Salmonella contamination -

Three different dietary supplements are being recalled because of the threat they could each pose to the health of those who ingest the items.

The Palmyra, Wisconsin-based Standard Process announced the recall, which encompasses Cataplex C, Cataplex ACP, and Pancreatrophin, with all three being from one specific lot (Lot 114).  Cataplex C will have a product number of 1650 1655, ACP has a number of 0700 or 0750, and the Pancreatrophin has the product number 6650.  Each of the items has a Use By date of May 2013, and this information can be found on either the 60 cc and 200 cc amber bottles that contain the supplement or the box that holds the bottles.

The problem stems from an inspection from the Food and Drug Administration which turned up a potential salmonella contamination in one of the ingredients that comprises the products.  Salmonella, which children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are particularly susceptible to, can lead otherwise healthy individuals to incur diarrhea, start vomiting, and in certain serious instances, be inflicted with infections of the arteries such as arthritis.

The good news is that no reports of someone experiencing such an illness have come to the company’s attention at this point.  Standard Process has stated that they have since tested samples of the supplements, and those samples tested negative for salmonella.  However, because the threat might still exist, people with the item in their possession should bring it back to where it was bought to get their money back.

A dietary supplement has been recalled because one of the ingredients in the product could contain salmonella.

The recall was announced by the Ferndale, Washington-based Botanical Laboratories, and concerns a product called Digestive 3 in 1 Health.  The recalled item is a liquid dietary supplement available in 16 and 33.8 ounce bottles.  Of the former, 275 bottles are affected by the recall, while only 38 bottles of the latter could pose the same danger.  The 16 ounce version of the product has a lot number of 34441C and an expiration date of March 2014, while the 33.8 ounce version has the same expiration date but a lot number of 34552C.  Each bottle will be orange and green and have the word “Wellesse” at the top, as that’s the brand name of the item.

Corn Product, one of the suppliers of raw ingredients for the product, contacted Botanical Laboratories to let them know that an ingredient known as Purimune had tested positive for salmonella.  Although Botanical Laboratories has yet to unearth salmonella in their products, they are issuing the recall as a precaution.  Salmonella can be particularly dangerous or even deadly to young or old people and those with weakened immune systems, but even healthy people could get sick.

The item was distributed across the country at various retail outlets.  The supplement can be returned for a complete refund.

The United States Food and Drug Administration has revoked the recall notice it originally issued for bagged salad mixes produced by Taylor Farms. Previously, the Food and Drug Administration requested Taylor Farms, a food distributor located in Salinas, California, announce a voluntary recall for its bagged salad mixes after inspectors from the Rhode Island Department of Health analyzed a sample of the product being offered for sale in a Florida restaurant and reported testing results indicating the bagged salad mix, imprinted with packaging codes STF138B4, STF138B3, STF137A3 and STF137A4 was contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The following day, however, the Food and Drug Administration contacted Taylor Farms to report that the test results were erroneous. The bagged salad mix did not contain traces of E. coli, despite previous test results indicating that it did. The food company had already begun the recall process. Taylor Farms rescinded the voluntary recall notice, but not before it had lost a significant amount of money in the process, according to a statement issued by a company spokesperson. Both Taylor Farms and the restaurants supplied with produce by the company lost business and time because of the erroneous recall request, the statement said. A recall issued the week before for bagged baby spinach produced by Taylor Farms due to a potential salmonella contamination has not been rescinded however. A salmonella scare in 2011 prompted a recall notice for more than 3,200 cases of bagged salad mix produced by Taylor Farms.

