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Lean Cuisine Recalls Chicken Dinners

partysugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:00:27 -0800

Yesterday Lean Cuisine's parent company, Nestlé Prepared Foods, recalled approximately 879,565 pounds of frozen chicken meals.

According to the US Department of Agriculture and Food Safety, the meals may contain foreign materials like small pieces of plastic.

To find out what exactly is being recalled, read more.

9.5-ounce packages of “Lean Cuisine Pesto Chicken with Bow Tie Pasta" brand frozen meals.
Printed on each side of each package is a production code of “8280595912,” as well as a use-by date of “Best Before MAY 2010.”
10.5-ounce packages of “Lean Cuisine Chicken Mediterranean” brand frozen meals.
Printed on the side of each package is a production code of “8231595912” or “8241595912,” as well as a use-by date of “Best before SEP 2010”; a production code of “8263595912,” “8269595911” or “8274595912,” as well as a use-by date of “Best before OCT 2010”; or, a production code of “8291595912” or “8301595912,” as well as a use-by date of “Best before NOV 2010.”
12.5-ounce packages of “Lean Cuisine Chicken Tuscan” brand frozen meals.
Printed on the side of each package is a production code of “8234595911” and a use-by date of “Best before SEP 2009”; a production code of “8253595911” or “8269595912” as well as a use-by date of “Best before OCT 2009”; or, a production code of “8292595911” or “8296595911” as well as a use-by date of “Best before NOV 2009.”

Last Summer, Pizza Pockets, another brand under Nestlé, recalled a large number of frozen pepperoni Hot Pockets. I can't help but think plastic in frozen foods is an alarming trend. Let's hope the manufacturers get this problem sorted out soon. Until then, be sure to check the Lean Cuisines in your freezer.

Source

Produce and Meat's COOL Move

YumSugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:00:29 -0700

America is moving one more step closer to awareness of where its food comes from.

The US Department of Agriculture has mandated that all produce as well as meat, fish, and poultry sold in US retail stores will be required to have country of origin labels (COOL) beginning next Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Aside from knowing more about your food's origins, the COOL new system (pun intended) could be helpful in situations such as this year's widespread salmonella outbreak. Since the outbreak was traced to Mexico, if you purchased jalapeno or serrano peppers from, say, California, you could be assured that your produce wasn't from the contaminated source.

For years, COOL has been applied to canned or boxed foods packaged overseas, but this will be the first time the rule is required for fresh foods. There are exceptions, however: meat and fish sold in small butcheries or fish markets; salad bars or packaged mixed fruit and vegetable salads; bacon, ham, and smoked salmon; frozen vegetables; domestically canned vegetables; cooked shrimp; and roasted peanuts. What do you think of this move? Are you glad to learn more about where your food comes from?

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Recall Warning: FDA Issues a Warning on Cantaloupe

YumSugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 03:01:18 -0700

Watch out, if you've purchased any cantaloupe recently you may want to check the sticker. The FDA issued an alert regarding cantaloupe from Agropecuaria Montelibano, a Honduran grower and packer. Turns out fruit from them may be linked to a salmonella outbreak. At the time of their alert, 59 people had illnesses linked to the cantaloupes. No deaths have occurred, but 14 people were hospitalized.

If your cantaloupe doesn't have a sticker, you should check with your grocery store to see where their stock comes from. If it turns out to be from Agropecuaria Monteliban, you should toss it out. Better to be safe than sorry!

If you're concerned and would like to learn more, be sure to read the full FDA alert.

Source

Recall Warning: Salmonella and Listeria, Oh Boy!

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:31:31 -0800

Seems that sprouts aren't the only thing being recalled due to salmonella bacteria. This time it's batches of Aunt Jemima Pancake and Waffle Mix: Original, Original Complete, and Buttermilk Complete. According to Aunt Jemima folks, there is only a health risk if it's consumed raw or undercooked. At this time, no illnesses have been reported.

The products - both two and five pound boxes - have best before dates of FEB 08 09 H through FEB 16 09 H stamped on top. The UPC codes are:

30000 43272 Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Complete 5 lb.
30000 05040 Aunt Jemima Original 2 lb.
30000 05070 Aunt Jemima Original Complete 2 lb.
30000 05300 Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Complete 2 lb.

If you think you have this product, or if you have any questions, contact Aunt Jemima at 1-800-407-2247.

And if one recall wasn't enough today, the East Coast based Stop & Shop Supermarket has recalled products that were sold in their deli. The following products have been recalled because they may have been contaminated with the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

Breaded Chicken Cutlet (labeled GB BRD CHIX CUTLETS or GB BR CHIX CUTLTS)
Chicken Marsala (labeled GB CHIX MARSALA)
Grilled Lemon Chicken (labeled GB GR LEMON CHIX or GB GR LNI CHCKN)
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken (labeled GB GR TERIYKI CHIX or GB GR TRYKI CHICKN)

No illnesses have been found, but folks who have purchased these products should immediately dispose them. You can contact Stop and Shop for more info.

So tell me do all these food recalls change your purchasing habits?

Dunkin' Drinks Join Beef, Cookie Dough Ranks in Food Recall

YumSugar — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:00:52 -0700

Yesterday, Dunkin' Donuts temporarily pulled its Dunkaccino and hot chocolate drinks off store menus after discovering that one of its suppliers' facilities may have been contaminated with salmonella. The doughnut chain's supplier, Plainview Milk Products Cooperative, voluntarily recalled several of its products, although no illnesses have been traced back to the contamination. Dunkin' Donuts is confident the drinks will be back in stores soon, but yesterday's recall is simply one more to add to a rapidly growing list of food contamination concerns. At the end of last month, Nestlé pulled 30,000 cases of Toll House refrigerated cookie dough after dozens of illnesses were traced to the product, which contained harmful traces of E. coli bacteria. Then over 380,000 pounds of beef were recalled across the country because the meat was also tainted with toxic E. coli. More than 12 people have been hospitalized as a result.

Food contamination appears to be a concern for Americans now more than ever. In March, following recalls of spinach, jalapeños, milk, and peanut butter, President Obama addressed food-safety issues and reassured Americans that he would aid the FDA in strengthening the country's food-safety system. Yet the situation only seems to be getting worse. Are you as frustrated with the FDA's lack of diligence as I am?

Recall Warning: Pills in the Fish, Salmonella in the Sprouts

YumSugar — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:15:31 -0800

The folks at Gorton's Seafood are recalling their Gorton's 6 Crispy Battered Fish Fillets because one customer has found pills in her food.

Tracy Rowan of New Freedom, Penn., sat down to eat her fillets only to discover they contained several beige aspirin-sized pills.

The product is being recalled in Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. The UPC number is #4440015770 and the date code is 7289G1. If you have any of these boxes, you are urged to call Gorton's for a refund at 800-896-9479.

If you're still concerned, the US FDA has more information.

In related news, Salad Cosmo USA is recalling alfalfa sprouts sold in northern and central California and Washington.

Trader Joe's has also recalled tubs of of alfalfa sprouts from Nature's Choice Alfalfa Sprouts.

Both sprout recalls are due to possible salmonella contamination.

Source and Source

Recall Warning: Metromint May Not Be So Minty Fresh

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:15:39 -0800

Attention Metromint fans, the Soma Beverage Company - makers of Metromint - are recalling all bottles of Metromint flavors Peppermint, Spearmint, Orangemint, and Lemonmint that have a best before stamp of 2008/12/21 and were produced at its California facility (letters KSA located in the lower right-hand corner).

Why the recall? Turns out the bottles may be contaminated with Bacillus cereus, a type of food poisoning. If you've got your mitts on a recalled bottle return it to the place where you purchased it, and don't drink it as it could cause a wide range of symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting.

Uh oh, sounds like someone's got a PR nightmare on their hands. The water is normally pretty refreshing; it's bottled water with a splash of minty freshness. The company is pretty young and is still building a fan base. I hope this recall doesn't set them back too far.

If you're concerned and would like to speak with someone, Soma Beverage can be contacted at 415-979-0781, ext. 101.

Recall Warning: 143 Million Pounds of Beef Recalled

YumSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 06:28:31 -0800

You've probably heard by now, but just in case, yesterday, the USDA recalled 143 million pounds of frozen beef. Yes, millions.

The largest beef recall in the US is occurring because Southern California based slaughterhouse Westland/Hallmark - the one that was recently shut down because of sick and mistreated animals - did not receive complete and proper inspections. Due to that fact, the Food Safety and Inspection Service has stated that the meat is unfit for human consumption.

The meat was sent to many federal school lunch programs, as well as several large fast-food chains. They estimate that 37 million pounds have already been consumed, and that no reported illnesses have occurred. The recall is more of a precaution since sick animals pose a higher risk of contamination.

Source

Nestlé Toll House Cookie Dough Makes a Comeback

YumSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:41:46 -0700

One of the food industry's more massive headlines occurred at the end of June, when a deadly strain of E. coli bacteria was discovered in a batch of Nestlé Toll House refrigerated cookie dough. Two months later, Nestle is returning its dough batter to shelves - albeit with an important warning.

At least 66 people in 28 states reported getting sick from the product. Nearly all of the victims were female, under the age of 19, and reported eating raw dough before experiencing symptoms. In response, Nestlé voluntarily recalled 3.6 million packages of its cookie dough, and shuttered the portion of its Danville, VA, plant as federal investigators tried to determine the source of contamination. After completely disassembling the equipment in the plant for inspection and sanitizing, the company is shipping out fresh refrigerated cookie dough packs. To help shoppers identify it as new and improved, the package now contains a blue, star-shaped seal that says "New Batch" - along with the warning "Do not consume raw cookie dough" on both the front and back.

Are you excited to hear that Toll House cookies are back - or are you afraid to eat them? What do you think of the new warning labeling? Does the recall situation make you reconsider the idea of eating raw cookie dough straight out of the package?

Source: Flickr User √oхέƒx™

Federal Government Outlines Tighter Food Safety Guidelines

YumSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:00:33 -0700

Enough is enough, the White House has declared: Yesterday, a food safety working group established by Barack Obama announced new standards in the production of foods such as eggs, poultry, beef, leafy greens, melons, and tomatoes.

In the last year, members of virtually every food group - from spinach, jalapeños, milk, and peanut butter to cookie dough, beef, and now dry milk - have been recalled due to possible salmonella or E. coli contamination. With a series of new rules, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius are hoping to prevent as many further food safety issues as possible. Find out what the guidelines are when you read more