Jerry Hayes Meats Inc., a Newark Valley, N.Y., establishment is recalling approximately 490 pounds of a beef carcass that may not have had the spinal column removed, which is not compliant with regulations that require the removal of spinal cord and vertebral column from cattle over 30 months of age, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

Spinal cord and vertebral column are considered a specified risk material (SRM) and must be removed from cattle over 30 months of age in accordance with FSIS regulations. SRMs are tissues that are known to contain the infective agent in cattle infected with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), as well as materials that are closely associated with these potentially infective tissues. Therefore, FSIS prohibits SRMs from use as human food to minimize potential human exposure to the BSE agent.
products subject to recall include: 1- “BEEF CARCASS,” which bears the establishment number “EST. 04488 M” inside the USDA mark of inspection.  The product was packed on January 7, 2010, and sold to a single customer in New York.

The problem was discovered through routine FSIS inspection activities. FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers (including restaurants) of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.

This is not the first time Jerry Hayes Meats, Inc. (Jerry Hayes Meats) has violated USDA regulations. The USDA has previously cited Jerry Hayes Meats for improper bond and accounting practices. According to a decision and order finalized February 26, 2004, Jerry Hayes Meats violated several sections of the Packers and Stockyard Act (7 U.S.C. 181 et seq.). The company, a livestock slaughterer and packer, acquiesced in a consent decree issued on April 19, 1995. In addition to a $10,500 fine, they were ordered to properly maintain a bond, no longer issue NSF checks, make adequate and timely payments for livestock purchases, and retain appropriate records in accordance with their business practices.  When the surety bond ended on January 14, 2001, the company continued operations in violation of the Act and issued 19 additional NSF checks. Goods purchased were not paid for in a timely manner, and act compliant business records were not produced. A complaint was filed on December 23, 2003 citing failure to acquiesce with the consent decree. The company failed to file a timely answer. In a final order, the company was fined an additional $17,000 and ordered to terminate noncompliant operations. (See 63 Agric. Dec. 337).

Hines Nut Company has initiated a recall of 270 packages of Pine Nuts, packaged under the brand name Harris Teeter Farmers Market. The Pine Nuts were purchased from Red River Foods in Camarillo, CA, and have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious foodborne illness and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

The recalled product was sold in 8 oz foam trays wrapped in cellophane and carry the UPC code 0 72036 88121 0. The Pine Nuts were distributed solely to Harris Teeter Markets in North Carolina and consumers who purchased this product would have done so between December 30, 2009, and January 14, 2010.

The problem was discovered through routine sampling by the supplier, Red River Foods.

Nestlé’s ready-to-bake Toll Hose cookies recently tested positive for E. coli bacteria.  They’ve assured the public that the E. coli product was not shipped and that the current supply of Toll House ready-to-bake cookie dough that is currently on store shelves is safe.  Apparently, the factory where the cookie dough is made in Danville, VA will be closed for two weeks to allow the company to change the recipe and investigate possible sources of the E. coli contamination.

Recently, when a cluster of E. coli  O157:H7 victims shared  handling or ingesting raw Nestlé  Toll House cookie dough, Nestlé  recalled their product but were not initially sure that their product was responsible for the outbreak of E. coli  O157:H7. When tests confirmed that their cookie dough was contaminated with more than two types of E. coli, Nestlé was surprised that their product could contain fecal bacteria.  After the plant was investigated and sanitized, Nestlé began the manufacture of ‘new batch’ Toll House dough, assuring the public of its safety.  Now the same plant is dealing with the same problem.

I discussed my suspicions about the safety of the ‘new batch’ of Nestlé cookie dough products in previous blogs.  I represent several victims affected by the first Nestlé cookie recall and I know firsthand how a product contaminated with E. coli can change a person’s life in a matter of weeks with severe foodborne illness complications like hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).  Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a vicious blood disease with a penchant for killing the kidneys of children and the elderly.

