The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that up to 23 people in 14 different states suffering from salmonella may have been exposed through Malt-O-Meal cereal.
The company recalled the products earlier this month, and federal officials are encouraging consumers to throw away certain packages of Malt-O-Meal's Puffed Rice and Puffed Wheat cereals.
Malt-O-Meal also produces cereal under supermarket and generic names, including Acme, America's Choice, Food Club, Giant, Hannaford, Jewel, Laura Lynn, Pathmark, Shaw's, ShopRite, Tops and Weis Quality.
Consumers can identify potentially affected food by codes used on the packaging. The cereals have "Best If Used By" dates from April 8, 2008 (coded as "APR0808") through March 18, 2009 (coded as "MAR1809").
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning this weekend that cantaloupe from Honduras may be linked to salmonella.
The Honduran company, Agropecuaria Montelibano, is reportedly linked to dozens of illnesses throughout the US. The FDA is specific on action: if you've recently bought cantaloupe, check with the retailer to see if they can identify the company supplying the fruit. If they can't, throw the fruit away.
Symptoms of foodborne Salmonella infection include nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. In persons with poor health or weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections. Individuals who have recently eaten cantaloupe and experienced any of these symptoms should contact their health care professional.
After the US Department of Agriculture's surprise beef recall in February, we wrote about Consumer Help Web's disapproval of the process. On February 18, we chastised the federal agency, pointing out that "consumers have no way of knowing if tainted beef is in their freezer."
To make matters worse, USDA officials have told a Congressional committee that they are not allowed to nor do they intend to disclose the names of food distributors who may have received tainted meat products from Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company.
This position did not sit well with Congressional leaders, especially after a USDA spokesperson referred to the information as "proprietary". We join our voice with Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), who candidly told USDA officials that information regarding safety hazards American consumers face are not "proprietary".
We understand the need for rules to help protect the interests of businesses and their employees (who are also consumers) when a company is under investigation. But three weeks after a so-called "recall", consumers still can't identify the products. We find that inexcusable.
Food giant Cargill has recalled one million pounds of ground beef that was shipped to 10 states, mostly in the East. The company says that the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported a positive reading for E. coli contamination in meat processed October 8. The company also says no illnesses have been linked to the meat, but after the painful lesson from Topps this fall, wasted no time in recalling the meat.
The affected states are in the East, but who knows how food can travel? Better to be safe than sorry. The link above lists the ground beef recalled by brand names. The meat was sold at multiple stores including Giant, Giant Eagle and Wegmans throughout the East.
Consumers with questions about the recall should call Cargill at 1-877-455-103
Just as we were set to warn consumers about a mid-sized food recall, Topps Meat Company today announced that their ground beef recall has affected millions of pounds of the food.
According to the company and federal government, more than 21 million pounds of ground beef are at risk for carrying a bad form of E. coli, a disease that impacts many but can cause death in children, the elderly or those with other health problems.
This ground beef already bears a U.S. Department of Agriculture brand. Do not eat this food.
The USDA division charged with monitoring this food said today that they are investigating more than two dozen illnesses in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The frozen meat was produced on various dates between Sept. 25, 2006, and Sept. 25, 2007. The food was throughout the NY area and then to states throughout the East and Midwest. Each package bears the establishment number “Est. 9748” inside the USDA mark of inspection as well as a sell-by date between “SEP 25 07” and “SEP 25 08.”
Brand names include Topps, West Side, Shop Rite and Roma among others.
Call toll-free to 888-734-0451 with questions about the recall.
Fresh veggies can't catch a break. Bagged salad mixes are back in the news after food giant Dole said that bagged salad green mixes available in the United States and Canada showed signs of E. coli contamination.
The company said that about 5,000 bags of its "Heart's Delight" salad mix was potentially at risk. The product was sold in 3 Canadian provinces and Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,and Tennessee. The Canadian government has cautioned its citizens about eating the potentially tainted food. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is in talks with the company to determine a course of action.
The "Hearts Delight" mix that is affected has a "best if used by" date of September 19. In a written statement, Dole asked consumers not to eat the product and reminded them that produce should not be eaten beyond the "best date"; in other words, tomorrow.
More information is available from Dole at toll-free at 800-356-3111.
