Category Archives: Salmonella

Peanut Butter Products Recall – Possible Salmonella

FDAPeanut Butter Salmonella

Harry and David, LLC is taking the precautionary measure of voluntarily recalling its 12 oz. jars of Harry & David® Crunchy Almond and Peanut Butter, Harry & David® Creamy Banana Peanut Spread, and Harry & David® Creamy Raspberry Peanut Spread with “Best By” dates of 01MAY13 through 24SEPT13, as well as the following multi-component food items which included the above-named peanut butter products as components: Harry & David® Apple Snack Box, Wolferman’s® Bee Sweet Gift Basket, Wolferman’s® Hearty Snack Gift Basket, Wolferman’s® All-Day Assortment Gift Basket, and Wolferman’s® Father’s Day Basket. The “Best By” date is located on the upper part of the peanut butter product jar near the lid. The recalled peanut butter products were produced by Sunland, Inc.

This voluntary recall was initiated by Harry and David, LLC upon learning that Sunland, Inc. had recalled products, including the above-named Harry & David brand peanut butter products, manufactured between May 1, 2012 and September 24, 2012, due to possible Salmonella contamination. 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 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. Consumers who believe they have contracted a Salmonella infection should contact a healthcare provider.

Products subject to this recall were sold nationwide through Harry & David and Wolferman’s catalogs and websites, as well as through Harry & David stores, between May 1, 2012 and September 25, 2012. Individual jars of the recalled peanut butter products sold through Harry & David stores have UPC numbers of 8099473871, 8099473872, or 8099473873 printed on the Bar Code. The recalled multi-component food items have lot code numbers of 1212M through 2372M, 1212H through 2372H, or 1212C through 2372C.

This recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To date, there have been no illnesses or injuries reported in connection with the Harry & David brand recalled products, and no other Harry & David products are being recalled at this time.

Canada – Recall Energy Nuggets – Salmonella Risk

CFIA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume the Sunridge Farms brand Energy Nuggets described below because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The affected product, Energy Nuggets, was sold from the Organic Bulk section of Fortino’s located at 55 Mountainash Road, Brampton, Ontario between September 5 and September 26, 2012.

There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

This recall is part of an ongoing food safety investigation. The CFIA is working with various parties to identify and recall all affected products from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

More Salmonella – Peanut Butter Related Recalls

Food Safety News

Chattanooga Bakery Inc. Tuesday recalled its MoonPie Peanut Butter Crunch products with “Best By” dates of 02/26/13, 03/25/13, and 04/29/13 because its peanut butter supply might be contaminated with a rare strain of Salmonella.
 

pbcrunch_175x.jpg

The Peanut Butter Crunch products are made with peanut butter from New Mexico-based Sunland Inc., which is involved in a recall of its own brands of peanut and almond butter and Trader Joe’s Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter, which was produced by Sunland, Inc.
 
Energy Nuggets, Peanut Butter Power Chews and Treasure Trove Mix in 10- and 20-pound cases are being recalled by SunrRidge Farms of Royal Oaks, CA because they may contain contaminated peanut butter as an ingredient.
 
Portales, NM-based Sunland Inc. supplied peanut butter contained in the recalled bulk items.
 
After Trader Joe’s recalled peanut butter on Sept. 22  supplied by Sunland because health officials linked it to a multistate outbreak of a rare Salmonella strain, Sunland followed with a recall of a long list of its own peanut butter brands.
 
Now companies like SunRidge that used Sunland peanut or almond butters manufactured between May 1, 2012 and Sept. 24, 2012 are doing their own recalls.

Australian Report on Salmonella – Ready to Eat Nuts

NSW Food Authority

Nuts have traditionally been considered a microbiologically safe product because of their low moisture content (low water activity). However, there have been a number of documented foodborne illness outbreaks and recalls caused by Salmonella in nuts and nut products.

This survey was conducted to gather information on the prevalence of Salmonella and E. coli in ready-to-eat (RTE) nuts and their products sold in Australia, both imported and domestically produced products.

Between January and June 2011, a total of 915 samples were collected from retailers, manufacturers and growers in New South Wales (NSW), the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Queensland (QLD), Tasmania (TAS), and Western Australia (WA).

