Midwestern Pet Food Issues Recall for Pet Food After Samples Reveal the Presence of Salmonella

Midwestern Pet Foods, Evansville, Indiana is recalling specific expiration dates of certain dog and cat food brands [approximately 140 varieties of varying sized bags] including CanineX, Earthborn Holistic, Venture, Unrefined, Sportmix Wholesomes, Pro Pac, Pro Pac Ultimates, Sportstrail, Sportmix and Meridian brands produced at its Monmouth, Illinois Production Facility because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.  The recall was as the result of a routine sampling program by the company which revealed that the finished products may contain the bacteria.

This same company recently completed a recall related to Aflatoxin, but that product came out of their OK processing facility.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/midwestern-pet-foods-voluntarily-recall-due-possible-salmonella-health-risk
Midwestern Pet Foods Voluntarily Recall Due to Possible Salmonella Health Risk
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  March 26, 2021
FDA Publish Date:  March 27, 2021
Product Type:  Animal & Veterinary  Food & Beverages    Pet Food
Reason for Announcement:  Potential Salmonella Contamination
Company Name: Midwestern Pet Foods
Brand Name:  Multiple brands
Product Description:  Dog and Cat Food

Michigan Company Recalls Halva After MI Dept of Ag Finds Salmonella in Sample

Kareem Mart of Garden City, MI, is recalling its 1lb and 2lb Kareem Chef brand “Halva”, “Halva with Pistachio”, and “Halva with Chocolate” food treats because they have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella.  The potential for contamination was noted after routine testing from samples in the stores by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD).  The recalled “Halva” were distributed through Mediterranean food stores and wholesalers in Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, New York, Ohio, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Between March 2020 to Feb 2021.

According to Wikipedia, Halva (also halvah, halwa,[1][2] and other spellings) refers to various local confection recipes in West Asia and its vicinity.[3][4][5] The name is used for referring to a huge variety of confections, with the most geographically common variety based on fried semolina.[3]

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/kareem-mart-recalls-halva-because-possible-health-risk
Kareem Mart Recalls “Halva” Because of Possible Health Risk
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  March 25, 2021
FDA Publish Date:  March 26, 2021
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Potential Salmonella Contamination
Company Name:  Kareem Mart
Brand Name:  Kareem Chef
Product Description:  Flavored Halva

NJ Company Recalls Frozen Peppers and Onions Due to Plastic Material in Product

GK Foods USA, of Wood-Ridge NJ is recalling one batch of its La Fe Peppers and Onions, due to the probable presence of extraneous material, specifically small pieces of blue plastic.  This lot is comprised of 187 cases of  product which had been distributed in the North-East USA.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/gk-foods-usa-announces-voluntary-recall-batch-la-fe-peppers-and-onions
GK Foods USA Announces Voluntary Recall of a Batch of La Fe Peppers and Onions
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  March 23, 2021
FDA Publish Date:  March 24, 2021
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Potential contamination with small plastic pieces
Company Name:  GraceKennedy Foods LLC
Brand Name:  La Fe
Product Description:  Frozen Peppers & Onions

Two Retailers Recall Wing Sauce for Undeclared Fish

Two retailers are recalling two lots of Taste of Inspirations Parmesan Garlic Wing Sauce due to the presence of undeclared fish allergen.

While not specifically stated, this appears to be a mis-forumulation issue with these two lots,  From one of the retailers website, the ingredient statement (below) does not show a source of fish.  Since it affects two lots, it may be that something like Worcester sauce, which contains anchovies, may have been added by accident?

Ingredients:  CANOLA OR SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, DISTILLED VINEGAR, PARMESAN CHEESE (MILK, CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), GARLIC, EGG YOLKS, SEA SALT, CANE SUGAR, SPICES, NATURAL FLAVOR, ONION, XANTHAN GUM, LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE, NATURAL VITAMIN E ADDED TO PROTECT FLAVOR. CONTAINS STATEMENT: EGGS, MILK.

Source: DZA BRANDS LLC

Allergens and Nutritional Considerations

Added Sugars, Eggs, Milk, Soy

(source - https://www.hannaford.com/product/taste-of-inspirations-parmesan-garlic-wing-sauce/954321)

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/food-lion-recalls-select-taste-inspirations-parmesan-garlic-wing-sauce
Food Lion Recalls Select Taste of Inspirations Parmesan Garlic Wing Sauce
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  March 20, 2021
FDA Publish Date:  March 22, 2021
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Due to undeclared fish
Company Name:  Food Lion
Brand Name:  Taste of Inspirations
Product Description:  Parmesan Garlic Wing Sauce

Recall of Maple Pecan Oat Bars for Undeclared Peanuts

Bobo’s of Boulder, Colorado is issuing a voluntary recall of Bobo’s Maple Pecan Oat Bars because they may contain undeclared peanuts.  The recall was initiated after it was discovered that product containing peanuts was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of peanuts on the ingredient deck.

