February Food And Supplement Recall Roundup: Curse Of The Contaminated Cumin

In this month’s Recall Roundup for food and supplements, some cumin became contaminated with peanut protein, then spread its potentially deadly payload everywhere from ethnic markets to the hot bar at Whole Foods. Pet food marketed for raw feeding of dogs and cats contains bacteria that can harm humans and pets alike. Oh, and there was some more undeclared knockoff Viagra masquerading as a “bee pollen” dietary supplement.

Our monthly Recall Roundups have grown so expansive that we’ve had to separate them into two separate posts: one for consumer goods, and one for consumables.

If you have any of these listed items in your pantry, refrigerator, or freezer, first check the varieties and flavors against the ones listed on the recall site or press release, then check expiration date or lot numbers.

When there’s a match, don’t panic! If an item is listed as having undeclared walnuts and you’re not allergic to walnuts, for example, you don’t have to do anything at all. You can keep the item, eat it, not eat it, or return it to the store or the manufacturer for your own peace of mind.

Items that may be contaminated with pathogens or foreign objects are worrisome for everyone, and you should return them to the retail store where you bought them, or contact the company for a refund and further instructions.

Here’s a list of packaged foods, spices, and spice mixes that were recalled in recent weeks. See if you can figure out what they have in common. It might sound like we’re joking around about this cumin recall, but this is a terrifyingly serious contamination issue for people with severe peanut allergies.

CUMINPOCALYPSE NOW

Casablanca, Salma, Spice Class, La Mina, Leader Meret, All Island Spice, Key Food, and H Harvest ground cumin – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

My Spice Sage ground cumin – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

La Flor ground cumin – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

The Spice Mill Ground Cumin and Cajun Seasoning – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

REO Country Style Chili Seasoning – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

Archer Farms (Target) and The Fresh Market ground cumin – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

Mimi’s Products and Rosa Maria ground cumin – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

Harris Teeter and HT Traders Blue Cheese Jalapeno Seasoning – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

Garden Lites Kale & Quinoa Soufflé, Southwestern Soufflé, Veggie Chili & Cornbread Melt, Kale & Brown Rice Veggie Bites, and Classic Cooking Kale and Quinoa Veggie Cakes – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

Franklin Farms Chili-Bean Veggiburger – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

Condies Salsa – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

Whole Foods prepared food items at stores in CT, KY, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, and Washington, D.C – If you bought any savory store-prepared prepared food item from Whole Foods in these states, check the list if you have a peanut allergy. Cumin used in dozens of food items may contain undeclared peanut protein.

Ethnic Gourmet Bombay Curry Simmer, Calcutta Masala Simmer, and Punjab Saag Spinach – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

MorningStar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burger and Chipotle Black Bean Burger – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

El Toro and Vida Latina pork and water products – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

Yoruk brand beef sausages – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

Aaron’s Best Beef Franks Hot & Spicy – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

BREADS

National Choice Bakery bagels – may contain undeclared peanuts

Thomas’, Sara Lee, and Jewel bagels – May contain undeclared peanuts or almonds.

Joseph’s and Trader Joe’s pita and lavash products – May contain undeclared soy.

Aleias Gluten Free Classic and Parmesan croutons – May contain undeclared peanut protein.

Market Basket Original English Muffins – May contain undeclared dairy.

DESSERTS AND SNACKS

Whole Foods Macadamia Nuts – May be contaminated with salmonella.

See’s Candies Classic Red Hearts with Assorted Chocolates – Contains undeclared tree nuts.

Stone Mountain Pecan Company Pecanettes – May be contaminated with Salmonella.

HAITAI Tayo and Gyeran Crackers – May contain undeclared milk and egg. Boxes have school buses or “Angry Birds” characters on them.

Go Raw Brand Organic Sunflower Seed – May be contaminated with Salmonella

Go Raw Organic Spicy Seed Mix – May be contaminated with Salmonella

Probar Base Frosted Peanut Butter Bars – May contain undeclared dairy

Streit’s Dark Chocolate Coins – May contain undeclared dairy

STAPLES

Fairway Organic Cranberry Low Fat Granola – May contain undeclared almond and wheat.

Market Pantry Honey & Oat Mixers (Target) – May contain undeclared almonds.

VEGETABLES

Ko-Mart and H-Mart soybean sprouts – Possible Listeria contamination

PACKAGED MEALS

Ohio City Pasta Four Cheese and Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli – May actually contain seafood ravioli, which is hazardous to people with shellfish allergies.

Korean Farm Ginseng Chicken Stew – Imported product from South Korea that contains meat not presented to USDA for inspection

CONDIMENTS AND SPICES

Pride of Szeged Sweet Hungarian Paprika – May contain undeclared peanuts. This doesn’t seem to be related to the massive cumin recall, but it’s possible.

SUPPLEMENTS

Rader Farms Fresh Start Smoothie Blend, Sunrise Refresh Fusion, and Daily Power Fusion – May be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Aloha Premium Protein powder – May be contaminated with Staphylococcus enterotoxin.

iNDiGO and BtRim Max – Contain an unapproved drug, phenolphthalein, a laxative that can cause irregular heartbeat and possibly cancer in addition to “potentially serious gastrointestinal disturbances.”

EDGE Amplified Weight Release and iNSANE Bee Pollen – Contains undeclared phenolphthalein and fluoxetine (Prozac)

AMPD Gold Bee Pollen – Contains an undeclared drug, sildenafil, because it’s not a supplement recall roundup unless something has Viagra in it.

While both fluoxetine and sildenafil are massively popular drugs that people often joke about, taking any drug when you don’t know that it’s in your “bee pollen” supplement and have no prescription or controlled dose can lead to serious drug interactions or side effects.

FISH

Red Thread Fish – Were not gutted, which increases the risk of contamination with Clostridium botulinum. Yes, botulism.

PET FOOD

J.J. Fuds Chicken Tender Chunks, Beef Tender Chunks and Duckling Tender Chunks Pet Food – May be contaminated with Listeria or Salmonella

Big Bark All Natural Beef Jerky Treats for Dogs – Possible Salmonella contamination

Oma’s Pride Purr-Complete Feline Poultry Meal – Possible Salmonella contamination

DAIRY

Queseria Bendita Fresh Cheeses and Sour Cream – Possible Listeria contamination

MEAT

Wegmans Organic 93% Lean/7% Fat Grass-Fed Ground Beef – May contain plastic fragments

Mishima brand frozen beef and pork – May contain metal fragments

Cedar Creek bacon – Products were misbranded

Smokehouse Deli Karpatskaya Smoked Cooked Salami – Possible temperature abuse resulting in risk of Clostridium perfringens contamination.

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist