390 Tons of Ground Beef Recalled- Huntington Meat Packing Inc
Filed under: Banned Foods, Beef Recalls, Product Recalls, Recall, Recalled Foods, e-coli
Some 390 tons of U.S. ground beef recalled
Mon Jan 18, 4:46 pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Some 390 tons of ground beef produced by a California meat packer, some of it nearly two years ago, is being recalled for fear of potentially deadly E. coli bacterium tainting, U.S. officials said on Monday.
The beef was produced by Huntington Meat Packing Inc of Montebello, California, and shipped mainly to California outlets, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food safety arm said.
An initial problem, in ground beef shipped by the plant from January 5 to January 15, was discovered during a regular safety check, the Food Safety and Inspection Service said.
It said it had received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of the recalled products.
During a follow-up review of the company’s records, government inspectors determined additional products produced and shipped in 2008 to be of concern because they may have been contaminated with E.coli, the service said in a notice on its web site.
This batch was produced from February 19, 2008, to May 15, 2008. It also had been shipped to distribution centers, restaurants and hotels within California, the notice said.
“While these products are normally used fresh, the establishment is taking this action out of concern that some product may still be frozen and in commerce,” it said.
E. coli is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause kidney failure in the most serious cases.
The service said it routinely conducts checks to verify that recalling firms notify customers, including restaurants, of the recall and that steps are taken to make sure the product is no longer available to consumers.
Two deaths linked to ecoli outbreak in beef, northwest area, usa
WASHINGTON, Nov 2 (Reuters) – An outbreak of food-borne illness, linked to dangerous bacteria in ground beef, sickened 28 people and caused at least one death, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday.
The CDC said a New York adult with underlying medical conditions had died and another possibly related death in New Hampshire was under investigation. State officials attribute the New Hampshire death to the O157:H7 E. coli bacteria.
All but three of the 28 cases listed by the CDC were in the U.S. Northeast and 18 were in the New England states. Sixteen hospitalizations were reported, said a CDC spokeswoman. The bacteria involved were from a common strain, so tests were under way to see if all of the reported cases were related.
Over the weekend, Fairbank Farms of Ashville, New York, recalled 545,699 lbs (248,450 kg) of ground beef products.
The Agriculture Department, which oversees meat safety, said an investigation led it to conclude “there is an association between the fresh ground beef products and illnesses in Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts.” USDA worked with state and federal officials in examining a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses.
A potentially deadly bacteria, E. coli can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and, in severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, the elderly and people with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.
A string of food-borne safety scares led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass legislation this summer to require more inspections and oversight of food manufacturers and would give the government new authority to order recalls.
Fairbank Farms announced the recall on Saturday. The beef was produced in mid-September and probably was labeled for sale before the end of the month, said USDA.
It went to retailers including Trader Joe’s, Price Chopper, Lancaster and Wild Harvest, Shaw’s, a unit of Supervalu (SVU.N), BJ’s (BJ.N), Ford Brothers and Giant, a unit of Ahold (AHLN.AS), in eight states — Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
A complete list of products is available at:
link.reuters.com/vyx27f
The beef was produced Sept. 14 to 16, and the company urged consumers to check their freezers for products listed in the recall. Labels of the recalled packages will say EST 492 inside the USDA
DA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Nestle Toll House Prepackaged, Refrigerated Cookie Dough
For Immediate Release: June 19, 2009
Media Inquiries: Michael Herndon, 301-796-4673, michael.herndon@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Nestle Toll House Prepackaged, Refrigerated Cookie Dough
Nestle Voluntarily Recalls all Varieties of Prepackaged, Refrigerated Toll House Cookie Dough
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning consumers not to eat any varieties of prepackaged Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough due to the risk of contamination with E. coli O157:H7 (a bacterium that causes food borne illness).
The FDA advises that if consumers have any prepackaged, refrigerated Nestle Toll House cookie dough products in their home that they throw them away. Cooking the dough is not recommended because consumers might get the bacteria on their hands and on other cooking surfaces.
Retailers, restaurateurs, and personnel at other food-service operations should not sell or serve any Nestle Toll House prepackaged, refrigerated cookie dough products subject to the recall.
