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Public Health Alert from Ledge Light Health District: Trader Joe's Company Voluntarily Recalls Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars

February 16, 2010

Trader Joe's Company of Monrovia, California is voluntarily recalling Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars, UPC 82818, Use by Dates/Lot Codes 16JUL10H2 and 17JUL10H1, manufactured by Bloomfield Bakery, a subsidiary of Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, 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, 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.

The product involved in this recall was distributed at Trader Joe’s stores nationally and comes in a 7.4 oz box marked with Use by/Lot Codes 16JUL10H2 and 17JUL10H1 on the top of the box and stamped individually on the side of each granola bar. Production of the product has been suspended while FDA and Bloomfield Bakery continue their investigation.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this product.

At Trader Joe’s we take the safety of our customers and the integrity of our products very seriously. Customers who have purchased Trader Joe’s Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars, Use by/Lot Codes 16JUL10H2 and 17JUL10H1 are urged to return them to any Trader Joe’s for a full refund. Customers with questions may contact Trader Joe’s Customer Relations Monday through Friday, 6am to 6pm PST at (626) 599-3817.

For more info, see www.ledgelighthd.org/disease_prev/PHA/Food/Trader_Joes_Granola.html

Posted 7 March 2010

Hospice recruiting volunteers

Hospice Southeastern Connecticut announces its next Volunteer Training series in March 2010. Volunteers are essential members of the Hospice Southeastern Connecticut care giving community. Volunteers provide a variety of support services to patients, their families, and staff. There are openings in the following categories of volunteers throughout New London County, which includes Colchester, Griswold, Groton, Montville, Mystic, New London, Niantic, North Stonington, Norwich, Old Lyme, Salem, Stonington, and Waterford:

Hospice Southeastern Connecticut is a community-based non-profit organization that has provided 25 years of quality care for people with life-limiting illnesses and support for their loved ones before and after death, offering an interdisciplinary group of professionals in medical care, pain management, spiritual and psychosocial support care for the patient's daily needs. Volunteers are specially trained in the hospice philosophy to offer support to patients and their families.
For more information, call Denise Hawk at (860) 848-5699 or e-mail
dhawk@hospicesect.org.

Posted 14 February 2010

Expanded Recall of Daniele International Sausage Products Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination

February 1, 2010

Daniele International Inc., an establishment with operations in Pascoag and Mapleville, R.I., is expanding its January 23 recall to include approximately 17,235 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) varieties of Italian sausage products, including salami/salame, that may be contaminated with Salmonella, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The recall is being expanded as a result of a confirmed finding of Salmonella in an unopened salami product reported by the Illinois Department of Public Health. The product was sampled during the course of an ongoing investigation of a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella serotype Montevideo illnesses. The product tested was not included in the previous recall issued January 23, but is similar to products bought by customers who later became sick in the Montevideo investigation. Product subject to the expanded recall may have been cross-contaminated with black pepper before it was packed. The company believes that black pepper is a possible source of Salmonella contamination.

Further testing is ongoing at a state health partner laboratory, and may determine if the product contained the Salmonella Montevideo strain associated with the multi-state outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FSIS, state health and agriculture departments, and Daniele International are cooperating in this investigation. The CDC has posted information about the multi-state outbreak on its website (http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella) but the investigation is ongoing, and has not yet definitively identified a food vehicle(s).

FSIS is continuing to work with the CDC, FDA, affected state public health partners, and the company on the investigation and will update the public on the progress of this investigation as information becomes available.

The products subject to recall include:

Each package bears a label with establishment number (EST. 54) inside the USDA mark of inspection and weighs approximately 3 to 3.5 pounds. These products were distributed to retail establishments nationwide.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers (including restaurants) of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.

Consumer questions regarding the recall should call the company's Hotline at (888) 345-4160.

Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses. Salmonella infections can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. The most common manifestations of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within eight to 72 hours. Additional symptoms may be chills, headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up to seven days.

Posted 14 February 2010