Michigan Establishment Recalls Liquid Egg Product for Potential Contamination with Sanitizer

Cargill Kitchen Solutions, a Lake Odessa, Michigan establishment, is recalling approximately 212,268 pounds of liquid egg products that may contain a cleaning solution with sodium hypochlorite.  The problem was discovered when FSIS received a tip about the potential contamination of these products. After conducting an investigation and thorough assessment of the contents of the cleaning solution, FSIS scientists concluded that use of this product should not cause adverse health consequences, or the risk is negligible, resulting in a Class III recall.  Although FSIS does not expect any adverse health effects for Class III recalled products and there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products, anyone concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider.

Contamination with sanitizer is one of the hazards often discussed when doing the hazard analysis.  One point is whether the concentration would be sufficient to cause injury (degree of severity).  In this case, the concentration (probably in the 100ppm range before mixing with egg product) was viewed as having little to no severity, so a Class III recall was assigned. 

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/cargill-kitchen-solutions-recalls-liquid-egg-products-due-unapproved-substance
Cargill Kitchen Solutions Recalls Liquid Egg Products Due to an Unapproved Substance

FSIS Announcement

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2025 – Cargill Kitchen Solutions, a Lake Odessa, Michigan establishment, is recalling approximately 212,268 pounds of liquid egg products that may contain a cleaning solution with sodium hypochlorite, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

Texas Firm Recalls Brioche Bread Products for Undeclared Allergens - Label Print Error

The Bakery Group of Dallas, Tx is recalling 629 cases of Dense Brioche Pullman loaves, #654203 and 104 cases of 4.5in Brioche HB Buns, #54500 because they may contain undeclared Milk, Soy and Yellow FD&C#5.   The recall was initiated after a routine inspection by The State of Texas Health and Human Services that the product(s) did not have a containment statement on the label reflecting the product contains Milk, Soy, Wheat and Yellow FD&C #5 was distributed in packaging not revealing the presence of these allergens and after further investigation we concluded that the problem was caused by human error in our labeling and packaging department and has been corrected as of March 19, 2025.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/bakery-group-issues-allergen-alert-undeclared-milk-soy-and-yellow-fdc-5-specific-bread-and-hamburger
The Bakery Group Issues Allergen Alert on Undeclared Milk, Soy and Yellow FD&C #5 In Specific Bread and Hamburger Buns
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  March 25, 2025
FDA Publish Date:  March 28, 2025
Product Type:  Food & Beverages  Bakery Product/Mix  
Reason for Announcement:  May contain undeclared milk, soy and yellow FD&C # 5
Company Name:  The Bakery Group
Brand Name:  Ben E. Keith, Rodeo Goat, Casa Linda
Product Description:  Brioche loaves, Brioche Buns

SC Firm Recalls Chicken Salad Sandwiches For Undeclared Milk When Forgetting the Bread in the Ingredient Statement

Cromer Food Services, Inc., Anderson SC, is recalling all lots of our CFS Cromer Food Service brand Chicken Salad on White Sandwich with UPC 31166 & UPC 13172 because it contains undeclared milk
On March 25, 2025, the firm was notified by FDA during a routine inspection, that the Chicken Salad on White Sandwich label failed to include the ingredients for the bread which contains the allergen milk. 




https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/cromer-food-services-inc-recalls-chicken-salad-white-sandwich-due-undeclared-milk-allergen
Cromer Food Services, Inc. Recalls Chicken Salad on White Sandwich Due to Undeclared Milk Allergen
Summary  
Company Announcement Date:  March 27, 2025
FDA Publish Date:  March 27, 2025
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Undeclared milk
Company Name:  Cromer Food Services, Inc.
Brand Name:  CFS Cromer Food Services, Inc.
Product Description:  Chicken salad on white bread sandwich

Major Chip Company Recalls Tortilla Chips For Potential Undeclared Cheese Due to Mispacking Issue

