The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, along with International Cheese Co. is warning those Canadians not to eat Santa Lucia brand Ricotta Cheese. The cheese was sold in 500-gram packages and features a Best Before date of 09JA01 (literally, January 1, 2009). The Lot No. is 477. According to a report, the product has only been distributed in Ontario, Canada, and is being voluntarily recalled.

The report did not indicate if Canadian health officials or inspectors at International Cheese Co. discovered the possible contamination, or where it was found, either at the manufacturing facility (where it was likely to have originated) or somewhere else along the supply chain.

The cheese is reported to have reached store shelves in some parts of Ontario, but there have been no reports of illness associated with people eating this cheese.

Listeria is not the most common form of food-borne illness, and it is nearly impossible to tell if you’re eating contaminated food. Pain and nausea are among the symptoms people with regular immune systems could suffer. The contamination could be much more complicated for pregnant women (it could result in miscarriage or stillbirth) and the frail.

The potentially life-threatening form of food poisoning was apparently discovered at some point by health of company officials.

The Centre for Food Safety said it had tested 307 egg samples and found four of them to have almost twice the legal limit of melamine. Scientists had set an allowable limit of 2.5 parts per million of melamine in food, but the latest tests showed the eggs had 4.7 ppm.

The melamine tainted eggs reportedly came from a farm in Dehui City in China’s northeastern Jilin province. According to BBC, the government has asked the importer to stop selling them and is checking where the eggs may have been sold. The products had been distributed to some bakeries but not to any other retail outlets, a spokesman for the centre said.

Meanwhile, six babies have died, and more than a quarter million children in China have been sicked by melamine tainted food.

This news comes at the same time as a Chinese health official revising the number of infants who have died from melamine poisoning. Now, six infants have died in China as a result of ingesting baby formula tainted with the industrial chemical, melamine.

According to BBC News, exports of Chinese dairy products had reached 12,000 tons per month earlier this year, which is also about the time when first reports of infants being diagnosed with UTIs and kidney stones were first reported. In October, only 2,000 tons of dairy products were demanded from China.

In November, months after those initial reports, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration formally announced it would begin cracking down on its Chinese imports. Critics of the regulators say the U.S. waited too long. Those critics were validated, somewhat, last week when a test revealed that at least one major brand of infant formula tested positive for trace amounts of melamine.

The FDA said the levels detected were below the allowed limit, but the discovery raised more than just the eyebrows of many concerned mothers and industry advocates.

The concern expressed in this case is not unwarranted, by any means. Earlier this year it was melamine that was blamed for killing scores of pets because their food was laced with the chemical.

Melamine is added to food products to show a high protein level when it goes for inspection.

Also, at least 294,000 infants have suffered from urinary tract infections or have developed kidney stones as a result of drinking the formula.

“Science and 21st century technologies help drive the FDA’s efforts to transform our food safety efforts from the Food Protection Plan into a reality,” said Commissioner of Food and Drugs Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D. “Every day, the FDA is working with foreign countries, state and local governments, regulated industry and consumer groups to ensure the safety of the food supply. We also continue to work with members of Congress to achieve new authorities requested in the Food Protection Plan.”

Meanwhile, American consumers are left suffering from the FDA’s neglect over the past year. From the ongoing melamine concerns originating from China to salmonella peppers grown in Mexico, consumers in the U.S. aren’t wrong to wonder where the FDA’s priorities truly lie. And let’s not forget the E. coli outbreaks grown and bred right here at home.

On the FDA’s list of progress in response to outbreaks which could have been prevented if the FDA had done its job:

• The FDA is working with industry and the public to identify best practices for tracing fresh produce throughout the supply chain.
• The FDA hired two emergency /complaint-response coordinators to improve its response to emergencies that involve animal feed, including pet food.
• Following the detection of melamine in infant formula and milk products from China, the FDA worked with its state and local counterparts to rapidly canvas over 2,100 vendors of Asian products to remove any Chinese infant formula from the market and to sample milk-derived Chinese products to check for melamine contamination. The FDA also provided regular updates on its Web site, advising consumers which products to avoid because of melamine contamination.
• The FDA held regular briefing calls for consumer organizations during the outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul in the summer of 2008, and regularly updated a Web page that provided information on the investigation into the outbreak, and advised consumers how they could protect themselves and their families.
• The FDA has signed cooperative agreements with six U.S. states to form a Rapid Response Team to develop, implement, exercise, and integrate an all-hazards response capability for food and foodborne illness responses, to react more rapidly react to potential threats to our food supply.
• After reports from China of melamine-contaminated infant formula, the FDA worked with its state and local counterparts to quickly canvas over 2,100 Asian markets to remove any infant formula from China that might be available and to sample milk-derived products to check for melamine contamination.

