Category Archives: FDA

USA – TFP Nutrition Expands Voluntary Recall of Dry Dog, Dry Cat, and Catfish Food Due to Potential Salmonella Health Risk. Recall Includes Dry Dog, Dry Cat, and Catfish Foods Manufactured in Nacogdoches, TX Facility

FDA

FP Nutrition is expanding their voluntary recall that was initiated to include all dry dog, dry cat, and catfish formulas manufactured in their Nacogdoches, Texas, facility. The recall of these production codes is being conducted due to the potential for Salmonella contamination.

Individuals handling dry pet food can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers. Children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems may be at greater risk of Salmonella infection.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have may only exhibit decreased appetite, fever, and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

The company is working directly with retailers to remove the impacted product from the supply chain. Consumers who have purchased any of the formulas listed below with these specific date codes should immediately stop feeding the affected products to your pets and dispose of any product and packaging. TFP Nutrition apologizes for any potential issues this may have caused pet owners and their pets.

Pet owners who are unsure if the product they purchased is included in the recall may visit tfpnutrition.com/recallExternal Link Disclaimer. Please be ready to provide the product name, product size, and manufacture date or lot code which can be found on the back of the bag. Pet owners may also reach out via phone by calling 1-866-311-1323.

The dry dog, dry cat, and catfish food recall is an expansion of an Oct. 20, 2023 limited voluntary recall that included 50-pound bags of Retriever Mini Chunk Chicken Recipe with manufacturing dates from 3277 TFP to 3278 TFP distributed in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/tfp-nutrition-initiates-voluntary-recall-50-lb-bags-retriever-all-life-stages-mini-chunk-chicken

Dry Dog Formulas (as listed in the below attached chart)
Dry Cat Formulas (as listed in the below attached chart)
Floating Catfish Formulas (as listed in the below attached chart)

The date code is printed on the back of the bag near the bottom. Please use the example graphic below and the “MFG From” column associated with your formula to see if your product is affected. The XXXXX is the timestamp when the bag was packaged.

Link to TFP Nutrition List of Recalled Products

USA – Takumi Frozen Ground Tuna Recalled For Histamine and E. coli

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Takumi Frozen Ground Tuna is being recalled because the product has high histamine levels, high total plate count, coliforms, and E. coli contamination. The serotype of the E. coli in the product is unknown. There is no mention of any illnesses reported to the company to date because this recall was posted on the FDA’s Enforcement Reports page, not the regular recall page. The recalling firm is Tokai Denpun USA Inc. of Redmond, Washington.

FDA – Vinyard Fruit and Vegetable Company Recalls Cantaloupe Due to Potential Salmonella Contamination

FDA

For Immediate Release – November 14, 2023 – Vinyard Fruit and Vegetable Company, located in Oklahoma City, OK, has initiated a voluntary recall of all fresh-cut cantaloupe products listed below because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometime fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare instances, 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.

Due to the 11/8/2023 recall of fresh, whole cantaloupes by Sophia Foods, LLC (DBA Trufresh) of Nogales, AZ, in response to a notification by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency of a potential contamination with Salmonella, Vinyard Fruit and Vegetable Company is issuing this recall. Cantaloupes recalled by Sophia Foods LLC were used as a raw material in Vinyard cantaloupe products listed below.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with subject cantaloupes, to date.

This recall includes the following fresh-cut products containing cantaloupe purchased from Vinyard Fruit and Vegetable Company from October 30, 2023 to November 10, 2023 and distributed in the state of Oklahoma through retail and wholesale outlets:

Product Code Description Best By Date(s)/VFVC Code
2972-3 Fruit Medley Cup 6 oz Cup 11/14/2023
11/19/2023
3300-3 Cantaloupe Cube (2/5 lb Tray) VFVC 306, VFVC 307,
VFVC 310, VFVC 311,
VFVC 312, VFVC 313
3338-3 Fruit Mix Kit (4/5 lb Tray) VFVC 306, VFVC 307,
VFVC 312
2963-3 3 Melon 6 oz Cup 11/14/2023
11/18/2023
11/19/2023
3330-3 Fruit Mix (2/5 lb Tray) VFVC 306, VFVC 310
3301-3 Cantaloupe Cube (5 lb Tray) VFVC 307,VFVC 312
3304-3 Cantaloupe Cubed 12 oz Cup 11/19/2023
11/20/2023
0526-3 Melon Variety Pack VFVC 307,VFVC 311,
VFVC 313
2964-3 3 Melon Medley 6 oz Cup 11/15/2023
2973-3 Fruit Medley 6 oz Cup 11/15/2023
11/17/2023
2976-3 Cantaloupe Chunks 6 oz Cup 11/15/2023
3329-3 Fruit Mix 12 Oz Cup 11/19/2023