Nestle USA, which manufactures and markets the Toll House cookie dough, is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation by the FDA and CDC. The warning is based on an ongoing epidemiological study conducted by the CDC and several state and local health departments. Since March 2009 there have been 66 reports of illness across 28 states. Twenty-five persons were hospitalized; 7 with a severe complication called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). No one has died.
E. coli O157:H7 causes abdominal cramping, vomiting and a diarrheal illness, often with bloody stools. Most healthy adults can recover completely within a week. Young children and the elderly are at highest risk for developing HUS, which can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.
Individuals who have recently eaten prepackaged, refrigerated Toll House cookie dough and have experienced any of these symptoms should contact their doctor or health care provider immediately. Any such illnesses should be reported to state or local health authorities.
The FDA reminds consumers they should not eat raw food products that are intended for cooking or baking before consumption. Consumers should use safe food-handling practices when preparing such products, including following package directions for cooking at proper temperatures; washing hands, surfaces, and utensils after contact with these types of products; avoiding cross contamination; and refrigerating products properly.
For more information on safe food handling practices, go to http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm109899.htm.
Consumers who have additional questions about these products should contact Nestle consumer services at 1-800-559-5025 and/or visit their Web site at www.verybestbaking.com.
For a complete listing of the recalled products go to:
http://www.nestleusa.com/PubNews/PressReleaseLibraryDetails.aspx?id=133CC131-A79F-4E84-9C43-C9F99FE5BC99.
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Raw Cookie Dough cause of E. Coli outbreak?
By dan.mitchell
It’s not known for sure yet whether Nestle Toll House cookies are to blame for an outbreak of E. coli that has sickened at least 66 people in 28 states, but it seems likely. “Many” of the afflicted people had eaten raw Toll House cookie dough, according to ABC News.
Nestle has recalled the refrigerated product and warned people against eating it raw, as incredibly delicious as it might be. They shouldn’t eat it cooked either, the company said, until the source of the outbreak has been discovered. Cooking would normally kill the bacteria, but, of course, Nestle is taking no chances.
The E. coli strain "has not been detected in our product," Nestle said in a statement announcing the recall. But people "who have purchased these products should not consume them. Instead, we are asking that consumers return these products to their local grocer for a full refund."
Raw cookie dough is, to many of us, tastier than the cookies themselves, but Nestle advises on its packages that people shouldn't eat it raw.
Usually, though, it's OK to do so (or at least so we thought) with one exception: homemade raw cookie dough. As the people at WiseGeek point out, the homemade stuff contains raw eggs, which can pose a real danger.
The outbreak "points to the need for better funding for health surveillance," said lawyer Bill Marler, who sues food companies for a living. Oddly quoting himself on his blog, Marler wrote that the " 'fact that this outbreak was not detected until more than sixty people were ill in 28 states is precisely why we urgently need increased funding for the agencies responsible for public health,' said Marler. 'From the CDC to state and local health agencies, many dedicated people are working hard to protect consumers from tainted food, but they just don't have enough resources to do the job we ask of them.' "
Marler also posted a list of the particular products that have been recalled.
One million pound recall figure for pistachios, salmonella scare
Salmonella Worries Prompt Pistachio Recall
Calif. Company Taking 1 Million Pounds Of Nuts Off Shelves After Contamination Found
FRESNO, Calif., March 30, 2009
The California Department of Public Health said it was tracking nuts processed at Setton Farms, a firm whose Web site describes it as the second-largest pistachio processor in the United States. (CBS)
(CBS/AP) A Central California company is recalling about 1 million pounds of pistachios over concerns of possible salmonella contamination.
Food safety officials are looking through Setton Farms' plant in rural Tulare County to see if it could lead them to the source of the contamination.
The recalls began last Friday when the Georgia Nut Company recalled its Kraft Back to Nature Nantucket Blend trail mix after some samples tested positive for salmonella. Setton Farms has started a separate recall of roasted pistachios, and grocery operator Kroger also has recalled some pistachio products.
No illnesses have been reported.
The California Department of Public Health said Monday it was tracking nuts processed at Setton Farms, a firm whose Web site describes it as the second-largest pistachio processor in the United States.
State authorities said Setton sent its roasted pistachios to Georgia Nut. Setton Farms has initiated a separate recall of three lots of roasted pistachios tied to the positive results in the trail mix, California officials said.
