More Ground Turkey Recalled

Cargill Inc. has done it again.
They have issued a second recall of ground turkey products Sunday after a test showed salmonella in a sample from the same Arkansas plant that issued the first recall last month.

You may remember, the first recall followed a salmonella outbreak that had sickened 107 people in 31 states, killing one person.

Cargill stopped production of ground turkey products at the plant Aug. 2 and the equipment was taken apart and steam-cleaned. Limited production resumed Aug. 10 after the USDA approved additional anti-bacterial safety measures.

Another sample that tested positive for salmonella was taken Aug. 24, it was the same strain of salmonella tied to the earlier illnesses.


The second recall covers about 185,000 pounds of ground turkey products, including trays of ground meat, patties and chubs, the USDA said. The products were distributed nationwide under the Kroger, Fresh HEB and Cargill's Honeysuckle White brands.

All ground turkey made at the Springdale plant has "P-963" or "963" on the package, in a USDA seal or perhaps on the cellophane, Martin said. Consumers who bought products bearing that identification number can call 1-888-812-1646 for instructions on what to do, he said.

The recall covers products made Aug. 23 and 24. Cargill also is recalling ground turkey made on Aug. 30 and 31 pending a positive match with a sample, the USDA said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 50 million Americans get sick each year from food poisoning, including about 3,000 who die. Salmonella causes most of these illnesses.

Government officials say even contaminated ground turkey is safe to eat if cooked to 165 degrees. But it's also important that raw meat be handled properly before it's cooked and that people wash their hands with soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling it. Turkey and other meats should also be properly refrigerated or frozen and leftovers heated.



The products involved are Ground Turkey. All packages include Est. P-963 on the label. Products are listed below:
View product information and packaging by brand:
Honeysuckle White®
HEB
Kroger
Download full 09/11 Turkey recall product list (pdf)

Fresh Ground Turkey Chubs
16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Fresh HEB Ground Turkey 85/15 (53858)
Use or Freeze by Dates of 09/12/2011, 09/13/2011, 09/19/2011 and 09/20/2011
16 oz. (1 lb.) chubs of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Fresh Ground Turkey (55046)
Use or Freeze by Dates of 09/19/2011, 09/20/2011 and 09/21/2011
Fresh ground turkey trays
19.2 oz. (1.2 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey (50328)
Use or Freeze by Dates of 09/10/2011 and 09/12/2011
48.0 oz. (3 lb.) trays of Kroger Ground Turkey Fresh 85/15 (53150)
Use or Freeze by Dates of 09/17/2011, 09/18/2011 and 09/19/2011
48.0 oz. (3 lbs.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey Family Pack (53525)
Use or Freeze by Dates of 09/11/2011, 09/12/2011, 09/13/2011, 09/15/2011, 09/17/2011 and 09/18/2011
16 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White 85/15 Ground Turkey (55093)
Use or Freeze by Dates of 09/11/2011
Fresh ground turkey patties
16.0 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Honeysuckle White Ground Turkey Patties (50920)
Use or Freeze by Dates of 09/18/2011
16 oz. (1 lb.) trays of Kroger Ground Seasoned Turkey Patties Fresh 85/15 (53147)
Use or Freeze by Dates of 09/17/2011

60,000 pounds of ground beef recalled

A USDA food safety inspection has resulted in the recall of more than 60,000 pounds of ground beef sold at four major supermarket chains in the Southeast.

Publix, Winn-Dixie, Walmart, and Krogers have issued recalls for ground beef sold in the past three weeks.

The inspectors found E. coli bacteria in samples of ground beef supplied by National Beef Packaging Co. of Dodge City, Kansas.

Officials say the ground beef recall is mainly in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

But the ground beef was also sent to several distributors for nationwide distribution.