A full investigation was launched into possible sources of the E. coli contamination regarding the recalled product.  Water sources, the flour and even sabotage were all considered, but testing and foodborne illness investigators could turn up nothing. This is not surprising since bacteria are not always present continuously and ‘blooms’ can occur sporadically. Tests are not always accurate and sometimes the sample selected for testing isn’t contaminated but could nevertheless belong to a contaminated lot of product.

Nestlé announced that they are going to heat their flour to pasteurize the product from all foodborne pathogens, not just E. coli. That is a welcomed move.  But, if the flour is the contamination culprit, and not the source of the E. coli, what are they going to do to protect consumers from the potential foodborne illnesses?

Nestlé simply reiterating that cookie dough should not be consumed raw is not an effective warning nor an effective method of preventing E. coli from infecting you and your family. Scientists believe that as little as ten bacteria are needed to cause E. coli poisoning; just handling the contaminated food in your kitchen opens up real threats for cross-contamination. The only way to assure the consumer’s food is safe is to manufacture and sell foods that are free of bacterial pathogens.

In consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. is voluntarily recalling certain lots of OTC products in the Americas, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Fiji (LINK TO FULL RECALLED PRODUCT LIST BELOW).   This includes such brands as Tylenol®, Benadryl®, Rolaids®, Children’s Motrin®, Children’s Tylenol®, and St. Joseph Asprin®.  The company is initiating this recall following an investigation of consumer reports of an unusual moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor that, in a small number of cases, was associated with temporary and non-serious gastrointestinal events. These include nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, or diarrhea. This precautionary action is voluntary and has been taken in consultation with the FDA.

Based on this investigation, McNeil Consumer Healthcare has determined that the reported uncharacteristic smell is caused by the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA). This can result from the breakdown of a chemical that is sometimes applied to wood that is used to build wood pallets that transport and store product packaging materials. The health effects of this chemical have not been well studied but no serious events have been documented in the medical literature. A small number of the product lots being recalled were associated with the complaints of an unusual moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor, and some of these lots were found to contain trace amounts of TBA. In December 2009, McNeil Consumer Healthcare also recalled all lots of TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain 100 count with EZ-OPEN CAP related to this issue. McNeil Consumer Healthcare has now applied broader criteria to identify and remove all product lots that it believes may have the potential to be affected, even if they have not been the subject of consumer complaints.

In addition to the product recall, McNeil Consumer Healthcare is continuing their investigation into this issue and is taking further actions that include ceasing shipment of products produced using materials shipped on these wood pallets and requiring suppliers who ship materials to our plants to discontinue the use of these pallets. We will continue to closely monitor and evaluate the situation and consult with the FDA.

Consumers who purchased product from the lots included in this recall should stop using the product. Consumers who have medical concerns or questions should contact their healthcare provider. Any adverse reactions may also be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Program by fax at 1-800-FDA-0178, by mail at MedWatch, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787, or on the MedWatch website at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

The affected product lot numbers for the recalled products can be found on the side of the bottle label.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc. markets a broad range of well-known and trusted over-the-counter (OTC) products.

FULL RECALLED PRODUCT LIST (PDF – 179.38 KB)

Recently, Nestlé USA announced that two samples of its Toll House Cookie Dough produced at its Danville, VA plant tested positive for E. coli. This happened just months after Nestlé had to recall its ready-to-bake Toll House Cookie products after a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses were linked to the victims handling Nestlé’s raw cookie dough. According to Nestlé, none of the product that tested E. coli O157:H7 positive was shipped from the Virginia plant, so Nestlé is not going to issue a recall of its Toll House Cookie Dough.

Nestlé claims that the company now performs pathogen tests on every batch of cookie dough before it leaves its manufacturer. So a company spokesperson assured the public that the product currently on store shelves is safe to consume and unrelated to the E. coli contaminated batch.

