Consumer Protection

Louisiana Firm Recalls 468,000 Pounds of Meat for Listeria Risk

Well, hello there, When Food Attacks. We haven't visited with you in a while. But we return to your clammy, off-smelling embrace with a doozy of a recall: Manda Packing Company of Baker, Louisiana, has recalled 468,000 pounds of its meat products over the risk of listeria contamination. And before ... More >>

Momentary Panic: Buffalo Trace Recalls... Flavored Sauces

I ask so very little of the universe. Two things, really. Don't serve me desiccated calamari. And don't screw with my bourbon. This week already shattered one of my illusions. And then, for a moment this morning -- before the coffee kicked in -- I thought it had taken out the other as well. The Buf ... More >>

Bumble Bee Recalls Canned Tuna for Loose Seals [Updated]

No, Buster. The problem with Bumble Bee canned tuna is not Lucille, Nos. 1 or 2. Bumble Bee today announced a voluntary recall of certain five-ounce cans of its Chunk White Albacore and its Chunk Light Tuna because the cans' seals might be loose. Update: (Thursday, March 7, 12:00 p.m.) Tri-Union ... More >>

Metal Mesh in the Biscuits, Plastic in the Sausage

What's that, you say? Not one, but two new recalls involving foreign objects in food? Gut Check is shocked -- shocked! -- that there's gambling in this establishment, First up we have Mondelez Global LLC issuing a voluntary recall of the apple-cinnamon and chocolate varieties of its belVita Breakf ... More >>

Sara Lee, Aldi, Other Breads Recalled for Possible Presence of Wire

What strikes Gut Check as a statistically improbable run of products recalled because of the possible presence of foreign objects continues. BBU, Inc. has issued a voluntary recall of several different brands of bread because of the possible presence of flexible wire. According to the press release ... More >>

FTC Cracks Down on Four Loko; Frat Boys Everywhere Weep

If you're one of the few poor souls who have no taste buds and therefore love Four Loko, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is worried about you. On February 12, the FTC reached an agreement with Phusion Projects, LLC, makers of Four Loko, a carbonated, fruity malt beverage. Phusion is now required ... More >>

Small Glass Fragments in Lean Cuisine Ravioli, Plastic in Fast Classics Country-Fried Steaks

We have a When Food Attacks two-fer this morning. First, Nestle Prepared Foods Company on Friday announced (via the FDA) a voluntary recall of its Lean Cuisine Culinary Collection Mushroom Mezzaluna Ravioli -- no, really, that's the product's full name -- after three customers complained that the ra ... More >>

More Metal in Your Food: Chicken-Fried Chicken Breasts Recalled

Some days, everything goes well at work, and you return home to a well deserved hug from your loved ones and an ice-cold beer. Other days, you drop a hand tool into a grinder, and small pieces of metal end up in a package of Fast Classics Chicken Fried Chicken Breasts. And so Advance Pierre Foods ... More >>

Don't Eat This Stuff! Recall Roundup for January 14-18, 2013

It has been a quiet week, generally speaking, for food recalls involving the Greater Gut Check Metropolitan Area. A quiet month, for that matter. Maybe it has something to do with New Year's resolutions: Gonna scrub the ol' slaughterhouse and keep 'er spotless this year! A Springfield, Illinois out ... More >>

Missouri Department of Agriculture Suspends Homestead Creamery on E. Coli Threat

Homestead Creamery in Jamestown, southwest of Columbia, has voluntarily recalled a batch of its "Flory's Favorite" cheese because of the risk of contamination by shiga-toxin producing E. coli, the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and the State ... More >>

Trader Joe's "Butter Chicken" Recalled, but St. Louis Area OK

First, the bad news: The USDA has alerted us to a Canadian recall of frozen butter chicken and basmati rice because of potential listeria contamination. The product from Aliya's Foods Limited in Canada made it to the U.S. as Trader Joe's Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice.

Ultimate Meatless Burgers: Meat? No. Listeria? Maybe.

So maybe you don't have to ponder the ethical dilemma of eating meat when you tear open a package of Veggie Patch's Ultimate Meatless Burger. You do have to ponder the risk of listeria. Veggie Patch has announced a voluntary recall of two products, its Ultimate Meatless Burger and its Falafel, bec ... More >>

Lox, Peanut-Butter Cookies Recalled (Separately)

Last week was a busy one for recalls. On Friday we told you about the recalls of Nesquik and Fresh Express spinach. Turns out that ont he same day the FDA posted news of two more recalls. First, Spence & Co. of Brockton, Massachusetts, has announced a voluntary recall of four-ounce packages of its ... More >>

