Monthly Archives: July 2015

FDA

Homemade of Leavenworth, Washington is recalling pickle and sauce products because they may have been improperly produced. Washington State Department of Agriculture routine sampling discovered that a bottle of Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles had a pH level high enough to allow the growth of Clostridium botulinum. Required records were not available to support that safe processing guidelines were followed on all sauce and pickle products produced at Homemade.

Foodborne botulism is a severe type of food poisoning caused by the ingestion of foods containing the potent neurotoxin formed during growth of the organism. Foodborne botulism can cause the following symptoms: general weakness, dizziness, double-vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention. Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled.

Recalled products are packaged in clear glass bottles with metal caps. There are no lot codes or expiration dates on recalled products. The following products have been recalled:

• Bread and Butter Pickles (16 oz./454 g)
• Icicle Pickles (16 oz./454 g)
• Pickled Beets (16 oz./454 g)
• Chili Sauce (12 oz./340 g)
• Lite BBQ Sauce (12 oz./ 340 g)
• Medium BBQ Sauce (12 oz./340 g)
• Hot BBQ Sauce (12 oz./340 g)
• Horseradish BBQ Sauce (12 oz./340 g)

The recalled products were sold from small retailers and fruit stands in Chelan and Douglas counties in Washington State.

Homemade has made the decision to recall all pickle and sauce products to ensure the safety of their customers. To date the company has not been notified of illness associated with their products. Robert Eadie, owner of Homemade, believes that “the health of customers is a priority for my company, which is why I am working with the Washington State Department of Agriculture and a recognized process authority to take steps necessary to ensure the safety of my products.”

Consumers who have purchased recalled pickles and sauces are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 509-548-5301 Monday through Friday during the hours of 9AM to 5PM PST.

Food Safety News

At least 1,925 people — most of them children — have fallen ill in the Philippines after eating candies said to be intentionally poisoned, according to numerous reports

At least 66 people are currently hospitalized.

Scores of children have experienced diarrhea, stomach cramps, and vomiting after eating the fruit-flavored candies, which were reportedly sold by vendors outside of schools.

FSA 

J & K Smokery Ltd has recalled all packs of its vacuum packed smoked fish because of concerns about procedures to control Clostridium botulinum. This bacterium produces a toxin that may cause a serious form of food poisoning called botulism. Although no trace of the toxin has been found in products tested, a recall from customers is being carried out as a precautionary measure. The effectiveness of process controls that could potentially affect the safety of vacuum packed smoked fish produced by J & K Smokery Ltd, cannot be demonstrated satisfactorily. The FSA has issued a Product Recall Information Notice.

Product details

The products being recalled are: Product: J & K Smokery all vacuum packed smoked fish productsPack size: allBatch code: allDate codes: allApproval number: UK LO 068 EC J & K Smokery Ltd has recalled all affected products. The company supplies stores and mobile fish suppliers and has told all of these retail customers. A point-of-sale notice will be displayed by businesses selling the recalled products, explaining to consumers why the products have been recalled. If you have bought any of the above products, do not consume them. Instead, return them to the store or mobile fish supplier from where they were bought for a full refund. About product recalls and withdrawalsIf there is a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold, then it might be ‘withdrawn’ (taken off the shelves) or ‘recalled’ (when customers are asked to return the product). The FSA issues Product Withdrawal Information Notices and Product Recall Information Notices to let consumers and local authorities know about problems associated with food. In some cases, a ‘Food Alert for Action’ is issued. This provides local authorities with details of specific action to be taken on behalf of consumers. – See more at: http://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2015/14215/j-k-smokery-ltd-recalls-vacuum-packed-smoked-fish#sthash.KgmPYXTs.dpuf

CFIA 

Industry is recalling No Name and Barber Foods brands uncooked stuffed chicken products from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. Consumers should not consume and distributors, retailers and food service establishments such as hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, hospitals and nursing homes should not sell or use the recalled products described below.

Food Poisoning Journal

Barber Foods, a Portland, Maine establishment, is recalling approximately 1,707,494 pounds of frozen, raw stuffed chicken products that may be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The chicken products were produced between February 17, 2015 and May 20, 2015. To view a full list of products recalled as part of this expansion, please click here (XLS).

The Telegraph 

Shoppers could be warned off certain supermarkets selling chickens infected with campylobacter, in an explicit bid to change “purchasing habits”

The Food Standards Agency is to ramp up its campaign against shops that continue to sell a high proportion of chickens infected with the campylobacter bacteria, admitting that “much further work needs to be done”.

FDA 

Maya Overseas Foods Inc. of Maspeth, NY, is recalling approximately 8000 lbs. of Cashew Split because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, 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 with Salmonella 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 Cashew Split was distributed between February 18, 2015 and March 20, 2015 to retailers and restaurants located in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Florida by direct trucking and delivery.

Maya brand Cashew Split was sold uncoded in 7 oz. (UPC 020843230389), 14 oz. (UPC 020843230716), 28 oz. (UPC 020843230327) and 5 lbs. (UPC 020843230303) clear plastic pouches. The Cashew Split was also sold in bulk 50 lbs. tins.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

FDA

Carnivore Meat Company, LLC is recalling select products and lots of Carnivore Vital Essentials pet foods because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Healthy cats and dogs rarely become sick from Listeria monocytogenes. In humans, however, Listeria is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

If an animal becomes ill with Listeria, it will display symptoms similar to the ones listed above for humans. People with concerns about whether their pet has Listeria should contact their veterinarian.

The lots involved in this voluntary recall are:
Vital Essentials Frozen Beef Tripe Patties, UPC 33211 00809, Lot # 10930, Best by date 20160210
Vital Essentials Frozen Beef Tripe Nibblets, UPC 33211 00904, Lot # 10719, Best by date 12022015

FDA

CFIA 

The food recall warning issued on July 4, 2015 has been updated to include additional product information. The additional information was identified during the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) food safety investigation.

HQ Fine Foods is recalling Gloria’s, Oven Pride Kitchen, Quality Fast Foods brands and Lunch Box sandwich products from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled products described below.

Environmental Health News

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) wants to balance consumer choice with public protection with its ‘risky foods framework’ policy for local authorities. John Bassett, food safety consultant, argues that this approach has implications for enforcers, industry and above all consumers.

Although the FSA went public on their risky foods framework at the end of last year, they haven’t been shouting about it too loudly. Steve Wearne, the FSA’s director of policy, emphasised that consumer choice was at the heart of everything they do and outlined the approach at the recent CIEH Food Safety Conference.