Recall Roundup: June 25, 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): Lancaster Foods, LLC recalls fresh Spinach with the Best Enjoyed By dates of 19 JUN 10 through 27 JUN 10, sold under the brand names Krisp-Pak, Lancaster Fresh, Giant, and America's Choice because they could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled spinach was distributed in New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia, and was available in retail supermarkets and grocery stores, including Giant Eagle (12/10 OZ Lancaster Fresh Curly Leaf Spinach) and Giant (GIANT Spinach 10 Ounce Package) stores.
• Food Safety Recall: Sampco, Inc. (Chicago, IL) recalls approximately 61,000 pounds of cooked canned and frozen beef products that may contain the animal drug Ivermectin. The recalled products were imported from Brazil, which has voluntarily suspended its export of cooked beef products. The recall includes: 12 oz. cans of Deltina CORNED BEEF WITH JUICES with the production code 100120; 12 oz. cans of Hormel CORNED BEEF WITH NATURAL JUICES with the production code 100120; 35 lb. boxes of frozen SEASONED COOKED BEEF; and 35 lb. boxes of Sampco Brand FROZEN COOKED BEEF, Salt Added. The Deltina products were sent to a Florida distribution center for retail sales; Hormel products were shipped to distribution centers in Guam for retail sales. The frozen products were shipped to federal establishments in the United States for further processing.
• OTC Pharmaceutical Product Safety Recall: Procter & Gamble recalls VapoSpray 4-Hour Nasal Spray by Sinex, because the product formulation may not meet the expiration dates on the package. All expiration dates prior to June 2013 are included in this recall.
• Consumer Product Safety Recall: Wilton Industries Inc. (Woodridge, IL) recalls Wilton® Youth Tiara with a SKU number of 120-228, because the tiaras contain high levels of lead.

Europe

• Allergy Alert (UK): EH Booth and Co. Ltd. withdraws Chateau Ducla French AC Bordeaux Superior 2005 and 2006 because they contain sulphites that are not declared on the label.
• Allergy Alert (Finland): Apetit Kala Oy recalls Lohichorizo 250 g, Spanish-style flavored salmon products, because the product contains undeclared milk ingredients, due to a labeling mix-up.
• Food Safety Alert (Denmark): The Danish Food Safety Agency warns the public that pork and pork products delivered to a barbecue held at the address Søndervang 13, 5400 Bogense, Fyn was obtained from illegally slaughtered under unhygienic conditions and may contain pathogenic bacteria.
• Food Safety Recall (France): CIPF-Codipal de Metz recalls Monteverdi, Del Carlo, Prix Gagnant and Dia brands of mozzarella cheese after Italian authorities determine that the presence of Pseudomonas fluorescence bacteria in the cheese causes the mozzarella to turn blue after the package is opened. The cheese was manufactured by the German company Milchwerk Jäger and exported to France and Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0833): Mercury in frozen swordfish from Vietnam; distributed in the Netherlands.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0834): Glass fragments in various tomato sauces from Spain; distributed in France by Magasins U.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0835): Mercury in frozen sliced blue shark from Spain; distributed in Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0836 and EU #2010.0839): Aflatoxins in fig paste from Turkey; distributed in Denmark.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0837): High content of morphine in poppy seeds from unknown origin, via the Netherlands; distributed in Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy and Switzerland.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0838): Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in frozen cooked shrimps from India; distributed in Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0840): Mold growth in gouda cheese from Germany; distributed in Denmark.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0841): Unauthorized colours Sudan 1 and Sudan 4 in curry powder from Austria; distributed in Austria and Germany.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0842): Histamine in mildly smoked mackerel in oill from Thailand; distributed in Austria and Germany.

Australia and New Zealand

• Allergy Alert (New Zealand): Crombie & Price Ltd recalls Orgran Gluten Free Molasses Licorice 200g (Best before 31 October 2011; product of Australia), because the licorice contains undeclared gluten. The recalled product was sold in selected supermarkets and health food stores throughout New Zealand.
• Consumer Product Safety Recall (Australia): Gameco recalls all Clean'n'Go, Shine'n'Go, and Safe'n'Go barbeque care solution products packaged in clear plastic trigger-spray bottles, because the PET bottles used for the Clean'n'Go product have reacted to the solution causing some leakage of the contents. The recalled barbeque care products were available nationally at BP Service Stations, 7-Eleven stores, Elgas and Swap’n’Go stores.

