Recalls of Benadryl, Motrin, Rolaids
Johnson & Johnson, which has been beset with recalls of Tylenol and other consumer products over the past year, has recalled almost 5 million additional packages of Benadryl, Motrin and Rolaids because of manufacturing “insufficiencies.”
J&J said the recalls, like many of the earlier ones, involved products made at its plant in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. The facility was closed earlier this year to fix quality-control lapses, including unsanitary conditions.
The latest actions involve 4 million packages of Children’s Benadryl Allergy Fastmelt Tablets in cherry and grape flavors. The allergy drug was distributed in the United States and other markets, a company spokeswoman said.
An estimated 800,000 bottles of Junior Strength Motrin Caplets, a painkiller, were recalled in the United States.
The Benadryl and Motrin recalls were initiated after a J&J review “revealed insufficiencies in the development of the manufacturing process,” J&J said.
The company spokeswoman declined to identify the specific manufacturing lapses. She said there was no indication that the products failed to meet quality standards.
In addition, about 71,000 packages of Rolaids antacid, in a cherry flavored extra-strength Softchews formulation, were recalled in the United States.
J&J said the Rolaids were made by a third party, and were recalled following consumer complaints about “an uncharacteristic consistency or texture, traced to crystallized sugar in the product.”
Unlike previous recalls, J&J did not issue press releases announcing the latest actions by its McNeil consumer healthcare division. It posted them on a company website.
“This is not a consumer-level recall; consumers do not have to take any action,” the spokeswoman said when asked why press releases were not issued.
She said all three new actions instead were “wholesale and retail level” recalls, which called instead on wholesalers and retail outlets to take action.
(Reporting by Ransdell Pierson in New York and Thyagaraju Adinarayan and S. John Tilak in Bangalore. Editing by Jon Loades-Carter and Robert MacMillan)
New Braunfels Smokehouse recalls turkey breast products-listeriosis
Texas firm recalls turkey breast products
- The products may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes
- They are sold by New Braunfels Smokehouse
- Listeriosis is an uncommon but potentially fatal disease
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(CNN) — A Texas firm has recalled about 2,600 pounds of fully cooked, ready-to-eat smoked turkey breast products because they may be contaminated with bacteria that can cause a potentially fatal disease.
The products by the New Braunfels Smokehouse were distributed nationwide, including via catalog and Internet sales, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Sunday.
The meat may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes, the agency said.
The products subject to recall are:
– 1-pound packages of New Braunfels Smokehouse Sliced Smoked Turkey, with the package code “2210″ on the label.
– 4- to 6-pound packages of New Braunfels Honey-Glazed Spiral Sliced Smokehouse Hickory Smoked Boneless Breast of Turkey, with the package code “2180″ on the label.
Food poisoning 101 Food safety tips
– 4- to 6-pound whole breast packages of Stegall Boneless Hickory Smoked Turkey Breast, with the package code “2210″ on the label.
– 4- to 6-pound whole breast packages of Stegall Spiral Sliced Hickory Smoked Turkey Breast, with the package codes “2180″ or “2210″ on the label.
Each package bears the USDA mark of inspection and the number “P-975″ inside the mark of inspection.
The items were produced on August 4.
Consumption of food contaminated with listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease, the agriculture department said.
Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis. But it can cause can cause high fever, severe headaches, neck stiffness and nausea. It also can cause miscarriages and stillbirths, the agency said.
Consumers with questions about the recall may call the company at 1-800-537-6932.
Lobster and Crab has domoic toxin in California warning
Filed under: Caution with these Foods, Dangerous Foods, Tips on Food Safety
The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is warning all consumers of California spiny lobster to eat only the tail meat until further notice. Elevated levels of domoic acid toxin have been found in the viscera of lobster sampled from waters adjacent to the northern Channel Islands. Elevated levels of the toxin have also been detected in recent samples of rock crab, and so this warning also extends to this species. The meat of the lobster and crab is not affected by the toxin, but all internal organs, including the roe, should be discarded.
The lobster hunting season in the state of California is an annual event for scuba divers. Midnight “lobster hunts” are common this time of year.
Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood. In mild cases, symptoms may include nausea or diarrhea, cramps, headache and dizziness. These symptoms typically disappear within several days, but in severe cases, the victim may experience life-threatening symptoms, or even death.
“DFG biologists are working with the Department of Public Health to increase the level of sampling for domoic acid along the coast,” said DFG Senior Invertebrate Specialist Kristine Barsky. “To date, there have been no known cases of poisoning. With this warning we want to ensure consumer safety, but not discourage people from enjoying these tasty crustaceans.”
Domoic acid is a naturally occurring toxin sometimes found in the microscopic marine algae that small fish, clams, and mussels eat. Crabs and lobsters feed on these animals and concentrate the toxin in their organs. The algal blooms can come and go quickly, so it’s difficult to determine exactly when and where they are present. Thus, this warning applies to all lobster and rock crab harvested in southern California.
As soon as domoic acid toxin is no longer detected in samples, DFG will issue another news release. In the meantime, check DFG’s website atwww.dfg.ca.gov/marine/healthadvisory.asp for updates and more information on this situation.
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