Because of this E. coli positive test, Nestlé is going to shut down its Danville, VA facility for two weeks to change its cookie dough recipe and to allow FDA investigators to once again try to determine the source of the E. coli. Similar investigations last year were unable to find the source of the E. coli O157:H7 that had sickened over 70 victims in 30 states last summer.

The E. coli positive batches were manufactured someday between January 3^rd and 9^th but the positive tests were not reported to the FDA until January 11^th. The E. coli positive batches have been destroyed and Nestlé is now going to heat the flour it uses in its dough in order to pasteurize the ingredient from all foodborne pathogens including Salmonella and Listeria.

Nestlé reiterated its warning against eating their cookie dough raw and stated that there might be shortages of Toll House Cookies while the company replenishes its supply.

I am more than a little concerned about this latest news. E. coli is a food contaminate that is found naturally in feces; which means that feces is somehow getting into Nestlé’s cookie dough. It may be the flour and pasteurization will kill the pathogens in the flour, but flour may not be the contamination source. It might be any number of other sources. One of the problems foodborne illness investigators often run into is that testing doesn’t always find the source. Bacteria can be elusive and bacterial contamination may not be present at all times or may not occur throughout an environment.

E. coli O157:H7 and other strains that belong to the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, or STEC, are of particular concern for consumers. Miniscule amounts of these bacteria (as little as ten) can cause severe foodborne illness and lead to the dangerous foodborne illness complication hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) occurs when the Shiga toxins produced by E. coli cause the blood to improperly clot and subsequently this leads organ failure. It is usually the kidneys that are first affected. Treatment for hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) can be difficult and it can be very painful; long term damage to the body is not uncommon, even in the least severe cases, and about one in ten victims of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) loses their life battling this vicious disease.

I currently represent people who were poisoned in the first Nestle’s Toll House outbreak and I can assure you that the illnesses caused by E. coli O157:H7 are quite devastating. E. coli O157:H7 isn’t just ordinary ‘food poisoning’ but an illness that can hold life in the balance and hold families hostage as they watch loved ones battle for their life.

Yesterday, the FDA named Michael R. Taylor as the new Deputy Commissioner for Foods. This is a newly created position within the brand new “Office of Foods”.  Mr. Taylor will be responsible for overseeing the FDA’s various food and nutrition programs.

No doubt qualified for this position, Taylor is a nationally recognized food safety expert, author, lawyer and professor who has held various positions within the FDA and the USDA’s FSIS throughout his career.   With his help, the FDA’s Office of Foods was created in August with the hope of centralizing and improving our current food safety system.

Despite hundreds of outbreaks and scores of recalls that each year sickens 70 million Americans, the responsibility of the country’s food safety has been divided amongst 13 underfunded, overworked and sometimes feuding governmental agencies.  Taylor is charged with sorting it all out and better organizing the nation’s food safety system by implementing prevention based strategies for food safety, planning the implementation of new food safety legislation, and ensuring that food labels contain clear and accurate information on nutrition.   Not an easy task.  I hope he’s up to the challenge, as our country desperately needs real, actual and meaningful analysis and improvement on our current food safety system.

It seems now more than ever we are hearing news reports of potentially deadly foodborne pathogens popping up in the food supply, like E. coli in spinach and cookie dough, salmonella in peanut butter, campylobacter in chicken and listeria in everything from deli meats and cheese to ready-to-eat products.  The FDA and other government agencies need to be more proactive in the war on foodborne illness, and it is good to see the FDA has created the Office of Foods and named  Taylor as its new Deputy Commissioner…. hopefully this is a step in the right direction.

The responsibility of food safety needs to be placed squarely on our regulatory agencies and the manufacturers of our food. 

I am eager and hopeful to see our new Deputy Commissioner rise to the task and finally give our nation’s food supply the safety overhaul it so desperately needs.