Kroger said the California firm also supplied the line of pistachios it recalled because of possible salmonella contamination. Those nuts were sold in 31 states.
Setton Farms did not immediately respond to calls for comment.
Dr. David Acheson, director of food safety for the Food and Drug Administration said the contaminated pistachios are not related to a recent outbreak of salmonella tied to peanuts, reports CBS News Correspondent Nancy Cordes.
The one million pound recall figure could grow as the company tracks its products, Cordes reports, and it will likely extend to all manner of pistachio products.
Right now, the FDA is advising Americans not to eat pistachios but not to throw away their pistachios either. Basically, people should hold on to their pistachios until the FDA knows more about which products are affected.
Ebola-Reston found in the Philippines, killing pigs to stop spread.
Filed under: Banned Foods, Dangerous Foods, Is it Safe?, What it is?
MANILA, Feb 23 (Reuters) – The Philippines will slaughter 6,000 pigs at a hog farm north of the capital Manila to prevent the spread of the Ebola-Reston virus, health and farm officials said on Monday.
But the government has lifted a quarantine on a second hog farm after tests by experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and Food and the Agriculture Organisation (FAO) showed no more signs of the disease.
The country has more than 13 million heads of swine and the discovery of Ebola-Reston on two hog farms north of Manila was isolated, the government said.
"There is ongoing viral transmission in Bulacan ... as a precautionary measure, depopulation will be carried out in the Bulacan farm," Health Secretary Francisco Duque told reporters, referring to the farm just north of Manila.
The government said 6,000 pigs would be killed, burned and buried as experts sought to determine the source of Ebola-Reston in pigs as well as pig-to-pig and from pig-to-human transmission. Duque said 147 human samples have been tested for Ebola, but only six have tested positive. But all six remain healthy, he added.
"Ebola-Reston poses a low risk to human health at this time," Duque said.
It is the first time the virus has been found outside monkeys and the first time it has been found in pigs. The virus had previously jumped from monkeys to humans but this was the first case of a jump from hogs.
The Ebola-Reston virus was found in the Philippines as early as the late 1980s and 25 people were found infected after contact with sick monkeys. But only one developed flu-like symptoms and later recovered. (Reporting by Manny Mogato; Editing by Sugita Katyal)
China clears Danone, milk products of melamine
Filed under: Banned Foods, China Product Safety, Dangerous Foods, Is it Safe?, Melamine, china
China clears Danone, milk products of melamine
By AUDRA ANG – 12 hours ago
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese quality investigators have found that milk products from a unit of France’s Groupe Danone SA are melamine-free, and also said an unapproved additive used by one of China’s largest dairies is safe but was used illegally.
The separate investigations into the products of Danone’s Dumex Baby Food Co. Ltd. and Mengniu Dairy Group Co. underscore the government’s chronic problems with policing product quality. Melamine-contaminated milk was linked to the deaths of at least six Chinese babies and illnesses of nearly 300,000 others last year.
In a statement released over the weekend, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision said it had tested 932 batches dairy products produced by the Dumex subsidiary since mid-September “and all are melamine-free.”
It also said no melamine, an industrial chemical used in the manufacture of plastics and fertilizer, was found in more than 1,700 batches produced before mid-September, when the dairy scandal broke.
“Our valued consumers can continue to use our product with confidence,” Dumex said in a statement. “Now more than ever, we remain committed to providing products of the highest quality to our loyal consumers.”
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry said a panel of experts had reviewed OMP, a milk protein added by Mengniu to its premium Telunsu line and declared that "consumption ... is not hazardous to health."
However, the ministry said that OMP is not a government-approved additive and Mengniu "promoted its function in an exaggerated manner."
"Law enforcement and inspection departments will further deal with the illegal actions of Mengniu," the ministry said, without giving any details.
It said the company had stopped using OMP and was in the process of getting official approval.
Telephones were not answered at Mengniu's media department on Monday.
Last year's milk scandal, over nitrogen-rich melamine that was added to milk to fool protein tests, was China's worst food contamination crisis. It also exposed loose controls over large companies like Mengniu and Yili Industrial Group Co., whose products were recalled.
Both companies had been exempt from government inspections under waivers given to companies deemed to have proper quality controls, which have since been scrapped.
