Panera recalls cream cheese nationwide after test for Listeria

Panera Bread is recalling all 2- and 8-ounce tubs of its cream cheese sold in its U.S. locations because tests of samples showed contamination by Listeria monocytogenes, a potentially deadly foodborne pathogen.

The St. Louis-based chain of bakery-cafes posted the “nationwide pre-emptive, voluntary recall” on Sunday on its website. Cream cheese from only one production day tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, but Panera’s recall includes additional products.

“The safety of our guests and associates is paramount, therefore we are recalling all cream cheese products sold in the U.S. with an active shelf life.  We have likewise ceased all manufacturing in the associated cream cheese facility,” according to a statement from Blaine Hurst, Panera’s president and CEO.

The recall includes all varieties of unexpired 2-ounce and 8-ounce cream cheese products with expiration dates on or before April 2:

• Recalled 2-ounce varieties of Panera cream cheese are — Plain Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Plain Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Chive & Onion Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Honey Walnut Cream Cheese and Reduced-Fat Wild Blueberry Cream Cheese.
• Recalled 8-ounce varieties of Panera cream cheese are —  Plain Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Plain Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Chive & Onion Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Honey Walnut Cream Cheese, Reduced-Fat Wild Blueberry Cream Cheese.

“Consumers in possession of these products should discard them immediately,” according to the recall notice.

Consumers can contact Panera Bread Customer Service at 855-6-PANERA or visit Panera.custhelp.com for a full refund. For any other questions, please visit www.panerabread.com/recall.

Panera was founded 35 years ago with a single location and now has more than 2,000 bakery-cafes.

Advice to consumers
Listeria monocytogenes is microscopic organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Although healthy adults 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.

Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled Panera cream cheese and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctors about the possible exposure to the pathogen.

Also, because it can take up to 70 days after exposure for symptoms to develop, people who have eaten the recalled cream cheese should monitor themselves for symptoms in the coming weeks.

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French dairy expands baby milk recall to include 83 countries

Fallout from a Salmonella outbreak traced to baby milk products from Lactalis is raining down on the French dairy company and retailers that continued selling the contaminated recalled products.

Friday Lactalis officials expanded the recall to include 83 countries and more than 12 million boxes of infant milk products. It is the second expansion since the company’s initial recall in December 2017 when 30 countries were involved.

Three dozen infants in France have been confirmed sick and other children in Spain and Greece are possible cases. Lactalis does sell products in the United States, but as yet none of the recalled baby milk has been traced to U.S. distributors.

In recent days French officials announced a criminal investigation into what Reuters reported some said was a “bungled recall” by Lactalis.

The government is also investigating Salmonella contamination at a Lactalis production plant. Investigators are also reviewing retailers’ records in an attempt to discover why recalled products remained on store shelves and were sold to consumers.

Also, angry parents of sick children have vowed that Lactalis cannot buy their silence. They are filing civil actions against the company. The parents expressed their rage as the company released a statement that it would “compensate” victims.

“We will compensate every family which has suffered a prejudice,” Chief Executive Emmanuel Besnier of Lactalis told the weekly Journal du Dimanche. He did not indicate how much the company would pay.

As of the most recent expansion, all lots produced at the Lactalis factory in Craon in northwest France are now under recall. Salmonella was found in the factory in December. The factory is closed for cleaning, resulting in lay offs of 250 of the 327 staff there, according to a Lactalis statement.

“It’s not easy to evaluate the number of items that need to be returned because we don’t know what’s been consumed already,” Bernier said Monday, according to Journal du Dimanche.

At least four of the largest supermarket chains in France are also on record about the complicated nature of the recall via statements to European and British media.

The online publication foodbev.com out of the United Kingdom reported the four chains all admitted to having stocked the recalled baby products.

“Carrefour, E.Leclerc, Auchan and Systéme U all continued to offer Lactalis baby milk after a recall had been issued last December. The issue threatens to deepen food safety concerns that have already led to the launch of a government inquiry,” according to the foodbev.com report.