Here's the rundown:

• Kroger 5 lb. Pkg. Flavorseal Ground Chuck (UPC: 1111097028 (only date included for this product is "Freeze By 8-12-2011)
• Kroger Beef Chuck Ground 80-85% (UPC 22251500000, 22251510000, 22251520000, 22251530000, 22251550000, 22251560000, 22251570000, 22251580000)
• Ground Beef Patties - Regular & Family Pack (UPCs: 22250400000, 22250410000, 22250420000, 22250430000, 22251600000, 22251610000, 22251620000, 22251630000)
• Ground Beef Seasoned Patties - Regular & Family Pack (UPCs: 29116750000, 29116760000, 29116770000, 29116780000, 29116850000, 29116860000, 29116870000, 29116880000)
• In Store Made Meatballs - packaged and service case (UPCs: 29119600000, 29119610000, 29119620000, 29119630000, 29119640000)
• In Store Made Meatloaf - packaged and service case (UPCs: 29109100000, 29109110000, 29109120000, 29109130000, 29109140000)

Also on the recall list, are Publix  meatballs, Salisbury steak, stuffed peppers, Mesquite seasoned chuck patties, meatloaf and other beef products with "sell by" dates of July 25 through Aug. 12. The Publix beef products were sold at stores in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee.

Products subject to the Winn-Dixie recall have "sell-by" label dates from 7/31/11 - 8/12/11 and can be identified as follows:
-- "Winn-Dixie Ground Chuck," UPC code 20170000000
-- "Winn-Dixie Ground Chuck Family Pack (FP)," UPC code 29127700000
-- "Winn-Dixie Ground Chuck Patties," UPC code 20170100000
-- "Winn-Dixie Ground Chuck Patties Family Pack (FP)," UPC code 29128200000

Products affected by this recall were sold in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Consumers with questions may contact Winn-Dixie Guest Services toll free at 1-866-WINN-DIXIE.

The US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) collects data on recalls, and offers advice to consumers on how to safely prepare raw meat - fresh and frozen. It advises: "only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees F. The only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature.

What Do Mice, Maggots, Manure & Eggs Have in Common ?

Officials are sharing details of their discovery at the two egg farms in the middle of the salmonella recall.

They say the farms failed to “fully implement” measures to prevent contamination, but that doesn't even begin to explain the problem.

At the Wright County Egg farm, which produces eggs, officials noted:

- Manure pits 4 to 8 feet high, the weight of which had pushed open doors allowing wild animals like rodents in to the egg-laying area.

- Live and dead flies “too numerous to count” in the egg-laying houses.

- Live and dead maggots “too numerous to count” in the manure pits.

- A door blocked by “excessive manure.”

- Employees failing to change protective clothing when moving from chicken house to chicken house.

- Non-chicken feathers in the hen houses. Wild birds flying and nesting in the chicken houses.

- Unbaited and unsealed holes appearing to be rodent burrows.

- Exterior structure damage, allowing animals’ access to the hen houses.

- Chickens that had escaped their cages, climbing up the manure piles to re-enter the hen houses and have contact with the egg-laying birds.

- A dark liquid, which appeared to be manure, seeping through the concrete foundation to the outside of the hen houses.

- A board on the ground, under which eight frogs were living.

At the Hillandale operations, investigators noted:

- Unsealed rodent holes

- Live rodents

- Gaps in the structure allowing live rodents and others to enter and exit the hen houses.

- Liquid manure streaming out of manure pits and in some cases onto the main floor.

- Standing water adjacent to the manure pits.

Darrell Trample, a poultry specialist at the Iowa State University, said last week that rodents and the bacteria they spread likely would be at the cause of any salmonella outbreak.

(FDA) inspectors have once again found infected chicken feed. This contaminated feed is now being linked to the ongoing salmonella outbreak.

U.S. regulators would only say that they will consider the set of circumstances at the massive egg production operations and determine what action will be taken next.

Candidate Brenna Findley, Republican candidate for Iowa attorney general criticized the Democratic incumbent on Monday for accepting a $10,000 campaign contribution in 2005 from the family at the heart of a national egg recall.

After the criticism, Attorney General Tom Miller agreed to return the money.

Peter DeCoster, the son of Wright County Egg owner Austin "Jack" DeCoster, made the $10,000 donation to Miller on Dec. 28, 2005. The donation came after a 2000 agreement between the state and Jack DeCoster, in which he agreed to be labeled a "habitual offender," a designation intended to prevent him from opening any new farms for about four years. He earlier had been repeatedly fined for environmental violations, many of them involving hog waste.

Wright County Egg now is at the center of a recall of more than 550 million eggs that could contain salmonella. Some of the eggs were produced by another company, Hillandale Farms, that received feed from one of DeCoster's businesses.

