall Roundup: July 18, 2009

Friday, July 17, 2009

Recall Roundup: July 17, 2009

Guest Blog: Bill Marler on Dave Theno

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Recall Roundup: July 16, 2009

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Pecan Company Comes Out Of Its Shell

Recall Roundup: July 15, 2009

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