Frito-Lay today issued a recall of a limited number of 13 oz. bags of Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips that could include nacho cheese tortilla chips, and therefore may contain undeclared milk.   A limited number of 13 oz. bags of Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips are being recalled as they could include nacho cheese tortilla chips, and therefore may contain an undeclared milk allergen. Less than 1,300 bags of impacted products were for sale in stores in 13 states (Ala., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Ky., Miss., N.C., Ohio, S.C., Tenn., Va., W. Va.) and across digital channels since March 7. Consumers can view the full press release on the Frito-Lay ContactUs Disclaimer page to see if their product is impacted by this recall. Unless a consumer has a dairy allergy or sensitivity to milk, this product is safe to consume.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/frito-lay-issues-limited-recall-tostitos-cantina-traditional-yellow-corn-tortilla-chips-undeclared
Frito-Lay Issues Limited Recall for Tostitos Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips for Undeclared Milk
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  March 26, 2025
FDA Publish Date:  March 27, 2025
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Undeclared milk
Company Name:  Frito-Lay
Brand Name:  Tostitos
Product Description:  Cantina Traditional Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips

Idaho Establishment Recalls RTE Beef Sticks After Two Complaints of Foreign Metal

Idaho Smokehouse Partners, LLC, a Shelley, Idaho establishment, is recalling approximately 29,541 pounds of ready-to-eat beef stick products that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically metal. The problem was discovered after the firm notified FSIS that it received two consumer complaints reporting that pieces of metal were found in the product.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/idaho-smokehouse-partners-recalls-ready-eat-beef-stick-products-due-possible-foreign
Idaho Smokehouse Partners Recalls Ready-To-Eat Beef Stick Products Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination

FSIS Announcement

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2025– Idaho Smokehouse Partners, LLC, a Shelley, Idaho establishment, is recalling approximately 29,541 pounds of ready-to-eat beef stick products that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically metal, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

Georgia Company Recalls Cheesecake for Undeclared Pecans, the Result of Mislabeling

Dessert Holdings LLC of Kennesaw, GA, is recalling Target brand Favorite Day™ Gourmet New York Style Cheesecake 6oz/2ct, Lot code 25028A1 000039133 UPC 0 85239 09690 1 due to product mislabeling resulting in undeclared pecans.  On 3/14/2025, the firm received a customer complaint that the product contained pecans, but the product label did not declare pecans. This issue has been corrected and no other manufacturing dates or lots are impacted. No illnesses have been reported to date.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/dessert-holdings-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-tree-nut-allergen-favorite-daytm-gourmet-new-york
Dessert Holdings Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Tree Nut Allergen in Favorite Day™ Gourmet New York Style Cheesecake 6oz/2ct
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  March 19, 2025
FDA Publish Date:  March 20, 2025
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement: Potential or Undeclared Allergen - Pecans
Company Name:  Dessert Holdings
Brand Name:  Target
Product Description:  Favorite Day Gourmet New York Style Cheesecake

Frozen Meals Recalled for Potential Wood-like Physical Hazard

Nestlé USA is initiating a voluntary recall of a limited quantity of Lean Cuisine® and STOUFFER’S® frozen meals due to the potential presence of wood-like material.  The company stated, "We are actively investigating the source of the wood-like material. We are confident that this is an isolated issue, and we have taken action to address it."

Recalls due to wood or wood-like physical hazards have been pretty rare.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/nestle-usa-announces-voluntary-recall-limited-quantity-lean-cuisiner-and-stouffersr-frozen-meals-due
Nestlé USA Announces Voluntary Recall of a Limited Quantity of Lean Cuisine® and STOUFFER’S® Frozen Meals Due to Potential Presence of Foreign Material
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  March 17, 2025
FDA Publish Date:  March 18, 2025
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Potential Contaminant - Wood
Company Name:  Nestle USA
Brand Name:  Stouffer’s
Product Description:  Frozen meals

FDA Delays the Compliance Date for the Traceability Rule by 30 Months

The FDA delayed the compliance date for the Food Traceability Rule by 30 months. Scheduled to take effect in January of 2026, FDA has pushed the date back. 

FDA stated, "the compliance date extension affords covered entities the additional time necessary to ensure complete coordination across the supply chain in order to fully implement the final rule’s requirements—ultimately providing FDA and consumers with greater transparency and food safety."