Scary to think what next year’s “progress report” might look like.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service announced that 5,250 pounds of the beef sandwich portions, manufactured by Home Market Foods Inc., of Norwood, Mass., could be contaminated with the harmful bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

The following specific product and description is subject to the recall:
3.5-ounce individually wrapped packages of “Blimpie FULLY COOKED SEASONED BEEF SHAVED STEAKS Thinly Sliced with Onions.” Each label bear the establishment number “EST. 2727″ inside the USDA mark of inspection as well as a printed Julian date of “3198,” “3228″ or “3238,” on the products available for consumer purchase.

The products were manufacutured on Nov. 14, 17, 18 and 20 and distributed to the metro Atlanta area, as well as California, Florida, Illinois and New York.

Home Market Foods noticed the problem with the food supply when doing its own inspections. No one has reported getting sick after eating any of the potentially harmful product.

The AP reports that on Friday, FDA officials set a threshold of 1 part per million of melamine in formula, provided cyanuric acid is not present.

The development comes days after The Associated Press reported that FDA tests found traces of melamine in the infant formula of one major U.S. manufacturer and cyanuric acid, a chemical relative, in the formula of a second major maker. The contaminated samples, which both measured at levels below the new standard, were analyzed several weeks ago.

Dr. Stephen Sundlof, the FDA’s director of food safety, said Friday the agency was confident in the 1 part per million level for either of the chemicals alone, even though there have been no new scientific studies since October that would give regulators more safety data. He had no ready explanation for why the level was not set earlier.

Meanwhile, several babies in China have died from the melamine contaminated formula, and thousands have been hospitalized with many severely ill. In China, the melamine contamination was explained as having occurred as something of a regular practice to beef up the formula (and other foods) to fudge on nutrition tests, because the chemical makes foods appear more nutritious than they really are.

According to the AP, the FDA on Wednesday, after saying it made an error in its data, produced these results: Mead Johnson’s Infant Formula Powder, Enfamil LIPIL with Iron found melamine at levels of 0.137 and 0.14 parts per million. Three tests of Nestle’s Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron detected an average of 0.247 parts per million of cyanuric acid.

Separately, a third major formula maker — Abbott Laboratories, whose brands include Similac — told AP that in-house tests had detected trace levels of melamine in its infant formula. Those levels were below what FDA found in the other formulas, an Abbott spokesman said, and below any national safety guidelines.

Abbott Laboratories, Nestle and Mead Johnson make more than 90 percent of all infant formula produced in the United States.

Clearly the FDA doesn’t have the interest of American consumers at heart.

One consumer group and the Illinois Attorney General have demanded the Food and Drug Administration issue a recall, but so far no action has been taken.

On Wednesday, the FDA said it discovered trace elements of melamine in at least one major brand of infant formula. The Associated Press was forced to file a Freedom of Information Act request for the documents - a spreadsheet - that details the brand name(s) of the formulas. At the time the FDA issued the “warning”, it did not say which formula had tested positive for melamine.

According to AP, Mead Johnson’s Infant Formula Powder Enfamil LIPIL contains trace elements of melamine, but the FDA corrected its own documents and told the news agency that it was actually Nestle’s Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron that tested positive.

However, the FDA said that the formula only contained trace elements of melamine, the industrial chemical typically reserved for use with plastics. Melamine was found in lethal doses in Chinese infant formula. It is added to food products as a counterfeit material so it shows a high protein content in lab tests and during inspections.

At least 50,000 infants were sickened by melamine in their formula, and nearly a handful of infants have died from poisoning.

Since the FDA issued its statement on Wednesday, makers of formula and regulators in Washington, as well consumer groups, have received non-stop calls from worried parents about the safety of their formula.

Just a week ago, the FDA said it was increasing its inspection efforts of milk-based products from China. It said it would halt any imports until they passed a rigorous inspection. However, this step-up in presence came nearly two months following the initial reports of melamine in Chinese formula, and seemingly after plenty of the product could conceivably have entered the U.S. market.

Manufacturers and regulators contend the amounts of melamine found in their products cannot injure infants, and are below the FDA-allowed minimum for melamine. The FDA said Chinese formula which was linked to sick children tested at 10,000-times the allowed limit.

According to Forbes, more than 400 salmonella poisoning cases in 41 U.S. states were reported in 2007 linked to frozen pot pies. In the most recent issue of the Centers for Disease Control publication Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, consumers not cooking them properly likely led to the outbreak.

These cases, and hundreds more involving raw chicken prepared and sold to look cooked, highlights consumer confusion over the products.

Regulators believe manufacturers must clearly state these warnings on their packages, and aren’t doing enough to promote safer habits. In October 2007, ConAgra Foods, in Nebraska, issued a voluntary recall of all nine varieties of its pot pies.

According to the CDC report, consumers are not cooking the chicken products long enough in the microwave. At least 77 percent of the cases reported last year involving pot pies were linked to pies cooked in the microwave.