Nesquik Recalled for Salmonella Risk

The good news for Nesquik? Wreck-It Ralph, the animated film with which it has a promotional partnership, is looking like a blockbuster. The bad news? The only reason we're talking about Nesquik's promotional partnership with Wreck-It Ralph is because of a recall of the chocolate-powder drink mix. ... More >>

Dole Recalls Salad Blend for Listeria Risk

A food recall not related to peanuts and peanut butter? Gut Check had to read the item twice before we believed it. Dole Fresh Vegetables has announced a voluntary recall of its "American Blend" salad mix because of the risk of contamination by listeria monocytogenes. According to the Dole press r ... More >>

Trader Joe's Recalls Peanut Butter for Salmonella Risk [Update: Recall Greatly Expanded]

Update: (Tuesday, September 25, 1:40 p.m.) Sunland Inc., the maker of the Trader Joe's peanut butter referenced in the original post, has expanded the voluntary recall of its almond and peanut butter products due to the risk of salmonella contamination, the company announced yesterday in a press rel ... More >>

Recall Roundup: E. Coli Beef Trim, Listeria Spinach, Mangos Salmonella

We have news of multiple food recalls this week via the FDA and the USDA. None of them impact the St. Louis area directly yet, but all bear watching... - The USDA yesterday announced a recall of raw boneless beef trim products from the Canadian company XL Foods Inc., for possible E. coli contaminat ... More >>

Put Down That Bucket of Chunky Cinnamon Streusel, Sam's Club Customer

Usually it's the why that catches our attention when a food product is recalled: pieces of a gasket, say, or of a pen or a glove. Today it's the what. Dawn Food Products Inc. on Friday announced, via the FDA, a recall of 25-pound buckets of Sam's Club Chunky Cinnamon Streusel because of the risk of ... More >>

Cantaloupe Salmonella Outbreak Strikes 21 States, Including Missouri and Illinois [Updated]

Chamberlin Farm Produce of Owensville, Indiana, has announced a voluntary recall of all of the cantaloupes from this year's growing season after being linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium that has sickened at least 178 people across twenty-one states.

The Most Ridiculous Food Recall Ever? Yeah, the Most Ridiculous Food Recall Ever.

In general, food recalls aren't funny. Listeria, E. coli, salmonella: serious business, all of them. Undeclared allergens might not matter to most consumers, but for those who are allergic, they can be a very big deal, indeed. But then there is this recall, announced last week by the USDA.

Cantaloupes, Frozen Bacon Cheeseburgers Recalled

Put down that cantaloupe! Or, you know, at least check the sticker before you slice it open. Burch Equipment of North Carolina has recalled 188,902 of its Athena variety cantaloupes due to a risk of contamination by listeria monocytogenes. (This is separate issue from the multiple recalls connected ... More >>

Listeria Threat Prompts Multiple Recalls

On July 18, Gills Onions of Oxnard, California, voluntarily recalled certain packages of its diced and slivered red and yellow onions as well as an onion and celery mix because of possible listeria monocytogenes contamination. As the press release announcing the recall makes clear, listeria is serio ... More >>

Cargill Recalls Ground Beef for Possible Salmonella Contamination

Cargill has recalled 29,339 pounds of ground beef because of possible salmonella contamination, the USDA announced yesterday. An outbreak of salmonella in early June sickened 33 individuals; officials were able to trace back five of the cases to ground beef from Cargill Meat Solutions in Wyalusing, ... More >>

74,000 Cases of Pasta Mix Recalled

Bay Valley Foods on Wednesday, June 6, announced a voluntary recall of 74,000 cases of boxed pasta mix. The pasta mixes, manufactured by Bay Valley subsidiary ST Specialty Foods Inc., are sold under multiple brand names, including a mac & cheese mix sold under the Walmart brand and multiple items so ... More >>

Bagged Salad Recall Expands Nationwide

OK, so maybe you shrugged your shoulders at yesterday's news about the FDA's warning on Korean shellfish. Fair enough. Not exactly an everyday purchase around these parts. Bagged salad, on the other hand... The FDA has announced that River Ranch Fresh Foods of Salinas, California, has expanded its ... More >>

Salmonella Strikes Again, Dole Salad Recalled

We told you earlier about the voluntary recall of frozen raw yellowfin tuna responsible for more than 100 cases of salmonella nationwide. Now we have word from the FDA of another voluntary recall: Dole Fresh Vegetables has recalled 756 cases of its "Seven Lettuces" salad mix for possible salmonella ... More >>

Cilantro Recalled for Possible Salmonella Contamination

Image via​Pacific Marketing International, a California firm, and the FDA on Friday announced a recall of cilantro for possible contamination with Salmonella. No illnesses have been reported as of yet, but a sample of the Pacific-branded cilantro did test positive for Salmonella.The FDA has yet to ... More >>

