Defending Food Safety : Food Safety Defense Lawyer & Attorney : National Food Industry Counsel : National Food Regulatory Lawyer and Attorney, FDA Lawyer and Attorney. USDA Lawyer and Attorney : Gass Weber Mullins Law Firm

Chang Farms (of Whatley, Massachusetts) has announced a voluntary recall of select Soy Bean Sprouts following the discovery of Listeria monocytogenes during FDA product testing.

The affected products were labeled under the Chang Farm Brand as “Soy Sprouts,” and have a “Sell By” date of July 17, 2009. The soy bean sprouts, packaged in 10 lb bags (bulk) and 12 oz plastic bags (retail), were distributed to retail stores and wholesalers throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. To date, no illnesses have been associated with the consumption of these products. Click on the following link to view a copy of the FDA Recall Release.

According to the FDA, retail stores and wholesalers who have received these products should remove them from shelves. In turn, consumers are being instructed to either discard any affected products, or return them to the place of purchase for a refund.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Mike’s Produce, Inc. (d/b/a. Kowalke Family Sprouts) has announced a voluntary recall of all Kowalke Family Sprouts Brand Alfalfa Products with sell-by dates from June 18, 2009 through June 30, 2009.  The recall was announced after the company received notification that a sprout sample (taken from a retail location) had tested positive for Salmonella. 

After being notified of the positive sample, Kowalke Family Sprouts (located in Los Angeles, California) promptly informed the FDA of its actions. It is not clear how Salmonella may have been introduced into the sprouts, and the company is cooperating fully with the agenciy's continuing investigation.

According to reports, Kowalke Family Sprouts met all FDA disinfection, processing, and pathogen testing guidelines. In addition, although the FDA tested for the presence of Salmonella on sprout growing equipment, food contact surfaces, walls, floors, and drains at the Kowalke Family Sprouts facility, all tests results were negative. Despite extensive efforts, the FDA found no Salmonella at the Kowalke Family Sprouts facility.

Even though all environmental samples were negative, and although the alfalfa sprouts tested negative prior to being shipped to retailers, the firm (given the positive retail finding – and, in an abundance of caution) decided to recall all sprouts from the potentially affected lot.

Kowalke alfalfa products are sold in 4 oz, 8 oz, 1 pound and 5 pound clear plastic, clam shell packages. Two other Kowalke products also contain alfalfa sprouts - the Dinner Salad in a 6 oz package and the Onion/Alfalfa Mix in a 4 oz package.

These products were sold to distributors in Los Angeles and to retail stores in Southern California, Nevada, and Arizona. It is possible, however, that the sprouts may have been transported to other states. Click on the following link to view the FDA Recall Release.

To date, no illnesses have been reported from these products.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Chang Farm, a Massachusetts company, has issued a voluntary recall of various bean and soy sprouts because of possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. The sprouts were distributed to restaurants and retail stores throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey. Click on the following link to view the FDA Recall Notice.

According to the FDA, the contamination was discovered after a product sample (obtained from a retail store in New York) tested positive for Listeria. To date, no illnesses have been associated with the recalled sprouts.

The affected products, labeled as Chang Farm Brand soy sprouts and bean sprouts, are packaged in 10-pound bags (bulk) and 12-ounce plastic bags (retail). The soy sprouts have a “Sell By” date of May 23, 2009 or May 24, 2009, and the bean sprouts have a “Use By” date of May 23, 2009 or May 24, 2009.

All grocery stores, food services, and other retailers in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey are being advised to remove the recalled products from their shelves. In turn, consumers should either discard the products, or return them to the place of purchase.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

The source of the multi-state Salmonella Outbreak linked to fresh alfalfa sprouts has likely been determined.

According to reports, the Salmonella strain implicated in the outbreak likely originated from seeds sold by the Caudill Seed Company of Louisville, Kentucky. In turn, Lyle Orwig, a company spokesman, stated that the offending seeds were imported by Caudill from Italy. As reported previously, Caudill has withdrawn all seed batches with six-digit lot numbers starting with “032”; the recalled seeds are packaged in 50-pound white bags marked with a white or yellow label.

Although testing did not reveal any Salmonella at Caudill’s facilities, Orwig reports that, “what [the FDA] has said to us, is the cases all led to sprouts, from multiple growers, and the common link is seeds.”  Seeds, anyway, from Italy...
 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link