A spokesperson for Systéme U told foodbev.com all the retailers had “made mistakes” and said the recall was complex. The spokesman, however, rejected the suggestion that Systéme U had taken too long to respond.

The family-owned Lactalis is the largest dairy group in the world with 230 industrial plants in 43 countries employing 75,000. In Europe, it is the largest in dairy and cheese, milk collection and cheese production. In addition to Europe, its products are sold in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. It owns numerous French and international brands. It has done business under the name of Lactalis since 1999.

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Briefly: Prison brew — Disease detecting — Deadly delicacy

Dozens of brands of ice cream bars now on recall for Listeria

A Listeria-related ice cream bar recall that started Jan. 5 with less than 400 cases of frozen treats now includes additional flavors and brands, totaling close to 29,000 cases sent to more than 35 retail chains across the country.

No illnesses have been confirmed in connection with the ice cream products. However finished samples tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes before the initial recall and more samples have tested positive since then, spurring Fieldbrook Foods Corp. to broaden its recall.

Listeria monocytogenes can survive extended periods of freezing temperatures and can cause serious, sometimes fatal infections. The entire 2017 production year of certain Fieldbrook products — some that have best-by dates 18 months away — is now under recall.

Officials are concerned that consumers and entities along the food supply chain may still have the recalled ice cream treats in their freezers. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Do not eat the recalled products.

“There is no evidence of any contamination prior to Oct. 31, 2017, but the company has issued the recall back to Jan. 1, 2017, through an abundance of caution and in full cooperation with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration),” according to the recall notice posted on the FDA website.

“The company has suspended production and distribution of all products produced on this production line while it cooperates with the FDA to fully investigate the source of the problem.”

The “Hoyer 1 Line” in Dunkirk, NY, is the only production line and the only one of Fieldbrook Foods three plants. The recalled orange cream bars, raspberry cream bars, and chocolate coated vanilla ice cream bars were sold at the following merchants under the indicated brands in the chart below.

The recalled products have production dates of Jan. 1, 2017, to Dec. 31, 2017, and a “best by” date of Jan. 1, 2018, to Dec. 31, 2018. The Hood and Kemps products may show “best by” dates of July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019.

Advice to consumers
Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products in the past 70 days and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should immediately seek medical attention.

Similarly, because it can take up to 70 days after exposure for symptoms to develop, anyone who has recently eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves in the coming days and weeks for symptoms.

Listeria monocytogenes is a microscopic organism that cannot be seen or smelled when it contaminates food. It can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems, according to the recall notice.

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.

To view photographs of products provided to the FDA, please click on the recall notice links below this chart.

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RECALLED PRODUCTS

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Merchant	Brand	Merchant	Brand
Acme	Lucerne	Safeway (DC/DE/FL/MD/VA)	Lucerne
ALDI	Sundae Shoppe	Save-A-Lot	World’s Fair
Amigo (Puerto Rico Only)	Great Value	Shaws	Lucerne
Bi Lo	Southern Home	Shoprite	Polar Express
BJ’s	Wellsley Farms	Shoprite	Shoprite
Demoulas	Market Basket	Smart & Final	First Street
Dillon	Kroger	Smiths	Kroger
Dollar Tree	Party Treat	Star	Lucerne
Econo (Puerto Rico Only)	Econo	Stater	Stater
Food 4 Less	Kroger	Stop N Shop	Ahold symbol
Fred Meyer	Kroger	Tops	Tops
Frys	Kroger	Various	Food Club
Giant	Ahold symbol	Various	Stoneridge
Giant Eagle	Giant Eagle	Various	Hagan
Harveys	Southern Home	Various	Greens
Jewel	Lucerne	Various	Hood
King Soopers	Kroger	Various	Kemps
Kroger	Kroger	Various	Stoneridge
Meijer	Purple Cow	Walmart (Puerto Rico Only)	Great Value
Price Chopper	PIC	Weis	Weis
Price Rite	Price Rite	Winn Dixie	Winn Dixie
Ralphs	Kroger