The recall for Diamond Pet Food products has been expanded eight times to include a variety of pet food products, leaving some safety advocates wondering how far the potential salmonella contamination extends. The most recent expansion was announced on May 18 to encompass the Diamond Naturals Small Breed Lamb & Rice formula dry kibble after more consumers reported pets being made ill by salmonella tainted pet food. The latest expansion marked the first recall of pet food products manufactured at the Diamond Pet Food plant in Meta, Missouri. All previous recalls affected products made at the Gaston, South Carolina production facility. The other Diamond Pet Food manufacturing plant is located in Lathrop, California, but currently, no recall has been issued affecting products made at this location. The results of any investigation into the cause of salmonella emanating from two separate manufacturing facilities have not been made public as of yet. The somewhat uncommon strain of the organism, salmonella infantis, is the focus of the recalls issued for products produced at the Meta, Missouri facility, but the precise strand of the contaminant at the center of the most recent recall for products manufactured at the Gaston, South Carolina plant has not been announced. Neither the United States Food Department of Agriculture nor the Missouri Department of Agriculture has currently issued a statement to the press providing any further information beyond that offered in the most recent recall expansion notice issued May 18.

The voluntary recall issued recently by Diamond Pet Foods at the request of the United States Food and Drug Administration has been expanded to include another variety of dog food. This recall was issued due to a possible salmonella contamination. In addition to the pet food varieties named in the previous recall, Diamond Pet Foods has most recently announced a voluntary recall for its Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula dry dog food, manufactured August 26, 2011. The product was distributed for sale at pet stores and other retail outlets throughout the states of South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Products affected by this recall include 6 pound, 18 pound, and sample size packages of Diamond Naturals Small Breed Adult Dog Lamb & Rice Formula. All packages of affected dog food are imprinted with production code DSL0801 and best by dates ranging from August 26, 2012 to October 18, 2012. Dogs who have ingested food contaminated with salmonella may exhibit loss of appetite, high body temperature, and stomach pain. Untreated pets may become nauseous or have diarrhea. Humans, especially those with weakened or compromised immune systems such as children, the elderly, and those infected with HIV/AIDS, who handle the pet food without washing their hands thoroughly afterward may also become infected with salmonella, a condition that can lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever.

The potential for salmonella contamination has prompted Dole Fresh Vegetables to issue a voluntary recall for more than 750 cases of its Seven Lettuces bagged salad mix. The United States Food and Drug Administration advises consumers who have purchased bagged salad mix affected by this recall discard the salad mix without attempting to consume it. The Seven Lettuces bagged salad mix affected by this recall is packaged in bags imprinted with a universal product code number of 7143001057, a manufacturer’s product code of 0577N089112A, and an April 11, 2012 expiration date. These bagged salad mixes were distributed for sale in grocery stores across 15 states, including: Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama. If salmonella contaminated food is ingested, it can cause serious food borne illness marked by symptoms including stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. To avoid contracting a food borne illness, the FDA recommends consumers wash all prepackaged produce before use, buy products with the latest expiration dates available, and avoid storing them with meat to reduce the risk of cross contamination. While a thorough rinsing of the bagged salad mix will not prevent consumers from being made ill by products contaminated with salmonella, it may remove residual soil that potentially contains pesticides or other harmful chemicals. Consumers seeking more information on this recall may contact the manufacturer directly or call the FDA’s consumer hotline.

A potential salmonella contamination has prompted H-E-B grocery stores to issue a voluntary recall for 19 varieties of its Asian Ready to Eat meals. Chicken in these meals, which were distributed for sale in 40 stores throughout the Dallas, Texas, metropolitan area, may not have been cooked thoroughly. The meals affected by this recall were displayed in the stores’ “Grab N Go” sections. This recall has been issued in response to a report received by H-E-B from a consumer concerned about the possibility that the chicken in one of these products had not been cooked properly. The entrees affected by this recall include: General Joe’s Chicken Entrée (universal price code 0026966900000), Lemon Grass Chicken Entrée (universal price code 0026967000000), Lemon Chicken Entrée (universal price code 0026967100000), Sesame Chicken Entrée (universal price code 0026960600000), H-E-B Bowl General Joe’s Chicken (universal price code 0026967200000), H-E-B Bowl Lemon Chicken (universal price code 0026967500000). Any of these products sold before May 3, 2012 should be considered potentially contaminated and affected by this recall. Consumers who have purchased these products can return them to any H-E-B store to receive a full refund.

