This Week in Mislabeled Products - Ending 6/15/18

There are a few confusing recalls in this report.

Religious Exemption Not Declared - Mich. establishment, is recalling approximately 28,346 pounds of poultry, pork, and beef products due to misbranding, - The poultry products were slaughtered under religious exemption, which is not declared on the product label.  There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.

Oyster Extract Packet A CA firm is voluntarily recalling Spicy Edamame 7oz, because it contains the undeclared shellfish/crustacean allergen “Oyster Extract” ingredient within the spicy sauce packet.  The recall is a result of the incorrect spice sauce pack being packed within the spicy edamame product.  [I hope someone realized that oysters are a mollusk which is different that crustacean shellfish.]

Pork Casing Not Declared - J Bar B Foods, a Waelder, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 410,985 pounds of beef brisket smoked sausage products due to an adulterated and misbranded ingredient, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The products contain a pork casing, which is not declared on the product label, and may cause an allergic reaction in some individuals.  The problem was discovered on June 12, 2018 in response to a customer inquiry that a beef smoked sausage product did not specify pork casing as part of the ingredients statement.  [Not sure of there will be anybody having an allergic reaction, but it still needs to be on the lablel].

Undeclared Milk in Dill Flavoring - Shearer’s Foods, LLC of Massillon, OH is recalling Meijer brand 9.5 ounce packages of Dill Pickle Flavored Potato Chips because they may contain undeclared milk.  “The issue was discovered when the family of a consumer who suffered an allergic reaction reported the incident to Meijer. Shearer’s Foods, LLC conducted an investigation which indicated that due to human error, a product containing milk was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of milk.”

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-050-2018-release
Winter Sausage Manufacturing Co. Recalls Poultry and Meat Products due to Misbranding
Class II Recall

Two Meat Product Recalls for Foreign Material in the Form of Plastic

There have been two meat product recalls due to foreign material.

• Tyson Foods Inc., is recalling approximately 3,120 pounds of frozen breaded chicken products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically blue and clear soft plastic.   This is a supplier related issue – the supplier notified Tyson of the potential blue plastic in the breading material. 
• Goodman Food Products, Texas, Inc., a Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 34,400 pounds of fully cooked ground beef products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically hard, white plastic.  “The problem was discovered after the company and USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Services received consumer complaints about hard, white plastic material found in the fully cooked ground beef products.”

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-047-2018-release
Tyson Foods Inc. Recalls Breaded Chicken Products Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
Class II Recall
047-2018
Health Risk: Low
Jun 8, 2018

This Week in Mislabeled Products - Ending June 2, 2018

Wrong Product Added to Packing Line - Sanders announced today that it is recalling its 3.75oz Milk Chocolate Covered Fudge Mini Bites because they may contain undeclared almonds.  The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the Almond-containing product was inadvertently added to a production line which was packaging product that did not contain Almonds. [Operational error]

Imported Product with Undeclared Milk - Brooklyn, NY importer is recalling its 16.5 oz packages of Cheese Biscuits because they may contain undeclared milk allergen.  The recall was initiated after routine sampling by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors and subsequent analysis by Food Laboratory personnel revealed the presence of undeclared milk allergens in the 16.5 oz packages of Cheese Biscuits which did not declare a milk ingredient on the label.

Consumer Allergic to Walnuts Triggers Recall - A CA company is recalling 20 cases of cookies because they may contain undeclared tree nuts. "To date there has been one reported case of an allergic reaction to the walnuts.The consumer who suffered the allergic reaction reported the incident to the FDA when it was discovered that the walnuts were not supposed to be in that product as they are not listed on the label as an ingredient or allergen. The reason behind the undeclared tree nut is still unknown and the investigation is ongoing, however, a breakdown in the companies mixing procedures or incorrect labeling is suspected."

Undeclared Sulfites on Dried Apricot - Global Commodities, Inc. of Hicksville, NY is recalling 1lb and 0.5lb packages of WATAN DRY FRUITS Brand Natural Dried Apricot with Pitt, because it contains undeclared sulfites.  The undeclared sulfites were found as a result of routine product testing conducted by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Subsequently, investigation indicated the problem was caused by a temporary breakdown in the company’s production and packaging processes. Production of the product has been suspended until the company is certain that the problem has been corrected.

Ingredient Testing Discovers Undeclared Milk Allergen - Divvies announced today a voluntary recall of its Benjamint Crunch Chocolate bars due to possible undeclared milk in the peppermint used in the bars. This issue was discovered through routine testing of ingredients.  [Supplier Error]


https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm609628.htm
Sanders Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Almonds in Fudge Mini Bites
For Immediate Release
June 1, 2018

Warning Issued for Raw Frozen Breaded Chicken Distributed by Food Pantry After Four Cases of Salmonella

Health officials in MN and WI issued warnings for frozen breaded chicken products distributed by a group that operates pop-up food pantries.  This comes after 4 people became infected with Salmonella.  The chicken is breaded, but not fully cooked.  Unfortunately, there were no cooking instructions, and as we know with frozen breaded chicken, people can assume that it is fully cooked.

Ruby's Pantry is a faith based charitable organization that distributes food in pop-up pantries in MN and WI.

CBS Minnesota
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2018/06/01/salmonella-infections-frozen-chicken-rubys-pantry/
Salmonella Infections Linked To Ruby’s Pantry Frozen Breaded Chicken
June 1, 2018 at 2:11 pmFiled Under:Chicken, Ruby's Pantry, Salmonella

Five Recalls Issued Due to Foreign Material

There were 5 recalls this past week due to foreign material.