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Initial Recall

1st Expanded Recall

2nd Expanded Recall

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Price Chopper, Market 32 stores recall sushi for risk of Listeria

Price Chopper and Market 32 Supermarkets are recalling many varieties of packaged AFC Sushi branded tuna sushi because of potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Photo illustration

The sushi was sold in various package styles at the deli section in Price Chopper and Market 32 Supermarkets stores, according to the recall notice on Price Chopper’s website.

“To date, affected sushi has only been found at the Price Chopper stories in Edwardsville, PA, at 180 Westside Mall, and in Rotterdam, NY, at 1879 Altamont Avenue, but, as a precaution, the sushi made with tuna manufactured by AFC Sushi has been recalled from all of the chain’s stores,” the companies said in a release.

According to the recall notice on the Price Chopper website, many customers who purchased the items have already been contacted through their SoundBite notification program. Anyone else who is concerned they may have the recalled product in their homes can check the list of UPC codes and names of affected products:

• 2301200013 Plus Trio
• 2301200017 Sushi Ultimate
• 2301200023 Sushi Delight
• 2301200024 Sushi Deluxe
• 2301200026 Rock & Roll
• 2301200037 Chef Sampler C
• 2301200038 Chef Sampler D
• 2301200039 Chef Sampler E
• 2301200040 Jalapeno Roll
• 2301200050 Spicy Roll (BR Rice)
• 2301200070 Done Deal Roll
• 2301200100 Spicy Roll
• 2301200110 Hawaiian Roll
• 2301200121 Rainbow Roll
• 2301200210 Rainbow Roll Special
• 2301200211 Super Calif Mix
• 2301200212 Super Spicy Mix
• 2301200252 Sunny Delight Party Tray
• 2301200701 Happy Heart Platter
• 2301250190 Red Chili Roll
• 2301286181 Sashimi Sampler
• 2301286209 G-Shock Roll
• 2301286481 Chef Sampler A
• 2301286482 Chef Sampler B
• 2301290115 Hybrid Roku Platter
• 2301290116 Hybrid Go Tray
• 2301290117 Hybrid Yon Tray
• 2301290118 Hybrid San Platter
• 2301290119 Hybrid Ni Platter
• 2301290120 Hybrid Ichi Platter
• 2301290138 Spicy Tuna Roll SP
• 2301290169 Spicy Tuna Roll SP (BR)
• 2301290245 HYBRID MINI PLATTER
• 2301290360 CLASSIC YUMMY ROLL
• 2301290375 ABURI ALASKAN CHEESE ROLL
• 2301290376 ROASTED EEL & CUKE ROLL
• 2301290377 SEARED TUNA & MISO MAYO R
• 2301290378 SHRIMP DYNAMITE ROLL
• 2301290379 TUNA TATAKI ROLL
• 2301290380 UNA MAYO ROLL

Listeria is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially in pregnant women, young children, frail or elderly people, those with weakened immune systems and in unborn fetuses.

Others may experience 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.

Anyone who has eaten any of the implicated sushi and developed symptoms should seek medical attention immediately. It can take up to 70 days after exposure for symptoms to appear, so anyone who has eaten the sushi should monitor themselves for symptoms of infection in the coming weeks.

The retailers are offering consumers full refunds when they return the recalled sushi to stores. For additional information consumers can call AFC Sushi at 866-467-8744.

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Biscuits pulled in 23 states for Listeria risk; Mary B’s this time

Hom/Ade Foods Inc. is the latest food company to recall biscuits because of potential Listeria contamination. All of its Mary B’s brand biscuits with dates through Sept 23 are now recalled.

