Monthly Archives: February 2016

USA-FDA-Recall -Raw Pistachios Products Due to Possible Salmonella Risk

FDA Pistachios_th

International Foodsource, LLC Issues a Voluntary Recall of Various Raw Pistachios Products due to Possible Salmonella Risk. Salmonella is an organism that 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 can 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 products were distributed to food service and retail stores nationally.

The affected products can be identified by:

Product IFS Lot Number Weight Best by Date UPC
Bulk Raw Whole Pistachio 80% VP 76114 (Sam International Lot# 102914) 30 LBS Boxes 4/29/16 N/A
Valued Naturals Raw Pistachio Kernels 79249 5 oz Bags 08/10/16 790429241428
IFS Club Bag Pistachio Raw Shelled 80% Wholes 78634 3 LBS Bags 7/16/16 790429243026
IFS Web Bulk Pistachio – Shelled 80% Whole 78998 30 LBS Boxes 07/30/16 790429239630

There are no reported illnesses in connection with this product.

This was brought to our attention by FDA after their contract testing laboratory analysis revealed the presence of Salmonella in one of the 19 retail 5oz bags of Valued Naturals Raw Pistachio Kernels, Lot 79249. As a precaution, additional products are being recalled as they may be contaminated since they were packed from the master lot that came to our facility. We are working closely with FDA to determine the cause of this situation.

Consumers who have purchased this recalled product should not consume it. They should return it to the point of purchase. Consumers with questions should call Customer Service at 973-361-7044, 8:15 am – 4:30 pm, EST, Monday through Friday.

UK – FSA – Recall -Garden of Life LLC recalls certain batches of Raw Meal Organic Shake & Meal Replacement products due to possible presence of Salmonella

FSA

Garden of Life LLC is recalling certain batches of Raw Meal Organic Shake & Meal Replacement products due to possible contamination with Salmonella. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has informed us that these products have been linked to a US outbreak of Salmonella Virchow infection in the United States.

The FDA advises that some of the implicated batches have been supplied to businesses in the UK.

Risk

Salmonella Virchow may be present in the products listed below.  Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause salmonellosis food poisoning

Product details

Note: ‘Best before’ dates on the product labels are in the US format (month/day/year)

Product: Raw Meal Organic Chocolate Powder; Organic Shake & Meal Replacement
Description: Packaged in plastic bottle with coloured label.
Pack size: 986g, 493g

‘Best before’ date appears as: 09/01/2017
Batch codes: 4719800; 47225900; 47249200

‘Best before’ date appears as: 10/01/2017
Batch codes: 47226000

‘Best before’ date appears as: 09/30/2017
Batch codes: 47226200

‘Best before’ date appears as: 10/31/2017
Batch codes: 47226100; 47226201; 47247800

Product: Raw Meal Organic Original Powder; Organic Shake & Meal Replacement;
Description: Packaged in plastic bottle with coloured label.
Pack size: 908g, 454g, and 10-ct tray (65g each).

‘Best before’ date: 09/01/2017
Batch codes: 47214600; 47214800

‘Best before’ date: 09/30/2017
Batch codes: 47236000; 47248901; 47225800

‘Best before’ date: 10/31/2017
Batch codes: 47246500

Product: Raw Meal Organic Vanilla Powder; Organic Shake & Meal Replacement
Description: Packaged in plastic bottle with coloured label.
Pack size: 949g, 475g, and 10-ct tray (68g each).

‘Best before’ date appears as: 09/01/2017
Batch codes: 47216100; 47225500

‘Best before’ date appears as: 09/30/2017,
Batch codes: 47198601; 47225600; 47253900; 47226400; 47257401; 4728000

‘Best before’ date appears as: 10/31/2017
Batch codes: 47216200; 47225601

Product: Raw Meal Organic Vanilla Spiced Chai Powder; Organic Shake & Meal Replacement
Description: Packaged in plastic bottle with coloured label.
Quantity: 909 g, 455 g, and 10-ct tray (65 g each).

