Food Recalls

Consumers who like raisins tend to like the dried version of a cranberry, which is sour and sweet at the same time. But consumers should look at the package of Ocean Spray Craisins on their pantry shelf as certain packages have been recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to small metal fragment contamination, described as “hair-like” and not likely to cause harm to consumers. The recall notice, issued Monday, November 28, has the specific lots that are affected.

They include:

• 5-ounce, 10-ounce, and 48-ounce packages, as well as a bulk 10 pound size. There have been no reports of consumer injuries or complaints. Ocean Spray says it voluntarily recalled the product in an “abundance of caution” to keep consumers safe.

• Most of the products have a “Best by Dates” of October and November 2012. The larger package is good until October and November 2013.

For any questions regarding the recall, the Ocean Spray Hotline number is 1(800) 662-3263. Consumers should destroy the product, but keep the UPC label and receive a coupon for a replacement product.

Product Liability

If a consumer is harmed by a defective product put into commerce, he or she may have a product liability action against the manufacturer, the designer, or anyone in the line of distribution, as well as the company for a failure to warn the public. The product liability lawyers in Jacksonville of Farah & Farah will always offer a complimentary consultation on your defective product injury case. Call us at 1(800) 533-3555.

Source: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ocean-spray-voluntarily-recalls-limited-quantity-of-original-flavor-craisins-dried-cranberries-and-bulk-dried-cranberries-sales-134510838.html;http://consumerist.com/2011/11/ocean-spray-voluntarily-recalls-craisins-for-possible-contamination.html;http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm281214.htm

Florida and Georgia consumers beware, a salmonella contamination has American Egg Products of Blackshear, Georgia recalling some of its products that have been distributed to the two states. The five-pound carton of frozen egg product was distributed to three companies and has a lot number of 272-1 found on the side of the case.

Frozen egg product might be sold to a restaurant or anywhere that many eggs are needed to produce large quantities of food.

Farah & Farah’s Florida product liability attorneys understand that salmonella contamination, a bacterial organism, can sicken people of all ages and can be fatal to someone with a weak immune system. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, bloody stools, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The infection can travel to the bloodstream causing artery infections, arthritis, or endocarditis, an inflammation of the heart chambers or valves.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says there have been no illnesses reported from the recalled food.

The source of the contamination is under investigation, though salmonella is found in cold and warm-blooded animals and can be transferred between humans and animals. Occasionally, it is also found in the environment and is the most common cause of foodborne illness which kills about 30 Americans every year and sickens approximately 142,000.

Consumers can return the product for a full refund. You can call the company at (912) 499-5700 but the website for the company said “Our site is currently under – Please check back later.”

Salmonella contamination was responsible for at least nine deaths and the illness of hundreds, many of them children, who consumed peanut butter and paste produced at the Peanut Corporation of America plant in Blakely, Georgia in 2009.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/25/us-recall-eggs-idUSTRE79O5ZM20111025; http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm277099.htm

If you recently bought ground beef or have some in your freezer you should know there has been a recall of packages of beef from at least three major grocery chains over E. coli bacterial contamination. Winn-Dixie, Publix, and Kroger announced they are recalling 60,000 pounds of beef sent to the southeastern U.S., including Florida. The meat comes from the National Beef Packaging Co of Dodge City, Kansas. The contamination was found when the Ohio Department of Agriculture tested the product.

Beside Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana all received shipments of the meat, which was repackaged by several distributors and sold nationwide to some Walmart and Sam’s Club stores. There still has not been a formal list of recall products listed on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) website.

Fortunately, there are no reports of illness, though E. coli can be deadly. This was the particularly virulent strain of E. coli, 0157:H7 which can cause some of the most severe illnesses, according to a report by Rodale. If you cook beef, it is suggested you always use a meat thermometer and cook it to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees.

You may return any meat purchased with a “sell by” date of July 23 through August 14th to the grocery stores for a full refund. The beef could be generic ground beef or in readymade patties. Thirty-six million pounds of ground turkey was recalled earlier this month after the meat was found contaminated with a drug-resistant strain of salmonella bacteria. There have been more than 100 people made ill by consuming that tainted product.

If you or a loved one have been made ill by a food product that has been recalled, you may be able to seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Don’t go it alone. The Jacksonville food recall lawyers at Farah & Farah are ready to help and are just a phone call away at 1-800-533-3555.

Sources: http://jacksonville.com/news/national/2011-08-15/story/beef-recalls-affect-publix-winn-dixie
http://www.news4jax.com/health/28868069/detail.html, http://www.rodale.com/ground-beef-recall and http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_064_2011_Release/index.asp

The Consumerist, a publication of Consumers Union, reports on a new study that finds up to one-quarter of the chicken, beef, pork, and turkey sold in the grocery store harbors a drug-resistant form of a common bacteria. Researchers reporting for the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases purchased 80 brands of meat from 26 grocers in five U.S. cities and found half of the meat had the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, and 52 percent contained a strain of the bacteria that is resistant to at least three different types of bacteria. Researchers from Northern Arizona University were surprised by the prevalence of the antibiotic-resistant Staph.

Antibiotics are used in food production, fed to animals to reduce disease and promote growth. The practice is common in a “factory farm” operation where a large number of animals are crowded together, increasing the risk of spreading a contagious disease. The bacteria were found in the animal’s muscle meat indicating it came from feed. Staphylococcus aureus causes skin infections, sepsis, pneumonia, or endocarditis and was found in 47 percent of the meat samples. The bacteria were not among the four routinely tested in meat by the government which includes Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, and Enterococcus. Those with weak immune systems are most likely to be sickened or die from bacterially contaminated food which infects more than two million annually. Bacteria can be killed by cooking the meat to the recommended temperature, determined by using a meat thermometer. However, the bacteria is left behind on surfaces and utensils used in food preparation.