While not specifically stated in the notice, one could guess that this was a product mix-up where peanut based product was packed into Maple Pecan bar packaging.  [I guess Bobo's made a booboo.]

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/bobos-issues-voluntarily-allergy-alert-undeclared-peanuts-product?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Bobo’s Issues a Voluntarily Allergy Alert on Undeclared Peanuts in Product
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  March 22, 2021
FDA Publish Date:  March 23, 2021
Product Type:  Food & Beverages  Snack Food Item
Reason for Announcement:  Undeclared Peanuts
Company Name:  Bobo’s
Brand Name:  Bobo’s
Product Description:  Maple Pecan Oat Bar

FDA Issues Warning Letter to IL Importer for No FSVP

Food and Drug Administration conducted a remote Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) for Aman Kapoor, Inc, of Elk Grove Village, IL   During this inspection, the firm did not have FSVP records for imported Cornflakes Mixture, Cashew Mixture and Dried Soup Mix.  The FSVP, or Foreign Supplier Verification Program is required to ensure that imported product meets US food safety standards.  This requires firms conduct a hazard analysis and ensure that controls are in place to control significant hazards.

FDA Warning Letter
Aman Kapoor In - 612711 - 03/10/2021 | FDA
Aman Kapoor In
MARCS-CMS 612711 — MARCH 10, 2021
Product: Food & Beverages

FDA Issues Warning Letter to Michigan Juice Operation for Juice HACCP Violations

FDA issued a Warning Letter to a Michigan juice processor who did not have a HACCP plan in place.  It seems the operation was trying to skate between the Juice HACCP regulation and the Preventive Controls regulation.  The issue was that the company used a central kitchen to produce juice for sale at that central operation but also sell it form smaller juice operations under the control of the company.

"A “retail establishment” is defined by the juice HACCP regulation as “an operation that provides juice directly to the consumers and does not include an establishment that sells or distributes juice to other business entities as well as directly to consumers” (21 CFR 120.3(l)). In short, a retail establishment (1) provides juice directly to consumers and (2) does not sell juice to other business entities. Your Berkley facility sells juice to other business entities. Therefore, it is not considered a retail establishment, and the juice HACCP regulation applies to all of the juice produced at that location. Also, note that as reflected in the guidance you reference in your May 19, 2020 response (i.e., Answer 19 of Guidance for Industry: Questions and Answers on juice HACCP Regulation), juice is only considered to be provided directly to consumers if it is provided to consumers at the same location where it is produced. Accordingly, if you no longer provide juice to consumers at your Berkley facility, then it is not considered a retail establishment for this additional reason."


FDA Warning Letter
https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/panther-james-llc-610082-03052021
Panther James LLC
MARCS-CMS 610082 — MARCH 05, 2021
Product:  Food & Beverages

Proposed FASTER Legislation Looks to Add Sesame, and Potentially Other Allergens, to Allergen Labeling Requirements

The proposed FASTER legislation is an item focused on food allergens.  It had made progress towards getting passed in 2020, but ran out of time and has to be reintroduced.

This legislation would add sesame to the list of allergens requiring labeling, but also opens the door for other allergens to be added at the decision of the Secretary.  From the proposed legislation (below) "Any other food ingredient that the Secretary determines by regulation to be a major food allergen, based on the scientific criteria determined by the Secretary (including the prevalence and severity of allergic reactions to the food ingredient) that establish that such food ingredient is an allergen of public health concern.”.

Food Business News

https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/18218-allergens-in-the-crosshairs

Allergens in the crosshairs

03.23.2021By Jay Sjerven

WASHINGTON — Both Congress and federal regulators have accelerated efforts to defend populations whose sensitivity to major food allergens puts them at risk for illness or even death. In Congress, legislation requiring sesame be added to the existing list of eight major allergens subject to labeling requirements advanced with the Senate’s unanimous passage of the Food Allergy, Safety, Treatment, Education (FASTER) Act on March 3.

Pasta Company Must Recall Non-USDA FSIS Inspected Meat-containing Pasta Product

An Illinois pasta company must recall all of their meat-containing pasta product because they produced it without being a USDA inspected facility.   Oooops.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/avanza-pasta-llc-recalls-beef-and-poultry-products-produced-without-benefit
Avanza Pasta, LLC Recalls Beef and Poultry Products Produced Without Benefit of Inspection
FSIS Announcement

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2021 – Avanza Pasta, LLC., an Evanston, Ill. establishment, is recalling approximately 2,237 pounds of meat and poultry pasta products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.