Pork and chicken empanadas recalled for misbranding and allergens

Linden, NJ-based Saker ShopRites, Inc. has recalled approximately 19,757 pounds of pork and chicken empanadas due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

The products contain egg, a known allergen, which is not listed in the ingredient statement on the label.  The fully cooked pork and chicken empanadas were produced between Oct. 7, 2017, and Feb. 12, 2018. There have been no reports of injuries.

• 9-oz. vacuum-packed plastic packages containing three pieces of “3 pk CHICKEN EMPANADA wheat shell filled with seasoned chicken” with various expiration dates between Oct. 15, 2017, and Feb. 20, 2018.
• 6-oz. vacuum-packed plastic packages containing three pieces of “2 pk CHICKEN EMPANADA wheat shell filled with seasoned chicken” with various expiration dates between Oct. 15, 2017, and Feb. 20, 2018.
• 9-oz. vacuum-packed plastic packages containing three pieces of “3 pk PORK EMPANADA wheat shell filled with seasoned pork” with various expiration dates between Oct. 15, 2017, and Feb. 20, 2018
• 6-oz. vacuum-packed plastic packages containing three pieces of “2 pk PORK EMPANADA wheat shell filled with seasoned pork” with various expiration dates between Oct. 15, 2017, and Feb. 20, 2018.

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. 5495” or “EST. P-5495” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations in New Jersey.

The mistake was discovered by FSIS personnel during routine label verification activities. 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. Retail distribution was limited to Saker Shoprites Inc. stores in New Jersey.

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Dog food recalled for Salmonella; two children confirmed sick

Raws for Paws has recalled 4,000 pounds of its  Ground Turkey Pet Food due to possible Salmonella contamination after reported illnesses, including two children in a household who got sick from Salmonella Reading.

The food is sold online by Christofersen Meats Co. Inc., doing business as Swanson Meats, in Minneapolis (relation to Swanson Meals).

The Minnesota Department of Health reports that two children in a single household got sick. One of the children ended up with septicemia (blood infection) and osteomyelitis, a painful and serious bone infection, the FDA said.

Testing done by the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture demonstrated that the same strain of S. Reading found in the children was also found in four samples of Raws for Paws Ground Turkey Food for Pets that was used to feed the family dog, the Federal Drug Administration said.

Christofersen Meats  recalled the Raws for Paws product on Feb. 5 and began directly notifying its customers on the same day.

The outbreak is of particular public health importance because of the potential hazard to both human and animal health, the FDA said.

People who have handled the dog food are at risk of Salmonella infection and are advised to seek medical attention immediately if they develop symptoms of Salmonellosis. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea that is watery or bloody, fever and headache.

An FDA study unrelated to this recall found that raw pet food was more likely to be contaminated with Salmonella or Listeria compared to non-raw pet foods. In addition to Salmonella, handling raw meat at home can expose pet owners to parasites, viruses and bacteria including E. coli, Campylobacter and Listeria.

The recalled Raw Paws branded food comes in 5-pound and 1-pound sealed plastic tubes often referred to as “chubs.” The recalled Turkey Pet Food and Pet Food Combo Packs can be identified by looking for case codes: 9900008, 9900009, 9900014, and 9900015. The Turkey Pet Food, which ships direct to consumers in cases, were manufactured on Oct. 12, 2017. The Combo Packs were manufactures from Oct. 12, 2017-Feb. 2.

The recalled lot codes and the manufacturing dates are not printed on the individual plastic chub packaging, so customers who have discarded the case have no means of determining whether they have the recalled products.

So, the FDA advises anyone who bought the product since Oct. 12 but cannot determine whether it is affected by the recall throw the dog food away.

Courtesy of FDA

Raw Paws food included in this recall was distributed throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. The company sells and ships its products directly to customers through online mail orders.

The FDA study, which ran from October 2010 through July 2012, tested more than 1,000 samples of pet foods and pet treats for foodborne bacteria, including Salmonella. Of the 196 samples of raw pet food tested during the study, 15 were positive for Salmonella.

In 2013, FDA issued a “Compliance Policy Guide for Salmonella in Food for Animals,” affirming a zero-tolerance policy for Salmonella in pet food due to the risk to human health.

Raws for Paws urges consumers to stop using the ground turkey and contact the company at 612-465-0372.

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Five years of data show bacteria-related food recalls increasing

To view the report, please click on the image.

For five years the Stericycle Recall Index has been tracking product recalls in the United States. With numbers for the fourth quarter of 2017 in, the food and beverage category shows the largest increase in recalls since 2012.

“The food and beverage industry experienced the most dramatic spike in units recalled over the past five years,” according to the report released today.

“Food products recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration skyrocketed 92.7 percent since 2012, and recalled pounds regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which largely oversees meat production, jumped 83.4 percent in the same period.”

Bacterial contamination, such as Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes, was the most consistent culprit, and it worsened over the years. About 28 percent of FDA food recalls were for bacterial contamination in 2012. By the end of 2017 that number had grown to 31.3 percent.

Undeclared allergens were the top cause of recalled pounds of food by the USDA in 2012 at 35.4 percent. That number increased to 41.2 percent during the past five years.

To view the full report, click on the image. Source: Stericycle

Bacterial contamination and undeclared allergens continued to be the main causes of food recalls in Q4 of 2017. Of all the food and beverage recalls in the last quarter of 2017, 44 percent were for bacterial contamination and 30.8 percent were for undeclared allergens.

However, FDA recalls declined 5 percent to 150 in the last quarter of 2017 — the lowest since Q1 of 2016. And while the number of USDA recalls increased slightly in the 2017’s Q4, the volume of recalled pounds dropped 92 percent to the lowest since Q3 of 2013.

Major drivers behind the increases in recalls include technological improvements in food testing, factory farming and growing automation in food production, Stericycle reported.

The big picture
In addition to food and beverage recalls, Stericycle Expert Solutions also tracks recalls of medical equipment, automotive, pharmaceutical and consumer goods.

Overall, recalls for all products covered by the index increased by 33 percent in the five years since Stericycle began tracking the data. From 2012 through 2017, the biggest year for recalls overall was 2016, with Stericycle reporting a total of 3438 recalls that year.

An improving economy, globalization, and growing consumer awareness are some of the contributing factors for increased recalled units, Stericycle reported today.

“One thing didn’t change over the past five years: Consumers, manufacturers, regulators, and lawmakers remain concerned about the safety of products,” Stericycle Vice President Mike Good said today in a news release marking the fifth anniversary of the recall index.

“What has changed is the public is paying more attention to the recall process and how effectively brands manage product recalls and notifications.”

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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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