If you suspect a food-borne illness or recalled food product has caused you or a loved one to suffer an illness or injury, the Florida food recall attorneys at Farah & Farah are just a phone call away to discuss your case and the chance for recovery of medical bills and lost wages.

This is bad news for kids. Perdue Farms has recalled about 92,000 pounds of frozen chicken nuggets, according to The Washington Post. The Great Value Fully Cooked Chicken Nuggets sold at Wal-Mart stores nationwide, are thought to be contaminated with plastic particles. Consumers were the first to find the blue plastic. There is no word where the plastic came from.

Perdue Farms, Inc. is located in Perry, Georgia.

The U.S. Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued the recall notice in a news release on July 19. Here is how the label reads on the recalled items:

• 1-pound, 13-ounce bag of “GREAT VALUE Fully Cooked Chicken Nuggets.” Each bag bears the establishment number “P-33944” as well as a case code of “89008 A0160” on the backside of the packaging. There is also a “BEST IF USED BY” date of June 9, 2011.

FSIS says it has not received any reports of injury but if you find the blue plastic and/or consume it, contact a physician. Consumers should also look for this recalled food product in their freezer.

This is a Class II recall which means there is a “remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product.” Class I is a recall issued for the most dangerous products that have the potential to lead to death. A Class III recall means the product will not cause any adverse health consequences.

Plastic in food sold to the public is a defective product and could be subject to a product liability lawsuit if a consumer is harmed. Consumers who want to contact Purdue directly should call Luis Luna, Vice President of Corporate Communications, at (410) 341-2533. Consumers with questions about the recall should contact Perdue Consumer Relations at (877) 727-3447. Consumers who have been harmed by a defective product should call the Florida product liability attorneys at Farah & Farah.

Cereal maker, Kellogg’s, is calling an “off” odor and taste the reason for its recall of 28 million boxes of popular kids cereal.

Working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Kellogg’s on Friday, June 25, issued the recall for Corn Pops, Honey Smacks, Froot Loops, and Apple Jacks. Look for the letters “KN” following the Better If Used Before date. Products with a “KM” designation are not included in the recall and no products in Canada are affected.

The company is not revealing what is responsible for the “off” odor and taste. Five people have reported symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

“We apologize to our consumers and our customers and are working diligently to ensure that the affected products are rapidly removed from the marketplace,” said David Mackay, president of Kellogg Company.

There is a consumer hotline at 888-801-4163, available weekdays. Consumers who suffer an illness and lost time at work may want to contact a Florida food product liability attorney to learn more about potential legal options.

Here is a list of the cereals listed in the recall.

Kellogg’s® Apple Jacks®

• UPC 3800039136 1: 17 ounce package with Better if Used Before Dates between APR 10 2011 and JUN 22 2011
• UPC 3800039132 3: 8.7 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between JUN 03 2011 and JUN 22 2011

Kellogg’s® Corn Pops®

• UPC 3800039109 5: 12.5 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011
• UPC 3800039111 8: 17.2 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011
• UPC 3800039116 3: 9.2 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between APR 05 2011 and JUN 22 2011

Kellogg’s® Froot Loops®

• UPC 3800039118 7: 12.2 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011
• UPC 3800039120 0: 17 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011
• UPC 3800039125 5: 8.7 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011

Kellogg’s® Honey Smacks®

• UPC 3800039103 3: 15.3 ounce packages with Better if Used Before Dates between MAR 26 2011 and JUN 22 2011

Publix is selling a seasoning mix that may pose a health risk to consumers, according to this report. Publix has recalled four different types of seasoning mixes. The food flavorings are made by Nevada-based Basic Food Flavors of Las Vegas. The vegetable protein may have been contaminated with Salmonella, but no consumers have reported any injuries.

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein or HPV is found in the Publix Mushroom Gravy Mix, the Publix Meatloaf Seasoning, the Public Beef Flavored Stew Mix, and the Publix Au Jus Gravy Mix. Salmonella, the bacterial contaminant, can cause serious and fatal infections in young children or in people with a compromised immune system.

Salmonella, in otherwise healthy people can cause fever diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. The Publix customer relations department can be reached at 800-242-1227 or online at www.publix.com.

It’s been one year since an outbreak of Salmonella at the Blakely, Georgia Peanut Corporation of America sickened 700 and was linked to nine deaths nationwide. Hundreds of food recalls for items that use peanut butter had to be initiated, and now the plant is closed and 50 workers are still out of a job.

Other than that, little has changed. Now bankrupt, no criminal charges have been filed against PCA or its top executives. Food safety legislation nationally has been pushed to the backburner by health care reform. Georgia has passed a law mandating new food testing regulations, but most have not been put into place. A $12 million insurance settlement has not been distributed to about 100 victims of food-borne illness or their survivors. Meanwhile there have been more than a dozen food recalls in the U.S. including pine nuts and hazel nuts and peanut butter with bacterial contamination.

What has changed?

New regulations in Georgia would prevent a food crisis like PCA. Regular food testing by the plant will be required under Senate Bill 80 that was signed into law by Gov. Perdue in May. Any contamination found must be reported to the state within 24 hours. Any contaminated products must be destroyed. But beware of a loophole. An amendment adopted in Georgia lets companies bypass the self-testing mandate if they submit a food safety plan instead to the state.

After Gov. Perdue signed the bill, the state agriculture department alerted about 750 food processing plants that they must report any contamination within 24 hours. So far there have been no reports submitted. On the national level, the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 requires food companies to come up with their own safety plans and requires regular inspection of food plants. Those rules remain in limbo. #