"It is shocking that Miller would accept $10,000 from the DeCosters," Findley said. "Iowans deserve an open and transparent political process, free of backscratching and special deals."

A call to DeCoster wasn't returned.

Miller said he would return the money, but he defended his record of enforcing environmental laws against the DeCoster operations.

"In this state, no one was stronger on DeCoster than our office," Miller said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "We were the ones on the front lines prosecuting him."

Miller said his office effectively prosecuted DeCoster, making him the first and only person to be deemed a "habitual violator" in Iowa.

"We had a huge battle with Jack DeCoster in the '90s over the pollution issue at the hog lots," Miller said. "We got enough violations prosecuted that he saw it would be inevitable that we would get habitual violators status, so he agreed to that."

After that action in 2000, Miller said DeCoster complied with environmental rules and he saw no reason why he shouldn't accept the contribution. He conceded, though, that the egg recall changed everything.

"Had I known that they would have these problems five years later, I would not have accepted that contribution," he said. "I'm going to return the contribution."

Wal-Mart - Grab and Go Sandwiches Recalled

It seems we are going recall crazy, and now, Zemco Industries from Buffalo, New York, has recalled 380,000 pounds of deli meat that just might be contaminated with bacteria that can cause a potentially fatal disease.  

The deli sandwiches were sent to Wal-Marts nationwide, and may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, which was discovered in a retail sample collected by inspectors in Georgia.

When Wal-Mart found out about this they immediately told its stores to remove the sandwiches from their shelves.

"Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease," according to the USDA. "Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis. However, listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea.

The products subject to recall are:

-- 25.5-pound cases of "Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches BLACK FOREST HAM With Natural Juices Coated with Caramel Color" with the number 17800 1300.

-- 28.49-pound cases of "Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches HOT HAM, HARD SALAMI, PEPPERONI, SANDWICH PEPPERS" with the number 17803 1300.

-- 32.67-pound cases of "Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches VIRGINIA BRAND HAM With Natural Juices, MADE IN NEW YORK, FULLY COOKED BACON, SANDWICH PICKLES, SANDWICH PEPPERS" with the number 17804 1300.

-- 25.5-pound cases of "Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches ANGUS ROAST BEEF Coated with Caramel Color" with the number 17805 1300.

The meats were produced on dates ranging from June 18 to July 2, 2010. The "Use By" dates range from August 20 to September 10, 2010.

Wal-Mart said the  recall involves Marketside Grab and Go sandwiches, but not individual packages of deli meat. "We encourage customers who recently purchased this item to return it for a full refund," a Wal-Mart statement said.

EGGS - We're from the government and we're here to help

The old joke goes something like this: "We're from the government and we're here to help."

The problem is, nobody's laughing.

Two federal agencies are downplaying not noticing anything with regards to the massive egg recall that so far has hit 22 states and pulled back the curtain on government officials.

So far there has been 1,300 cases of salmonella poisoning and 500 million eggs have been recalled from two Iowa egg distributors.

One supplier linked to the cases has a history of violations dating back to 1994 -- but the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture says it never had an inspector dedicated to food safety at the farms.

According to an FDA, the FDA has traditionally been responsible for monitoring egg safety after the eggs are processed and the USDA is responsible for egg safety at the processing facilities.

Translated, this means they have done nothing to assure safety.

A USDA official, said that USDA agencies have had no involvement in food safety regulations over shell eggs. There job was to inspect them for thickness and cracks and other quality assurance factors in order to give them a USDA seal of approval. That approval however, does not certify that an egg is salmonella-free.

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said  that the new rules that went into effect last month giving the FDA authority to test eggs for salmonella "very likely" would have enabled the FDA to find  the problem before the outbreak.

She said the FDA will conduct "hundreds" of inspections in the months ahead under its new authority.

President Clinton promised during a 1999 speech that there would be "extensive tests" at egg farms and said there would be an elimination of egg-based salmonella cases by 2010.

That never happen.

There are those who believe the FDA probably had some authority to inspect egg farms but just didn't do it.

The truth is, food safety has not been a major concern here.

We have this company repeatedly violating laws and no one was doing much about it.

We told you the egg counting will continue.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Monday more egg recalls most likely will be necessary in the face of salmonella outbreaks. The new recalls, if they are issued, would be the largest egg recall in recent history, more than half a billion eggs.