‘Best before’ date appears as: 09/01/2017
Batch codes: 47215500; 47215501

‘Best before’ date appears as: 09/30/2017
Batch codes: 47206000; 47183201

‘Best before’ date appears as: 10/31/2017
Batch codes: 47226300; 47247600

No other Garden of Life LLC products are known to be affected.

Action taken by the company

Garden of Life LLC is recalling the affected products in the US and the FDA have notified the countries that have received the affected batches. The FSA has notified the UK businesses that are affected to recall the affected batches and advise display of point-of-sale notices online and/or in stores. These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled, and tell them what actions to take if they have bought the product.

Advice to consumers

If you have bought any of the above products, do not eat it. Instead, return it to the store where you have bought it from.

About product recalls and withdrawals

If 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/2016/14874/raw-meal-organic-shake-meal-replacement-recall#sthash.0DQop6Bc.dpuf

 

RASFF Alerts – Aflatoxin -Peanuts- Groundnuts – Dried Figs -Birds Eye Chilli – Pistachios -Sweet Apricot Kernels –

RASFFa

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 11.4; Tot. = 12.21 µg/kg – ppb) in raw peanuts in shell from China in the Czech Republic

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 4.9; Tot. = 9.2 µg/kg – ppb) in shelled groundnuts from China in Spain

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 < 16.8 µg/kg – ppb) in peanuts in shell from Egypt in Italy

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 77; Tot. = 85 / B1 = 160; Tot. = 169 / B1 = 14.4; Tot. = 15.6 µg/kg – ppb) in dried figs from Turkey in Spain

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 102; Tot. = 121 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts in shell from Egypt in Greece

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 7.2; Tot. = 8 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts in shell from Egypt in Italy

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 22; Tot. = 23.1 µg/kg – ppb) in birds eye chilli from Vietnam, via Hong Kong in the UK

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 125; Tot. = 138 µg/kg – ppb) in shelled pistachios from Iran in Belgium

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 3064; Tot. = 3474 µg/kg – ppb) in organic sweet apricot kernels from Turkey in Bulgaria

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 13.2; Tot. = 14.4 µg/kg – ppb) in peanuts in shell from Egypt in Italy

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 11.86; Tot. = 19.59 / B1 = 21.52; Tot. = 40.62 µg/kg – ppb) in diced roasted hazelnut kernels from Turkey in Germany

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 36.1; Tot. = 40.2 µg/kg – ppb) in inshell groundnuts from Egypt in Italy

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 5.2 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Argentina in the Netherlands

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 6 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Argentina in the Netherlands

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 8.1 µg/kg – ppb) in blanched groundnuts from Argentina in the Netherlands

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 16; Tot. = 18 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from India in the Netherlands

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 8.2; Tot. = 14 / B1 = 27; Tot. = 52 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnut kernels from Bolivia in the Netherlands

RASFF -aflatoxins (B1 = 7.2; Tot. = 15 / B1 = 19; Tot. = 28 / B1 = 50; Tot. = 61 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Bolivia in the Netherlands

RASFF-aflatoxins (B1 = 2.7 µg/kg – ppb) in groundnuts from Brazil in the UK

RASFF Alerts – E.coli – Perilla Mint – Praew Leaves – Piper Lolot – Cockscomb Mint – Mussels

RASFFa

RASFF-Salmonella (3 out of 5 samples /25g) and too high count of Escherichia coli (940 CFU/g) in perilla (Perilla frutescens – mint) from Laos, via Vietnam in the UK

RASFF-Salmonella (1 out of 5 samples /25g) and too high count of Escherichia coli (1300 CFU/g) in praew leaves (Vietnamese coriander) from Laos, via Vietnam in the UK

RASFF-Salmonella (in 4 out of 5 samples /25g) and too high count of Escherichia coli (3000 CFU/g) in piper lolot (Piper saigonensis) from Laos, via Vietnam in the UK

