Recall: Deboles Kids Only Gluten-Free Pasta

This recall is for a new gluten-free pasta, DeBoles Kids Only! Gluten Free Tubettini Corn Pasta, which I just purchased at Whole Foods this week. The box I purchased is not part of the recall.

The recalled lot code is 30JUN11D1 and was sold in stores nationwide and online.  It may have undeclared whole wheat alphabet pasta, which is noticeably different from the yellow tube shaped pasta.  No other lots are affected. For more information, read this press release.

New McNeil Recall: Many Products for Infants and Children

McNeil is recalling all unexpired lots of certain Tylenol drops and suspensions, Motrin drops and suspensions, Zyrtec liquids, and Benadryl liquids. It appears that chewable forms of these products are not affected by the recall. For a complete list of the recalled products, view the FDA press release. Below is the reason for this large recall. Contact McNeil at 1-888-222-6036 or visit the McNeil recall website.

“McNeil Consumer Healthcare is initiating this voluntary recall because some of these products may not meet required quality standards. This recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events. However, as a precautionary measure, parents and caregivers should not administer these products to their children. Some of the products included in the recall may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than is specified; others may contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements; and others may contain tiny particles. While the potential for serious medical events is remote, the company advises consumers who have purchased these recalled products to discontinue use.”

Recall: McCormick Fajitas Seasoning Mix

If you purchased McCormick Fajitas Seasoning Mix since mid-February 2010, your package may be part of the recall. The item was mispackaged and contains undeclared wheat and milk. Here are the recall details.

"McCormick & Company, Incorporated has announced a voluntary recall of McCormick Fajitas Seasoning Mix, with UPC Code 5210002121 and 'BEST BY' dates of JAN 16 12 AH and JAN 16 12 CH."

"Consumers do not need to return the product to the store where it was purchased. Instead, consumers are urged to contact McCormick's Consumer Affairs team at 1-800-632-5847, weekdays from 9:30 AM to 9:00 PM, or weekends from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM (Eastern Time), for a replacement or full refund, as well as instructions on what to do with the product."

Recall: Gluten-Free Naturals

GFN Foods, the maker or Gluten-Free Naturals, is recalling several products because the soy flour used in the products may contain traces of salmonella. The products were sold online and in stores in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Below are the three recalled products.

Gluten-Free Naturals Pancake Mix – UPC 187058 000043
Lots 09159 (exp 12/8/2010), 09320 (exp 5/16/12) 09322 (exp 5/18/12)

Gluten-Free Naturals Light & Moist Yellow Cake Mix – UPC 187058 000067
Lots 09083 (exp 9/24/10) and 09322 (exp 5/18/12)

Gluten-Free Naturals Cookie Blend Flour – UPC 187058 000029
Lots 09086 (exp 6/24/10), 09219 (exp 11/7/10) and 10035 (exp 5/4/11)

However, the company explains that if the mixes are prepared in accordance with the directions and you do not eat any of the raw batter or mix before cooking, then there "is essentially no risk" of getting sick. If you would still like to return the products, then contact GFN Foods via email: pgraven@gfnfoods.com or call 866-761-6147.

Large Recall of Many Products Made with Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein

Check this FDA list daily for the latest products added to the hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) recall. Some of the recalled products may be gluten-free. On March 10, there were 149 products listed.

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is actively investigating findings of Salmonella Tennessee in hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) manufactured by Basic Food Flavors, Inc., in Las Vegas, NV. HVP is a flavor enhancer used in a wide variety of processed food products, such as soups, sauces, chilis, stews, hot dogs, gravies, seasoned snack foods, dips, and dressings. It is often blended with other spices to make seasonings that are used in or on foods.

At this time, no illnesses associated with this contamination have been reported to the FDA."

Recall: Cousins Products Spinach Vinaigrette

Here is the recall information from the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network.

"Cousins Products, LLC is recalling 16-oz. jars of Spinach Vinaigrette due to undeclared egg, soy, and wheat.

The product was distributed through retail establishments in Louisiana and Mississippi and through internet sales to Florida, Illinois, Texas, and Virginia from June 2009 until present.

Consumers who have questions may call (985) 871-8797, Tuesday-Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., for information and return instructions."

McNeil Recall: Many Lots of Tylenol, Motrin, Rolaids, and More

Gather all the Tylenol, Motrin, Rolaids, Benadryl, St. Joseph Aspirin, and Simply Sleep in your house and check this list or use the McNeil search to determine if they are part of this large McNeil recall. For refund or replacement instructions, contact McNeil customer service at 1-888-222-6036.


“The company is initiating this recall following an investigation of consumer reports of an unusual moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor that, in a small number of cases, was associated with temporary and non-serious gastrointestinal events. These include nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, or diarrhea. This precautionary action is voluntary and has been taken in consultation with the FDA.

Based on this investigation, McNeil Consumer Healthcare has determined that the reported uncharacteristic smell is caused by the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA). This can result from the breakdown of a chemical that is sometimes applied to wood that is used to build wood pallets that transport and store product packaging materials. The health effects of this chemical have not been well studied but no serious events have been documented in the medical literature. A small number of the product lots being recalled were associated with the complaints of an unusual moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor, and some of these lots were found to contain trace amounts of TBA.”

