Dollar Tree sold WanaBana Cinnamon Apple products after they were recalled for "extremely high concentrations of lead," according to an FDA warning letter. The investigation into the lead levels in those products started in October 2023. A recall was issued on October4 29, 2023. The recall was "ineffective" at Dollar Tree stores through December 19, 2023, the FDA states. The warning letter states, "Subsequent recall audit checks of your Dollar Tree and Family Dollar/Dollar Tree combination stores (collectively referred to as your “Dollar Tree stores”) revealed that you continued to offer the recalled WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree pouches on store shelves well after the recall was initiated, despite FDA’s numerous attempts to bring this serious issue to your attention." The … [Read more...]
Alert: Wow Bao Bao Thai-Style Curried Chicken Has Soy, Sesame
The USDA has issued a public health alert that Wow Bao Bao Thai-Style Curried Chicken contains soy and sesame, two of the nine major food allergens, that are not declared on the package label as required. The product may actually contain teriyaki chicken bao, which is made with soy and sesame. Anyone who is allergic to soy and/or sesame could have a serious reaction if they eat this product. No confirmed reports of adverse reactions have been received by the company to date. The recalling firm is Wow Bao. The fully cooked, frozen bao curry chicken product was packaged on March 20, 2024. The recalled item is 10 ounce boxes that contain four "Wow Bao Bao Thai-Style Curry Chicken" pouches. The best if used by date that is printed on the side of the box is 4/12/25. The product has … [Read more...]
Do Not Eat Certain Shellfish From OR and WA Because of PSP
The FDA says consumers should not eat certain shellfish harvested from Oregon and Washington waters because they may be contaminated with paralytic shellfish poison (PSP). Restaurants and retailers should not sell these products. Retailers and restaurants in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New York, Oregon, and Washington may have purchased oysters and bay clams from growing areas in Netarts Bay and Tillamook bay, Oregon harvested on or after May 28, 2024. All shellfish from growing areas in Willapa Bay, Washington Stony Point, harvested between May 26, 2024 and May 30, 2024;5/26/24; from Bay Center, harvested between May 29, 2024 and May 30, 2024; and Bruceport, harvested between May 29, 2024 and May 30, 2024 are included. Consumers in Arizona, California, … [Read more...]
Raw Milk Consumption May Put People at Risk of Avian Influenza
Raw milk consumption may put people at risk of catching Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1), according to the Oregon Health Authority. This virus, also known as the bird flu, has now started infecting dairy cattle across the country. Dean Sidelinger, M.D., M.S.Ed., health officer and state epidemiologist at OHA, said in a statement, "We know that if H5N1 is present in the milk of infected dairy cattle, it will be killed by pasteurization. Drinking raw milk carries many health risks, and those risks may now include H5N1 infection.” The FDA has tested 297 retail milk sample from 38 states for the H5N1 virus. About 20% of those samples tested positive for viral fragments, but none contained the live infectious virus because it is destroyed through pasteurization. There are … [Read more...]
Memorial Day Food Safety Tips From USDA to Stay Safe
These Memorial Day food safety tips from the USDA will help you and your family stay safe this summer. Summer cooking and parties are prime time for possible food poisoning cases for several reasons. Warmer temperatures and outdoor picnics, parties, and grilling pose special challenges. Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Emilio Esteban said in a statement, "The bacteria that cause foodborne illness love the summertime as much as we do because they thrive and multiply quickly in warmer temperatures. This causes illnesses to spike during the summer. As we all spend more time outside, it is important to remember these food safety steps to keep your friends and family safe." First, always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before you start cooking and eating. If safe … [Read more...]
FDA Takes Tara Flour Off Generally Regarded as Safe List
The FDA has removed tara flour from the generally regarded as safe list (GRAS) after illnesses associated with the product Daily Harvest Leek and Lentil Crumble illnesses were reported. There were reports of 393 illnesses associated with that product in 2022. At least 133 people were hospitalized, and some of the patients went into liver failure. Tara flour is now regarded as an unapproved food additive. These items are deemed to be unsafe under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. That type of flour was used by Daily Harvest in a leek and lentil crumble product. The firm voluntarily recalled the product and conducted their own root cause analysis. The FDA has found no evidence that tara flour caused the outbreak, but it did prompt the agency to evaluate the status of that … [Read more...]
One-Third of Food Outbreaks Linked to Non-Irradiated Food
One-third of food outbreaks are linked to non-irradiated foods, according to a report in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infectious Diseases report for June 2024. Those foods are eligible for irradiation treatment, which kills pathogens and extends the life of produce and other foods. Of 482 outbreaks, 155 were linked to an irradiation-eligible food; none of those foods were irradiated. Irradiation is controversial, with some significant consumer resistance and large fixed costs. The FDA has approved certain foods for this type of treatment, including poultry, fresh shell eggs, spices, and meat. The FDA says that food irradiation is safe, and can control pathogens and insects. It can reduce the use of pesticides on foods, and can preserve food for … [Read more...]
Fayette Janitorial Service Used Child Labor, Says DOL
Fayette Janitorial Service used child labor at slaughtering and meat packing facilities, according to the Department of Labor. The company has entered into a consent order and judgment that was approved by a federal court in Iowa on May 6, 2024. The Tennessee cleaning contractor has agreed to pay $649,302 in civil money penalties. They must also hire a third party to review and implement company polities to prevent the employment of children in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act and establish a program for reporting concerns about illegal employment of children. The Department's Wage and Hour Division investigated and found that Fayette Janitorial Service, headquartered in Somerville, and operating as Fayette Industrial, employed at least 24 children, some as young as 13, … [Read more...]
Ground Beef Tests Negative For Avian Influenza, Says USDA
Ground beef tests negative for Avian Influenza, the USDA said on May 1, 2024. With the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) affecting not only birds, but cattle in recent weeks, there had been some concern that the virus would be found in ground beef. The virus has been found intact in raw milk, but only fragments of the pathogen have been discovered in pasteurized milk. The USDA collected samples of ground beef from retail stores in states where dairy cattle herds had tested positive for the virus at the time of sample collection. The samples were sent to APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratory for PCR testing. All samples had tested negative for H5N1, which reaffirms that the meat supply is safe. Of course, avoiding raw milk and cooking all ground beef … [Read more...]
Food Recalls Have Reached Highest Levels Since Covid
Food recalls have reached their highest level since before the Covid pandemic happened in 2020, according to U.S. PIRG. During the pandemic, food recalls dropped precipitously. The lead poisoning outbreak linked to WanaBana cinnamon applesauce products and the Salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupe helped drive those recalls. At least 500 children were sickened in the WanaBana outbreak, and in the cantaloupe outbreak, at least 407 people were sickened, 158 people were hospitalized, and six people died. That agency has released a report, "Food For Thought 2024," which found that food and beverage recalls increased by 8% in 2023. Meat, poultry and egg recalls issued by the USDA hit the highest levels since before the pandemic. FDA recalls have been about the same for the least … [Read more...]