Grape Tomatoes Recalled for Potential Salmonella Contamination

​St. Louis-based produce distributor Front Row Produce is recalling ten-ounce and ten-pound packages of its grape tomatoes after potential salmonella contamination was discovered at the Mission, Texas, farm where they were grown.The tomatoes are distributed exclusively to local Aldi grocery stores ... More >>

Just Recall It: Landshire Recalls Nike All-American Sandwiches

fda.govSt. Louis-based Landshire has recalled sandwiches owing to listeria concerns.​A local sandwich company has had its products recalled after screenings in North Carolina revealed possible listeria contamination. Landshire of St. Louis voluntarily recalled 1,751 cases of the Nike All-Amer ... More >>

Summer Treats and Meats Recalled

fda.govDole Italian Blend salad recalled for possible contamination.​It's been a busy few days at the FDA and USDA, recalling lots of potentially contaminated goods. It's salad season! Unless you've got a potentially-tainted bag of salad in your fridge. Some 2,880 cases of Dole Italian Blend ... More >>

Grape Tomatoes, Canned Seafood Get Nasty

Gray's Harbor Public Market​ Who doesn't love a good seafood salad with tangy little grape tomatoes? The human gastrointestinal tract, that's who, especially if that salad's made with the canned seafood the FDA's just recalled. Quinault Tribal Enterprise in Washington State has recalled al ... More >>

UPDATE! Nuclear Sludge and Toxic Waste STILL Unsafe to Eat!

FDALead has prompted a recall of Toxic Sludge Short Circuits Gum!​Back in January Gut Check warned you of the potential dangers of consuming Toxic Waste, when we reported on the voluntary recall of Candy Dynamics brand Toxic Waste chewy Nuclear Sludge Bars. Elevated levels of lead in the candy ... More >>

[Updated]Turkey Burger Not Always the Healthy Choice When It's Loaded With Salmonella

Hardee's/Carl's Jr.​ Updated Tuesday, April 5 Today the St. Louis City Department of Health issued a warning about the recalled Jennie-O Turkey Burgers as a precaution. In an email to Gut Check, Harold L. Bailey, Jr., Public Information Officer for the St. Louis City Department of Health sai ... More >>

Rolf's Patisserie Recall Strikes Local Whole Foods Market Locations

​Monday's Morning Brew mentioned a recall of gingerbread houses made by Rolf's Patisserie of Linconwood, Illinois, and sold at Whole Foods Market because of possible S. aureus (or staph) contaminationIn fact, Whole Foods has issued a broader recall of Rolf's products sold in Missouri, Illinois and ... More >>

Kellogg Recalls Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey Smacks

Beware the Corn Pops!​Are you a kid at heart who still loves to start the day with a bowl of sweet, sweet breakfast cereal? Are you the parent of an actual kid who loves Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Froot Loops or Honey Smacks? Are you planning to get high this weekend? Then you need to pay attention t ... More >>

Real Men of Genius: Mizzou Chancellor Kindly Requests A-B to Quit Selling Bud Light in Black and Gold Cans

budlight.com​ Add Mizzou to the list of schools that fail to see the "genius" of the Bud Light Fan Can. Chancellor Brady Deaton has officially registered his disapproval.As Chad reported last week, Fan Cans,  A-B's latest ad campaign for the fall, involves selling cans of Bud-Light decorated ... More >>

The Morning Brew: Monday, 6.29

A Colorado company recalls beef for possible E. coli contamination. (Reuters)Could eating farmed fish put you at risk for mad cow disease? (Reuters)An electronic "nose" can pinpoint a wine's origins down to the barrel. (Daily Telegraph)

The Morning Brew: Tuesday, 6.23

The recall of Nestlé Toll House cookie dough for E. coli contamination could lead to as many as 200 layoffs. (CNN)A Chicago-area company has recalled ground beef contaminated with E. coli. (Chicago Breaking News)The Chinese love Bordeaux, apparently. (AP)

The Morning Brew: Monday, 8.11

The Morning Brew: Monday, 3.31

The Morning Brew: Friday, 3.7

A Little More on the Massive Beef Recall

FDA and FTC Tell Monsanto to Quit Bellyaching (Part 2)

FDA and FTC Tell Monsanto to Quit Bellyaching

Late Update: Judge Won't Stop Whole Foods

The Morning Brew: Wednesday, 8/15

rBST and Monsanto: The Corporate Teat

Highway Robbery

Beware of auto-transport companies that promise safe and timely delivery of your car

Porn in the USA

Internet smut peddlers reaped millions from unsuspecting credit-card holders. Their partner in slime was right here in the heartland.

Thinking Outside the Box

Casket retailers take a new approach to the tradition-bound business of death