Vinyard has contacted all retailers and wholesalers who purchased these products and notified them to remove recalled products from their inventory immediately and dispose of products or arrange for their pick-up by a Vinyard representative.

Consumers who believe that they are in possession of any of the products affected by this recall should take the following actions:

  • Check to see if you have recalled products.
  • Do not consume, serve, sell or distribute recalled products.
  • Dispose of the recalled product or return to the location where they were purchased.
  • Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased the recalled product are advised to contact their retailer.
  • If you think you became sick from consuming a recalled product, contact your healthcare provider.

Consumers may obtain additional information by calling Jennifer Vogler at 1-405-639-2451, Monday through Friday 9AM to 5PM CST.


Company Contact Information

Consumers:
Jennifer Vogler
 1-405-639-2451

Image 1: “Photograph of Label of Fresh Cantaloupe Chunks, 6 oz. cup”

USA – Egg firm warned over Salmonella, flies, rodents and more.

Food Safety News

A food firm in Georgia is on notice from the FDA after an inspection at its egg processing facility found the presence of  Salmonella, flies, rodents and more violations of federal regulation.

In an Oct. 5, 2023, warning letter, the FDA described an April 17-21, 2023, inspection of Lathem Family Farms Inc.’s shell egg farm and egg processing facility, where eggs are washed, graded and packed, in Pendergrass, GA.

The FDA’s inspection found serious violations of the Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) in Shell Eggs During Production, Storage, and Transportation regulation (the shell egg regulation). Additionally, FDA collected environmental samples from the firm’s poultry houses and detected the presence of Salmonella as further described in this letter.

At the conclusion of the inspection, FDA investigators issued a Form 483 (FDA-483), Inspectional Observations.

USA – FDA and CDC Investigate Cases of Salmonella Linked to Pet Food Made by Mid America Pet Food; Multiple Brands Recalled

FDA

Fast Facts

  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and state partners, is investigating seven human cases of Salmonella Kiambu infection potentially associated with pet food made by Mid America Pet Food.
  • Mid America Pet Food has voluntarily recalled all the pet food brands it manufactured with a best by date before 10/31/2024, which include Victor, Eagle Mountain, Wayne Feeds and two varieties of Member’s Mark pet foods. These products include both dog and cat foods and were sold nationwide in retail stores and online. See the full list of products below.
  • This recall expands previous recalls by the firm on September 3, 2023 and October 30, 2023.
  • CDC reports that, as of November 1, 2023, seven people infected with the strain of Salmonella have been reported from seven states (see map). Six of seven cases reported were in children one year of age or younger. Five of these cases reported exposure to dogs and three reported feeding Victor pet food to their pets. Illnesses started on dates ranging from January 14, 2023, to August 19, 2023 (see timeline). One person was hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.
  • A retail sample of Victor brand Hi-Pro Plus dry dog food collected by the South Carolina State Department of Agriculture and analyzed by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control matches the strain of Salmonella found in the seven ill people.
  • If consumers have any pet food on the list below, they are advised to throw it away in a secure container. Do not feed it to your pets or other animals. Do not donate the food.
  • Clean and disinfect all pet supplies and surfaces that the food or pet had contact with.
  • Salmonella can make both people and pets sick. People with symptoms of Salmonella infection should consult their health care providers. Consult a veterinarian if your pet has symptoms of Salmonella infection. See additional symptom information below.
  • The investigation is ongoing, and the FDA will update this advisory as appropriate.