Kellogg recalls 16 products due to salmonella risk- Peanut Butter Cookies and Crackers
The Battle Creek, Mich., company earlier this week had asked stores to pull some of its venerable Keebler crackers from shelves as a precaution. But in a statement late Friday, Kellogg said it was voluntarily announcing a formal recall of the crackers and other products in light of the problems in Georgia.
The outbreak has sickened hundreds of people in 43 states and killed at least six.
“The actions we are taking today are in keeping with our more than 100-year commitment to providing consumers with safe, high-quality products,” said David Mackay, Kellogg’s president and CEO. “We apologize for this unfortunate situation.”
The recall includes Austin and Keebler branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers, as well as some snack-size packs of Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies and Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies.
Sandra Williams, a compliance officer with the Food and Drug Administration in Detroit, advised consumers not to eat the product and to contact a doctor if they have any symptoms. She also urged careful disposal of the tainted products to avoid the risk of homeless people finding and eating them.
“Kellogg reacted promptly to this potential public health risk after receiving notification of the potential problem from their supplier,” Williams said.
On Capitol Hill, the House Energy and Commerce Committee requested records as it opened its own inquiry.
Although the investigation has gone into high gear, FDA officials say much of their information remains sketchy. And new cases are still being reported.
“This is a very active investigation, but we don’t yet have the data to provide consumers with specifics about what brands or products they should avoid,” said Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA’s food safety center. Although salmonella bacteria has been found at the Georgia plant, for example, more tests are needed to see if it matches the strain that has gotten people sick.
But clearly, what began as an investigation of bulk peanut butter shipped to nursing homes and institutional cafeterias is now much broader.
It includes not just peanut butter, but baked goods and other products that contain peanuts and are sold directly to consumers. Health officials say as many as one-third of the people who got sick did not recall eating peanut butter.
“The focus is on peanut butter and a wide array of products that might have peanut butter in them,” said Dr. Robert Tauxe, director of the foodborne illness division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Officials said they are focusing on peanut paste – which is essentially ground up peanuts – as well as peanut butter, produced at a Blakely, Ga., facility owned by Peanut Corp. of America. The concern about peanut paste is significant because it can be used in dozens of products, from baked goods to cooking sauces.
“It could be a very broad range of peanut-based products here,” said Donna Rosenbaum, head of STOP, Safe Tables Our Priority, a consumer group. “We don’t know exactly what comes out of this plant. They really don’t have their arms around all that.”
Federal officials said they are focusing on 32 of the 85 companies that Peanut Corp. supplies, because of the time period in which they received shipments of peanut butter or paste. The companies are being urged to test their products, or pull them from the shelves as Kellogg did.
The government is also scrutinizing a grower, raising the possibility that contamination could have occurred before peanuts reached the processing plant, which passed its last inspection by the Georgia agriculture department this summer.
Peanut Corp. initially recalled 21 lots of peanut butter made at the plant since July 1 because of possible salmonella contamination. But late Friday the company expanded its voluntary recall to include all peanut butter produced at the Georgia plant since Aug. 8 and all peanut paste produced since Sept. 26. The company, which suspended peanut butter processing at the facility, said none of its peanut butter is sold directly to consumers but is distributed to institutions, food service industries and private label food companies.
“We deeply regret that this product recall is expanding and our first priority is to protect the health of our customers,” Peanut Corp. CEO Stewart Parnell said in a statement. “Based upon today’s news, we will not wait for confirmation of the DNA strains and plan to recall all of the affected products produced during the time period.”
Parnell added that the plant would be closed immediately for the investigation.
But Kellogg, which gets some peanut paste from the Blakely facility, asked stores late Wednesday to stop selling some of its Keebler and Austin peanut butter sandwich crackers. The company said it hasn’t received any reports of illnesses.
Peanut Corp. said it is cooperating with federal and state authorities. On Friday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee wrote the company requesting inspection and internal records dating back four years.
“Peanut butter is not supposed to be a risky food,” said Patty Lovera, assistant director of Food & Water Watch. “What went wrong? And what does this mean about foods that are considered high-risk, such as raw vegetables?”
Sundlof said salmonella does not thrive in peanut butter, but can remain dormant. Then, when somebody eats the contaminated peanut butter, the bacteria begin to multiply. “That is apparently what happened in this case,” he said.
