Cheese Sold at Costco Tainted with E. coli

November 19th, 2010 - Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese

COSTCO I don't know about you, but when I think high-quality gourmet cheese, Costco immediately comes to mind. Not only does it taste great, but you can use the other 999 blocks that came in the case to build a nice shed in your backyard.

Read More:Cheese Sold at Costco Tainted with E. coli

23 Dressings, Salads, Salsas Recalled Over Tainted Cilantro Concerns

November 10th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

Cilantro

Food, Sex and SalmonellaTwenty-three products that contain cilantro—including Trader Joe’s salad dressings and California Pizza Kitchen packaged salads—have been recalled because they may be contaminated with salmonella.

Food packager Orval Kent has taken action because the 43,814 pounds of cilantro it purchased from EpicVeg, Inc., may be tainted with the bacterium.

The affected products were distributed at retail stores nationwide. No illnesses have been reported to date.

If you have purchased any of the following items, do not consume them. Return them to the place of purchase for a full refund or replacement.

Read More:23 Dressings, Salads, Salsas Recalled Over Tainted Cilantro Concerns

New Egg Recall Affects Consumers in 8 States

November 9th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

Egg

Prisoned ChickensCal-Maine Foods, Inc., a Jackson, Miss.-based producer and marketer of shell eggs, is recalling approximately 24,000 dozen unprocessed eggs purchased from Croton, OH-based Ohio Fresh Eggs, LLC, because they may be contaminated with salmonella.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently notified Cal-Maine that a routine sample taken at Ohio Fresh Eggs tested positive for the bacterium. The affected eggs were processed Oct. 9–12 and distributed to food wholesalers and retailers in Arkansas, California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. No illnesses have been reported to date.

Read More:New Egg Recall Affects Consumers in 8 States

FDA Should Shut Down Iowa Egg Farm

October 26th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

Eggs

Book CoverRemember Galt, IA-based Wright County Egg—the key factory farm involved in August’s recall of 500,000 eggs after a multistate salmonella outbreak? The company whose owner, Austin “Jack” DeCoster, was called a corporate criminal by former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich?

After the recall, DeCoster was required to outline corrective actions in a formal letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Not surprisingly, the agency has found his proposed measures to be sorely lacking. Kansas City District Director John W. Thorsky has sent DeCoster a warning letter that requires “prompt and aggressive actions” to correct a host of unresolved problems. If DeCoster fails to comply, the FDA can enjoin his company from selling eggs or seize the foul farm.

Read More:FDA Should Shut Down Iowa Egg Farm

Del Monte Recalls Cantaloupes in Detroit Area

October 23rd, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

Cantaloupe

Grow Your Own MelonsDel Monte Fresh Produce has recalled certain cantaloupes that were grown in and shipped from Arizona, but distributed to limited customers in and around Detroit. The melons may be contaminated with salmonella.

Eighty-one cartons of cantaloupes, each containing 15 melons, were distributed to wholesalers in Detroit. The cantaloupes reached retail and foodservice outlets beginning Oct. 11.

The cantaloupes have a light brown skin and orange flesh. Each has a Del Monte sticker that reads “Cantaloupe USA.”

Read More:Del Monte Recalls Cantaloupes in Detroit Area

2 New Recalls: Pats Exotic Vegetable Beverages, Store-Brand Frozen Vegetables

October 19th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

Recalled vegetables

We have two new recalls to announce. While the involved products are not organic, you may have purchased them.

Pats Exotic Vegetable Beverages

Pat's Exotic BeveragesBronx, NY-based Pats Exotic Beverages is recalling all packages of its Carrot Juice, Carrot Beet, Carrot Lime and Cucumber beverages because they were inadequately processed and may contain foodborne pathogens.

Read More:2 New Recalls: Pats Exotic Vegetable Beverages, Store-Brand Frozen Vegetables

Milk Recalled on East Coast

September 10th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

Milk

Menands, NY-based Midland Farms is voluntarily recalling certain milk products because they may have been improperly pasteurized.

Pasteurization heats milk to eliminate pathogenic bacteria like listeria and salmonella.

The recalled products are sold in plastic containers and are marketed under the brand names Midland Farms, Corrado’s Market, Jersey Dairy Farms and Trade Fair Premium. Each has the plant code 36-1661 and a date code near the top of the container.

Read More:Milk Recalled on East Coast

Morningland Dairy Recalls Raw-Milk Cheese Sold in 48 States

September 2nd, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

Recalled cheese

Mountain View, MO-based Morningland Dairy is recalling 68,957 pounds of raw-milk cheese (made with cows’ milk and goats’ milk) because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) and/or Staphylococcus aureus.

The company’s products are sold in the lower 48 states via retail stores, mail order, crop-sharing associations and direct delivery. Cheeses are sold in vacuum-sealed plastic packages based on product weight.

The following cheese varieties are affected:

Read More:Morningland Dairy Recalls Raw-Milk Cheese Sold in 48 States

Egg Recall: Disgusting Conditions Confirm Dangers of Factory Farms

August 31st, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

Dead chicken in battery cage

Iowa-based Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms—the two producers responsible for the recall of 500,000 eggs potentially contaminated with salmonella—should be put out of business.

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD, last week said these companies were “not operating with the standards of practice that we consider responsible,” according to the New York Times.

Now we know some of the specifics: These factory farms, whose eggs have sickened roughly 1,500 consumers, were overrun with rodents, maggots and flies, and chicken manure heaps. Henhouses were filthy and broken down, with rusted holes, structural damage, unsanitary employees and seeping manure.

Read More:Egg Recall: Disgusting Conditions Confirm Dangers of Factory Farms

Product Tracing Needed to Protect Us from Foodborne Illnesses

August 29th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

Trafficanda Eggs Part of Latest Recall

Cover enough salmonella or E. coli outbreaks, and you become intimately familiar with the “T” word: traceback.

The term refers to the process federal inspectors use to determine exactly where contamination occurred in the food supply chain.

Recent recalls highlight the critical need for an effective product tracing system, according to the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a Chicago-based organization that represents food scientists and related professionals.

Read More:Product Tracing Needed to Protect Us from Foodborne Illnesses

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