USA – FDA – Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

FDA

What’s New

  • An investigation of illnesses (ref #1198) linked to apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches is now being managed by FDA’s Coordinated Outbreak Response & Evaluation (CORE) Network and has been added to the table. These illnesses are due to elevated lead levels in the products, which can be particularly harmful to children. FDA has issued an advisory with advice for consumers, has initiated traceback, sample collection and analysis, and onsite inspections. WanaBana has issued a voluntary recall of all apple cinnamon pouches. Updates will be provided as they become available.
Date
Posted
Ref Pathogen
or
Cause of
Illness
Product(s)
Linked to
Illnesses

(if any)
Total
Case
Count

Status
11/8/

2023

1198 Elevated Lead
Levels
Apple
Cinnamon
Puree
See

Advisory

Ongoing
11/1/

2023

1195 E. coli
O121:H19
Not
Yet
Identified
37 Active
10/4/

2023

1190 Salmonella
Thompson
Onions See

Advisory

Active

USA – FDA – Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

FDA

What’s New

  • A new outbreak of E. coli O121:H19 (ref # 1195) in a not yet identified product has been added to the table. FDA has initiated traceback.
  • For the outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes (ref # 1172) linked to Ice cream, the advisory was updated on October 26, 2023. The outbreak has ended, and FDA’s investigation is closed.
Date
Posted
Ref Pathogen
or
Cause of
Illness
Product(s)
Linked to
Illnesses

(if any)
Total
Case
Count

Status
11/01/

2023

1195 E.Coli
O121:H19
Not
Yet
Identified
37 Active
10/4/

2023

1190 Salmonella
Thompson
Onions See Advisory Active

USA – FDA Advises Restaurants and Retailers Not to Serve or Sell and Consumers Not to Eat Certain Oysters from Fanny Bay Oysters Potentially Containing High Levels of Vibrio parahaemolyticus

FDA

Audience

  • Restaurants and food retailers in California and Washington (and possibly other states) that have recently purchased oysters harvested by Fanny Bay Oysters based in British Columbia, Canada.
  • Consumers in California and Washington (and possibly other states) who have recently purchased oysters from Fanny Bay Oysters based in British Columbia, Canada.

Product

  • Certain oysters from Fanny Bay Oysters, harvested on 10/17/2023, from harvest area 14-8, Landfile #278757, with final harvest/process dates of 10/25/2023 and 10/26/2023. The implicated products include Small and Xsmall Sunseeker Oysters with Lot Number 38336 and wet storage lot numbers (W/S Lot #) w72297 and w72240. The oysters were distributed to restaurants and retailers in California and Washington and may have been distributed to other states as well.

Purpose

The FDA is advising restaurants and food retailers not to sell and to dispose of oysters and consumers not to eat oysters from Fanny Bay Oysters based in British Columbia, Canada harvested on 10/17/2023 from harvest area 14-8 Landfile #278757 and shipped to distributors in California and Washington due to Vibrio parahaemolyticus test results.

Oysters with high levels of Vibrio parahaemolyticus can cause illness if eaten raw, and potentially severe illness in people with compromised immune systems. Food containing Vibrio parahaemolyticus may look, smell, and taste normal. Consumers of these products who are experiencing symptoms of Vibrio parahaemolyticus should contact their healthcare provider and report their symptoms to their local Health Department. Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, and bloody diarrhea may be associated with gastroenteritis infections caused by this organism.

Summary of Problem and Scope

On October 30, 2023, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) advised the FDA of a recall of certain oysters due to Vibrio parahaemolyticus test results. The recall includes oysters from Fanny Bay Oysters, harvested on 10/17/2023 from harvest area 14-8, Landfile #278757. There are no known related illnesses at this time.

FDA Actions

The FDA is issuing this alert advising restaurants and food retailers not to sell and consumers not to eat oysters from Fanny Bay Oysters harvested on 10/17/2023 from harvest area 14-8, Landfile #278757 due to Vibrio parahaemolyticus test results. The FDA is awaiting further information on distribution of the oysters harvested and will continue to monitor the investigation and provide assistance to state authorities as needed. As new information becomes available, the FDA will update the safety alert.

Recommendations for Consumers

Consumers who have symptoms should contact their health care provider to report their symptoms and receive care.

To report a complaint or adverse event (illness or serious allergic reaction), you can

Visit www.fda.gov/fcic for additional consumer and industry assistance.

USA – Outbreak Investigation of Listeria: Ice Cream (August 2023)

FDA

Product 

  • The Ice Cream House has voluntarily recalled all dairy and non-dairy products with the Ice Cream House logo. Recalled products include dairy and non-dairy (parve):
  • Real Kosher Ice Cream has voluntarily recalled all flavors of Soft Serve On The Go 8-oz ice cream cups 

Additional recall information is available on the recall notices above.

