Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Health Law Blogs -> Food Safety News

Health Law

: Food Safety News

J&D Recall Expands to 18 Other Vegetables, Greens

By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

A Texas produce company that has already recalled some 7,000 cases of Salmonella-tainted cilantro and curly parsley has now recalled 18 other vegetables and leafy greens, all processed on the same packing lines.
J&D Produce Inc. announced Wednesday that the possibility of cross contamination prompted it to also recall arugula, beets, collards, mustard, daikon, dill, kohlrabi, chard, kale, mint, turnips and leeks shipped to 16 states and two Canadian provinces.
"It's imperative to protect public health, even if that means being overzealous in expanding the scope of the products we're calling back," said James Bassetti, president of J&D Produce Inc., in a news release. "We will work closely with regulators, health officials and our customers in bringing back the products."
All the produce was packed in red, white, and blue waxed cartons under the Little Bear brand. Except for daikon, the individual bunches have a rubber band or a twist tie identified by a flag tag that shows a little bear with a cowboy hat, a red handkerchief and a Texas flag.  The produce went to retail stores and wholesale terminal markets in Washington, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Missouri, Rhode Island, New York, Texas, Ohio, Connecticut, Ohio, Colorado, Illinois and Oklahoma -- and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
All the produce was packed either on Nov. 30, 2010, or Dec. 6, 2010, which is a clarification from the company's announcement earlier this week.  The company says most of these  types of greens are typically sold and eaten within about 14 days from their "pack dates"; however, it suggests that if consumers still have any of the produce it should be destroyed or returned to the store where it was purchased for a full refund.
The products being recalled, their PLU/UPC numbers, and the areas where they were distributed are:
CURLY PARSLEY, PLU # 4899, Ontario, Washington. Massachusetts, Quebec, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Missouri, Rhode Island, New York, Texas, Ohio, Connecticut
CILANTRO, PLU #4889, Ontario, Massachusetts, Washington, Quebec, New York, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio
ARUGULA, PlU #4884, Ontario, Rhode Island, Texas
BEETS, PLU # 4539, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Ontario, Wisconsin, Quebec, Texas, Illinois, Rhode Island
COLLARDS, PLU # 4614, Ontario, Texas, Wisconsin, Quebec, Michigan, OhioCURLY MUSTARD, PLU # 4616, Quebec, Texas
DAIKON, does not contain PLU or UPC, Ontario, New York, Texas, Quebec
DILL, PLU # 4891, Ontario, Massachusetts, Quebec, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, New Jersey, Wisconsin
GOLDEN BEETS, PLU # 3273, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Texas
GREEN KOHLRABI, PLU # 4628, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Wisconsin
GREEN SWISS CHARD, PLU # 4586, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Rhode Island, Texas
KALE, PLU # 4627, Ontario, Quebec, Texas, Wisconsin, Montreal, Michigan, Illinois, Rhode Island, New York, Ohio, Toronto
LEEK, PLU # 4629 Texas
METHlLEAF, UPC # 664781 10500 4, Ontario, Texas
MINT, PLU # 4896, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan
PARSLEY, PLU # 4901, Ontario, Washington, Quebec, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, New Jersey, Connecticut
RAINBOW CHARD, UPC # 66478140610 1, Illinois, Connecticut
RED SWISS CHARD, PLU # 4587, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Ontario, Quebec, Rhode Island, Texas
TEXAS MUSTARD, PLU # 4618, Oklahoma, Texas
TURNIPS WITH TOPS, PLU #4810, Texas, Michigan
TURNIP TOPS, PLU # 4619, Texas
"We're all seeing increased inspections by regulators and health officials here in the U.S. and Canada, and that's positive because it helps further ensure public health," Bassetti said in a prepared statement.  "We've already implemented immediate measures to make sure we minimize the likelihood of this re-occurring."  For example, the company said that upon learning of the test in Quebec, Bassetti ordered the shut down of all production lines; re-sanitized the production lines; increased manual inspections; and implemented additional product rinse steps.
Bassetti said be has also brought in outside consultants to review and advise the company on additional microbiological sampling and its food safety protocols.
"We have a good track record, but we'll bring our expectations and standards to even bigger levels," he said.
For additional information, contact J&D Produce by email at: qa@littlebearproduce.com or by phone at 956-380-0353.

Full post as published by Food Safety News on December 30, 2010 (boomark / email).