Similar concerns have been linked to breaded and browned chicken nuggets and chicken breasts. Consumers, looking at the appearance of the foods, think they only need to be heated. However, many of these products contain raw food products and must be brought to a temperature that will kill salmonella, and other, bacteria.

The pet food in question was manufactured at the company’s Allentown, Pa., site, and features a Best By date of August 11, 2009.

The speculative food was sold at BJ’s Wholesale Club, ShopRite Supermarkets and Wal-Mart in numerous eastern states: Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont and West Virginia.

This recall is a more broad-based recall. On Oct. 27, Mars Petcare recalled Special Kitty Gourmet Blend dry cat food, also produced in Allentown, Pa. A test of the product produced there did produce a positive results, but no animals have been reported sick after eating any of the food.

Fearing cross-contamination with other food made that day, Mars is extending the recall to include this long list of dry cat and dog foods manufactured at the Pennsylvania facility.

According to Mars, the packages will feature a stamp on the back, with a Best By date and then a numerical code below.

The stamp will read:
Best By AUG 15 09
50 1445 1

Mars said if the second line begins with a 50, it should not be used. Here are some of the product which could be affected, along with the weight of the package and its UPC No.:

Berkley & Jensen Bistro Blend Premium Cat Food 21.6# 00000 20052
Berkley & Jensen Small Bites & Bones Dog Food 52# 00000 14958
Ol’ Roy Puppy Complete Premium Dog Food 4# 81131 79078
Ol’ Roy Puppy Complete Premium Dog Food 20# 81131 79080
Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food 4# 81131 17550
Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food 4.4# 81131 69377
Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food 8# 05388 67144
Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food 20# 81131 17549
Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food 22# 05388 60342
Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food 44.1# 81131 17551
Ol’ Roy Complete Nutrition Premium Dog Food 50# 78742 01022
Ol’ Roy High Performance Premium Dog Food 20# 05388 60345
Ol’ Roy High Performance Premium Dog Food 50# 78742 05815
Ol’ Roy Meaty Chunks & Gravy Premium Dog Food 22# 81131 69630
Ol’ Roy Meaty Chunks & Gravy Premium Dog Food 50# 81131 69631
ShopRite Crunchy Bites, Bones and Healthy Squares Dog
Food 20# 41190 04521
Special Kitty Original Premium Cat Food 3.5# 81131 17557
Special Kitty Original Premium Cat Food 7# 81131 17562
Special Kitty Original Premium Cat Food 18# 81131 17559
Special Kitty Gourmet Blend Premium Cat Food 3.5# 81131 17546
Special Kitty Gourmet Blend Premium Cat Food 7# 81131 17547
Special Kitty Gourmet Blend Premium Cat Food 18# 81131 17548
Special Kitty Kitten Premium Cat Food 3.5# 81131 17553
Special Kitty Kitten Premium Cat Food 7# 81131 17554

Salmonella poisoning in pets could have severe complications, including death. There is also a fear of cross-contamination of the salmonella bacteria from pets to humans.

The symptoms usually are not long-lasting in healthy people—a few hours or a few days—and go away without treatment. But foodborne illness can be severe and even life-threatening to those most at risk: older adults, infants and young children, pregnant women, people with HIV/AIDS, cancer, or any condition that weakens their immune systems.

Because there is so much bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other contaminants in our food supply, consumers are burdened with the responsibility of trying to keep themselves safe when it comes to food handling in the home. The FDA recommends the following food safety tips for the holidays:

1. Clean:
• Wash hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling food.
• Wash food-contact surfaces (cutting boards, dishes, utensils, countertops) with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item and before going on to the next item.
• Rinse fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water and use a produce brush to remove surface dirt.
• Do not rinse raw meat and poultry before cooking.

2. Separate:
• Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood and their juices away from foods that won’t be cooked while shopping in the store, and while preparing and storing at home.
• Consider using one cutting board only for foods that will be cooked and another one only for ready-to-eat foods.
• Do not put cooked meat on an unwashed plate that has held raw meat.

3. Cook:
• Use a food thermometer to make sure meat, poultry, and fish are cooked to a safe internal temperature. To check a turkey for safety, insert a food thermometer into the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
• Bring sauces, soups, and gravies to a rolling boil when reheating.
• Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm. When making your own eggnog or other recipe calling for raw eggs, use pasteurized shell eggs, liquid or frozen pasteurized egg products, or powdered egg whites.

4. Chill:
• Refrigerate leftovers and takeout foods within two hours.
• Set your refrigerator no higher than 40ºF and the freezer at 0ºF. Check both periodically with an appliance thermometer.
• Never defrost food at room temperature. Food can be defrosted safely in the refrigerator, under cold running water, or in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately.
• Allow the correct amount of time to properly thaw food.