What’s in Your Kitchen? 6/18/2018 Week in Recalls

Posted in Food Allergens,Food Policy,Food Safety,Outbreaks & Recalls on June 21, 2018

MakeFoodSafe.com would like to help you keep your family safe from unsafe and recalled foods.  Each week we gather together a list of the current recalls.  Check back each week and evaluate your fridge, pantry, and shopping list to make sure you can identify which foods to avoid.

Venda Ravioli, Inc Recalls Meat Ravioli Products Due to Lack of Inspection

Venda Ravioli, Inc of Providence, Rhode Island issued a recall for about 672 pounds of frozen meat ravioli products on June 8, 2018 because they were produced without the benefit of inspection by the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS).

The product was produced and packaged on various dates between February 22, 2018 and June 7, 2018.  See chart below for the specific lot information.  The product can be identified as Meat Ravioli and Prosciutto & Provolone products that bear the USDA establishment number EST 9501.  The products indicated as Italian Sausage Ravioli and Osso Bucco Ravioli do not have USDA marks of inspection.  These products were shipped to retail locations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

The recall was initiated after a routine inspection by FSIS personnel.  There have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury related to this outbreak and those concerned with illness should contact their healthcare provider.

While the product has been pulled from store shelves, it may still be frozen in consumers freezers.  Consumers are urged to throw away the recalled product or return them to the place of purchase.

Tyson Foods Inc. Recall Breaded Chicken Products Due to Potential Mechanical Contamination

Tyson Foods Inc. of North Little Rock, Arkansas issued a recall on June 8, 2018 for about 3,120 pounds of frozen, breaded chicken products due to potential contamination with a foreign matter.  The contamination may be a “blue and clear soft plastic” according to FSIS.

The affected product was produced on May 17, 2018.  See chart below for specific lot information.

The product can be identified as bearing the establishment number P-746.  These products are not available for purchase at retail stores but were shipped to food services establishments across the country.

The recall was initiated after Tyson Foods, Inc. breading supplier recalled the breading ingredients due to this potential foreign material contamination.  At this time there have been nor reports of illness or injury related to this outbreak and those concerned should contact their healthcare provider.

While Food Service Institutions who have received this product have been notified, they are urged to not serve the product and throw it away.

Caito Foods, LLC Recalls Cut Melon Products Due to Possible Health Risk

Caito Foods issued a recall on June 9, 2018 for fresh cut watermelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and fresh-cut mixed fruit containing one of these melons produced at their Indianapolis facility due to potential contamination with Salmonella bacteria.

Salmonella may cause serious or even fatal illness.  While most healthy individuals often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, the very young, the very old, and those with a compromised immune system may suffer more serious illness.  Complications may occur if the infection moves from the gastrointestinal tract and into the bloodstream and other parts of the body resulting in arterial infections, endocarditis, and reactive arthritis

The CDC is currently investigating this outbreak and Caito Foods has ceased producing and distributing these products while the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues the investigation

The product was shipped between April 17, 2018 and June 7, 2018 and can be identified as packaged in clear, plastic clamshell containers.  The affected products were distributed to Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio. See FDA recall page for specific brands, stores, and lot numbers at https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm610345.htm

While the product should been removed from store shelves, consumers are urged to discard or return the product to the place of purchase if they have it in their home.  Consumers should clean areas where the product was stored with warm, soapy water to remove any germs left behind by the contaminated product.

Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc recalls Vegetable Trays Due to Possible Health Risk

Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. also known as “Del Monte Fresh” issued a recall on June 15, 2018 for a limited quantity of their 6 oz, 12 oz, and 28 oz vegetable trays containing fresh broccoli, cauliflower, celery sticks, carrots, and dill dip sold to select retailers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin due to potential contamination with the parasite Cyclospora.

Cyclospora is a parasite that causes intestinal illness with symptoms such as watery diarrhea, weight loss, loss of appetite, bloating, cramping, increased gas, nausea, and fatigue.  Less common symptoms include vomiting and/or low-grade fever.

The recalled products were distributed to Kwik Trip, Kwik Star, Demond’s, Sentry, Potash, Meehan’s, Country Market, Food Max Supermarket and Peapod stores in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin and can be identified as packaged in clear plastic containers. See chart below for specific UPC information.

Consumers are urged to dispose of the product in an appropriate waste container.

Golden Star Wholesale Recalls Dried Apricots Due to Undeclared Allergen

Golden Star Wholesale of Troy, Michigan issued a recall for their AL Reef Dried Apricots Sour due to the undeclared allergen, sulfites.  Those with an allergy or severe sensitivity to sulfites risk serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if the product is consumed.

The product was shipped to retail stores in Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin between November 2017 and May 2018.  The product can be identified as coming in a 12-ounce, clear plastic container.  No lot coding is indicated on the packaging.

The recall was initiated after routine inspection by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets determined samples contained sulfites that were not declared on the label.

At this time, no reports of illness or injury have been reported in connection to this recall.  Consumers are urged to return the product to the place of purchase.

This Week’s Affected Products

By: Heather Van Tassell, Contributing Writer (Non-Lawyer)