Below is a list of recent food recalls and safety notifications.
Oysters
Future Seafoods. Inc recently issued a voluntary recall of certain oysters. The recall was initiated after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency tested a batch of oysters and found them to be contaminated with Salmonella and E. Coli. The recalled oysters were harvested around Prince Edward Island, Canada. Distribution of the oysters occurred in October 2023 throughout the Eastern United States.
Consequently, the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) issued a Safety Advisory advising retailers and restaurants not to sell the affected oysters raw. Further, consumers are not to eat these oysters. The full advisory can be found here.
Chocolate
Last year, Consumer Reports, a consumer advocacy group, issued a report concerning the elevated levels of heavy metals in dark chocolate. The metals include cadmium and lead, which can build up in the body. Unfortunately, elevated levels of these metals have been linked to serios health problems in children and adults.
Recently, Consumer Reports announced that it found detectable amounts of lead and cadmium in additional chocolate products. These products include not only dark chocolate, but milk chocolate, cocoa powder, chocolate chips and brownie mix. Chocolate bars are the only category not containing excess amounts of lead and cadmium.
Several different companies manufacture the products. In response to these findings, Consumer Reports is again petitioning Hershey, one of the leading manufacturers, to reduce heavy metals in its chocolate products.
Baby Food
The FDA has issued a Safety Alert concerning WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches. The alert advises parents not to purchase or feed the pouches to their children because the pouches may contain elevated levels of lead. The pouches were sold nationally at major retailers including Sam’s Club, Dollar Tree, and Amazon.
Test results indicate that lead levels are so elevated that ingestion may result in acute toxicity. Consequently, the FDA urges parents of children who consumed the pouches to contact their child’s healthcare provider to obtain blood tests. Further, the FDA informed the public that short term exposure symptoms include headaches, abdominal pain and vomiting. Long term exposure may result in irritability, fatigue, muscle pain, abdominal pain, constipation, and difficulty concentrating.
If you or a loved one has been injured by one of these food products, contact the FDA.