Seafood lovers may find their choices more limited at the supermarket after the Food and Drug Administration said some fish imported from China could be harmful. The government agency said that farm-raised fish from China being sold in the United States contained anti-bacterial drugs not approved for use in this country.
The FDA singled out popular seafood like shrimp and catfish, as well as basa, dace and eel. The levels of drugs found in the fish were low, but the FDA issued an "Import Alert" that gives the agency the authority to stop import shipments and test them for the drugs. Food companies are able to apply for exemptions if they meet certain criteria.
Two government agencies responsible for consumer food safety in the United States have expanded the warnings issued last week about products manufactured at Castleberry Food Company.
"Do not take this issue lightly or ignore it if you don't own products with Castleberry on the label," said Consumer Help Web President Joan Bounacos. "The company also produces supermarket branded foods for huge chains like Kroger, Piggly Wiggly and Meijer."
The Food and Drug Administration reported that four people are hospitalized in serious condition after eating food traced back to the Augusta, Georgia subsidiary of privately-held Bumble Bee Foods.
Consumers should check the product lists at the links below and immediately dispose of any products they own by double-bagging the product in plastic and putting it in a non-recyclable trash container.
The FDA web information listing products, impact and disposal instructions and the USDA web information on meat products should be considered the authoritative source of information for this massive recall and healthy safety issue.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today confirmed that a strain of Salmonella Wandsworth bacteria found in Veggie Booty snack food is responsible for the disease outbreak that occurred between March and June 2007.
Veggie Booty is marketed by Robert’s American Gourmet, of Sea Cliff, N.Y.
FDA continues to advise consumers not to eat any Veggie Booty and to throw away product they have. FDA also advises consumers not to eat Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks, and to throw out any supplies they have, because this product also may be contaminated.
No illnesses have been associated with any other Robert's American Gourmet products.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified 60 children from 19 states who have become ill. Six children were hospitalized. There are no reported deaths. States reporting illnesses include: California (seven cases), Colorado (five), Connecticut (two), Georgia (one), Illinois (one), Indiana (one), Massachusetts (four), Minnesota (two), New Hampshire (two), New Jersey (two), New York (15), Oregon (one), Pennsylvania (four), Tennessee (one), Texas (two), Virginia (one), Vermont (three), Washington (four), and Wisconsin (two).
FDA, the States, and CDC are continuing the investigation. Preliminary testing suggests that the seasoning mix used in Veggie Booty may be the source of the contamination.
Veggie Booty is sold in a flexible plastic foil bag in four ounce, one ounce and one-half ounce packages. Some gift baskets available for purchase on the internet include Veggie Booty or Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks.
Robert’s American Gourmet ceased distributing Veggie Booty and began recalling the product on June 28. The company has also voluntarily recalled all lots and sizes of Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks snack food because the same potentially contaminated seasoning may have been used in making that product, too. In addition, the manufacturer of Veggie Booty and other products for Robert’s has ceased production until this investigation is complete.
The first shipments of irradiated Indian mangoes have arrived through U.S. ports-of-entry, initiating mango trade with the United States. Indian mangoes are the first fruit irradiated at an overseas site and approved for importation into the United States. Irradiation became an approved treatment on all pests for fruits and vegetables entering the United States in 2002. Last year, a generic dose was recognized for a wider range of commodities, including Indian mangoes. The use of irradiation provides an alternative to other pest control methods, such as fumigation, cold and heat treatments.
"This is a significant milestone that paves the way for the future use of irradiation technology to protect against the introduction of plant pests," said Secretary Mike Johanns. "India and the United States began talking about shipping mangoes 17 years ago. Irradiating Indian mangoes safeguards American agriculture while providing additional choices for U.S. consumers in today's global marketplace."
APHIS, the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, approved the importation of precleared, commercial shipments of fresh mangoes from India, provided certain conditions are met. To ensure that plant pests of quarantine significance do not enter the United States though the importation of this fruit, the mangoes must be treated with specified doses of irradiation prior to export at an APHIS-certified facility. Each shipment must also be accompanied by a certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of India with additional declarations certifying that the treatment and inspection of the mangoes was made in accordance with APHIS regulations. In addition, inspectors with the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection may further inspect precleared commodities at the port of first arrival.
