Recall Sampler: Tons of Ground Turkey

Posted August 4, 2011 in Uncategorized by Arthur Buono
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Ground turkey’s become so popular with folks fond of low-fat beef and pork substitutes. It’s not immune from the same processing problems though, and now food giant Cargill is recalling a whopping 36 million pounds of ground turkey. The turkey may be contaminated with Salmonella. The branded products are too numerous to list here so please check any ground turkey products you have against the USDA/FSIS announcement linked above. One person has been killed and 77 sickened by this tainted turkey.

While you’ll want to discard any unused recalled food, you can safeguard yourself in any case by properly cooking meat products. The Salmonella bacteria is destroyed and the food made safe to eat if cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If you like meat rare, you’re rolling the dice.

Here are a few more notable items from the past week’s recalls.

SHSCO Manufacturing Various Meat Products

SHSCO Manufacturing LLC, a Phoenix, Ariz., establishment, is recalling an undetermined amount of meat products because the products were produced without federal inspection. Again, too many individual branded products are involved to list here. The products were produced for distribution in Arizona and Nevada.

Curly’s Custom Meats Teriyaki Jerky Products

Curly’s Custom Meats, a Jackson Center, Ohio establishment is recalling approximately 33 pounds of teriyaki-flavored beef jerky products because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen. The products contain a known allergen, wheat, that is not declared on the label.

NexTorch Flashlight Batteries

NexTorch is recalling about 16,000 NT123A flashlight batteries. The batteries can overheat and rupture, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

Cloud Engines Pogoplug Video File Sharing Device

Cloud Engines is recalling about 11,000 Pogoplug Video File Sharing Devices. The device can overheat or catch fire, emitting excessive heat, sparks, smoke or flames.

Battat Toy Keys with Remote

Battat is recalling over 1 million Toy Keys with Remote. The metal toy keys and the plastic key ring can break, posing a choking hazard.

Bravo Sports "Disney" Pogo Sticks

Bravo Sports is recalling about 59,000 "Disney"-branded pogo sticks. The bottom rubber tip attached to the pogo stick frame can wear out prematurely, posing a fall hazard to consumers. Also, the end caps on the handlebars can come off, exposing sharp edges. This poses a laceration hazard to consumers. Maybe we’ll talk someday about the product liability and reputational risks associated with licensing agreements.

Honeywell Electric Baseboard and Fan Heater Thermostats

Honeywell is recalling about 77,000 Electric Baseboard and Fan Heater Thermostats. The thermostats can overheat, causing them to melt and smoke. This poses a burn hazard to the consumer.

phil&teds Explorer and Hammerhead Strollers

phil&teds is recalling about 9,400 Explorer and Hammerhead Strollers. The brake mechanism on the strollers can fail, posing an injury hazard.

Purina ONE Vibrant Maturity 7+ Dry Cat Food

Nestle Purina PetCare Company is voluntarily recalling a limited number of 3.5- and 7-pound bags of its Purina ONE Vibrant Maturity 7+ Dry Cat Food. This is being done because some bags of the product have been found to be contaminated with Salmonella. Please check the notice for the affected "best by" dates and production codes.

H-E-B Brands Dairy Products

H-E-B is encouraging customers to check their refrigerators for various packages of cottage cheese, dips, yogurt and sour cream. The products may contain "foreign material." The products were sold between June 18 and July 27. Numerous items and sizes are involved. Please check the recall notice carefully.

Qualiherb Dietary Supplements

Finemost Corporation is recalling certain of the company’s Qualiherb dietary supplements. The supplements may contain ephedrine alkaloids, which can cause serious adverse reactions including heart attack, stroke, and death.

Shata Trading Three Rivers Brand Golden Raisins

Shata Trading is recalling its Three Rivers Brand Golden Raisins. The raisins contain undeclared sulfites.

Flying Food Group Sandwiches, Parfaits, Wraps, Plates, and Salads

Flying Food Group is recalling all sandwiches, parfaits, wraps, plates, and salads produced at its Lawrenceville, GA facility. They have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The products were distributed to Core-mark Atlanta Division, Race Trac, and Starbucks in Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Ridley Block Operations

Ridley Block Operations is recalling one lot of Purina-Lix 38 Hi-E and RangeLand 38 Hi-E free-choice supplement tubs for beef cattle because of the potential for softened product to contain excessive levels of urea.

These are just some of the past week’s recalls. Please check Recalls.gov for a complete list of recent recalls.

Identifying Recalled Products

Identifying recalled products isn’t always easy. CPSC has prepared a video for you to watch and learn how to determine if a product you have’s been recalled.

What to Do

In general, if you have a recalled item you’ll want to contact the retailer or manufacturer. They will replace or repair the item, or issue a refund or credit. Most recalled food items should simply be thrown out.

If you’ve been injured by a consumer product, or feel you’ve been sickened by a food or drug, you should keep the item in a safe and secure place. You may need it as evidence for a products liability claim, and a government agency might want to examine it as well. In any case you should contact a good products liability lawyer if you have any questions about your legal rights.

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Related App for Your Smartphone*

- Product Recalls – Recalls.gov gives you all the recalls across a variety of products. Free
- Mobile Ask Karen – Get answers to question about food safety as you shop, from the USDA/FSIS. Free

*Please note that these apps are for informational purposes only, and neither LexisNexis nor Lawyers.com endorses the apps or accepts liability for their use.

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