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Alexia Foods issues nationwide allergy alert and product recall on its Alexia Olive Oil, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Pesto Oven Reds frozen potatoes due to undeclared pine nut allergen
10/31/2009
US Food & Drug Administration
press release
www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm188570.htm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 30, 2009 – Today, Alexia Foods, Inc, Kennewick, WA, in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is voluntarily recalling packages of its Alexia – Olive Oil, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Pesto Oven Reds (frozen seasoned potato wedges) for an undeclared allergen, pine nuts. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to pine nuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.
The product was distributed to retail stores nationwide.
The affected product, Alexia – Olive Oil, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Pesto Oven Reds, is packaged in 15 oz. white poly bags with a teal-colored graphic banner and pictures seasoned potato wedges on the front bag panel. This voluntary recall is limited to only packages of Alexia – Olive Oil, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Pesto Oven Reds bearing the following Sell By dates (shown below) printed on the upper left back panel of the poly package with the UPC # 34183 00108. No other Alexia frozen or shelf stable products are affected.
For the complete recall notice, please go to http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm188570.htm
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New York Firm Recalls Fresh Ground Beef Products Due To Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination
10/31/2009
USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service
press release
www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_059_2009_Release/index.asp
WASHINGTON, October 31, 2009 - Fairbank Farms, an Ashville, NY, establishment, is recalling approximately 545,699 pounds of fresh ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
FSIS became aware of the problem during the course of an investigation of a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses. Working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health and agriculture departments, FSIS determined that there is an association between the fresh ground beef products subject to recall and illnesses in Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts. FSIS is continuing to work with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Connecticut Department of Public Health, other state health and agriculture departments and the CDC on the investigation. Anyone with signs or symptoms of foodborne illness should consult a physician.
For the complete recall notice, including a list of recalled lots, please go to http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_059_2009_Release/index.asp
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FDA smackdown pits bacteria against bacteria
10/31/2009
Washington Post
Lyndsey Layton
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/30/AR2009103003784.html
The 10 tomatoes sitting in a Tupperware tub at the Food and Drug Administration seem to be doing nothing more than rotting, slowly. But an invisible battle is raging on the surface of the fruit, with provocative implications for food safety and the war that humans have been waging against bacteria for a century.
"This is the wrestling ring," said Eric Brown, a microbiologist at the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, as he clicked open the lid to the tub. "This is the smack-down."
Brown and a team of FDA scientists trying to prevent salmonella contamination in tomatoes have stumbled upon what they believe are powerful, naturally occurring "good" bacteria that can slaughter the "bad" bacteria that have become a persistent problem in fresh fruits and vegetables because they harm humans.
For the complete news item, please go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/30/AR2009103003784.html
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USDA condemns alleged abuses at Vt. veal packer, shuts plant down
10/30/2009
The Meatingplace.com
Tom Johnston
www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/webNews/details.aspx?item=14259
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Friday condemned alleged abuses at a Vermont slaughter plant based on evidence provided by a Humane Society of the United States mole.
According to an HSUS press release, USDA and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture have suspended operations at Grande Isle, Vt.-based Bushways Packing Co. after HSUS released a videotape with footage showing abuses including calves being kicked, slapped and "repeatedly" shocked with electric prods.
"The deplorable scenes recorded in the video released by the Humane Society of the United States are unequivocally unacceptable. The callous behavior and attitudes displayed in the video clearly appear to be violations of USDA's humane handling regulations," Vilsack said in a USDA-issued statement.
For the complete news item, please go to http://www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/webNews/details.aspx?item=14259
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AGRICULTURE SECRETARY VILSACK RESPONDS TO ALLEGATIONS FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES
10/30/2009
USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service
press release
www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2009/10/0540.xml
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2009 - In response to the events at Bushways Packing Inc. in Grand Isle, Vt., Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said:
"The deplorable scenes recorded in the video released by the Humane Society of the United States are unequivocally unacceptable. The callous behavior and attitudes displayed in the video clearly appear to be violations of USDA's humane handling regulations.
"USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is investigating these alleged violations of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA). FSIS took immediate action with respect to its employee and the establishment upon preliminary verification of the incident. The Department fully supports the investigation of all those involved in these alleged violations of the HMSA. To this end, I have also called on our Inspector General to conduct a criminal investigation of the events in the video.
For the complete press release, please visit http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2009/10/0540.xml
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Jimmy John's sued over a Turkey Tom sandwich
10/30/2009
Chicago Tribune
Jeremy Gorner
www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/10/jimmy-johns-sued-over-a-turkey-tom-sandwich.html
Mackenzie Seiler got his Turkey Tom sandwich fast enough from Jimmy John's.
But the Chicago resident also got sick because the restaurant not only failed to hold the cheese and mayonnaise as he asked, it gave him tuna instead of turkey, according to a lawsuit he has filed in Cook County.
As a result, Seiler said he "became seriously ill and remained so for a long time." He wants more than $50,000 from Jimmy John's.
