Reported Recalls Again

[PORKER]

With these kinds and sizes of recalls, the meat eaters of North America are losing confidence of healthy purchases of products.

Huntington Meat Packing Inc., Expands Recall by 4,900,000 Pounds of Beef Products due to Possible Adulteration - Criminal Investigation Pending
Recall Release CLASS I RECALL
FSIS-RC-004-2010 HEALTH RISK: HIGH

Editor's Note: This recall release is being reissued to expand the January 18 recall to include approximately 4.9 million additional pounds of beef and veal products, and to correct net weights from 40 lbs. to 50 lbs. in five instances in the earlier release.

Calif. co. expands meat recall due to E. coli fear
MONTEBELLO, Calif. (AP) _ A Southern California meatpacking firm has significantly expanded its recall of ground beef and veal that might be contaminated with E. coli. The recall includes approximately 4.9 million additional pounds of products by Huntington Meat Packing Inc. under the Huntington, Imperial Meat Co. and El Rancho brands, the Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Friday.


Huntington Meat Packing Inc., a Montebello, Calif., establishment, is expanding its recall of January 18 to include approximately 4.9 million additional pounds of beef and veal products that were not produced in accordance with the company's food safety plan. The products are adulterated because the company made the products under insanitary conditions failing to take the steps it had determined were necessary to produce safe products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. FSIS has received no reports of illnesses associated with consumption of these products. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact a physician.

The recall was expanded based on evidence collected in an ongoing criminal investigation being conducted by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) with assistance from FSIS. This evidence shows that the products subject to this recall expansion were produced in a manner that did not follow the establishment's Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan. A HACCP plan describes the process controls an establishment must take to prevent food safety hazards and create a safe and wholesome product. The investigation has uncovered evidence to show that the food safety records of the establishment cannot be relied upon to document compliance with the requirements. Therefore, FSIS must consider the products to be adulterated and has acted to remove the products from commerce.

The following beef and veal products, produced by the plant from January 22, 2009, to January 4, 2010, are subject to recall:

10 lb. boxes of "IMPERIAL MEAT CO. GROUND BEEF PATTY"
10 lb. boxes of "El Rancho MEAT & PROVISION ALL BEEF PATTIES"
20 lb. boxes of "IMPERIAL MEAT CO. GROUND BEEF PATTY"
50 lb. boxes of "HUNTINGTON MEATS GROUND BEEF"
50 lb. boxes of " HUNTINGTON MEAT PKG. INC. BEEF GROUND FOR FURTHER PROCESSING"
50 lb. boxes of "BEEF BURRITO FILLING MIX"
50 lb. boxes of "HUNTINGTON MEAT PKG. INC. DICED BEEF"
50 lb. boxes of "HUNTINGTON MEAT PKG. INC. SLICED BEEF"
10 lb. boxes of "Huntington Meat VEAL PATTY"
10 lb. boxes of "Imperial Meat VEAL PATTY"
10 lb. boxes of "El Rancho VEAL PATTY"
20 lb. boxes of "Huntington Meat VEAL PATTY"
20 lb. boxes of "Imperial Meat VEAL PATTY"
20 lb. boxes of "El Rancho VEAL PATTY"

Each box bears the establishment number "EST. 17967" inside the USDA mark of inspection on a label. The products were produced between January 22, 2009, and January 4, 2010, and were shipped to distribution centers, restaurants, and hotels within the State of California.

Posted on February 13, 2010 by Bill Marler

[PORKER]

Just like every recall .They all Get Bigger.

As Daniele Inc recall expands, questions do too
Posted on February 17, 2010 by Drew Falkenstein
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Yesterday evening, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that Daniele Inc is expanding its January 23 2010 recall of salami products to include another 115,000 pounds of potentially contaminated salami. See list of recalled products. The expansion is yet another twist in an outbreak that has continued to evolve, and with sometimes only limited information passed to the public by investigating health officials and the companies involved.

But the recent expansion is more significant for the many questions that it creates. It is based upon the presence of salmonella in salami packages that did not contain any black pepper, which has long been thought to have been the source of contamination in the outbreak. Now, health authorities believe that crushed red pepper included in some of the Daniele Inc product may have been contaminated as well.

Here is a quick list of questions that need to be answered:

1. Who is the supplier of red pepper?

Why it matters: if tests have indicated the presence of salmonella on the crushed red pepper that Daniele Inc used, the same contaminated pepper may have been distributed to other food producers or retailers, so more foods may be, or might become, contaminated. Pepper has a long shelf life, so if this product is, indeed, elsewhere in the consumer chain of distribution, it represents an ongoing threat to human health.

2. How many strains of Salmonella are implicated in this outbreak, and what are they?

The FSIS press release about the recall expansion tells us that crushed red pepper may now be contaminated, but says nothing about the strain of salmonella that was isolated. We know Montevideo, and we know Senftenberg, It would seem unlikely, unless the supplier of the black and red pepper was the same, that both would be contaminated with the same strains of Salmonella. Maybe the red pepper was contaminated with one, and the black with the other; or maybe the black with both known strains, and the red with a totally new strain. Whatever the case, the public should have the benefit of this knowledge.

3. Have all potentially contaminated products been recalled?

Surely, the companies involved would say yes, but yesterday's announcement is, after all, effectively the third announced recall by Daniele, each one including more and different products. So, has Daniele Inc taken a conservative approach to recall? Or has it acted as broadly in scope as the ongoing risk to public health would seem to dictate.

But at least Daniele has acted. One thing causing great concern, here at least, is that there has been no recall of pepper, either the black or the red, despite tests that have confirmed the presence of salmonella in pepper from two, and maybe even three different companies. Maybe Daniele was Overseas Spice and Wholesome Spice's only customer, and those companies have accurately determined that there is no ongoing risk because Daniele's recalls encompass all the potentially contaminated product. We can only speculate at this point, but that doesn't sound like a sustainable business model.

4. Is the model currently in place for telling the public crucial information about outbreaks and recalls really the most efficient method we can think of?

The flow of information to the public about this major outbreak has been slow. Recall that the CDC announced this outbreak in January by stating that the implicated product was "a widely distributed contaminated food product." At the time of the CDC's announcement, it was certainly known by US Government that Daniele Inc's salami was the "widely distributed contaminated food product." But instead of the CDC just saying that, it fell to Bill Marler, a private citizen way out in the northwest corner of the country, to announce what the product really was.

On her blog, Obamafoodorama.com, Eddie Gehman Kohan asked "How is it possible that a blogger notifies the public of a new Class I (you could die) recall of 1,240,000 pounds of meat before USDA does?": She continued, "It's a grim situation when a private citizen is more on the ball than the federal agency that's supposed to be managing national food safety concerns (CDC's own e mail heads-up about the outbreak included no information, except that a product sold nationally was contaminated with Salmonella Montevideo)."

So back to the original question, is a system that is so reliant on the private sector--instead of first responders like the government, CDC, FDA, FSIS--to pass information about food outbreaks really an efficient model? There are 230 recognized illnesses in this outbreak, many of which fell ill long before the pieces to the puzzle had fallen into place, but certainly some of whom fell ill after government and certain industry members knew the most essential details. Clearly, this is not efficient from a public health standpoint, and some would certainly argue that it's not very efficient from a business standpoint either. After all, the losses generated by the publicity surrounding these outbreaks in the form of reduced sales and lawsuits certainly compound the longer the outbreak remains in the public spotlight. And one sure way of accomplishing that is to deliver information piecemeal and untimely.

Many questions yet to be answered as this outbreak continues to unfold.