The Extra Strength Tylenol I purchased recently was not affected, but I do have two bottles of children’s Motrin that were recalled. Print the list to bring with you when buying new bottles of these products.

Recall: College Inn Chicken Broth

Select cans of College Inn Chicken Broth are mislabeled and do not list wheat in the ingredients. The cans also incorrectly say "No MSG". College Inn Chicken Broth normally contains hydrolyzed wheat gluten in the ingredients statement.

The recall is for all dates of the College Inn No MSG Chicken Broth 14 ½ oz cans. Only four College Inn products are gluten-free.

Recall: Armour Chili

The original Armour Chili with Beans is being recalled due to undeclared wheat. The case of six cans has a plastic over-wrap with the label gluten free. Below is the recall information from the Food and Allergy Anaphylaxis Network.

"Pinnacle Foods Group LLC is recalling “ARMOUR Chili with Beans, Original” due to undeclared wheat. The product was distributed to retail stores in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The 15-oz. cans come in a case of six with a plastic over-wrap that incorrectly states the product is "Gluten Free," while the product actually contains wheat. The label bears an “EST. 2AD” number inside the USDA mark of inspection with dates ranging from August 26, 2009 to October 28, 2009.

Consumers with questions may call (800) 253-5882."

Breyers Recall: Undeclared Wheat in Mint Chocolate Chip

A mistake was made in packaging and some Breyers tubs that say “All Natural Mint Chocolate Chip” on the tub actually contain Breyers Cookies and Cream ice cream. The lid says “All Natural Cookies and Cream”, but the ingredients list is for the All Natural Mint Chocolate Chip and does not declare wheat. Here is the recall information from Unilever.

“The mispackaged ice cream product was distributed in Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Trinidad and Virginia through retail stores in these locations and adjoining areas. The affected product is being recalled from consumers and retailer store shelves, back rooms and warehouses.

The affected mispackaged product was distributed in 1.5-quart (1.41L)paperboard tubs marked with UPC # 077567254245 located on the side of the tub and in combination with “Best If Used By” dates of FEB1711GH, FEB1811GH and FEB1911GH located on the bottom of the tub.

The allergy alert and recall relates only to the above mentioned mispackaged Breyers®ice cream. No other Breyers®ice cream products are affected.

No adverse reactions have been reported to date. In addition to working in cooperation with the FDA, the company is also issuing an alert through the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network.

The recall was initiated after the company received a few consumer complaints about the mispackaged product. It was determined that product containing wheat was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of wheat in the ingredient list on the tub.

Consumers who have purchased the mispackaged Breyers®ice cream with UPC # 077567254245 and in combination with “Best If Used By” dates of FEB1711GH, FEB1811GH and FEB1911GH are urged to discard it immediately and contact the company at 1-877-270-7402for a full refund. For consumers outside the United States, please send an email to comments.breyers@unilever.com for a full refund.”

Recall - Van's Wheat Free Pancakes

One lot of Van's Wheat Free Pancakes is being recalled because of undeclared wheat, egg, and milk. Here is the important recall information from the Van's website.

"The 118 cases of recalled Van’s Wheat Free Homestyle Pancakes may have been distributed in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Idaho and Hawaii, through retail outlets that include but may not be limited to Whole Foods, Wegmans, Giant Carlisle, Sprouts and Martins. The distributors and the retail customers involved have been notified.

The product comes in a 12.4 ounce package which is beige with an orange stripe on the top and a triangular blue gluten-free call out in the upper right-hand corner with the lot number 200060629B1 located on the side flap of the box. The 'Best if used by date' is March 30, 2010 also printed on the same flap.

The voluntary recall was initiated immediately after a packaging operator error, limited to one shift, was discovered. The company has immediately reinforced its Quality Assurance and Packaging procedures and believes that the problem was a one-time incident.

Consumers should return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund or send the box top with the printed lot number to the address below to receive five free coupons for any Van’s waffle, pancake, or French toast stick product 12.4 ounce or smaller."

Van's International Foods, Inc.
Attn: Wheat Free Pancake Product Recall
3285 East Vernon Avenue
Vernon, CA 90058


Fortunately, the box I purchased yesterday at Whole Foods to finally try these pancakes is dated June 2010 and is not part of the recall.

Recall - EnviroKidz Crispy Rice Peanut Choco Drizzle Bars

Here is the information on the recalled product in the USA.

Carton UPC - 058449430230
Bar UPC - 058449430223
Nature’s Path EnviroKidz Organic Crispy Rice Peanut Choco Drizzle, 6 pack, USA
Best Before Dates: 5 APR-09 through 22 JUL 09

Here is a quote from Nature's Path website.
"Please Note: Our EnviroKidz Peanut Butter Panda Puffs cereal, EnviroKidz Leapin’ Lemurs’ cereal and EnviroKidz Peanut Butter Panda Crispy Rice Bars are in no way affected by this recall and are safe to consume. The peanuts in these three products are sourced exclusively from an organic peanut processor in British Columbia, Canada. We have tested and continue to test the peanut products from this now exclusive supplier, none of which have come back positive for salmonella."

