Allergy Alert: T&T Supermarket Inc. recalls Kingo KG Sliced Mushroom (227g; Best before 12-SE-30) due to the presence of undeclared sulphites. The recalled sliced mushrooms were distributed in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.
| Brand Name | Common Name | Size | Codes(s) on Product | UPC | Reason for Recall: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KINGO | KG SLICED MUSHROOM | 227 g | BEST BEFORE: 12-SE-30 | 7 76703 96441 2 | Allergen – Sulphites |
Allergy Alert: Dynamic Chocolates (Delta, BC) recalls House of Brussels Hedgehogs (230g; Costco Item #239336; sold between September 1, 2011 and January 16, 2012), due to the presence of undeclared walnut meal. The product was sold at Costco Wholesale stores in Western Canada.
Courtesy of eFoodAlert.wordpress.com
Dynamic Chocolates are warning people with allergies to walnuts
not to consume the 230g House of Brussels Hedgehogs.
The affected product contains walnut meal which may cause an
allergic reaction and is not declared on the label. There have been
no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these
products. Consumption of this product may cause a serious or lifethreatening reaction in persons with allergies to walnuts.
You may return the product to Costco warehouse for a full refund.
For more information, please contact Dynamic Chocolates at
1-888-515-7117.
SINGAPORE — The world has become more vulnerable to outbreaks of disease caused by contaminated food because of growing global trade, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday. Investigating these outbreaks has also become more difficult because food can contain ingredients from around the world and is transported through a complex global supply chain, top WHO officials said. “Outbreaks of food-borne disease have become an especially large menace in a world bound together by huge volumes of international trade and travel,” said WHO director-general Margaret Chan at a conference in Singapore on improving preparedness against global health threats.
“They are large in their potential in terms of geographical spread often involving multiple countries.” One challenge faced by governments worldwide is how to “reduce the health and economic consequences of food-borne diseases”, Chan said. She cited an outbreak this year of a new killer E.coli strain, which infected almost 4,000 people and left 51 dead across Europe and caused massive losses to vegetable farmers.
European farm products such as tomatoes, lettuces, courgettes and sweet peppers were withdrawn from the market between late May and the end of June as a result of the disease, while Russia briefly banned EU vegetable imports. The European Union had blamed the outbreak on fenugreek seeds imported from Egypt, although Cairo denied any responsibility. “Problems nowadays can arise from any link or kink in a convoluted food chain,” Chan said.
WHO assistant director-general Keiji Fukuda said food-borne outbreaks have occurred in the past. “But what is different now is that food goes all around the world, so if you have something which gets contaminated or infected in one country it can be in 50 countries or 100 countries or 200 countries,” Fukuda told reporters on the sidelines of the Singapore conference. “So the scope of these outbreaks could be much larger and more complex and affect many more people.”
Fukuda said however that while the risks have become higher, the WHO is also working to make sure that authorities are able to deal with the problem. “It’s a kind of a race,” he said.
A Surrey senior’s home where an 80-year-old woman contracted E. coli linked to a meal and later died, was found in violation of a number of food-preparation standards weeks before the victim and two other seniors fell ill.
Madeline Jonah was one of three seniors hospitalized due to E. coli after eating a meal at Kiwanis Park Place in mid-November 2011. She was admitted to Peace Arch Hospital suffering from bloody diarrhea, according to medical records.
She died in Royal Columbian Hospital on Nov. 30. The two other victims recovered.
Langley woman Kathy Jonah says she has been tormented by a lack of answers and empathy from officials after her mother died.
“I just want someone to be accountable,” Kathy Jonah said. “The management [at Kiwanis Park Place] hasn’t called me back, and they haven’t offered me an apology or anything. It’s like a slap in the face.”
Kiwanis Park Place, a subsidized independent-living complex operated by Crescent Housing Society, offers food services under the licensing of Fraser Health Authority.
An investigation by the authority determined that the three seniors were likely infected with E. coli because of the facility’s food preparation, inadequate cooking or improper cleaning of food surfaces.
Fraser Health spokesman Roy Thorpe-Dorward said Crescent Housing Society voluntarily ended its food-services program, so there will be no further probes into the outbreak. The facility had no previous E. coli issues, Thorpe-Dorward said.
However, an examination of inspection records shows that on Oct. 31, 2011, the facility was cited with three “non-critical” violations; “food premises not maintained in a sanitary condition; frozen potentially hazardous food stored above -18 °C.; premises not free of pests.
In April 2011, the facility was also cited with three “non-critical” violations; food premises not maintained in a sanitary condition; equipment/utensils/food contact surfaces not in good working order; refrigeration units and hot holding equipment lack accurate thermometers.
The facility was given a “low” hazard rating in both cases.
In April 2010, the facility was found to have pests. In October 2009, two “non-critical” violations included failure to hold a valid food-services permit and food premises not maintained in a sanitary condition.
Jonah said that because of B.C.’s wrongful-death laws she has no way to hold anyone accountable.
Ben Doyle of the Trial Lawyers Association of B.C. says family members can’t effectively sue for damages in the deaths of children, seniors and the disabled, because the law only accounts for damages for loss of income support.
“We have legislation that makes children, seniors and people with disabilities worthless,” he said. “We’re pushing for legislation that respects the lives of all individuals and not just breadwinners.”
Officials with Crescent Housing Society did not answer interview requests on Monday.
HACCPCanada 