1. Soft Green Plastic in Smoked Sausage- A Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 18,390 pounds of smoked sausage that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically soft plastic,  The problem was discovered after the company received a customer complaint about soft, green plastic material found in the product.
2. White Plastic in Burritos - A Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 50,706 pounds of frozen breakfast burritos that may be contaminated with extraneous material,  The problem was discovered after the company received complaints from consumers who reported finding white, semi-rigid plastic pieces in the product. 
3. Metal in Canned Meat - Hormel Food Corp., a Fremont, NE establishment, is recalling approximately 228,614 pounds of canned pork and chicken products that may be contaminated with foreign matter, specifically pieces of metal. The problem was discovered after the firm received four consumer complaints stating that metal objects were found in the canned products. FSIS was notified on May 25, 2018.  There have been reports of minor oral injuries associated with consumption of the products. 
4. Metal Found on Ice Cream Production Line - H-E-B is voluntarily issuing an all-store recall for certain flavors and container sizes of EconoMax and Hill Country Fare ice creams and Creamy Creations sherbets for broken metal in processing equipment found during routine maintenance.
5. Glass in Jars of Sliced Olives - H-E-B is voluntarily issuing an all-store precautionary recall for H-E-B Ode to Olives Sliced Salad Olives in 10-ounce glass jars with a best by date of Nov. 3, 2019 due to the possible presence of glass in the product.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2018/recall-043-2018-release
Eddy Packing Co., Inc. Recalls Smoked Sausage Product due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination

CDC Updates Case Numbers for E. coli Outbreak Associated with Romaine Lettuce

The CDC released an update of the number of cases of E. coli infection associated with the Romaine Lettuce Outbreak.   There are now 197 ceases with 89 being hospitalized and 5 deaths.  This is reported as one of the largest E. coli outbreaks.  These cases still fall in the window for the Yuma AZ grown romaine, which is reported as being completely out of the supply chain.  The reason additional cases are being reported is the lag from eating to illness to reporting on the federal level.  The last case starting on May 12.

There is still no further information on the source or contributing factors.

https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2018/o157h7-04-18/index.html
Multistate Outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 Infections Linked to Romaine Lettuce

What is the Risk of Opioids in Poppy Seeds

The European Food Safety Authority released their risk assessment of opium alkaloids in poppy seeds. Basically there is a small risk of having opioids, including codeine and morphine, in poppy seeds, specially unprocessed poppy seeds.

ere are a few of the summary points:

• "Poppy seeds are obtained from the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). The latex (milky sap) of the opium poppy contains up to 80 alkaloids, including morphine and codeine, which have been used for the treatment of severe pain for generations but are also subject to misuse"
• "Poppy seeds normally do not contain opium alkaloids, but can become contaminated with opium alkaloids as a result of pest damage and during harvest."
• "There are few reports of adverse effects arising from consumption of poppy seeds in food; however it cannot be assumed that such reactions do not occur from time to time. Morphine-like effects have been observed in humans following consumption of a single portion of a meal containing opium alkaloid-contaminated poppy seeds".

So if you are going for a drug screening, it may be worth skipping the poppy seed roll.  Although it is so darn tasty.  це дуже смачно!

EFSA - European Food Safety Authority
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/180516
Opium alkaloids in poppy seeds: assessment updated
16 May 2018

This Week in Mislabeled Products for Week Ending 5/25/18

Pre-bake Egg Spray Not Accounted for on Label - New Seasons Market LLC is recalling NSM 8-pack mini butter croissants and 8-pack mini chocolate croissants because they contain undeclared egg. The recall was initiated after it was discovered that products containing egg were distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of egg. Products were slightly sprayed with egg before baking. [Label design issue]

Buffalo Chicken Calzones Labeled as Ham and Cheese Calzones - A Mass. establishment is recalling approximately 1,881 pounds of ham and cheese calzones due to misbranding - The product is labeled as a ham and cheese calzone, but the package contains a buffalo chicken calzone. [Operations packaging error]

State Lab Detects Undeclared Peanuts in Cookies - A Brooklyn, NY firm is recalling its 17.6 oz (500g) package of “Melanie Mini Cookies with Caramel Flavor”, because they contain undeclared peanuts. The recall was initiated after routine sampling by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors and subsequent analysis by Food Laboratory personnel revealed that the peanut –containing product was distributed in packages that did not reveal the presence of peanuts.


https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm608834.htm
New Seasons Market LLC Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Egg in Mini Butter Croissants and Mini Chocolate Croissants
For Immediate Release
May 24, 2018

Gull Poop Source of E. coli Responsible for Water Quality Failures on Beaches

A study published by the US Geological Survey investigates the source of E. coli that results in beach closings off Lake Michigan.  The findings show that seagulls (and other birds) were the primary source.

E. coli is used as a water quality standard that is used to indicate the sanitary quality of the water for swimming.  It is a fecal marker for poop contamination.  In this case the poop is coming from the birds.  And if E. coli is there, other pathogens such as Salmonella may be present as well.

This study shows the difficulty in setting water standards, whether E. coli or fecal coliforms,  for surface waters.  Not that they don't have a basis, but the variability that can occur when a flock of seagulls, or ducks, or geese, decide to make the irrigation lagoon their toilet.  And certainly no one wants these guys pooping in your water.

Technology Networks
https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/news/cause-of-e-coli-beach-closures-gulls-304342
Cause of E. coli Beach Closures? Gulls!
News  May 25, 2018 | Original Story by Susan V. Fisk for the American Society of Agronomy.