"The FDA intends to use the extended time period to continue the agency’s work with stakeholders, including by participating in cross-sector dialogue to identify solutions to implementation challenges and by continuing to provide technical assistance, tools, and other resources to assist industry with implementation."

This was one can that surely needed to be kicked down the road.  My guess is there are many out there who are happy that they don't need to walk this dog anytime soon.

https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-intends-extend-compliance-date-food-traceability-rule
FDA Intends to Extend Compliance Date for Food Traceability Rule
Constituent Update
March 20, 2025

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing its intention to extend the compliance date for the Food Traceability Rule (the “final rule”) by 30 months. The FDA intends to extend the compliance date using appropriate procedures at a later time, including publishing a proposed rule in the Federal Register.

Many Do Not Cook Frozen Vegetables - Implications for the Food Safety Plan

Results of a recent research survey published in the Journal of Food Protection show that about 9% of people do not cook frozen vegetables, although cooking instructions are stated on the product package.  This is an example of 'unintended use' by consumers that needs to be accounted for by the processing facility when developing a food safety plan.

Many frozen foods facilities were built decades ago when there was no perceived risk due to organisms like Listeria monocytogenes.  For one, people tended to cook frozen vegetables.  They were not making vegetable smoothies where uncooked frozen vegetables are blended with fruits or yogurt.  Secondly, when these plants were built, Listeria was not a recognized foodborne pathogen. This recognition did not occur until the 1980's.  So the level of sanitary design needed for Listeria control was not incorporated when the plants were built.   Couple that with these plants now having aged fifty-plus years, with the cracks and crevices that occur with time, Listeria control as a post-blanch contaminate is a chore.

Facilities generally blanch vegetables, which eliminates the low level of organisms present on the incoming product (if properly controlled), but the concern comes due to post-process contamination from environmental pathogens, especially Listeria.  A facility's Food Safety Plan needs to recognize this potential environmental contaminate as a significant hazard and then implement Sanitation Preventive Controls to eliminate the risk of this hazard. 

Journal of Food Protection
Volume 88, Issue 2, 3 February 2025, 100440
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X24002242

Preparation Methods and Perceived Risk of Foodborne Illness Among Consumers of Prepackaged Frozen Vegetables – United States, September 2022

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis, a serious infection with a high mortality rate for persons at higher risk for listeriosis. The first Listeria outbreak linked to frozen vegetables occurred in 2016 and resulted in three deaths. Many frozen vegetables are intended to be consumed after cooking. However, data on consumer behavior are sparse. We characterized consumers’ perceptions of contamination of prepackaged frozen vegetables, and preparation methods of prepackaged frozen vegetables to help inform prevention strategies. During September 1–24, 2022, Porter Novelli Public Services conducted the FallStyles survey using the Ipsos KnowledgePanel. Data were weighted to be representative of the U.S. population. Point estimates and 95% CIs were calculated, and differences between respondents were determined using Wald chi square tests. Among 3,008 respondents reporting a preparation and consumption method for frozen vegetables, 8.7% (95% CI = 7.4–10.0%) reported ever consuming the product raw. Respondents who reported having children < 18 years old were more likely to report ever consuming frozen vegetables raw compared with respondents who did not (12.5% vs. 7.4%, p < 0.01). The most reported raw preparation method was adding them directly to a blender for smoothie or juice (5.6%; 95% CI = 4.6–6.7%). Among respondents who reported eating frozen vegetables, 59.6% (95% CI = 57.6–61.6%) reported following package instructions. A third (34.1% [95% CI = 32.2–35.9%]) of respondents agreed that frozen vegetables can be contaminated with germs (like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria), with a greater proportion of people with cancer disagreeing compared to those without cancer (32.5% vs 23.4%, p = 0.041). These findings show that some consumers may not be cooking frozen vegetables before eating them. Second, consumers might not be reading instructions on packaging. Both findings highlight the critical importance of preventive controls in the production of frozen vegetables prior to reaching the consumer.