RASFF-high count of Escherichia coli (3000 CFU/g) in cockscomb mint (Elsholtzia ciliata) from Laos, via Vietnam  in the UK

RASFF-too high count of Escherichia coli (1300 MPN/100g) in live Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from Spain in Italy

RASFF Alerts – Histamine -Tuna -Thread Herring – Anchovy in Olive Oil

RASFFa

RASFF-histamine (625 mg/kg – ppm) in canned natural tuna from Senegal in France

RASFF-histamine (36.9 to >800 mg/kg – ppm) in canned Pacific thread herrings (Opisthonema spp.) in tomato sauce from Ecuador in Spain

RASFF-histamine ( 930; 728; 274; 336; 678; 276; 366; 427; 390 – 141; 159; 468; 118; 137; 196; 96; 66; 108 mg/kg – ppm) in canned anchovy fillets in olive oil via the Netherlands in Malta

RASFF Alert – Listeria monocytogenes -Smoked Salmon

RASFFa

RASFF -Listeria monocytogenes (presence /25g) in smoked salmon from the Netherlands in the Netherlands

RASFF Alerts – Salmonella – Betel Leaves – Chicken – Poultry Meat -Perilla Mint – Praew Leaves -Baby Corn – Piper Lolot -Lemongrass – Sesame Seeds

RASFFa

RASFF-Salmonella (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in betel leaves from India in the UK

RASFF-Salmonella enteritidis (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in chilled chicken breast fillets from Poland in Denmark

RASFF-Salmonella in frozen poultry meat preparation from Thailand in the Netherlands

RASFF-Salmonella (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in betel leaves from India in France

RASFF-Salmonella (presence /25g) in betel leaves from India in France

RASFF-Salmonella (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in betel leaves from India in the UK

RASFF-Salmonella (in 1 out of 5 samples /25g) in betel leaves from India  in the UK

RASFF-Salmonella (3 out of 5 samples /25g) and too high count of Escherichia coli (940 CFU/g) in perilla (Perilla frutescens – mint) from Laos, via Vietnam in the UK

RASFF-Salmonella (1 out of 5 samples /25g) and too high count of Escherichia coli (1300 CFU/g) in praew leaves (Vietnamese coriander) from Laos, via Vietnam in the UK

RASFF-Salmonella typhimurium (presence /25g) in chilled baby corn from Thailand in Finland

RASFF-Salmonella (in 4 out of 5 samples /25g) and too high count of Escherichia coli (3000 CFU/g) in piper lolot (Piper saigonensis) from Laos, via Vietnam in the UK

RASFF-Salmonella Hvittingfoss (presence /25g) in lemongrass from Thailand in the UK

RASFF-Salmonella Agona (presence /25g) and Salmonella Tennessee (presence /25g) in hulled sesame seeds from India in Greece

RASFF– Salmonella (presence /25g) in frozen salted chicken inner fillets from Thailand in the Netherlands

 

 

RASFF Alerts – Animal Feed -Salmonella -Processed Animal Protein – Enterobacteriaceae – Fish Meal

RASFFa

RASFF-Salmonella (presence /25g) in processed animal protein from Spain in Spain

RASFF-high count of Enterobacteriaceae (13000; 4500; 1300; 1300; 1500 CFU/g) in fish meal from Latvia in Spain

Research -Employee Hygiene and Hadnwashing in Retail and Food Service Article

Food Safety Magazine

handwashing

 

USA -Estill County Outbreak – Increases

Food Poisoning Bulletin

A food poisoning outbreak in Estill County, Kentucky includes at least 72 people, 35 of them have confirmed cases of Salmonella infection, according to local new reports. A young boy is among the eight people who have been hospitalized.

County and state health officials are working to determine the cause of the outbreak. They have not named the restaurant associated with the outbreak but said it voluntarily closed to aid the outbreak investigation.