For the complete news item, please visit
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/10/jimmy-johns-sued-over-a-turkey-tom-sandwich.html
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Allergy Alert on Possible Undeclared Soy Protein in32-ounce Great Value Half & Half, 32-ounce Great Value 36% Heavy Whipping Cream, 32-ounce Kroger brand 36% Heavy Whipping Cream, and 64-ounce Wholesome Farms Chocolate Ice Cream Mix
10/30/2009
US Food & Drug Administration
press release
www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm188578.htm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Murray, KY - October 30, 2009 – Morningstar Foods is voluntarily recalling 32-ounce Great Value Half & Half, UPC 6 05388 187 16 1, item code 1871600, plant code 21-031; 32-ounce Great Value 36% Heavy Whipping Cream, UPC 6 05388 187 18 5, item code 1871800, plant code 21-031; 32-ounce Kroger brand 36% Heavy Whipping Cream, UPC 0 11110 438 28 7, item code 4382900, plant code 21-031; and 64-ounce Wholesome Farms Chocolate Ice Cream Mix, UPC 0 74865 57 983 4 (if purchased in a multi-pack, the UPC code is 1 00 74865 57983 1), item code 5798300, plant code 21-031 because these products may contain soy protein. The individual cartons are printed with a “use by” date of December 16, 2009 for the Great Value items; December 16 and 17, 2009 for the Kroger item; and January 7, 2010 for the Wholesome Farms item. Consumers can find the expiration date and the plant code on the top of the gable top package. The UPC code will either be located on the back or the side panel of the gable top carton. No other Great Value, Kroger or Wholesome Farms products are involved in this recall.
People who have a known allergy to soy protein may have a reaction to these products. Common symptoms of an allergic reaction include hives, swelling, shortness of breath, wheezing, vomiting and stomach or intestinal upset. If a consumer experiences any of the above symptoms, they should see their healthcare professional immediately. If left untreated, severe allergic reaction can be fatal. No reactions have been reported. The problem was discovered when consumers reported off-taste in some of these products.
The affected product was distributed to retail outlets in the following states: Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Morningstar Foods’ sales team is working with distributors to actively recover any affected product remaining on store shelves.
For the complete recall notice, please go to http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm188578.htm
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Where will chicken wings fly next?
10/30/2009
Meatingplace.com
Michael Formichella
www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/blog/BlogDetail.aspx?topicID=4957&BlogID=20
(The views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly those of the author.)
While visiting Atlanta last week I had the pleasure of enjoying some excellent BBQ.
What moved me to write this piece was an article I read days before about Americans' obsession with chicken wings. The article talked about a growing craze for different flavored wings that are commanding hefty prices for such small morsels.
These prices are being driven by supply and demand due to the steady incline of wing consumption. These finger-licking treats have out paced and out priced one of the most popular items across American restaurant boards - boneless breast of chicken. I do find this extremely odd. We are faced with some financially challenging times. Aren't people trying to get more bang for their buck? Should these small plates command such high prices?
For the complete blog post, please go to http://www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/blog/BlogDetail.aspx?topicID=4957&BlogID=20
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Consumers most concerned with what’s *not* in food: report
10/30/2009
The Meatingplace.com
Ann Bagel Storck
www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/webNews/details.aspx?item=14236
Assurances about what a food does not contain, such as antibiotics, are among the most meaningful product claims to consumers, according to a new research report by marketing communications firm Context Marketing.
When asked to evaluate a range of food quality claims commonly found on food packaging or at point-of-sale, consumers reported that the claims they found most meaningful have to do with the things they do not want to see in the their food such as pesticides, antibiotics, mercury and artificial hormones. Claims such as "organic," "free-range" and "grass fed" were considered less important by survey respondents. The research did not include nutritional claims.
While respondents confirmed that low price influences most food purchases, 60 percent said they would pay as much as 10 percent more for food they believe to be healthier, safer or produced to higher ethical standards, and 14 percent reported they would pay a premium greater than 10 percent.
For the complete news item, please go to http://www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/webNews/details.aspx?item=14236
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Food is an increasingly divisive political football: Rowe
10/29/2009
The Meatingplace.com
Lisa M. Keefe
www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/webNews/details.aspx?item=14229
Consumers still maintain their emotional ties to food and still eat for pleasure, but the topic is becoming increasingly political, and processors need to treat it as such, says communications strategy consulting Sylvia Rowe, president of SR Strategy in Washington, D.C., and formerly president of the International Food Information Council.
Activists are becoming mainstream players in the dialogue, and "Michael Pollan is the major force framing the debate," Rowe said in her presentation, "The Global Consumer," at the Worldwide Food Expo on Wednesday.
Food as a political issue is a new development, Rowe said, but one that is fast becoming a daily obstacle for processors, and an international one. Some of the new trends in dining, such as low-sodium formulations and the move toward eliminating the use of artificial food coloring, began in the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, issues such as obesity are global in scope.
For the complete news item, please go to http://www.meatingplace.com/MembersOnly/webNews/details.aspx?item=14229
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Food safety news is compiled from a number of sources and is provided only
for informational purposes. Many of the news stories have been compiled,
selected, and edited by the Food
Safety Network at the University of Guelph with permission. News stories
from other sources are added as appropriate. Accuracy and completeness cannot
be guaranteed by Iowa State University. Headlines are sometimes rewritten
for clarity or to fit space. Original sources are indicated whenever possible
and full stories may not be posted to honor the original author copyright.
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