Meanwhile, state health officials on Friday announced that a sixth death has been linked to the outbreak which has sickened more than 450 people in 43 states.
An elderly North Carolina man died in November from the same strain of salmonella that’s causing the outbreak, North Carolina health officials said Friday. Tests taken the day before he died indicated the infection had overrun his digestive system and spread to his bloodstream, said Dr. Zack Moore, an epidemiologist with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Health officials in Minnesota and Virginia have linked two deaths each to the outbreak and Idaho has reported one. Four of those five were elderly people, and all had salmonella when they died, though their exact causes of death haven’t been determined. But the CDC said the salmonella may have contributed.
The CDC said the bacteria behind the outbreak – typhimurium – is common and not an unusually dangerous strain but that the elderly or those with weakened immune systems are more at risk. The salmonella outbreak is the second in two years involving peanut butter. Salmonella is the nation’s leading cause of food poisoning; common symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.
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On the Net:
Cookies recalled, may contain melamine in USA
Filed under: Banned Foods, China Product Safety, Dangerous Foods, Melamine
Melamine in cookies
Two months after a warning from federal officials, a New York company has issued a nationwide recall of one of its brands of cookies that could be tainted with melamine.
National Brands of Spring Valley, N.Y., said in a statement issued today by the Food and Drug Administration that it’s pulling all of its 4.76 oz. (135 g.) and 12.3 oz. (350 g.) cans of Topaz brand Wafer Rolls. They come in four flavors: vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut chocolate and mocha-cappuccino.
The company said FDA tests turned up melamine, which is used in plastics and is blamed for deaths of at least six kids in China and scores of pets in North America after it was found in Chinese infant formula and pet food with ingredients imported from China.
In November, the FDA warned consumers in a bullet point on its Web site not to consume the wafers. Last month, officials said they were "working" with the company to try to issue a recall. The agency has no authority itself to pull products off the market.
The company said no illnesses have been reported in connection with the cookies.
Other sweets have been recalled in recent months because they tested positive for melamine. They include G&J Gourmet Market cocoa items made by a Canadian company, Dorsey Marketing, Inc., of Ville St. Laurent, Quebec. Those products are:
- G&J Cocoa Stuffer, item 120144
- G&J His and Hers Hot Cocoa Set, item 120129
• G&J Cocoa, item 120126, sold in 2 flavors: French Vanilla Cocoa and Double Chocolate Cocoa
To see the release on the G&J recall, go here.
Before that four kinds of Wonderfarm cookies, or biscuits, made in Vietnam by Interfood Shareholding Co., and distributed in the U.S. by a Vernon, Calif., J & A Importers, were recalled.
To check the complete list of food that's made it to the U.S. and has tested positive for melamine, go to the FDA Web site here.
If you have any questions about the Topaz recall, you can call National Brands at 1-866-238-5201, Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. Check the release here.
Melamine may be in cocoa products, Topaz Brand Wafer Rolls (May be in Big Lots)
Filed under: BPA,Bishenol A, Banned Foods, China Product Safety, Dangerous Foods, Food Dyes, Melamine, Red Dye 1, U.S.A and Melamine Scare, What it is?, holiday food safety
Recalls: cocoa products, Topaz brand Wafer Rolls
The following recalls have been announced:
_Dorsey Marketing Inc. is recalling G&J Gourmet Market cocoa products because they might contain melamine, a chemical used in plastics and not approved to be directly added to food in the U.S. No illnesses have been reported, according to the company, based in Saint-Laurent, Quebec. The recalled products include G&J Hot Cocoa Stuffer, item 120144; G&J His and Hers Hot Cocoa Set, item 120129; G&J Cocoa item, item 120126, sold in French Vanilla Cocoa and Double Chocolate Cocoa flavors. The recalled products were imported into the United States by the company. They were distributed nationwide to Big Lots during the weeks of Sept. 22 and Sept. 29 this year and to Shopko during the week of Oct. 6. For more information, consumers can e-mail the company: recall(at)dmi-global.com.
_National Brands Inc. is recalling all its 4.76-ounce and 12.3-ounce cans of Topaz brand Wafer Rolls because the products might be contaminated with melamine. No illnesses have been reported, according to the Spring Valley, N.Y., company. The recalled products were sold in four flavors and they were distributed nationwide through retail stores. For more information, consumers can call 866-238-5201.
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