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Rockline Industries announced that it has initiated a voluntary nationwide product withdrawal to the retail level of certain lots of its store brand wet wipes. The voluntary withdrawal is a result of routine product testing that detected the presence of a micro-organism known as Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia).

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), B. cepacia is a bacteria that can be found in soil and water. The CDC says “B. cepacia poses little medical risk to healthy people. However, people who have certain health problems like weakened immune systems or chronic lung diseases, particularly cystic fibrosis (CF), may be more susceptible to infections with B. cepacia. B. cepacia is a known cause of infections in hospitalized patients.” Further information on B. cepacia can be found on the CDC website at: (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/id_BcepaciaFS.html).

“The well being of those who use our products is our top priority,” said Alan Perlman, Rockline spokesman. “We are voluntarily removing this product from stores to maintain the highest possible standards of quality for our retail customers and their consumers. While the probability of a health risk is remote, we want to take every precaution. Consumers will receive a full refund or replacement.”

There have been no reports of illness related to this incident, according to Perlman. Only a small portion of the company’s wet wipes products are affected. Those products that are affected will likely have a bad odor described as sour milk.

The company encourages consumers who have purchased wet wipes between Aug. 21 and Nov. 17, 2006 to check the lot code of the product. The lot code, which is not the same as a bar code, is typically found on the back label or side panel of the package and includes the word “Lot” followed by a series of numbers. Affected products have lot codes with the first 5 digits beginning at 06233 and ending at 06253. These numbers will be followed by either 0220197 or 0220693. No other lot codes or products are affected. Perlman recommended discontinuing use of the product and returning the package to the place of purchase for a full refund or replacement.

Posted under Recalls

Update

To date, 175 cases of illness due to E. coli O157:H7 infection have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including 28 cases of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), 93 hospitalizations and one death.

FDA is working closely with CDC and the state of California. FDA has determined that the spinach implicated in the outbreak was grown in three counties: Monterey, San Benito and Santa Clara in California. Spinach grown in the rest of the United States has not been implicated in the current E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. The public can be confident that spinach grown in the non-implicated areas can be consumed.

Consumers are advised not to purchase or consume fresh spinach if they cannot verify that it was grown in areas other than the three California counties implicated in the outbreak.

Other produce grown in these counties is not implicated in this outbreak. Processed spinach (e.g., frozen and canned spinach) is also not implicated in this outbreak.

Industry is working to get spinach from areas not implicated in the current E. coli O157:H7 outbreak back on the market.

Investigators from FDA, CDC and the state of California are working to narrow the area implicated in the current E. coli O157:H7 outbreak even further.

States Affected

The 25 affected states are: Arizona (7), California (1), Colorado (1), Connecticut (3) Idaho (4), Illinois (1), Indiana (9), Kentucky (8), Maine (3), Maryland (3), Michigan (4), Minnesota (2), Nebraska (9), Nevada (1), New Mexico (5), New York (11), Ohio (20), Oregon (6), Pennsylvania (8), Tennessee (1), Utah (18), Virginia (2), Washington (3), Wisconsin (44), and Wyoming (1).

Laboratory Findings

The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) and the Salt Lake Valley Health Department (SLVHD) have confirmed that E. coli O157:H7, the same strain as that associated with the outbreak, has been found in a bag of Dole baby spinach purchased in Utah with a use by date of August 30, 2006. Laboratory tests were conducted by the Utah Public Health Laboratory (UPHL).

The New Mexico Department of Health announced on September 20, 2006, that it had linked a sample from a package of spinach with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7. The spinach was eaten by one of New Mexico’s patients before becoming sick. DNA fingerprinting tests determined that the strain from the spinach matches the strain from patients in the outbreak. The package of spinach that tested positive was “Dole Baby Spinach, Best if Used by August 30.”

Five (5) Recalls

On September 22, 2006, Pacific Coast Fruit Company of Portland, Oregon initiated a voluntary recall of products that may include spinach supplied by Natural Selections Foods. Pacific Coast Fruit Company stopped making all products with spinach supplied from California on September 14, 2006. The recalled products are:

Baby Spring Mix Salad Kit (4.6 lbs), Chef on the Run- Bacon Spinach Salad (9 oz. plus 2 fl. oz. dressing), Chef on the Run - Spring Greens Salad (5 oz. plus 2 fl. oz. dressing), Chef on the Run - Willamette Valley Salad (10 oz. plus 2 fl. oz. dressing),Trader Joe’s - Baby Spinach and Greens with Bleu Cheese, Candied Pecans and Cranberries with Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing (10 oz.), Trader Joe’s - Baby Greens and Spinach Salad with Wild Maine Blueberry Dressing (10 oz.), Mediterranean Veggie Blend Kit - 15 lbs, and My Brothers Pizza Spinach and Garlic - 15 oz. and 36 oz.