Recalls in the past month included biscuits under brands including Food Lion, SEG and Southern Home, and T. Marzetti Company’s Marshalls brand.

As with the other recalls, Hom/Ade Foods reported the potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination involved another company in the food supply chain.

“The problem was discovered in a product sampling conducted by an outside co-packer, who manufactured the product,” according to the recall.

Hom/Ade Foods distributed its recalled Mary’s B’s biscuit products to retailers in 23 states, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia and sold in retail stores.

The company says no illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled item, but consumers should not eat them.

The Mary B’s products affected are frozen bagged biscuits with the UPC codes listed below; “All ‘Best If Used By’ dates BEFORE September 23, 2018 and with the letter ‘M’ immediately after the date are included in the recall.” Consumers can identify the UPC code on the back of the package, in the lower right corner.

UPC #	DESCRIPTION	COUNT PER PACKAGE
2059300007	MARY B’S JUMBO BUTTERMILK BISCUITS 35OZ	10 / 3.5OZ
2059300015	MARY B’S BUTTERMILK BISCUITS 26.4OZ	12 / 2.2OZ
2059300018	MARY B’S SOUTHERNMADE BISCUITS 26.4OZ	12 / 2.2OZ
2059300020	MARY B’S BUTTERMILK VALUE PACK BISCUITS 44OZ	20 / 2.2OZ
2059300021	MARY B’S SOUTHERNMADE VALUE PACK BISCUITS 44OZ	20 / 2.2OZ
2059300022	MARY B’s BUTTERMILK TEA BISCUITS 24OZ	24 / 1OZ
2059300023	MARY B’S BUTTERTASTE VALUE PACK BISCUITS 44OZ	20 / 2.2OZ
2059300028	MARY B’S THIN BUTTERMILK BISCUITS 28.6OZ	22 / 1.3OZ
2059300033	MARY B’S BUTTERMILK FAMILY PACK BISCUITS 60OZ	30 / 2OZ
2059300034	MARY B’S SOUTHERNMADE FAMILY PACK BISCUITS 60OZ	30 / 2OZ
2059300035	MARY B’S BUTTERTASTE FAMILY PACK BISCUITS 60OZ	30 / 2OZ
2059383000	MARY B’S BUTTERMILK 0 TRANS FAT 220CT BULK BISCUITS	220 / 2.2OZ
2059383004	MARY B’S BUTTERMILK BISCUITS 220CT BULK BISCUITS	220 / 2.2OZ
2059387000	MARY B’S MADE WITH WHOLE GRAIN 220CT BULK BISCUITS	220 / 2.2OZ
3059320583	MARY B’S 3.5 OZ JUMBO BUTTERMILK 144CT BULK BISCUITS

These biscuit products are not ready-to-eat.

Listeria monocytogenes 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.

Hom/Ade Foods Inc. is working with the FDA and supplier to fix the problem. Consumers can return affected products to the place of purchase for a full refund. Customers or consumers with questions can call Hom/Ade Foods Inc. at 1-855-562-7773.

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Costco stores in Canada recall croissants for plastic

Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd. is recalling its Kirkland Signature brand all butter croissants from certain Costco stores because they may contain plastic. The company did not provide any details on how the possible contamination was discovered.

Consumers should not consume the Kirkland Signature brand “All Butter Croissants,” according to a notice posted Jan. 6 by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Some of the recalled products have best-before dates reaching into April. Implication locations are:

• Costco Barrie – 41 Mapleview Dr. East, Barrie;
• Costco London South – 4313 Wellington Rd. South, London;
• Costco London North – 693 Wonderland Rd. North, London;
• Costco Newmarket – 18182 Yonge St., Newmarket; and
• Costco Etobicoke – 50 Queen Elizabeth Blvd., Etobicoke.

Additionally, the Kirkland Signature brand “All Butter Croissants (Frozen, Uncooked)” were sold only from the following Costco locations in Ontario:

• Costco Newmarket – 18182 Yonge St., Newmarket; and
• Costco Etobicoke – 50 Queen Elizabeth Blvd., Etobicoke.