 Nurture, Inc., is voluntarily recalling selected varieties and date codes of HAPPYTOT Stage 4 and HAPPYBABY Stage 1 and Stage 2 pouch meals with date codes expiring between November 2010 and January 2011. These products are being recalled due to a packaging defect that potentially could cause the pouches to swell or leak. Swollen or leaking pouches could indicate that the products may contain bacteria that could potentially cause foodborne illness.

The products were sold at less than 300 retail locations nationwide.

Potentially affected varieties include:

Green bean, pear & peas, NET WT. 4.22 OZ. (120g), UPC 8 52697 00127 9;
Sweet potato, carrot, apple & cinnamon, NET WT. 4.22 OZ. (120g), UPC 8 52697 00128 6;
Spinach, mango & pear, NET WT. 4.22 OZ. (120g), UPC 8 52697 00129 3;
Butternut squash & apple, NET WT. 4.22 OZ. (120g), UPC 8 52697 00130 9;
Banana, peach, coconut & prunes, NET WT. 4.22 OZ. (120g), UPC 8 52697 00131 6;
Banana, peach & mango, NET WT. 4.22 OZ. (120g), UPC 8 52697 00132 3
Mango, NET WT. 3.5 OZ. (99g), UPC 8 52697 00134 7
Spinach Mango Pear, NET WT. 3.5 OZ. (99g), UPC 8 52697 00139 2
Apricot Sweet Potato, NET WT. 3.5 OZ. (99g), UPC 8 52697 00136 1

The above meals are packaged in plastic pouches with plastic caps.

To determine if a specific product is part of this voluntary recall, consumers should examine product packaging for expiration date codes between November 2010 and January 2011. These dates are printed as the first seven characters of a 15-character string.

Less than half of one percent of the products sold to date is affected by this packaging defect; no other products sold by the company are affected. As standard practice for Nurture, all products sold are sent to a laboratory for food safety testing prior to market release and no harmful bacteria have been detected in damaged packages to date.

One consumer complaint was received regarding swollen and leaking pouches. The company has worked quickly with the manufacturer to identify the cause of the malfunction and the issue has been resolved.

“We are committed to ensuring our organic foods are not only delicious, convenient, and as healthy as possible, but also delivered in the highest quality, dependable package for our youngest consumers,” says Shazi Visram, Nurture, Inc.’s Founder and CEO. “As a mother-to-be expecting my first child to arrive any day now, I know firsthand how critical it is for parents to have complete confidence in the foods they serve their children. We stand behind our mission to provide only the very best, which is why we have taken the measure to voluntarily recall these products.”

Nurture has worked with the contract manufacturer and the US Food and Drug Administration to resolve the matter.

 Parkers Farm, Inc. of Coon Rapids, Minnesota is recalling products because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infection in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The recalled products were distributed nationwide in the following retail stores: Hy-Vee, CUB, Rainbow, Byerlys Lunds, Target, Whole Foods, Jewel, Dominicks, Marsh, Price Chopper, Shop rite, Nash Finch, Sam’s Club, Costco, Safeway.

The following recalled products were sold under the Parkers Farm or Parkers label:

~~~16 ounce peanut butter in square plastic containers (tub with snap on lid), varieties are creamy, crunchy, honey creamy and honey crunchy with sell by dates between 11/14/2010 and 12/31/2010**.

~~~34 ounce peanut butter in round plastic containers (tub with snap on lid), varieties are creamy and crunchy with sell by dates between 8/11/2010 and 9/30/2010**.

~~~7 ounce bagel spreads in white plastic containers (tub with snap on lid), varieties are garden veggie, wild berry, strawberry, apple cinnamon and honey walnut) with sell by dates between 5/13/2010 and 6/30/2010**.