Most of the salad products can be identified by the labels Trader Joe’s, My Brothers Pizza or Chef on the Run and are in clam shell containers. Pizza products are in round cardboard bottoms with a plastic over wrap. All salad products will have a “USE BY DATE” on or before Sept 20, 2006. Pizza products will have a “USE BY DATE” on or before September 23, 2006.

The products were distributed through various retail outlets in Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. There is no international distribution.

On September 22, 2006,Triple B Corporation, doing business as S.T. Produce, of Seattle, Washington, initiated a voluntary recall of its fresh spinach salad products with a “Use By” date of 8/22/2006 thru 9/20/2006. Spinach used in these products may have been supplied from Natural Selections Foods of California. The recalled products were distributed in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana to retail stores and delis and sold in a hard plastic clamshell container.

The products recalled by S.T. Produce are: NWG Spinach Salad (5 oz.),Spinach Salad, QFC (5 oz.), Charlie’s Spinach Salad (5 oz.), Charlie’s Tabouli & Goat Cheese Salad (10 oz.), NWG Tabouli & Goat Cheese Salad (10 oz.),Tabouli & Goat Cheese Salad, QFC (10 oz.), T/H Spring Mix Salad (5.5 oz.), T/H Mozzarella Spring Mix Salad (5.5 oz.), T/H Baby Spinach Salad (5.5 oz.), Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad w/ Grilled Chicken Breast (6.5 oz.), Larry’s Market Tabouli & Goat Cheese Salad (10 oz.), Charlie’s Seasonal Greens Salad (2.5 oz.), Charlie’s Seasonal Greens Salad (4 oz.), Charlie’s Baby Spinach Salad (6 oz.), Charlie’s Baby Spinach Salad (5 oz.) and Caesar Bowtie Noodle Salad Kit with Grilled Chicken Breast (6.9 lbs).

On September 19, 2006, RLB Food Distributors, L.P., West Caldwell, NJ, initiated a voluntary recall of certain salad products that may contain spinach with an ‘Enjoy Thru’ date of 9/20/06. See: http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/rlb09_06.html. The products recalled by RLB are: Balducci’s Mesclun Mix 5 oz., Balducci’s Organic Baby Spinach 5 oz., Balducci’s Mixed Greens 5 oz., FreshPro Mesclun Mix 5 oz., FreshPro Organic Baby Spinach 5 oz., FreshPro Mixed Greens 5 oz., FreshPro Salad Mix with Italian Dressing 4.75 oz., and FreshPro Salad Mix with Ranch Dressing 5.25 oz.

On September 17, 2006, River Ranch, of Salinas, California, announced a voluntary recall of packages of spring mix containing spinach. River Ranch obtained bulk spring mix containing spinach from Natural Selections. The following brands are involved: Fresh N’ Easy Spring Mix and Hy-Vee Spring mix containing baby spinach, distributed to retailers in Texas, Iowa, New Mexico, Georgia and Ohio. Product was packed in 5 oz. bags and 5 oz. plastic trays. Products that do not contain spinach are not part of this recall.

On September 15, 2006, Natural Selection Foods, LLC, of San Juan Bautista, California, announced a voluntary recall of all products containing spinach in all brands they pack with “Best if Used by Dates” of August 17, 2006 through October 1, 2006. These products include spinach and any salad with spinach in a blend, both retail and food service products. Products that do not contain spinach are not part of this recall.

Natural Selection Foods, LLC brands include: Natural Selection Foods, Pride of San Juan, Earthbound Farm, Bellissima, Dole, Rave Spinach, Emeril, Sysco, O Organic, Fresh Point, River Ranch, Superior, Nature’s Basket, Pro-Mark, Compliments, Trader Joe’s, Ready Pac, Jansal Valley, Cheney Brothers, D’Arrigo Brothers, Green Harvest, Mann, Mills Family Farm, Premium Fresh, Snoboy, The Farmer’s Market, Tanimura & Antle, President’s Choice, Cross Valley, and Riverside Farms.

The affected products were also distributed to Canada, Mexico, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Iceland. No illnesses have been reported from these countries. FDA continues to investigate whether other companies and brands are involved.

Symptoms of E. coli O157:H7 Illness

E. coli O157:H7 causes diarrhea, often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called HUS. HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

Lettuce Safety Initiative

The FDA developed the Lettuce Safety Initiative www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/lettsafe.html in response to recurring outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7 in lettuce. As a result of this outbreak, the initiative has been expanded to cover spinach. The primary goals of the initiative are to reduce public health risks by focusing on the product, agents and areas of greatest concern and to alert consumers early and respond rapidly in the event of an outbreak. This initiative is based on the 2004 Produce Safety Action Plan, intended to minimize the incidence of food borne illness associated with the consumption of fresh produce.