The Kirkland Signature brand croissants were produced and packaged on Jan. 2 and 5 and have “Best Before” dates of Jan. 7 and April 2. The products subject to the recall and identifying codes on the packages are:

Brand Name	Common Name	Size	Code(s) on Product	UPC
Kirkland Signature	All Butter Croissants	12 pack	Best Before 18/JA/07 Packaged on 18/JA/05	0 00010 46334 5
Kirkland Signature	All Butter Croissants (Frozen, Uncooked)	204 x 85 g	Produced on 01/02/18 Packaged on 18/JA/05 Best Before 18/AL/02	0 00010 46391 8

There have been no confirmed reports of injury due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.

Retailers and consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to sell or consume them. It is against federal law for anyone to sell recalled food. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

CFIA is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. If other high-risk products are recalled, the CFIA will notify the public through updated Food Recall Warnings.

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Orange Cream Bars Recalled

Fieldbrook Foods Corporation of Dunkirk NY has issued a voluntary recall of 20 cases of the Tops brand of Orange Cream Bars and 320 cases of the Meijer Purple Cow brand Orange Cream Bars due to the possibility that the product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, 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.

The recalled Top’s Orange Cream Bars were sold in Tops retail stores located in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Vermont.  The product comes in a 12 ct retail box (pictures attached).  The product has a production date of December 18, 2017 and a “best by” date of December 18, 2018.

The recalled Purple Cow Orange Cream Bars were sold in Meijer retail stores located in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Wisconsin. The product comes in a 12 ct retail box (pictures attached). The product has a production date of November 30, 2017 and a “best by” date of November 30, 2018.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

The potential for contamination was noted after routine testing revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in another production lot that has been fully contained. The recall is out of precaution for consumer health and food safety.  The company has suspended production and distribution of the product while it cooperates with the FDA to fully investigate the source of the problem.

 

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Ready-to-Eat ham recalled for under processing

Crescent City Meats in Metairie, LA Saturday recalled approximately 430 pounds of Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Tasso Cajun Spicy Ham products because the RTE product may be underprocessed, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The products were produced on Nov. 9, Dec. 18, and Dec. 20, 2017. The following products are subject to recall: [View Label (PDF only)]

• 5-lb vacuum packs that were shipped in 10-lb. cases with the product labeled “TASSO CAJUN SPICY HAM READY TO EAT.”  The cases contain lot codes 1631317, 1635517, and 1635217 or 35217.

The products subject to recall bear the establishment number “Est. 13244” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The items were distributed for institutional use in the New Orleans metropolitan area.

The problem was discovered on Jan. 4, 2018, when another federal establishment who was further processing the product noticed that the RTE product appeared to be raw.  Upon investigation, FSIS Inspection Program Personnel verified that some of the RTE product was underprocessed and could be undercooked.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website.

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Roe recalled nationwide in Canada; botulism possible

Imperial Caviar & Seafood has expanded its Dec. 15 warning, recalling Whitefish Roe and VIP Caviar Club brand Salmon Roe, urging consumers to not eat the fish eggs due to concerns of botulism poisoning.

The Fairfield, NJ-based company recalled some trout roe last month that had been distributed to retailers in Ontario and Quebec. This Wednesday, the company expanded the recall to include certain lots of Whitefish Roe and Salmon Roe that had been distributed across Canada in 50-gram containers.

No illnesses had been confirmed in relation to the recalled roe as of yesterday, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

“Check to see if you have recalled products in your home. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased,” according to the recall notice on the CFIA website.

“Food contaminated with Clostridium botulinum toxin may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, blurred or double vision, dry mouth, respiratory failure and paralysis. In severe cases of illness, people may die.”

In foodborne botulism, symptoms generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating a contaminated food, but they can occur as soon as six hours or as long as 10 days after exposure.

Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled fish eggs and developed symptoms of botulism poisoning should immediately seek medical attention and inform their doctors about the possible exposure.

Consumers can identify the recalled Imperial Caviar & Seafood brand Whitefish Roe and VIP Caviar Club brand Salmon Roe in the following sized containers with the specified label codes:

Brand Name	Common Name	Size	Code(s) on Product	UPC
VIP Caviar Club	Salmon Roe	50 g	27017-02 BB: 27-SEP-18	1 86866 90024 8
VIP Caviar Club	Salmon Roe	50 g	19417-01 BB: 13-07-2018	1 86866 90024 8
Imperial Caviar and Seafood	Whitefish Roe	50 g	17917-02 BB: 28-JUN-2018	1 86866 90027 9

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Hempler Family recalls pepperoni products found containing metal pieces

Consumer complaints about small metal pieces found in pepperoni products brought a recall announcement late on Thursday.

Ferndale, WA-based Hempler Foods Group, LLC, is recalling approximately 4,068 pounds of pepperoni sticks products that may be contaminated with extraneous material, specifically metal, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The pepperoni stick items were produced on Oct. 10, 2017. The following product is subject to recall:

• 2.25-lb. vacuum-packed packages containing “HEMPLER’S FAMILY CLASSIC PEPPERONI NATURAL SMOKE FLAVORING ADDED” with a “packed on” date of 10/10/2017 and case code 59716.

The product subject to recall bears the establishment number “EST. 6410” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were distributed for institutional use and shipped to retail locations in Eastern Washington State.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.  Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website.

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Briefly

Every hour of every day people around the world are living with and working to resolve food safety issues. Here is a sampling of current headlines for your consumption, brought to you today with the support of Alchemy Systems.

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Shredded Coco(oh-no)nut 

Evershing International Trading Company is recalling its Coconut Tree brand frozen “Shredded Coconut” in 16-ounce plastic bags because of potential Salmonella contamination. According to the FDA, “The issue was discovered by testing performed by the State of Massachusetts.”

Although no injuries or illnesses had been reported as of the Jan. 3 recall, the recalled coconut product was sold by retailers in Ohio, Massachusetts, Washington, California, Oklahoma, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Florida, and Texas.

“This recall is limited to Lot SE07A1, but the lot number is only printed on the case. Therefore, any customer that purchased this product from January 3, 2017 through January 3, 2018, should return the product to place of purchase for full refund.”

To determine if they have unused portions of the recalled coconut product in their homes, consumers check the labels of the 16-ounce plastic bags of Coconut Tree brand frozen “Shredded Coconut” for the item number: 331 223 and the UPC code: 05216-44081.

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Bad News (Ice) Bars 

Triggered by a consumer complaint in Canada, the San Francisco company California Popsicle, Inc. doing business as Polly Ann Ice Cream is recalling ice bars because it may contain undeclared milk.

“People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.”

 

From Aug. 3 to Aug. 31 of 2017 the products were distributed for retail in CA, NY, and Canada; “The products were further distributed by customers to various Chinese markets potentially nationwide.”

The recalled ice bars are packaged in cardboard boxes with four bars per box, and the UPC code can be found under the nutrition label on the side panel of each box.

Consumers can identify the following recalled ice bars, which contain an expiration date ranging from 7-01-2018 through 07/3102018:

Polly Ann Mango Ice Bar UPC#7-00730-28866-1
Polly Ann Red Bean Ice Bar UPC#7-00730-26868-7
Polly Ann Green Bean Ice Bar UPC#7-00730-26666-9

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Fruit or Veggie Cup

Condies Foods of Kearns, UT is recalling over 160 cases of “Fruit Cups”, due to the concern of undeclared milk and egg allergens.