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 25, 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

• Anchorage, AK. June 23: Since June 15th, five adults are suspected or confirmed to have suffered from Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning. One person was seen as an outpatient; the other four were hospitalized, and two died.
• Coos County, OR. June 23: A public health advisory has been issued due to higher-than-normal levels of bacteria in ocean waters at Sunset Bay State Park Beach in Coos County.
• Springfield, IL. June 24: The Subway Salmonella Hvittingfoss outbreak may be over. There have been no new cases reported since June 21st.
• Enterprise, KS. June 24: The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued an Emergency Order of Suspension against Munchkin Manor Day Care Home, a licensed family day care home operated by Kimberly R. Riffel located at 2154 Moon Road, Enterprise. No other details have been given.
• Alabama. June 24: The Alabama Department of Public Health has issued swimming advisories for Dauphin Island and Mississippi Sound due to the expected presence of visible oil in the waters as a result of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Pittsburgh, PA. June 24: The Alleghany County Health Department is warning the public – and, especially, day care facilities – of a recent spike in Shigella infections. Shigella is a highly contagious bacterium that is spread person-to-person or through contaminated water or food, and causes bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. The County has received 97 reports of Shigella infections since October, most of them in the last few weeks. In all of 2008, there were just a dozen reported cases of Shigella in the county.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Taipei, Taiwan. June 25: Taitung County's Public Health bureau reports that 24% of 33 iced treat samples from shops surveyed in the county contained excessive levels of bacteria.

  Shops that fail a second time will face fines between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000.

Australia and New Zealand

• Melbourne, Australia. June 24: The Australian Government has imposed sanctions on Islamic Society of Melbourne Eastern Regions Inc, the approved provider of Isomer Retirement Home in Victoria. The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency identified serious risk to the health, safety and well-being of residents following a Review Audit.

Latin America and the Caribbean

• Veraguas, Panama. June 24: One child (age 1 1/2 years) has died and three other hospitalized after being stricken with diarrhea and vomiting in El Cuaya. The source of the illness is not known, but contaminated water is suspected.

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.

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.

Recall Roundup: June 24, 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: Lancaster Foods, LLC (Jessup, MD) recalls Krisp-Pak Ready to Eat Hydro-Cooled Fresh Spinach after the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services detects Listeria monocytogenes in product samples. The spinach was sold in North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia in 10-ounce packages with the code: “Best Enjoyed By: 23 Jun 10, Product of USA, 10/158/09:17/1/05.”

Canada

• Allergy Alert: Loblaw Companies Limited recalls President's Choice(R) Louisiana Hot Sauce Thick Cut Dipping Chips (275g; code date 2010 JL 12) because it contains undeclared milk ingredients. The recalled chips were sold at no frills, Extra Foods, Real Canadian Superstore, Real Canadian Wholesale Club, and Affiliated Independent stores in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon and Northwest Territories.
• Food Safety Recall: Québec's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food warns the public not to consume Produits Maison André Caron brand pork preserves and ham preserves, sold in glass jars of various sizes at roadside stands and market festivals, because the products were not processed in a manner that would ensure their safety for human consumption.
• Food Safety Recall: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency advises consumers that Cardamom Seeds sold at three retail outlets in Ontario and Alberta may be contaminated with Salmonella and have been recalled by the distributors.

Europe

• Cosmetic Product Safety Recall (France): Laboratoire Stiefel recalls ZNP dermatological bar (lot 518 L per 10/2011), because it contains zinc pyrithione, in contravention of current regulations.
• Food Safety Recall (Italy): Italy's Ministry of Health advises consumers that the recall of mozzarella cheese produced by the German company MILCHWERK JAGER GMBH & Co. has been expanded to include all of the following brands: "Land" (Eurospin), "Lovilio" (LIDL) , "Malga paradiso" (MD discount), “Fattorie Torresina” (various lots; Todis supermarkets) , “Mozzarella LD” (LD) and “Monteverdi” (Fortè).
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0826; #2010.0830; #2010.0832): Altered organoleptic characteristics (Blue coloured) of mozzarella cheese from Germany; distributed in Italy (see Italy Food Safety Recall, above, for additional details).
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0827): Salmonella spp. in frozen pork meat from Spain; distributed in Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0828): Parasitic infestation with Anisakis of Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) from France; distributed in Italy.
• Animal Feed Safety Notification (EU #2010.0829): Salmonella Havana in fish meal from Poland, via the Netherlands; distributed in Finland.
• Dietary Supplement Safety Notification (EU #2010.0832): Unauthorized substance androstenedione in food supplement from the United States, via Poland; distributed in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