Stores Affected

  • Ice Cream House products: Recalled products with the Ice Cream House brand were sold at the Ice Cream House storefront in Brooklyn, NY and at retail supermarkets in NJ, NY, OH.
  • Real Kosher Ice Cream Soft Serve On The Go cups: Recalled products were sold to multiple retailers in CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, IL, MA, MD, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, VA, WV.

Status

Ended

Recommendation

  • This outbreak appears to be over; however, consumers should check their freezers for recalled ice cream and non-dairy [parve] frozen dessert products and should throw the recalled product away. Options to return recalled product can be found in the recall notice from Real Kosher Ice Cream and Ice Cream House.
  • Consumers, restaurants, and retailers who purchased or received any recalled ice cream products should follow FDA’s safe handling and cleaning advice  and use extra vigilance in cleaning and sanitizing any surfaces and containers that may have come in contact with these products to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Listeria can survive temperatures at or below freezing and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces.
  • Since the recall, the company started placing a label that includes a lot code on their products. If consumers have products in their freezers without a lot code, they should be thrown out.

Recommendation for At-Risk Groups:

  • Listeria is most likely to sicken pregnant people and newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems. Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.
  • Pregnant people typically experience only fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. However, Listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn.
  • Call your healthcare provider right away if you have symptoms of a Listeria infection.

Current Update

October 26, 2023

The FDA and CDC, in collaboration with state and local partners, investigated an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to recalled dairy and non-dairy products with the Ice Cream House logo sold at Ice Cream House and Real Kosher Ice Cream.

FDA and state partners collected several samples at the Ice Cream House facility located in Brooklyn, NY. WGS analysis confirmed that the strain of Listeria monocytogenes found in these samples matches the outbreak strain. As of October 26, 2023, CDC announced that the outbreak is over. CDC reports a total of two illnesses in two states. The last illness onset was in May 2023.

Since the recall, the company has taken corrective actions and is now back in operation. The company started placing a label that includes a lot code on their products. FDA’s investigation is complete.

USA – FDA Advises Restaurants and Retailers Not to Serve or Sell and Consumers Not to Eat Oysters from Future Seafoods, Inc., Potentially Contaminated with Salmonella and E. coli

FDA

What’s New

On October 26, 2023, Future Seafoods, Inc. initiated a voluntary recall of all oysters from the harvest area PE9B harvested on 10/10/2023 and distributed to their customers from October 10th through October 16th, 2023.

Retailers should not serve raw oysters from Future Seafoods, Inc. harvested on 10/10/2023 from harvest area PE9B, and distributed to restaurants and retailers in FL, MA, MD, ME, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, and VA. Additional distribution may have occurred, and the FDA continues to monitor the effectiveness of this recall.

Audience

  • Restaurants and food retailers in Florida (FL), Massachusetts (MA), Maryland (MD), (ME), Pennsylvania (PA), and Virginia (VA) that have recently purchased oysters harvested from Future Seafoods, Inc. (PE 4217 SP) based in Bedeque, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
  • Consumers who have recently purchased oysters from Future Seafoods, Inc. (PE 4217 SP) in FL, MA, MD, ME, PA, or VA.

Product

  • Oysters from Future Seafoods, Inc. (PE 4217 SP), Prince Edward Island, Canada, harvested on 10/10/2023 from harvest area PE9B, and distributedMaine to restaurants and retailers in FL, MA, MD, ME, PA, and VA.

Purpose

The FDA is advising restaurants and food retailers not to sell and to dispose of oysters and consumers not to eat oysters from Future Seafoods, Inc. (PE 4217 SP), Prince Edward Island, Canada, from harvest area PE9B on 10/10/2023, and shipped on 10/10/2023 to importers in FL, MA, MD, ME, PA, and VA, due to the possible presence of Salmonella and E. coli.

Contaminated oysters can cause illness if eaten raw, particularly in people with compromised immune systems. Food contaminated with Salmonella and E. coli may look, smell, and taste normal. Consumers of these products who are experiencing symptoms of salmonellosis or E. coli should contact their healthcare provider and report their symptoms to their local Health Department.