A Multitude of Recalls to End April 2015

Sadly there are a lot of recalls to share with you all. If you follow us on Facebook you got our notice about the recalls for Blue Bell being expanded to their entire line. I'm betting many of you aren't following us there so we'll start with that recall today.

----------
Blue Bell Creameries Voluntarily Expands Recall to Include All of its Products Due to Possible Health Risk

Consumer Contact: 1-866-608-3940

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 20, 2015 – BRENHAM, TX – Blue Bell Ice Cream of Brenham, Texas, is voluntarily recalling all of its products currently on the market made at all of its facilities including ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet and frozen snacks because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

“We’re committed to doing the 100 percent right thing, and the best way to do that is to take all of our products off the market until we can be confident that they are all safe,” said Paul Kruse, Blue Bell CEO and president. “We are heartbroken about this situation and apologize to all of our loyal Blue Bell fans and customers. Our entire history has been about making the very best and highest quality ice cream and we intend to fix this problem. We want enjoying our ice cream to be a source of joy and pleasure, never a cause for concern, so we are committed to getting this right.”

The products being recalled are distributed to retail outlets, including food service accounts, convenience stores and supermarkets in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma,  South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wyoming and international locations.

Today’s decision was the result of findings from an enhanced sampling program initiated by Blue Bell which revealed that Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream half gallons produced on March 17, 2015, and March 27, 2015, contained the bacteria. This means Blue Bell has now had several positive tests for Listeria in different places and plants and as previously reported five patients were treated in Kansas and three in Texas after testing positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

“At every step, we have made decisions in the best interest of our customers based on the evidence we had available at the time,” Kruse said. “At this point, we cannot say with certainty how Listeria was introduced to our facilities and so we have taken this unprecedented step. We continue to work with our team of experts to eliminate this problem.”

Blue Bell is implementing a procedure called “test and hold” for all products made at all of its manufacturing facilities. This means that all products will be tested first and held for release to the market only after the tests show they are safe. The Broken Arrow facility will remain closed as Blue Bell continues to investigate.

In addition to the “test and hold” system, Blue Bell is implementing additional safety procedures and testing including:

Expanding our already robust system of daily cleaning and sanitizing of equipment
Expanding our system of swabbing and testing our plant environment by 800 percent to include more surfaces
Sending samples daily to a leading microbiology laboratory for testing
Providing additional employee training
Blue Bell expects to resume distribution soon on a limited basis once it is confident in the safety of its product.
Consumers who have purchased these items are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information consumers with questions may call 1-866-608-3940 Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. CST or go to bluebell.com

-----------
Prolainat Voluntarily Recalls Trader Joe’s A Dozen Sweet Bites Due to Undeclared Coconut

Consumer Contact: Trader Joe’s Customer Relations at 626-599-3817

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 15, 2015 – PROLAINAT is voluntarily recalling all lots of 9.16 oz packages of Trader Joe’s A Dozen Sweet Bites (Chocolate & Coffee “Opéra” Cake, Raspberry “Macaron Aux Framboises” Cake, Caramel & Chocolate Cake) due to undeclared coconut. People who have an allergy or sensitivity to coconut run the risk of serious or life threatening allergic reaction if they consume the product. The Trader Joe’s A Dozen Sweet Cakes is safe for consumption by those who do not have coconut allergies.

The recalled product was produced from January 1, 2011 to February 5, 2015 and distributed to Trader Joe’s stores nationwide. The product was sold frozen and packaged in a 9.16 oz box with a photograph of the product on the front of the box and a UPC #00967679 that can be found printed the back of the package.

The recall was initiated after a routine product packaging review surfaced the omission of coconut from the ingredient panel. All affected product has been removed from shelves and from distribution.

No allergic reactions or illnesses have been reported to date.