~~~14 ounce dips & spreads in square plastic containers (tub with snap on lid), varieties are jalapeño nacho, pimento and salsa con queso with sell by dates between 8/11/2010 and 9/30/2010**.

~~~8 ounce, 12 ounce and 16 ounce cold pack cheese in round or square plastic containers (tub with snap on lid), varieties are sharp cheddar, bacon, onion, smoked cheddar, swiss almond, horseradish, garlic, port wine, and swiss & cheddar with sell by dates between 11/14/2010 and 12/31/2010**.

~~~16 ounce salsa in square plastic containers (tub with snap on lid), varieties are hot, mild, garlic, black bean and fire roasted with sell by dates between 3/14/2010 and 4/30/2010**.

Other labels affected by this recall:

~~~16 ounce Happy Farms Cold Pack Cheese in round plastic containers (tub with snap on lid), varieties are sharp cheddar, port wine and swiss almond with sell by dates between 11/24/2010 and 12/10/2010**.

~~~8 ounce Kroger Cold Pack Cheese in round plastic containers (tub with snap on lid), varieties are sharp cheddar, port wine and swiss almond with sell by dates between 11/18/2010 thru 12/15/2010**

~~~8 ounce Central Markets Cold Pack Cheese in round plastic containers (tub with snap on lid), varieties are sharp cheddar, port win and swiss almond, horseradish with sell by dates of 12/9/2010**

~~~14 oz. Central Markets Salsa Con Queso in round plastic containers (tub with snap on lid) with sell by dates of 8/16/2010**.

~~~16 oz. Central Markets Salsa in round plastic containers (tub with snap on lid), varieties are sharp cheddar, port wine, swiss almond, horseradish with sell by dates of 3/17/2010 thru 3/24/2010**.

~~~8 oz. Dutch Farms Cold Pack Cheese in round plastic containers (tub with snap on lid), varieties are sharp cheddar, port wine, swiss almond, horseradish, and swiss & cheddar with sell by dates of 11/16/2010 thru 11/18/2010**.

**NOTE: Sell by dates are clearly printed on container ½ inch from top

Example: Sell By 10/21/10
07:56

The recall was a result of a sampling done by the state of Wisconsin and the state of Minnesota which revealed that some finished products contained the foodborne bacteria. FDA and the company continue their investigation as to what caused the problem.

HP Hood is recalling select Heluva Good branded 8 oz. plastic cup containers of Cold Pack Cheese Food because they may contain Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness and nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Recalled products include:

8 oz. plastic cup containers of Heluva Good Port Wine Cold Pack Cheese Food
UPC 73570 55503
Sell by date between 11/15/2010 through 12/15/2010

8 oz. plastic cup containers of Heluva Good Sharp Cheddar Cold Pack Cheese Food
UPC 73570 55501
Sell by date between 11/15/2010 through 12/15/2010

The recalled products were distributed in stores in the following states: New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and Rhode Island.

The recall is being done as a precaution and is the result of a sampling done by the state of Wisconsin (from the facility that co-packs products under the Heluva Good brand) which revealed that some finished products contained the foodborne bacteria.

Adams Farm Slaughterhouse, LLC., an Athol, Mass., establishment, is recalling approximately 2,574 pounds of 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.

This recall was initiated after the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) confirmed a positive ground beef sample for E. coli O157:H7, which it collected during an epidemiological investigation. Working in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), FSIS determined that there is an association between the ground beef products and an illness in the state of Massachusetts. FSIS is continuing to work with the MDPH on the investigation. Anyone with signs or symptoms of foodborne illness should consult a physician.

The following products are subject to recall:
• 1,025-pounds of “Beef Cuts and Ground” packed for Mazzarese.
• 697-pounds of “Beef Cuts and Ground” packed for Side Hill Farm.
• 852-pounds of “Beef Cuts and Ground” packed for Sweet Water Farm.
Each package bears a label with the establishment number “EST. 5497″ inside the USDA mark of inspection as well as the packaging date of “11/11/2009.” The beef products were distributed to private owners on three separate farms in the state of Massachusetts.

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).  The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact a physician.