CHEESE IS BACK IN THE FOOD SAFETY NEWS

For a while we were getting regular cheese recalls in the U.S. because of bacterial contamination - usually Listeria monocytogenes, but sometimes also a Staph, E.coli or Salmonella bacteria. In fact, I called cheese the most dangerous food of 2010 (see Post for 12/22/10 -"Is Cheese our Most Dangerous Food?").

But recently the food safety spotlight has focused more on other foods. Now it seems to be turning back to cheese, with two relatively small but interesting recalls. The New York State Agriculture Commissioner has warned people not to eat certain kinds of fresh cheese - "Queso Fresco" made by Quesos CentroAmericano Corp. of Freeport, New York. This type of cheese is particularly popular with the Latin population of the U.S. The reason for the recall: possible Staphylococcus aureus contamination.

This bacteria can give you a really bad case of food poisoning if you happen to be vulnerable (beware - young children, older consumers and those who have serious health conditions). Anyone who is serious about avoiding food poisoning should best avoid unpasteurized fresh cheeses. Symptoms of Staph food poisoning: nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping and weakness. In more severe cases, there can also be headache, muscle cramping and changes in blood pressure and pulse rate. Thankfully, Staph food poisoning usually only lasts about 2 days.

Then there was another, small U.S. recall of cheese imported from England -one of my husband's favorites - “Royal Blue Stilton. ” The cheese is being recalled by Atlanta Corporation, a food importer and distributor based in Elizabeth, New Jersey. This food distributor decided to test this cheese for Listeria monocytogenes, after another cheese importer, Schratter Foods Incorporated, a Fairfield of New York, recalled cheeses that were made by the same English dairy (Quenby Hall Dairy - see Alert for May 17 and the post on June 11). Sure enough, theirs also tested positive for Listeria.

Luckily only one big wheel of this cheese had reached the marketplace, chopped up in chunks of course. But what took them so long? The other recall took place almost a month before they announced theirs, and it doesn't take so long to test for Listeria (I have done it).

Watch out for this Stilton cheese in the store or in your refrigerator. They will be labeled “Product of England” “Keep Refrigerated” “Royal Blue Stilton” “English Semi-Hard Cheese". You'll also see a small circular English flag in the upper left, and the logo of the exporter “Coombe Castle International” in the upper center. The rest of the suspect cheese is being quarantined and destroyed by this importer.

To your good health.
TSF

TOXIC WASTE CANDY AND BUBBLE GUM: LEAD CONTAMINATION

If any candy has an unfortunate name at a time like this, it is "Toxic Waste®" candy and bubble gum. And, right on cue, there is another recall announced (although quickly deleted, probably by the company). This time it is for Toxic Waste® Short Circuits™ Bubble Gum - see image below. ( Lot #15070SC12 which is located along the left side of the bag).

This product is imported to the U.S. from Pakistan, as are the various equally threatening-sounding candies that are distributed by Circle City Marketing and Distributing, doing business as Candy Dynamics, in Indianapolis, Indiana. They have an amazing website which kids would love (I have to admit, even I love it).

No, the cause of the recall is not nuclear waste from Japan or anywhere else. It is excessive levels of lead in the candy (almost double the allowed maximum amount). How did it get in? Probably through one of the ingredients, though we still don't know which one. Here's the ingredient list (courtesy of Walgreen's website,which sells it) and it doesn't sound very healthy for us, does it, even apart from the lead:

Ingredients
Sugar , Gum Base , Corn Syrup , Dextrose , Citric Acid , Artificial Flavors , Coconut Oil , Artificial Colors , (Yellow 5 , Red 40 , Blue 1) , BHA and BHT.

The distributors had another recall of candy recently also because of high levels of lead (see post for Jan. 28, 2011). This time the hazardous bubble gum product was distributed nationwide in the U.S. both through retail stores and mail order, as well as in Canada and in Switzerland (in more limited quantities).

Nor is this the only recent recall or warning for lead-contaminated children's candies.

Just a few days ago, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) warned consumers not to eat Hans Brand Santra Candy, this time imported from India, because of high of lead (almost triple allowed levels).

Wake up FDA! Let's stop importing this risky stuff for our children to eat. We have plenty of great candy makers right here in the U.S. who use safer ingredients. Many of these are struggling small businesses that could use some more market demand right now. Lead is no joke. It's dangerous, particularly for young children and pregnant women. As The Safe Food Handbook points out, as many as one in six U.S. children have been found to have very high levels of lead with no known lead paint cause for about a third of them. Lead in candy (and bubble gum) could be one of the causes. We don't need it!

TSF