[PORKER]

Kroger Recalls Beef Products for E. coli
by Zach Mallove | Mar 03, 2010

Between February 18 and 24, 2010, Kroger, the country's largest grocery store chain, recalled five separate beef products for potential E. coli O157:H7 contamination. The recall information is listed on the company's Website, but in very limited detail.


According to the Kroger Website, burritos and tamales containing beef potentially contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 were distributed under the Little Juan, Tina's, Don Miguel, XLNT, and Deli names. Retailers distributing these brands are Smith's Food and Drug, Ralphs, Food 4 Less, King Soopers, QFC, and Fry's. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), however, does not have these corresponding products or brands listed on their current recall list, which FSIS policy mandates.


In January 2000, FSIS changed its policy regarding issuance of recall press releases. FSIS now issues a press release for all classifications of meat and poultry recalls, whereas press releases used to be issued primarily for Class I recalls.


According to FSIS, Class I recalls are defined as situations where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death. Class II recalls are defined as situations where there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product. Class III recalls are defined as situations where the use of the product will not cause adverse health consequences.


The current recalls listed on the Kroger site would fall under the Class I category.


Food Safety News spoke briefly to a Kroger spokesperson, who confirmed the recalls but failed to provide more information. A call to FSIS was unreturned.

[PORKER]

http://www.foodsafetycompliance.com/news/sen-harkin-sees-floor-action-coming-soon-food-safety-bill-20100303

[PORKER]

A Whopper Recall Coming !!!!

Salmonella prompts processed-food recall

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/HVPCP/



By Lyndsey Layton
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 5, 2010

Thousands of types of processed foods -- including many varieties of soups, chips, frozen dinners, hot dogs and salad dressings -- may pose a health threat because they contain a flavor enhancer that is contaminated with salmonella, the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.

Officials believe the public health risk is low, and no one is known to have fallen ill as a result of the contamination. But manufacturers voluntarily recalled 56 products Thursday, and that number is expected to balloon in the coming weeks into what could be one of the largest food recalls in U.S. history.

"We don't know precisely how large this recall will get," said Jeff Farrar, associate commissioner for food protection at the FDA. "The potential amount of products . . . is very large."

Salmonella was detected early last month in one lot of the flavor enhancer -- hydrolyzed vegetable protein, or HVP -- made by Basic Food Flavors, as well as inside the company's Nevada manufacturing facility, the FDA said. The company, one of only a handful that make HVP, has an extensive customer list. The additive, which comes as a powder or a paste and is mixed into foods to give them a meaty or savory flavor, is similar to monosodium glutamate, or MSG.

The contamination is believed to date to September 2009, meaning millions of pounds of potentially tainted HPV -- all of which the company has recalled -- was shipped in bulk to foodmakers over five months. Many of those companies then sold their products to other clients, complicating the chain and making it hard for federal officials to gauge the scope of the problem.

"This can potentially be in over 10,000 products," said Michael Hansen, senior scientist at Consumers Union.


The FDA has posted on its Web site a searchable list of products being recalled by manufacturers. It can be found at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/HVPCP/ .

Federal officials said the public health threat is low because most products containing HVP are cooked during processing or carry cooking instructions for consumers, so any salmonella would be destroyed before the food was eaten. Ready-to-eat products, such as chips and other snack foods, would carry greater risks.

In recent days, FDA officials have told foodmakers that their products do not need to be recalled if they can document that foods containing HVP were heated to appropriate temperatures.

Because of the number of products involved and the uncertainty of the risk, officials have been struggling to find the balance between protection and alarm.

"They're trying to come to some reasonable decision about how to protect the public health but not be so cautious as to be ridiculous and throw out tons and tons of product that may be fine," said Don Schaffner, a professor of microbiology professor and food-safety expert at Rutgers University, who has been advising several foodmakers that bought HVP from Basic Food Flavors.

FDA officials declined to say Thursday when they or state health officials last inspected the Nevada plant, or whether the company had a history of sanitation problems. The FDA was still attempting to determine what caused the contamination.