Please see the press release for the details on the recall involving the Envirokidz bars in Canada and the Nature's Path gluten products in both the USA and Canada.

New Recall - Glutenfreeda Peanut Envy Cookie Dough

I just found out about this recall from Amy Leger at the Savy Celiac. She blogged about it this morning before I had a chance to check today's list of recalls. Thanks Amy! Here is the info from the FDA press release:

"PEANUT ENVY will be found in the freezer case in a 1 lb. (454 gram) ice
cream style oval paper tub. The package features a young woman holding a cookie
on a gold background and under the label states, “Glutenfreeda’s REAL COOKIES
Peanut Envy”. UPC code is 5824600101 on product tubs, 5824600106 on all USA case
boxes and (01)08582460010185 in Canada, all dates are affected. This product has
a one year shelf life. Products with “Use By” of 2/24/09 and prior are included
in the recall and should be removed from store freezer shelves. Consumers who
have purchased the product should check their freezer for the product and
expiration date."

So it appears that if it is still in your freezer, it would have just expired with the use by date of 2/24/09 or earlier. I could not find any mention of this recall on the Glutenfreeda Foods website. Remember to return your recalled products for a full refund. Please click on the review label at the end of this posting to read my other postings about gluten free recalls.

Recall - Trader Joe's Frozen Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

On February 9, Trader Joe's recalled it Frozen Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, which is sold in stores nationwide. The recall also includes other cookies from their private label, which are not gluten free. Here is a quote from the press release.

"Customers who have purchased any of these items (any date code) are urged to
return them to any Trader Joe’s for a full refund. Customers with
questions may contact Trader Joe’s Customer Service at (626) 599-3817."

A complete list with pictures of recalled products sold at Trader Joe's can be found on their website. For other recalled gluten free products, please see my two earlier February posts.

Recall - Glutino Chocolate Peanut Bars

Glutino Organic Chocolate Peanut Bars (lots 0358A, 0368A, 1338A, 1968A, 1978A, 2548A, 2558A, 2908A, 3368A) have been recalled. This is not listed on the FDA site, since these are made in Canada. This is the first recalled product that I actually had in my pantry! For a complete list of recalled Canadian products, click here. Please see my post from last week for other recalled gluten free products.

RECALL - Gluten Free Cafe Asian Noodles, Arico, & Lesserevil

The following recall was announced January 31, 2009 from Hain Celestial.

Gluten Free Café Asian Noodles 9.2 ozUPC code # 70795-03504 lot codes beginning with “WC8”

On January 29, ARICO recalled their peanut butter cookies and peanut butter cookies bars.

On January 30, Lesserevil issued a recall of their peanut butter and choco kettle corn.

For a complete list of peanut related recalls, please see the FDA site. New recalls are added daily and posted in the FDA news updates list of company recalls. Here are some other gluten free foods that are on the peanut recall list:

Clif bars

LARABARS

thinkThin - Dark Chocolate and Chocolate Mudslide

Update - Feb. 8, 2009 - Glutino Organic Chocolate Peanut Bars (lots 0358A, 0368A, 1338A, 1968A, 1978A, 2548A, 2558A, 2908A, 3368A) have been recalled. This is not listed on the FDA site, since these are made in Canada. This is the first recalled product that I actually had in my pantry!

Update - Feb. 10, 2009 - Trader Joes's Frozen Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookie Dough was recalled - all dates.

Chicago Tribune investigation finds high amounts of gluten in "gluten free" Wellshire Farms chicken bites & corn dogs - Do not eat them!

I had the corn dogs in my freezer and ate them recently. Fortunately, I didn't get glutened. I saw the corn dogs still in the freezer at Whole Foods - DO NOT BUY - production was halted in June, but they did not issue a recall! I found this astonishing! Thanks to the Chicago Tribune for helping to keep consumers with Celiac Disease and allergies safe and informed! I am so glad I stumbled across this article. At the end of the article, they listed the actual gluten ppm it contained. If you still have your receipt, you can return them to Whole Foods. Otherwise, please throw them away and do not risk eating them.

Chicago Tribune article - "An alarming number of products sold as allergen-free actually contain harmful amounts, the Tribune found". They found "50: Percent of allergen recalls involving undisclosed milk or eggs." Use this link to read the full article.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-081120-allergens-tribune-investigation,0,506031.story

A database created by the Chicago Tribune to search allergen related food recalls from the last ten years:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/allergen-database,0,7219804.htmlpage
Note: The database does not include gluten, only wheat. It appears that new recalls are not in the database. Remember, the Wellshire Farms chicken bites and corn dogs were not officially recalled, but clearly should have been.

To check for new and old food and drug recalls:
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html
You can also signup to have recalls emailed to you.

To check for recalled meat, poultry, and eggs - USDA:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fsis_Recalls/index.asp