Customers who have purchased 9.16 oz packages of Trader Joe’s A Dozen Sweet Bites and have a sensitivity to coconut are urged to discard the product or return it to any Trader Joe’s for a full refund. Customers with questions may contact Trader Joe’s Customer Relations at 626-599-3817 [Monday through Friday, 6:00AM to 6:00 PM PST].

We deeply regret this situation and apologize to any consumers for any inconvenience.

----------
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams Recalls All Products Because of Possible Health Risks

Consumer Contact: 614-360-3905

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 23, 2015 — Columbus, Ohio — Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams has initiated a voluntary recall of all ice creams, frozen yogurts, sorbets, and ice cream sandwiches for all flavors and containers because of the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes . The company is ceasing all sales and closing all scoop shops until all products are ensured to be 100% safe.

Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals infected by Listeria may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, infected pregnant women can suffer miscarriages or stillbirths.

The ice creams, frozen yogurts, sorbets, and ice cream sandwiches being recalled were distributed in the United States to retail outlets, including food service accounts and grocery markets, as well as online at jenis.com. This recall includes all products bearing the “Jeni’s” brand name.

The contamination was discovered in a sample randomly collected by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is not aware of any illness reports to date related to the recalled products. However, out of an abundance of caution, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is taking this voluntary precautionary measure in order to ensure complete consumer safety. “Our top priority is guaranteeing the safety of all consumers by taking every possible precaution,” says John Lowe, CEO of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.

“We have decided to recall everything currently on retailer shelves, and we are closing our scoop shops until we are 100% confident every item we sell is safe. We have called in experts to help us find the root cause. We will be working with our suppliers to determine if the bacteria was introduced by one of the ingredients we use. We will not reopen the kitchen until we can ensure the safety of our customers.”

Customers who have purchased any of the products are urged to dispose of them or return them to the store where they were purchased for an exchange or full refund, and consult with their physician regarding any medical questions. Customers may also contact Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at 614-360-3905 between the hours of 9 am and 10 pm (E.D.T.) on April 23 and 24, from 9 am to 5 pm (E.D.T.) on April 25 and 26, and from 9 am to 5 pm (E.D.T.) on Mondays through Fridays thereafter. Jeni’s can also be contacted by email at recall@jenis.com, and at jenis.com/recall

----------
Sweet Sam's Baking Company Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Milk in Starbucks Black & White Mini Cookies

Consumer Contact: 1-800-782-7282

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — April 23, 2015 — Sweet Sam's Baking Company of Bronx, NY is recalling all lots of Starbucks Black & White Mini Cookies sold in Starbucks Company operated stores on or before Thursday, April 23rd, 2015, because they contain milk, an allergen that is not declared on the packaging. People who have an allergy to milk run the risk of experiencing a serious or life-threatening reaction if they consume the product.

The Black & White Mini Cookies were sold in Starbucks Company -operated stores in Florida, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Ohio, South Carolina, and West Virginia.

The product comes in a 2.0 oz. (56 g) clear film package, each containing two cookies.

Printed upon the front of the package are the words “Black & White Mini Cookies”, “A New York City Favorite”, and “SKU 408785”. On the rear panel, among other details, are the words, “Manufactured for: Starbucks Coffee Company”, and UPC code “833282000495”.

The recall was initiated by Sweet Sam's Baking Company after it was discovered that the label did not reveal the presence of milk. Two customers with milk allergies reported having an allergic reaction after consuming the product. No other illnesses have been reported to date. A product packaging review determined that the private-label packaging design omitted the presence of milk from the ingredient panel. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by an oversight in the design process of the private label. The packaging for Black & White Cookies sold under Sweet Sam's own trademark does not suffer from this error. The company will be revising the labeling of the product before re-introducing onto the market.

Consumers who have purchased packages of Black & White Mini Cookies sold at Starbucks and have an allergy to milk are urged to discard the product or return it to any Starbucks store for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Starbucks’s Customer Relations at 1-800-782-7282, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Pacific Time.

Comments