The company did not return calls seeking comment.

The salmonella bacterium is usually found in animal or human feces. Most healthy people infected with salmonella recover without treatment but experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Salmonella infections can cause serious problems and even death in the young, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

The agency learned about the problem after a foodmaker found the bacterium in a shipment of HVP and reported it under a new law that requires companies to notify the federal government if they detect contamination in a product or ingredient. Before September, the food industry was not required to alert the government to contamination.

[burnt]

This didn't seem to originate in Mexico . . . it's a biggie, reaching all over North America.

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfeatures/article/777099--salmonella-recall-grows-for-snacks-soup-mixes?bn=1

[PORKER]

Texas Firm Recalls Ready-To-Eat Beef Product due to Possible Salmonella Contamination
Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:47:19 -0600


Ruiz Foods, Inc., a Denison, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 115,700 pounds of a ready-to-eat (RTE) beef product that may be contaminated with Salmonella. The packages of beef product contain as an ingredient the specific Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), which was previously recalled, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

You are right Burnt !!

[PORKER]

Prosciutto Cotto Recalled for Listeria
by Dan Flynn | Mar 13, 2010
For the second time in four months, Canada is warning consumers not to eat a Siena Foods Ltd. product because of possible Listeria contamination.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says Siena brand Prosciutto Cotto Cooked Ham may contain the pathogen. Last December, Siena brand mild Cacciatore Salami was recalled in Canada for Listeria.

This time, the affected product, Siena brand Prosciutto Cotto Cooked Ham, was sold to delicatessens, grocery and specialty food stores in large wholesale packages for further slicing bearing Best Before dates of March 8 and March 22, 2010.

The December recall resulted in certain Siena Foods Ltd. products being held, tested and only released if they were free from Listeria monocytogenes as part of sampling activities conducted in January and February 2010.

In a statement, CFIA said the current recall will also be carefully followed up with a test and hold protocol and the agency will work with the company to assess any issues that may have contributed to the positive results.

The affected product would have been sold to consumers after January 11, 2010. However, the original brand and/or best before dates may not have been transferred at the deli counters to consumer packages. Persons who may have purchased cooked ham after January 11, 2010 and do not know original brand and code are advised to check with their retailer or supplier to determine if they have the affected product.

The recalled cooked ham was sold in Ontario, Alberta, and Quebec.

This recall is based on positive test results for Listeria monocytogenes in product samples and CFIA's investigation of these findings.

CFIA’s statement said the federal food safety agency was aware of a reported listeriosis in Ontario and is collaborating with the Province of Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and Health Canada to investigate these illnesses.

At this time, no confirmed linkage has been made between the subject recalled products and the reported illnesses.

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with these bacteria may cause listeriosis, a foodborne illness.

Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, and nausea. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness; however, infections during pregnancy can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.

The manufacturer, Siena Foods Ltd., Toronto, ON, is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
For more information consumers and industry can call the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

[PORKER]

Yep, even Pringles is being Recalled !

A new Pringles recall affects two Pringles flavors: Restaurant Cravers Cheeseburger and Family Faves Taco Night.

The FDA believes these products may have been contaminated by salmonella. If the products contain a "Best by" 2011 stamp, they may be at risk.

The Pringles recall is related to other HVP recent recalls involving salmonella, which involve Basic Food Flavors, Inc. An onion soup recall took place last week.

Consumers who have purchased the recalled products should discard the product and call Procter & Gamble at 1-877-876-7881 for a replacement coupon or refund.

The FDA has identified 94 products in all that use HVP seasoning from Basic Food Flavors and more recalls could be on the way

[Oldtimer]

[PORKER]

Link to a Supermarket chain recall PAGE !
http://www.kroger.com/services/Pages/recall_information.aspx

Makes you wonder who ships this stuff !

[PORKER]

This recall is getting Hugh, even Toms potato chips !

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/HVPCP/