Recall: Listera Threat Prompts Caramel Apple Recall

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black is alerting Georgians to the recall of select lots of caramel apples produced by Happy Apples of Washington, Mo.

The company has been working with the US Food and Drug Administration in its investigation of the outbreak of listeriosis, which has been associated with caramel apples. The company received notice from one of its suppliers that there may be a connection between this outbreak and the apples it supplied to Happy Apples' California facility.

The apples may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria is an organism that can cause foodborne illness in a person that eats an item contaminated with it. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches and gastrointestinal issues such as nausea and diarrhea. The illness primarily affects pregnant women and adults with weakened immune systems. Most healthy adults and children rarely become seriously ill. 
 
The affected products are as follows:

• Single pack caramel apples with best by dates between Aug. 25 and Nov. 23, 2014
• Three-pack caramel apples with best by dates between Aug. 25 and Nov. 23, 2014
• Four-pack caramel apples with best by dates between Aug. 25 and Nov. 23, 2014
• Eight-pack caramel apples with best by dates between Aug. 25 and Nov. 23, 2014

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating illnesses associated with this recall.

Georgia Department of Agriculture inspectors will be checking to make sure the recalled products are removed from sale. Consumers who purchased any pre-packaged caramel apples are advised not to eat them, but to return it to the store of purchase or dispose of it per instructions from the CDC.

Questions about this recall?

Consumers  who purchased this product can contact Happy Apples at 800-527-7532 Monday through Friday or via email at customercare@happyapples.com.

To view a comprehensive list of food and feed recalls affecting Georgia, visit our Food Safety Division recall website. If this recall expands or additional details become available in the future, the website will provide the most up-to-date information. 

FDA Defines 'Gluten-Free' for Food Labels

Originally published in the Aug. 21, 2013, issue

 

By Dallas Duncan

On Aug. 5, the US Food and DrugAdministration released a rule defining what characteristics food must have to be labeled “gluten-free.”

The rule requires a gluten limit of 20 parts per million in foods that are labeled “gluten-free,” “without gluten,” “free of gluten” and “no gluten.” According to the FDA website, this is the lowest level that can be detected consistently in foods using valid scientific tools.

“I’m really glad this food label law is going into effect because it forces companies to take it seriously,” said Emily Wagener, a food science graduate student at the University of Georgia.

The FDA estimates about five percent of foods now on the market labeled gluten-free contain 20 parts per million or more gluten. Gluten is a natural protein in wheat, rye, barley and related crossbreeds, the FDA website states.

Wagener cannot eat gluten – she was diagnosed with the autoimmune disorder celiac disease seven years ago.

“The body launches an autoimmune response against the gut, and it causes damage to the villi in the small intestine,” she said. “Most of the time accidental ingestion is not going to kill you, but over a long time [as nutrient absorption is blocked by damaged villi] your body will start to decline.”

The rule means gluten-free foods cannot contain any ingredients that are types of gluten-containing grains; ingredients derived from these grains; or ingredients derived from these grains with gluten removed that still contain 20 or more parts per million gluten.

Toula Argentis, owner of 2B Whole Bakery in Kennesaw, Ga., specializes in gluten-free products.

She tests in-house for gluten in her products on a monthly basis, and more frequently when new products are introduced.

“We always need to make sure that the test comes out negative,” she said. “You just have to make sure there’s no wheat protein in the ingredients you use. … It’s no big secret, you just have to have very good controls to make sure there’s no cross-contamination.”

Cross-contamination occurs when gluten-free foods are prepared or processed in the same area or with the same equipment that process ingredients containing gluten.

It’s a problem that Lilburn resident Kristin Braddy’s dealt with before.

“[My mother] can tell when she’s gotten into gluten,” Braddy said. “She has times when she’s hurting really badly and she’d say she didn’t eat anything that she was aware of that has gluten in it. … It definitely happens. You do get ahold of gluten unknowingly.”

That’s where the new rule comes in, said Sara Yang of Suwanee, Ga., technical service manager at Grandma Hoerner’s Foods in Manhattan, Kan.

Though she doesn’t have health problems that prevent her from eating gluten, she said the FDA rule is “definitely a step in the right direction.”

“Before, there was no standard for what you could call gluten-free. It’s impossible to prove the absence of something, so if you want to claim something is gluten-free you have to have that upper limit,” Yang said.

The rule does allow for foods inherently gluten-free, such as eggs, produce and bottled water to be labeled as such. Companies have until Aug. 5, 2014, to comply with the labeling, or face regulatory action. Georgia Department of Agriculture Food Safety Division staff is still reviewing the rule to see how it will affect the state’s food industry.

Braddy said she doesn’t think the rule will be hard to follow.

“If you’re labeling it as gluten-free, it should be gluten-free,” she said. “Having that reassurance there is a good thing on the celiac’s part as well as the manufacturer’s part. I don’t think it should affect too much if they’re being truthful about their gluten-free [products].”



RECALL: Olde Thompson Inc. Recalls Organic Oregano

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black is alerting Georgians to the voluntary recall of certain lots of Earth's Pride Organics: Organic Oregano. Olde Thompson Inc., a company based out of Oxnard, Calif., announced the voluntary recall Monday in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration.

The oregano in question is packaged in a 2.2-ounce glass jar with a cork closure. Lot numbers affected are: 060367, 060692, 061252 and 061864. The UPC code for this oregano product is 400000290942. It was sold exclusively at BJ's Wholesale Club in several states, including Georgia, between Jan. 1 and July 10, 2013.

Routine sampling of raw materials indicated the presence of Salmonella in the oregano product, a bacterium known to cause salmonellosis in humans and animals. Symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. In some cases, they are known to be severe enough to require hospitalization and can cause serious complications or death in young children, the elderly and those with c
ompromised immune systems.

No illnesses have been reported related to this recall. Consumers are encouraged to dispose of the retail product and its container. If consumers already consumed the product and have concerns about their health, they are encouraged to contact their healthcare providers.

Georgia Department of Agriculture inspectors will be checking retail stores and food warehouses to make sure the recalled product is removed from sale.

Questions about this recall?
Consumers who purchased the affected oregano products and have any questions should contact a BJ's Wholesale Club member care representative at 1-800-257-2582 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. EST Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST Saturday or 12 to 6 p.m. EST Sunday.

To view a comprehensive list of food and feed recalls affecting Georgia, visit our Food Safety Division recall website. If this recall expands or additional details become available in the future, the website will provide the most up-to-date information.