eFoodAlert

Here is today’s list of food safety recalls, product withdrawals, allergy alerts and miscellaneous compliance issues. The live links will take you directly to the official recall notices and company news releases that contain detailed information for each recall and alert.

United States

• Prescription Pharmaceutical Product Safety Alert: FDA and Endo Pharmaceuticals warn the public that certain Endo prescription products may have been subjected to a remote possibility of product mix-ups on the part of Endo’s contract manufacturer (Novartis Consumer Health, Inc.). Prescription tablets affected by this Alert include OPANA® ER Extended Release Tablets, OPANA® Tablets, Oxymorphone Hydrochloride Tablets, PERCOCET® Tablets, PERCODAN® Tablets, ENDOCET® Tablets, ENDODAN® Tablets, Morphine Sulfate Extended-Release Tablets, and ZYDONE® Tablets.
• Food Withdrawal: Topco withdraws Spartan Fruit Pals Fruit Flavored Snacks – Assorted Fruit Flavors (5.4-oz box; Sell by 5/12/12 and 5/11/12), due to multiple complaints of hard pieces being reported in the Cherry flavored packs.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Greencore OARS, LLC (Byfield, MA) that February/March 2011 and September/October 2011 inspections of the company’s ready-t0-eat sandwich manufacturing facility (Brockton, MA) revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in environmental swabs and finished product samples.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Jang Soo Farm, Inc. dba Rainier Sprouts (Tacoma, WA) that an August/September 2011 inspection of the company’s sprout growing facility revealed the presence and activity of rodents and insects, in addition to insanitary conditions and practices.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Homeneeds, Inc. (Bothell, WA) that a June/July 2011 inspection of the company’s food storage and repacking facility (Woodinville, WA) revealed serious violations of FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for manufacturing, packing, or holding human food.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Gulfish, LP (Sausalito, CA) that a November 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility (San Francisco, CA) revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point regulation.
• FDA Warning Letter: FDA warns Li Da Seafood Trading, Inc. (Flushing, NY) that a November 2011 inspection of the company’s seafood processing facility revealed serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation and the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulation for foods.

Europe

• Food Safety Recall (UK): Makro recalls Tapas Chorizo Sliced (80g & 200g; bought after 6 October 2011), Tapas Serrano Ham Sliced (80g & 300g; bought after 6 October 2011) and Tapas Trio Sliced (150g; bought after 6 October 2011; contains Serrano ham, Chorizo sausage and Salchichol), due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
• Food Safety Recall (Greece): Makro Cash & Carry recalls Tapas Serrano Ham (1.5kg), Tapas Chorizo Sausage Sliced (80g & 200g), Tapas Ham Serrano Cons (80g & 300g) and Tapas Varieties Sausage slices (150g), due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
• Food Recall (Denmark):  recalls ATCO hazelnut kernels (200g net wt; Best before ; Lot #L2384; Packaged in Germany) due to larvae infestation.
• Food Recall (Denmark): recalls Pasteurized whole eggs in cups (4 cups, totaling 160g; Batch #H838; Best before ) due to a fishy odor and taste.
• Contact Lens Recall (UK): Johnson & Johnson Vision Care recalls ACUVUE® OASYS® Brand Contact Lenses (8.8 Base Curve; -2.00D, -2.75D and -3.00D; Lot # L001RJ5, L001RJ8 and L001RJ9, respectively) following an isolated interruption in the lens rinsing process on one manufacturing line.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0003): Campylobacter spp. in fresh spring onions from Thailand; distributed to Denmark.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0004): Campylobacter spp. in red chili peppers from Vietnam; distributed to Denmark.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0005): Listeria monocytogenes in chilled cooked shrimps from Spain; distributed to France, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0008): Salmonella typhimurium in chilled smoked bacon from France; distributed to Italy, Portugal and Spain.
• Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2012.0015): Undeclared gluten in gluten-free baby porridge from Poland; distributed to Austria, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Germany, Hungary and Slovenia.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0016): Listeria monocytogenes in smoked salmon from the United Kingdom; distributed to Switzerland.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0023): High aluminium content in vermicelli noodles from China, via the Netherlands; distributed to Germany.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0029): Mercury in sliced frozen blue shark manufactured in Italy, with raw material from Vietnam; distributed to Italy.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0037): Aflatoxins in groundnut cakes (Kuli-kuli) from Nigeria; distributed to the United Kingdom.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0038): Aflatoxins in white maize from Nigeria; distributed to the United Kingdom.
• Allergy Alert Notification (EU #2012.0039): Undeclared mustard and celery in chilled cheese product from the Netherlands; distributed to Germany and the Netherlands.
• Food Safety Notification (EU #2012.0040): Anisakis infestation of frozen horse mackerel from Spain, via Bulgaria; distributed to Romania.

Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands

• Food Safety Enforcement Action (Abu Dhabi): The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority has seized Vimto Fruit Drink (250mL bottles) from retail outlets after the product was determined to be contaminated. The nature of the contamination was not specified.
• Food Safety Alert (India): A survey of milk samples carried out by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has revealed that more than two-thirds of the milk samples tested contained adulterants, including water, skim milk powder, glucose and detergents.

Australia and New Zealand

• Personal Care Product Safety Recall (Australia): Nouveau Smiles Pty Ltd recalls BDazzled Teeth Whitening System for home use, because the product contains an excessive concentration of hydrogen peroxide. The recalled product was sold nationally.
• Outbreak Alert (Australia): Health officials have shut down a restaurant in Ballarat, VIC as part of an investigation into a suspected Salmonella outbreak linked to the restaurant. The Health Department has confirmed 13 cases of Salmonella; five additional cases are still under investigation. One death also is being investigated and may be linked to the same outbreak.

Some supermarket chains post recall notices on their web sites for the convenience of customers. To see whether a recalled food was carried by your favorite supermarket, follow the live link to the supermarket’s recall web site.