Recalled products may pose a threat to consumers. However, the news sometimes does not reach the population that it may affect. The following recalls may directly concern you:
HEB Meat Center Recalls 83,666 lbs of Chorizo and Pork Products
On December 27, 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that HEB Meat Center, a San Antonio, Texas establishment, recalled approximately 83,666 pounds of pork products. The recall was due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, today. The products may contain peanuts, known allergens, which are not declared on the product label.
The chorizo and pork products were produced on various dates between October 16, 2014 and December 26, 2014. The following products are subject to recall:
- Random weight vacuum-packed clear packages containing “Pork Chorizo.”
- Random weight clear covered trays containing “HEB Mi Comida Chorizo Pork Chorizo.”
- Random weight vacuum-packed clear packages containing “SEASONED MEXICAN STYLE PORK FOR CARNE AL PASTOR.”
The products subject to recall bear the establishment number “EST. 7231” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These products were shipped to retail HEB stores in Texas.
The problem was discovered when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a recall for “Adams Flavors, Foods & Ingredients Issues Allergy Alert On Undeclared Peanut Protein In Cumin Products,” which is directly related to this recall. The FDA’s recall release can be viewed at: https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm428141.htm.
FSIS and the company have received no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls.
Consumers with questions about the recall can contact HEB Customer Relations, at (800) 432-3113. Media with questions about the recall can contact Dya Campos, Director Public Affairs, at (210) 938-8075.
Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. The online Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System can be accessed 24 hours a day at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/reportproblem.
Listeria Contamination of Caramel Apples Causes Five Deaths
The FDA says five deaths have been reported, with listeriosis contributing to three of the deaths directly linked to ingestion of caramel apples bought from a Safeway grocery store. It is unclear whether the fourth was related. However, the fifth death was related to an infection caused by the bacteria.
Listeriosis symptoms may include fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea and other gastrointestinal distress, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 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 women who are pregnant and is particularly devastating to the very young, very old, or people with compromised immune systems.
The grocery chain pulled prepackaged caramel apples from its shelves after the family of an 81-year-old woman who died of listeria filed suit in December, 2014. The suit claimed that she had bought several caramel apples from a Safeway supermarket in Felton, California in October.
Happy Apple Company, a Washington company, released a statement in late December, 2014, that one of the apple suppliers to its California facility reported that there may be a connection between the listeria outbreak and the apples it had supplied.
The recall covers 31 states and occurred after at least three deaths and at least 29 illnesses in 10 states have been linked to an outbreak of the deadly bacteria.
The Food and Drug Administration is continuing to advise consumers not to eat prepackaged, commercially produced whole caramel apples.
The recalled Happy Apple caramel apples were sold in single packs, three packs, four packs and eight packs with a best use by date between Aug. 25 and Nov. 23. Still, the Centers for Disease Control says to avoid all prepackaged caramel apples as a precaution.
They were available for retail sale through grocery, discount and club stores in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
Happy Apple said the recalled caramel apples were no longer available in stores. The company said it ceased its operations at the end of October as part of its normal seasonal shutdown.
Happy Apple is owned by Joette and Ed Reidy of Washington. The company is located between Union and Washington. It also has orchards in Marthasville and a factory in California.
Del Monte’s Fresh Cut Fruit Gala Red Apples May Also Contain Listeria
Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. (“Del Monte Fresh”) announced last week an amendment of its press release dated December 10, 2014 to its voluntary recall of fresh cut fruit containing Gala red apples grown in Pennsylvania. The corrected products are a total of 3,051 consumer packages containing fresh cut red apples were distributed to Giant Eagle, Amazon Fresh, Sunoco, Peter’s Fruit, Wegmans, Sheetz and 7-Eleven and have “Best If Enjoyed By” dates of 12/3/14, 12/6/14, 12/7/14 and 12/8/14. The fresh cut red apples have a red color skin.
No illnesses have been reported to date. The affected products were distributed to a limited number of customers in a few States in North East US and is being recalled because these apples have the potential to be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.