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 23, 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

• Jackson County, OR. June 22: A health advisory prompted by high algae levels found in Lost Creek Lake, located 30 miles northeast of Medford on the Rogue River, has been lifted now that algae levels have dropped.
• St. Petersburg, FL. June 23: NOAA modifies commercial and recreational fishing closure in the oil-affected portions of the Gulf of Mexico. The closure now covers about 33% of the Gulf of Mexico exclusive economic zone.

Canada

• Nanaimo, BC. June 23: A ninth patient at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital has died after developing an infection with Clostridium difficile. Five of the previous eight deaths were attributed to other causes; the infection was the direct cause of one death, and a contributing factor in two others. Thirty-six people have been confirmed to have been infected with this pathogen in the last three months.

Europe

• La Réunion, France. June 22: During the week of June 4th, nearly 100 people at Sainte Suzanne Elementary School were infected with Norovirus. The source of the outbreak was due to an infected food handler, who transferred the virus to a food that he/she was preparing. In early May, roughly 30 residents and staff at the Ehpad de Saint Denis nursing facility also suffered acute gastroenteritis as a result of Norovirus infection.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Dehradun, India. June 23: An 11-year old boy has died of food poisoning after attending a marriage celebration, and 28 other wedding guests are ill.
• Kota Baharu, Malaysia. June 23: Thirty students from Kota Baharu Polytechnic in Kok Lanas were rushed to the Machang Hospital for food poisoning. The students complained of stomach ache after having rice with spicy fried chicken for breakfast at the school's canteen.
• Iloilo, Philippines. June 23: Twenty-two people were taken to hospital with food poisoning after having consumed a variety of fish, locally known as maya-maya, which they bought from a traveling vendor.

Australia and New Zealand

• Darwin, Australia. June 22: The elevated level of E. coli that closed several of Darwin's beaches earlier this month has been traced to the area around Little Mindil. The E. coli levels have dropped, and all of the beaches have been reopened.
• Auckland, New Zealand. June 23: One hundred sea slugs collected off seven Auckland beaches are being tested to see if they contain the poisonous toxin tetrodotoxin. Eighteen incidences of poisoning were reported last year between July and September, when there was a mass stranding of sea slugs on several North Shore beaches. Five dogs died during the stranding as a result of eating the poisonous sea slugs.

Latin America and the Caribbean

• Guadalajara, Mexico. June 22: Eleven people attending a party in the town of Arandas were victims of poisoning by clenbuterol, bringing the total 22 affected this year by eating meat contaminated with the steroid.
• Dominican Republic. June 22: Increased rainfall is being blamed for creating conditions that favor the spread of rotavirus gastroenteritis on this Caribbean island.

Recall Roundup: June 23, 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: Crown I Enterprises, Inc. (Est. 20889; Bay Shore, NY) recalls approximately 3,700 pounds of W.B. Stockyard brand ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The recalled meat was produced on June 11, 2010, and June 15, 2010, and shipped to food service institutions in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.
• Food Safety Recall: South Gate Meat Co. (Est. 6217; South Gate, CA) recalls approximately 35,000 pounds of ground beef and ground beef patties that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The recalled meat was produced from June 7, 2010 through June 21, 2010, and shipped to restaurants in the Los Angeles and Orange County, California area.
• Food Safety Recall (Retail Distribution): USDA releases retail distribution list for Marie Callender "Cheesy Chicken" entrées, recalled due to Salmonella contamination.
• Food Safety Recall (Retail Distribution): USDA releases updated retail distribution list for SpaghettiOs With Meatballs, recalled due to possible underprocessing.
• Pet Supplement Safety Recall: United Pet Group (Cincinnati, OH) recalls all unexpired lots (expiration dates on or before 06/13) of its PRO-PET Adult Daily Vitamin Supplement Tablets for Dogs due to possible Salmonella contamination, after lab analysis detects Salmonella in a sample from one lot. The product was sold nationally in retail stores.