As a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, I hope that this recall has been issued in time to prevent anyone from consuming these potentially affected products. If you or someone you know has been harmed by a defective or contaminated product, please consider contacting a personal injury attorney in Riverside.

Kaytee Pet Products has announced a voluntary recall for a single production batch of its Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat and Hamster food due to the potential that it has been contaminated by Salmonella.Products affected by this recall include Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Mouse, Rat & Hamster food in 3, 5, 6, and 25 pound packages imprinted with best buy dates ranging from March 30, 2013 to April 3, 2013 and universal price codes 100502315, 100502085, and 100502275. The recall has been issued as a response to a Salmonella contamination discovered in random sample testing performed by representatives from the United States Food and Drug Administration. The products affected by this recall were manufactured between January 5, 2012 and January 6, 2012. Kaytee Pet Products has begun to remove the product from stores and investigate the cause of the salmonella contamination. Animals fed contaminated food products may become ill, and humans handling the feed without properly washing their hands afterwards may also experience symptoms related to salmonella contamination such as vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, stomach pain, and high body temperature. In some cases, salmonella can cause arthritis, arterial infection, muscle or eye pain and urinary tract infection.

As a personal injury attorney in Bakersfield, I hope this recall is carried out quickly and effectively before anyone is made ill by this potential contamination. If you or someone you love has been harmed by a contaminated product, please consider contacting a Fresno personal injury lawyer.

An expansion of a recall of an item that could be hazardous to your dog’s health has just been announced.

The item in question is called the Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula-dry dog food.  Having a best by date of either January 27 or 28 of 2013, this dog food comes in either six pound bags or larger 35 pound bags.  Diamond Pet Foods, who both manufactures and distributes the product, announced the recall after testing showed that a bag was contaminated with salmonella.

This comes just three weeks after Diamond had to recall their Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice 6, 20, and 40 pound bags of dog food for the same reason:  salmonella.  Two days after that recall was announced, the company halted delivery on all items being issued from a plant in Gaston, South Carolina that was believed responsible for the outbreak.

The expanded recall affects dog food that was available for purchase in ten different states.  Affected persons are being instructed to immediately throw the product out in such a place where their pet won’t be able to get to it.  Salmonella infections can cause lethargy and diarrhea in pets, and it can also infect humans that come into contact with the product.  Persons whose pets exhibit symptoms should seek a vet’s help.

I hate all recalls as a San Jose personal injury lawyer, and those that affect animals are no different.  I hope as a personal injury attorney in Bakersfield that everyone heeds this announcement and gets their pet treated should they become sick.

Four people have been indicted for practices which federal authorities say endangered public safety.

The indictment issued yesterday alleges that owners, operators, and employees of certain cheese companies were purposely selling a cheese product that failed to meet the standards of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.  The four people are being accused of taking cheese returned by customers because of the presence of mold and then washing off the visible traces of mold before reselling it to other consumers.  Tests of the cheese allegedly proved the presence of E. coli and salmonella, as well as other bacteria.

The persons indicted are facing conspiracy charges and committing violations against food safety law.  The moldy and fungal cheese was distributed under the name Queso Cincho de Guerrero.  This cheese was imported by a company based out of Illinois and then distributed across the country by a Wisconsin company.  Each of those companies is owned by one of the indicted parties.

The cheese, which came in 35 and 40 pound wheels, was recalled in 2007.  Until that point, it had been available for purchase in Michigan, Illinois, Georgia, Texas, and Indiana.  Although 110,000 pounds of the compromised cheese was shipped across the country in 2007, the indictment doesn’t reference any reports of people becoming ill.

As a personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles, I’m used to seeing recalls that come about because of a simple error, but if these charges are proven true, then it demonstrates a certain willingness to purposely imperil public safety.  I hope as a Riverside personal injury attorney that no other companies out there are utilizing these kinds of business practices.