The product is supposed to be a broccoli, celery, carrot, and ranch dip called Veggie Cup 6.5oz, however, “After getting an initial complaint from a customer about the label not matching the description of the product” a voluntary recall was initiated “to ensure that our public would not get further exposure to an erroneous product.” Although there have been no illnesses reported to date, the ranch dip is a threat to people who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk and egg.

Consumers can identify the recalled “Fresh Fruit” product labels with the date “USE THRU 01/05/2018” on the side, and UPC number 50777222655.

The recalled product was distributed to stores in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming.

 

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FDA chasing after voluntary recalls, but doesn’t often take mandatory route

Timely and efficient food recalls would cut down on foodborne illnesses, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has yet to figure out to do it.

That’s the bottom line of another report on FDA food recalls by the Office of the Inspector General for the federal Health and Human Services Department. The OIG put out an “early alert” on the work last June.

Titled “FDA’s Food-Recall Process Did Not Always Ensure the Safety of the Nation’s Food Supply,” the latest OIG report was an audit of the documentation “for 30 voluntary food recalls judgmentally selected from the 1,557 food recalls reported to FDA between Oct. 1, 2012, to May 4, 2015.”

The performance audit looked at FDA’s oversight of food businesses initiating recalls, monitoring of the recalls, and maintenance of food recall data. FDA is not always timely in evaluating health hazards, or efficient in handling audit checks or their assignments. And it’s status reports are not still complete or timely nor its data accurate.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb personally responded to the report on Dec. 26, saying he takes the agency’s food recall obligations “very seriously.” He said since the “early alert,” FDA has been working to improve its recall system.

The gap between FDA recall warnings and removing unsafe products from store shelves can take up to 10 months.

“FDA generally relies on firms to protect public health by voluntarily recalling food products that present a risk of injury or gross deception or are otherwise defective,” according to the OIG. “FDA monitors and assesses the adequacy of a firm’s recall efforts. According to FDA, recalls should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis because some recalls are more challenging or complex than others.”

Since the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law seven years ago, FDA has had the power to order firms to recall food, but it has only twice used that authority. FDA has to determine there is a “reasonable probability” of food adulteration before it orders a recall.

Food recalls undertaken by a business without an FDA order are monitored by the agency’s district offices. FDA and state agencies may conduct audit checks to make sure recalled products are removed from the market. FDA uses the Recall Enterprise System (RES) to document the progress of recalls.

The OIG says its “early alert” review concerns have been “catalysts to major changes in FDA’s oversight of the process.” It says FDA has “expedited changes to improve voluntary recall oversight and strengthen its enforcement strategies, including its ability to use its mandatory recall authority.”

Six findings by the OIG conclude FDA did not always:

• evaluate health hazards promptly (initiation).
• issue audit check assignments at the appropriate level (monitoring).
• complete audit checks by its procedures (monitoring).
• collect timely and comprehensive status reports from recalling firms (monitoring).
• track key recall date in the RES (data system), and
• maintain accurate recall data in the RES (data system).

“FDA could not always ensure that firms initiated recalls promptly; therefore, some consumers became ill, and others were at risk of illness, or in some cases, death,” the OIG reports says. “FDA relies primarily on voluntary recalls, which makes the timeliness of the recalls largely dependent on the firm’s willingness to take action.”

The report found it took from a median of 29 days to an average of 57 days for a business to issue a recall after FDA learned that a product was potentially hazardous. The time from discovery to recall ranged from nine to 303 days for the 30 voluntary recalls reviewed.

FDA also did not correctly monitor other recalls and failed to obtain complete or accurate data for others. Timely and comprehensive status reports also weren’t kept.

“Making sure the FDA has effective recall practices in place, and that we take immediate action to address unsafe foods, are high priorities of mine,” the FDA commissioner said. “Our recall authorities – and how we deploy them – are a cornerstone of our vital, consumer protection mission.”

Since last year, FDA has used its Strategic Coordinated Oversight of Recall Execution (SCORE) to set timeframes, expedite decision-making and get recalled processed.