Canada

• Food Safety Recall (Update): Canadian Food Inspection Agency updates and expands Health Hazard Alert for Lester's Smoked Meat. Lesters Foods Ltd. (Laval, QC) has recalled Lesters brand Montréal Smoked Meat, sold in 2 x 100 g packages bearing UPC 0 57730 01098 4, Establishment number 289 and a Best Before date between 10JL16 (July 16, 2010) and 10JL24 (July 24, 2010) inclusive. The smoked meat may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products are known to have been distributed in Ontario, Quebec, the Atlantic provinces, Nunavut, and may have been distributed nationally.
• Consumer Product Safety Recall: Farah Impex (Toronto, ON) recalls Hesh Shikakai powder, manufactured by Hesh Pharma Mfrs & Exporters of Herbal Products (Mumbai, India) and sold in a 100g yellow box with the picture of a long and dark-haired woman on the front of the box. The recalled product, which contains unacceptable levels of bacter, including Enterobacter cloacae and Kluyvera intermedia, can be identified the Batch number 836 and the UPC 8901701105105. Health Canada has reason to believe that other batches of Hesh Shikakai and other Hesh products may also be contaminated. As a result, Health Canada advises that this recall encompasses all Hesh natural powder products. Hesh Shikakai is known to have been sold in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia, and may also have been available in other parts of Canada.

Europe

• Food Safety Recall (Italy): The Ministry of Health advises consumers of the seizure of all mozzarella cheese manufactured by MILCHWERK JAGER GMBH & Co. of Germany and sold in Italy under the brand names: Land (sold by Eurospin), Lovilio (sold by Lidl), Malga Paradiso (sold by MD Discount), Fattorie Torresina (various lots; sold in Todis supermarkets), and Mozzarella LD (sold by LD). Lab analyses of recalled products are continuing.
• Food Safety Advisory (France): Mozzarella manufactured in Germany and seized by Italian authorities has been located at a wholesaler in Moselle. The German-made mozzarella had not yet been distributed to retailers.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Coop Trading A/S recalls Coop Tomato Puree, 680ml/700 grams; best before 11-3-2011 and 30-03-2011 (imported from Turkey), because of mold contamination.
• Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2010.0819): Undeclared milk ingredient in croissant from France; distributed in Estonia and Finland.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0821): Mercury in frozen swordfish (Xiphias gladius) from Portugal; distributed in Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0822): Salmonella typhimurium in whole chicken from Germany; distributed in Denmark.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0823): Altered organoleptic characteristics (Blue coloured) of mozzarella cheese from Germany; distributed in Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0824): Too high content of sulphite in frozen shrimps from Portugal; distributed in Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0825): Mercury in swordfish loins from Chile; distributed in Belgium, France, Italy and the Netherlands.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Counterfeit Pharmaceutical Product Alert (Hong Kong): The Department of Health urges members of the public not to buy or take a batch of product called "Po Chai Pills" (Batch Number 21214), in which the Government Laboratory has detected an undeclared western medicine ingredient, diclofenac (a pain killer that can cause gastrointestinal side effects). Pharmaceutical products containing diclofenac are only permitted to be sold under prescription.

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 22, 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

• Madison County, KY. June 17: Local health officials are trying to find a common link that would explain a cluster of six cases of salmonellosis, all due to the same strain of Salmonella. The county has asked local health care providers to be on the alert for patients with symptoms of salmonellosis.
• St. Petersburg, FL. June 21: NOAA expands the portion of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico that are closed to commercial and recreational fishing.

Canada

• Toronto, ON. June 22: Ontario's Ministry of Health reports that there has been a rise in the number of cases of Salmonella Enteritidis across the province, the source of which is still under investigation. Provincial health authorities suspect that one contributing factor may be inadequate cooking of breaded, processed chicken products, such as chicken strips, burgers and nuggets. Dr. Arlene King, Ontario's Medical Officer of Health cautions the public that, although these chicken products may look like a cooked product, they have not been heat treated to destroy bacteria such as Salmonella and should be handled with the same level of caution as a raw chicken product.

Europe

• Copenhagen, Denmark. June 21: At least 16 people have contracted salmonellosis after eating a salami product containing deer meat. The "Minimum spegepølse med hjortekød" salami, which was produced in Germany and distributed through Netto stores in Denmark, was sold sliced in 80-gram packages labeled with best before dates between April 6th and June 16th.