FDA continues to work closely with the CDC and state and local agencies to determine the cause and scope of the E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak in spinach. Please check www.fda.gov for updates.

Posted under Health

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers of the vital importance of keeping carrot juice—including pasteurized carrot juice—refrigerated. There are three cases of botulism in the state of Georgia associated with pasteurized carrot juice that may have been due to the product not being properly refrigerated.

FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and health authorities in Georgia have been closely monitoring and continue to investigate these three cases of foodborne botulism.

On September 15, 2006, Georgia health authorities issued a press statement, which in part stated the following: “…At this time we believe that these three cases are an isolated incident…. During the investigation, other community members have been identified as having purchased and consumed the same product from the same vendor within the past three weeks. These persons have not become ill or developed any symptoms. The fact that additional cases have not been identified suggests that the toxin was not present before the sale of the product…”

“Because botulism is such a potentially serious illness, we want to remind consumers that it is critical to refrigerate carrot juice for safety. Consumers should not keep carrot juice unrefrigerated,” said Dr. Robert Brackett, Director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). Inadequate refrigeration of carrot juice allows botulinum spores to multiply to the level at which they can cause illness.

Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by botulinum toxin, a nerve poison that under certain conditions is produced by Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium commonly found in soil. Botulism can be fatal and is considered a medical emergency. Foodborne botulism is not common in the United States; an average of 24 cases are reported each year. Botulinum poisoning can result in the following symptoms: double-vision, droopy eyelids and altered voice or trouble with speaking or swallowing, and paralysis on both sides of the body that progresses from the neck down, possibly followed by difficulty in breathing. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

Adequate refrigeration is one of the keys to food safety. Cold temperatures keep most harmful pathogens from growing and multiplying. Refrigerator temperatures should be no higher than 40°F and freezers no higher then 0°F. Consumers should check the temperatures occasionally with an appliance thermometer.

Consumers should look for the words “Keep Refrigerated” or “Refrigerate After Opening” on juice labels to know whether the product should be refrigerated. FDA is looking into whether the industry is providing clear labeling on refrigeration of juice products during storage.

Guidance on labeling of foods that need refrigeration by consumers, particularly for safety, is available at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fr970224.html.

Consumers with questions about juice safety also may call 1-800-SAFEFOOD.

Posted under Health

A study released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that millions of children do not receive the vision evaluations recommended by top medical organizations, placing them at greater risk for permanent vision loss, as well as physical and emotional difficulties.

The study, published as the lead article in the May 6 edition of CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, finds that only one in three children received a vision screening or eye exam before entering kindergarten. Yet, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, all children should receive a vision screening before entering school; the American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends either a vision screening or an eye exam in the preschool years.

“What’s startling is that despite our medical guidelines, only a small number of children are actually receiving the preventative, primary care they need to ensure healthy vision,” said ophthalmologist Elaine Hathaway, M.D. “This report should be a wake-up call to both primary care providers and eyecare professionals; we must do better.”

A vision screening is a test administered by a pediatrician, family practitioner, school nurse or lay person which detects visual acuity problems. An eye exam is more comprehensive than a vision screening and measures a number of visual skills that are critical to a child’s healthy vision, such as using both eyes as a team, the ability for the eyes to focus properly when reading a book or viewing a computer, and the ability for the eyes to move properly when reading across a page of print.

The report states that approximately 1.8 million children under the age of 18 (2.5 percent) are blind or have some form of visual impairment. According to Hathaway, many cases of visual impairment could be eliminated simply through more timely diagnosis and treatment.

“Amblyopia is the leading cause of vision loss in young Americans,” she stated, “but vision loss can be avoided with early detection and treatment. If we’re serious about preventing vision loss, we need to make sure that children receive the necessary preventative vision care.”

Undetected and untreated vision problems can also have an impact on a child’s physical and emotional development. According to the report, “visual cues are important to how a child learns to understand and function in the world. Impaired vision can affect a child’s cognitive, emotional, neurologic and physical development by potentially limiting the range of experiences and kinds of information to which the child is exposed.”

Aside from taking their child to the eye doctor for an eye exam, there are some warning signs that can alert parents to a potential vision problem. Look for these five telltale signs of poor vision in your child:

1. Squinting, closing or covering one eye; excessive blinking or rubbing of the eyes
2. Dislike and/or avoidance of close work; short attention span; frequent daydreaming
3. Placing the head close to a book when reading; losing place while reading
4. Complaints of headaches, nausea and dizziness; excessive clumsiness
5. Turning or tilting the head to one side

“If parents notice any warning signs, they should take their child to an eye doctor for an eye exam,” said Hathaway. “Being proactive is the best way to make sure your child has healthy vision and is able to develop up to his or her potential.”

Posted under Health