FDA bureaucracy could spell opportunity for others.

Michael Lucas, CEO of i3 Brands and an expert in “track and trace” technologies, says his company’s patented mobile protection platform may be a better solution for “ultimately bridging the divide between the recall process and customer safety.”

i3 Brands is beta testing “WatchOut,” which will identify any defective or recalled products held within the perimeter of a retailer’s premises.

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Briefly: Wild distress — Burger recall across pond — Lab meat

Every hour of every day people around the world are living with and working to resolve food safety issues. Here is a sampling of current headlines for your consumption, brought to you today with the support of Alchemy Systems.

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Wild Ginger restaurant outbreak update
Since last week, Seattle & King County public health officials have confirmed nine cases in a norovirus outbreak at the Wild Ginger restaurant in Bellevue, WA. Initially, five people from one party reported symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea  after consuming food and beverage from the restaurant on Dec. 22. Four employees reported similar symptoms.

Upon inspection of the restaurant, investigators observed temperature violations related to improper hot and cold holding of foods.

Although gastroenteritis has not been confirmed, health officials associate the symptoms with norovirus. The specific food or drink that caused the illness has not been identified, however, norovirus outbreaks often involve multiple food items that could have been contaminated.

On Dec. 27, Public Health ensured proper cleaning and sanitizing with the restaurant so that all violations had been corrected. Additionally, Environmental Health investigators revisited the restaurant again on Dec. 29 to ensure that employees are maintaining a high level of hand hygiene and that no ill employees are working; ill staff is required to remain out until they are symptom-free for at least 48 hours.

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British burgers linked to E. coli infections
Sainsbury’s burgers are under recall in the United Kingdom after being linked to at least a dozen cases of E. coli o157 infections by Public Health England identified the brand’s British beef products were contaminated.

Testing identified the presence of E. coli in the affected burgers, and six ill people reported eating the implicated burgers so far.

Sainsbury’s recalled batches of the “Taste the Difference 4 pack Aberdeen Angus British Beef Quarter Pounders.”

“We’ve been made aware by the Food Standards Agency of a very small number of customers who may have been unwell with E. coli after consuming this product,” according to the recall notice.

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The new home on the range is a clean room
In the latest demonstration of support for so-called lab meat, an Israeli biotech and food-tech startup called SuperMeat announced Tuesday it has raised $3 million in seed funding, on top of a partnership with one of Europe’s major poultry producers (PHW).

The theme of investing in more sustainable food systems has already proved success with alternative proteins, or lab meat, such as Beyond Meat and SunFed brands. SuperMeat uses chicken cells, which are painlessly extracted from a chicken, to grow and form high-quality chicken cuts.

“This process puts an end to the industrial need to mass produce animals for slaughter, while eliminating exposure to animal waste and food-borne illnesses; the potential benefits for public health and animal welfare are therefore considerable,” according to a news release.

Additionally, a drastic reduction of carbon and ecological footprints would benefit the envirnment as “switching to clean meat will allow a reduction of up to 98 percent in greenhouse gas emissions, 99 percent in land exploitation, and up to 96 percent in water usage.”

According to Ido Savir, co-founder and CEO of the company, “Our team is comprised of a diverse group of top-tier scientists, food engineers and chefs, working together with the best production experts from the pharmaceutical industry to create a new generation of meat products that are sustainable, cost-efficient, animal-friendly, and of course — delicious.”

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More Biscuits Recalled over Listeria

Food Lion is voluntarily recalling all code dates of its Food Lion brand Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits in an abundance of caution after being notified by its manufacturer today the product may contain listeria monocytogenes.

While there have been no reports of illnesses to date, the product is being recalled as a precautionary measure after T. Marzetti Company, the manufacturer of the product, has indicated a possible contamination issue with Listeria monocytogenes at one of its plants.

from Food Recalls – Food Safety News http://ift.tt/2EsgQAV