Egg Supplier has a history of violations

So far we have two Iowa farms that have recalled more than half a billion eggs.
Both farms have a relationship with the same suppliers of chickens and feed.

Both of these farms have businessman Austin "Jack" DeCoster in common, and he has been cited for numerous health, safety and employment violations over the years. DeCoster owns Wright County Egg, the first farm that recalled 380 million eggs.
That's when there were more than 1,000 reported cases of salmonella poisoning.

Another of Jacks companies, Quality Egg, supplies young chickens and feed to both Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms, that's the second farm that recalled another 170 million eggs the following week.
People keep asking, "what happened?"
The cause of the outbreaks is still unknown, and the Food and Drug Administration investigators are still  at the farms trying to figure it out.

Here's a look at DeCoster and his food and farm operations:

— In 1997, DeCoster Egg Farms agreed to pay $2 million in fines to settle citations brought in 1996 for health and safety violations at DeCoster's farm in Turner, Maine. The conditions were "as dangerous and oppressive as any sweatshop." With unguarded machinery, electrical hazards, exposure to harmful bacteria and other unsanitary conditions.

— In 2000, Iowa designated DeCoster a "habitual violator" of environmental regulations for problems that included hog manure runoff into waterways. As a habitual violator he was subject to increased penalties and prohibited him from building new farms.

We're not saying DeCoster's company is responsible for the current salmonella outbreak, but having said that,  DeCoster's Wright County Egg is already facing at least two lawsuits related to the egg recall. One is from food distributor Dutch Farms, which says the company used unauthorized cartons to package and sell eggs under its brand without its knowledge.

The other is from a person who said they became ill after eating tainted eggs in a salad at a restaurant in Kenosha, Wis.

So yes, he's innocent until proven guilty, but, The CDC said investigations by 10 states since April have identified 26 cases where more than one person became ill. Preliminary information showed that DeCoster  was the supplier in at least 15 of those.

288 Million Eggs Recalled

We posted a USA Today story this morning on Facebook, now here's the video.

GREEN ONIONS - It's Salmonella

Two California produce shippers have recalled thousands of cases of green onions from an onion farm in Mexicali, Mexico, because the onions could be contaminated with salmonella.   Agriculture inspectors found salmonella in a routine test taken in New York last month.
Officials notified the shipper, Salinas-based Steinbeck Country Produce.
The company issued a voluntary recall Aug. 28 for 3,360 cartons.
Steinbeck's produce was distributed in California, Massachusetts, Texas, Indiana, New York, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas and Arizona.

Castroville-based shipper Ocean Mist Farms recalled 1,746 cases as well, after realizing they came from the same lot. (they didn't even know where the onions originated from initially)
Nor would they say where it's onions were distributed.
We find it odd that Ocean Mist didn't want to say where the shipments went.  So, we went to their website instead to see how they view the world:
At Ocean Mist Farms, we take a “farm-to-fork” approach when it comes to food safety. Our goal is to provide the highest quality and safest vegetables possible — and safety begins on the farm. (the one in Mexicali, Mexico) By implementing an effective Good Agricultural Practices program (GAP) on the farm, (the one in Mexicali, Mexico) and focusing on prevention, we are able to provide products that are free of microbial, chemical and physical contaminants.
Through our rigorous food-safety principles and procedures, Ocean Mist Farms is able to provide our customers and consumers with not only the best quality products, but also products that are wholesome, nutritious, and safe.
 

U.S. delayed telling schools about tainted food and recalls

"The check is in the mail", one of the big lies something akin to "My dog ate my homework," it's an excuse you gave when you had no excuse.

Then of course there was,
"I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you."

The federal government has once again lived up to that famous lie by failing to inform schools of recalls and suspected tainted food,  putting millions of schoolchildren at risk of food poisoning over the last two years.

The recalled foods included salmonella-tainted peanut products linked to the deaths of at least nine people, said the report, which was completed last month by the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress.

The GAO said it did not have any data on how many children may have been sickened by he food they ate at school, but it said it had confirmed that “some affected commodities were served to schoolchildren after holds and recalls were announced.” The findings raise “concerns about the safety of foods served in schools and the welfare of schoolchildren,” the report said.

While food items that are being pulled from grocery store shelves across the country they are still being served to millions of schoolchildren.

Nearly 4,000 products produced by Peanut Corp. of America, which were recalled this year for possible salmonella contamination. Schools in Arkansas, California, Idaho and Minnesota received some of the recalled products directly through the school meal program; in addition, peanut butter was shipped to a further processor, which distributed the products to other states.

More than 143 million pounds of meat from ill cattle that had been sold over two years by Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., which were pulled early last year in the biggest food recall in U.S. history. About 50 million pounds of suspect ground beef was provided to more than 7,000 school districts in 46 states and the District of Columbia before and after the recall.

Canned vegetables produced by New Era Canning Co., which were recalled from December 2007 to February 2008 because of possible botulism contamination. Schools in in 37 states received the products.

Food and Nutrition Service officials “told us it was not their responsibility to check on the effectiveness” of the recalls in the review, saying “they relied on their regulatory partners ... to conduct these quality checks,” the GAO said.

“As a result, they were unable to ensure that the recalls were being carried out effectively by schools,” it said.

Afterward, some schools reported that they could not find landfills that would accept large quantities of recalled products.

Recall Alert: Spinach May Contain Salmonella

Here we go again.
This time we turn our attention to SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Over 1,700 cartons of spinach sold this month in stores across the country, including Florida, have been recalled.
The California Department of Health said Friday that Ippolito International was recalling 1,715 cartons of spinach after tests showed it may contain salmonella.
The bulk of cartons were packed under the “Queen Victoria” brand in Florida, 11 other states and three Canadian provinces; and the “Tubby” brand on 200 cartons sold in California and New York.

Packaging Information
According to Ippolito International, the Queen Victoria cartons were labeled with the following Code Date stickers on the outside edge panel:

• 10522441 5 205 (Harvested Sept. 1, 2009)
• 10522451 5 205 (Harvested Sept. 2, 2009)
• 10522461 5 205 (Harvested Sept. 3, 2009)

The Tubby cartons were labeled as follows:

• 10522451 5 205 (Harvested September 2, 2009)

Paula Deen's Cast Iron Cookware Recall

In March 2008, Paula Deen said she was about to go on the air (QVC) to present her new cast iron cookware. That cookware she promised would have, "a little extra stability..." a high-quality cookware that will stand the test of time.

A few weeks ago, customers who had bought three of Ms. Deen’s cast iron pans received letters from QVC, informing them that the pans were being recalled because they can crack or shatter during heating. So much for extra stability, high quality and the test of time.

QVC sent recall letters to people who had purchased the pans. Consumers who bought any of the three items will get a refund; all other Paula Deen cast iron products are “safe for use.” Finally, she wrote, “Paula Deen is aware of the situation and completely supportive of the actions being taken.”
For those of you who purchased The Paula Deen cast iron pansfrom QVC, your lucky item numbers are k14984, k11970, and k135024

Kellogg Recalls Eggo Waffles - Listeria

Kellogg is recalling two varieties of its Eggo waffles because of fears they are tainted with listeria.

Listeria monocytogenes turned up during a routine inspection at the company's Atlanta plant, and that caused the recall of Eggo Cinnamon Toast and Eggo Toaster Swirlz Cinnamon Roll Minis waffles.

Not only did the company stopped production at the plant, not shipping any of the waffles but decided to recall previous batches made at the plant just to be safe. No illnesses have been associated with the waffles.

• The waffles have UPC code 3800040440 with “Best If Used Before” dates beginning with: NOV22 10 EA, NOV23 10 EA and NOV24 10 EA.
• The "Toaster Swirlz'' have UPC code 3800023370 with a “Best If Used Before” date beginning with NOV15 10 EA.

A press release issued from the Georgia Department of Agriculture said Kellogg immediately began a program to clean and sanitize the plant. Listeria is an organism that is quite hardy and can withstand freezing temperatures, drying and heat remarkably well.

An infection presents itself with flu-like symptoms, but the onset of illness can range from a few days to three weeks after eating contaminated food.

In January, Kellogg pulled varieties of Austin and Keebler peanut butter sandwich crackers as part of a massive, salmonella-related recall of products from Peanut Corp. of America that killed eight people and sickened more than 700.