About 1,120 cartons of Del Monte cantaloupe is being recalled over concerns of Salmonella contamination. Mercury News announced that Raley’s grocers are recalling the potentially contaminated cantaloupe that was sold in Northern California and Nevada. The recall was initiated after routine testing detected the Salmonella pathogen in the Del Monte cantaloupe, Mercury News said, citing the California Department of Public Health.

Mercury News reported that the recalled cantaloupe was sold throughout the San Francisco Bay Area at Raley’s and at Raley’s subsidiaries: Nob Hill Foods and Food Source. The cantaloupes were purchased between October 5 and October 16; consumers can exchange the recalled cantaloupe for full refund, said Mercury News. (more…)

The New York Times has published an interesting report detailing flaws in the U.S. beef inspection system. Because of these flaws, consumers nationwide may face a serious risk from E. coli and other food borne illnesses every time they bite into a hamburger.

The New York Times report uses the case of a 22-year-old woman who developed a severe E. coli infection in 2007 after eating a frozen hamburger patty made by Cargill that was labeled “American Chef’s Selection Angus Beef Patties.” In October 2007 Cargill recalled over 840,000 pounds of these and other ground beef patties after they were linked to an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that sickened more than 900 people. Today, the young woman is paralyzed from the waist down due to her bout with E. coli. (more…)

We have long been covering the issue of consumer products, foods, and medications imported to the United Sates from China that have made news for toxins, high lead levels, bogus ingredients, and general defectiveness. Now, MSNBC has reported that Chinese-made tires can be included in the mix.

The two countries are arguing over trade tariffs for the tires, but some consumers are also concerned about tires coming from a country that has shown an abysmal track record for product safety. MSNBC noted that tire imports from China have increased from 15 million in 2006 to 46 million in 2008, citing the United Steelworkers union. The union—which represents rubber industry workers—has accused China of unfair trade practices, saying tire imports from China have jumped this year by an astounding 57 percent based on the weight of tires brought into U.S. docks, said MSNBC. (more…)

Quesos Mi Pueblito, LLC of New Jersey is recalling more cheese products because of potential Listeria contamination. All of the cheeses involved in this recall bear a “Sell by Date” from February 2, 2009 to present.

Products involved in this recall include:
(more…)

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in an effort to create a permanent oversees presence, is planning on opening an office in Beijing. The office is being set up, in part, reported HeraldTribune.com to better work with both Chinese regulators and companies in China and ensure exports coming into the United States from China are safe, according to agency chairwoman Inez Tenenbaum.

The move follows an unprecedented number of recalls that have involved consumer products, children’s toys, pet food, fish, dairy products, and toothpaste, to name just some, noted HeraldTribune.com. Compounding the issue, in recent months toxic Chinese drywall has been causing illness and raising alarm with residents nationwide. (more…)

Vital Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Davie, Florida, is recalling 17 lots of powdered dietary supplement, Stealth Chocolate and Stealth Vanilla, because of the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The product contains an ingredient—Milk Protein Concentrate—that was recalled by one of its suppliers, Plainview Milk Products Cooperative of Plainview, Minnesota.

We have been reporting about the Plainview Milk Products recalls of instant nonfat dried milk, whey protein, fruit stabilizers, and gums (thickening agents) it manufactured over the past two years, because the products might be contaminated with Salmonella. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Plainview has stopped production of these products and has notified its customers of the recall. (more…)

Salmonella worries have prompted yet another recall of alfalfa sprouts. According to a notice posted on the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Website, Mike’s Produce, Inc. dba Kowalke Family Sprouts is voluntarily recalling the alfalfa products after receiving notification that a surveillance sample taken at a retail location with a June 21 sell-by date tested positive for Salmonella.

Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. (more…)

Salmonella worries have prompted a number of firms to recall more dry milk products over the past several days.

The dried milk in all of these products was originally recalled by Plainview Milk Products Cooperative of Plainview, Minnesota last month. In addition to the nonfat dried milk products, the company also recalled whey protein, fruit stabilizers, and gums (thickening agents) that it has manufactured over the past two year because of potential Salmonella contamination. The company sells these products to other industry customers, including distributors and manufacturers, who may have incorporated them into their own products. (more…)

Consumers are being warned not to use or purchase either Hardcore Energize Bullet or New Whey Liquid Products, which have been recalled due to suspected tampering, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The FDA explained that Hardcore Energize Bullet and New Whey liquid products are sold in test tube-like vials.

The suspected tampering involved a utility knife blade found in one vial of Hardcore Energize Bullet drink, manufactured in the United States and sold in Canada, and another blade in one vial of New Whey liquid products, manufactured and sold in the United States. To date, there have been no reports of injuries. (more…)

Plainview Milk Products Cooperative, Plainview, Minnesota, is voluntarily recalling instant nonfat dried milk, whey protein, fruit stabilizers, and gums (thickening agents) that it has manufactured over the past two years, because the products might be contaminated with Salmonella, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced.

The company sells these products to other industry customers, including distributors and manufacturers, who may have incorporated them into their own products. None of Plainview’s recalled products were sold directly to the public. Plainview has stopped production of these products and has notified its customers of the recall. Currently, the Plainview recall is limited to industry customers who received suspect product(s). (more…)