  The outbreak victims were infected with Salmonella typhimurium, which also was detected in the salami [Salmonella typhimurium DT 120 (DT7; MLVA 334; R-ASSuT)].

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Navosa, Fiji. June 21: The Ministry of Heath has confirmed that Navosa and its surrounding areas are now free from typhoid.
• Koppal, India. June 21: At least 40 employees of a softdrink major were taken ill with suspected food poisoning after they had lunch from the factory canteen at Hirebaganal village. Four of the employees are said to be in critical condition.

Australia and New Zealand

• Yamba, NSW, Australia. June 22: Caroona Yamba Hostel and Mareeba Aged Care are in "lock-down" in an effort to control an outbreak of viral gastroenteritis (probably Norovirus). The two seniors' care residences are closed to the public, and residents are prohibited from leaving the facilities to avoid further spread of the virus.

Recall Roundup: June 22, 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: Portland Shellfish Company, Inc. expands its earlier recall to include the Meat Without Feet private label food service (2 Lb bags; Lot 13310), pack of ready to eat frozen lobster claw and knuckle meat, as recent tests show the product has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled product was sold in the New York City metropolitan area.
• Cat Food Recall Update: Meijer advises its customers that the Iams Cat Food recall announced by Procter & Gamble earlier this month also applies to "free" cans of cat food that were included in select bags of IAMS Dry Cat Food.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Oxford Falls, Inc. (Starkville, MS) that a February 2010 inspection of the company's acidified canned foods production facility revealed serious deviations from FDA's Low-Acid Canned Food regulations and Acidified Foods regulations, and with applicable parts of the Current Good Manufacturing Practice.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Atlas Operations, Inc. (Pompano Beach, FL) that an October/November 2009 inspection of the company's facilities and concurrent lab analyses of several product samples revealed that the company is marketing unapproved drugs in contravention of the Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Lactasoy Company Limited (Bangkok, Thailand) that a November 2009 inspection of the company's low-acid canned foods production operations revealed serious deviations from US low-acid canned food regulations.

Canada

• Veterinary Prescription Drug Recall: Vétoquinol N.-A. has expanded the December 2009 recall of the prescription veterinary drug Longisil (DIN 00461679) to include one new lot, due to an unusually high number of reports of allergic reactions in animals treated with this lot. Longisil is a form of penicillin available by prescription from a veterinarian. Consumerswhose animals are being treated with Longisil should contact their veterinarian immediately if they notice any symptoms of an allergic reaction following treatment with this drug.

Europe

• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Den glade slagter recalls ground beef bearing expiry dates of 16 and 17 June 2010, because Salmonella was found in the product.
• Food Safety Recall (Denmark): Falengreen A/S recalls Gouda cheese (product of Germany; best before dates of 6/8-2010, 20/8-2010, 17/9-2010 and 3/9-201) due to mold contamination.
• Food Safety Recall Follow-up (Italy): Lab analysis of the mozzarella cheese imported from Germany that turned blue one once the packaging was opened has determined that the cheese is contaminated with molds and with Pseudomonas bacteria. The cheese has been recalled.
• Topical Pharmaceutical Product Recall (France): Laboratoire Cooper recalls EOSINE 2% COOPER drying solution for use on umbilical cords because the product is contaminated with mold.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0812): Escherichia coli in mussels from France; distributed in Austria, France, Germany, Spain and Switzerland.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0813): Presence of Senecio vulgaris (a noxious weed) in rucolla lettuce from the United Kingdom; distributed in the Netherlands.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0814): Foodborne outbreak suspected (scombroid syndrome) to be caused by chilled tuna loins from Sri Lanka; distributed in Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0815): Aerobic plate count too high for raw cow milk from Germany; distributed in Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0816): Altered organoleptic characteristics (blue colour) of and Pseudomonas fluorescens in mozzarella cheese from Germany; distributed in Italy.
• Dietary Supplement Safety Notification (EU #2010.0817): Cadmium in dietary minerals from India, via Germany; distributed in Belgium.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2010.0817): Altered organoleptic characteristics (blue color) and mold contamination of mozzarella cheese from Germany; distributed in Italy.

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.