Products sampled included pre-packaged and unpackaged, plain and salted nuts and nut products such as flavoured nuts, bars, spreads and sauces.

Excluded were items where nuts were not the major component such as breakfast cereals, dairy products, chocolate covered nuts, fruit and nut mix, and seeds and seed products such as pine nuts.

Nut types included almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, mixed nuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts.

Survey Results

US – Another Peanut Butter Recall – Salmonella

FDA

Sunland, Inc. today announced a voluntary limited recall of its Almond Butter and Peanut Butter products, manufactured between May 1, 2012 and September 24, 2012, because these products may be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experiencefever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonellacan 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 voluntary recall was initiated after learning that between June 11, 2012 and September 2, 2012, twenty-nine people reported Salmonella Bredeney PFGE matching illnesses in approximately 18 states, including Washington, California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maryland, according to a report issued on September 22, 2012 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“There is nothing more important to us than the health and safety of our customers, particularly the many families who enjoy our peanut butter everyday. While FDA, CDC, and State Health Agencies investigate to confirm the cause of illnesses reported, as a precautionary step, we have decided to voluntarily recall our Almond Butter and Peanut Butter products manufactured between May 1, 2012 and September 24, 2012. If you purchased these products, do not eat them. Please return the product to your supermarket for a full refund or dispose of it.”

Statement of Jimmie Shearer, President and CEO of Sunland, Inc.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). No other Sunland products are affected by this recall.

The products were distributed nationally to numerous large supermarket chains.

US – Pet Food Contaminated with Salmonella

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Kasel Associated Industries of Denver, Colorado is recalling its Boots & Barkley 6 count 5 inch American Beef Bully Sticks because it may be contaminated with Salmonella. The bacteria can sicken animals who can pass it to humans, and people can get sick by handling the contaminated product.

The products were distributed nationwide through Target stores from April through September 2012. The pet treats are packed in a clear plastic bag marked with bar code number 647263899189. All lot numbers are recalled. The lot codes that tested positive for Salmonella include   BESTBY20APR2014DEN, BESTBY01JUN2014DEN, BESTBY23JUN2014DEN, and BESTBY23SEP2014DEN.

No illnesses have been reported to date in humans or animals in connection with this product.

US Salted Peanut Butter – Salmonella

Food Poisoning Journal

According to a press release, the Pennsylvania Department of Health today advised consumers that Trader Joe’s Valencia Creamy Salted Peanut Butter made with sea salt may be related to a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella.  The department is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health officials in several states to investigate the outbreak. Nationally, there have been 29 cases of illness with two cases reported in Pennsylvania.

Trader Joe’s has voluntarily removed the product for sale from its stores; however, consumers who have the product in their homes should discard it and should also be aware that this product is sold online through other retail outlets

On-going Problem Salmonella and Small Pet Turtles

CDC

A total of 196 persons infected with outbreak strains of Salmonella Sandiego, Salmonella Pomona, and Salmonella Poona have been reported from 31 states.

  • 36 ill persons have been hospitalised, and no deaths have been reported.
  • 63% of ill persons are children 10 years of age or younger, and 29% of ill persons are children 1 year of age or younger.
  • 55% of ill persons are of Hispanic ethnicity. Information about the association between reptiles and Salmonella is now available in Spanish.

Vietnam Bean Sprout Warning

Vietnam News

HA NOI (VNS)— Up to 40 per cent of tested bean sprout samples sold in Ha Noi’s markets are infected with harmful bacteria, including E.coli, prompting national food safety officials to call for tightened controls on raw vegetables.

Head of the Plant Protection Department Nguyen Xuan Hong announced the result at a meeting yesterday following a test conducted on 50 bean sprout samples to check their Arsenic and bacteria levels.

Hong said the test proved the samples were safe from metalloid, but the high amount of micro-organisms on the product raised concern.

The micro-organisms, namely E.coli, Salmonella and Listeria, were found to be at an unsafe lavel for raw vegetables, which can lead to food poisoning.

RASFF Alerts – Salmonella, Listeria, Coliforms

RASFF – Salmonella in Chicken Breast Fillets in Denmark sourced in Poland

RASFF – High Coliforms in Chilled Mussels in Netherlands sourced in Denmark

RASFF – Salmonella in Pet Food in Belgium

RASFF – Listeria in Herring Fillets in Poland