We've had more than a week's respite from the never ending flow of food recalls, in which no news was good news. Unfortunately, the recall hiatus wasn't meant to last.
It sure does seem like I've heard about a lot of recalls lately. Is it always like this, or did I just not pay attention before? I don't know about that, but I do know that Malt-o-Meal is voluntarily recalling some of it's cereals due to the possibility of salmonella contamination.
Several brands of alfalfa sprouts are on recall in western U.S. states over fear of salmonella contamination. Salad Cosmo USA Corporation recalled shipments of sprouts from Save Mart Supermarkets and Lucky Stores across California and Washington Saturday. A day later, Trader Joe's recalled tubs of Nature's Choice Alfalfa Sprouts in their California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington stores. The recall only applies to the TJ's sprouts with a "Sell By" date of March 9 or earlier.
Apparently no illnesses have been reported but still better safe than sorry. If you can't find good sprouts try some finely chopped green peppers or a little watercress in your sandwich instead.
Between beef recalls and threats of mad cow disease, the simple action of eating is quickly becoming less of a pleasurable activity and more of a chore, or, in some cases, a big wager.
Some thieves got away with a bounty of beef -- 14,800 pounds of it, to be exact. But who gets the last laugh? The beef may have been contaminated with E.Coli, so the thieves didn't get much right? 
It seems like every I turn around these days, there's another food recall being issued. Tonight it's coming from Campbell's Soup Company. They are voluntarily recalling more than 72,000 cans of their Chunky Baked Potato with Cheddar & Bacon Bits Soup because they may contain small pieces of plastic that run a choking and health risk. Three people have reported small injuries around the mouth from consuming this soup. 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a nationwide recall July 18th of various brands of possibly contaminated Castleberry Food Co. products and then the recall list was expanded even more on July 21, 2007.
When I was between the ages of six and twelve, I begged my parents for an Easy Bake Oven every time a gift-giving holiday rolled around. I'd watch the ads that aired with the Saturday morning cartoons and long to be one of those girls, pulling my own, light-bulb baked cake out of the pink-flowered oven with the special removing tool. Alas, my parents always refused to buy me one, insisting that they were dangerous. I always thought that they were making excuses because they were just terrified of what would happen if I was allowed to have an oven in my bedroom. 
Dole has issued a recall on cartons of cantaloupes in the Eastern US and Quebec, Canada, after discovering the fruit tested positive for salmonella. Approximately 6000 cartons of the Costa Rican-grown fruit were distributed to wholesalers between the dates of February 5th though 8th, though no reports of illness have yet come in. 
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just issued a salmonella warning for some batches of Peter Pan peanut butter after linking more than 280 cases of food poisoning in 39 different states to the product. Con Agra, the manufacturer of the peanut butter, has already called for a recall, but unlike with the fresh veggies that were affected by an E. coli contamination last fall, the long shelf-life of peanut butter means that people who fail to check their jars at home could face problems at a later time. Fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps are common effects, but for those with autoimmune disorders or other serious medical conditions, salmonella infections can be life threatening.
All of the peanut butters in question are under the brand names "Peter Pan" and "Great Value" and bear the number 2111 at the beginning of the product code on the lid. They were all made at a single factory in Georgia. The first consumer that was affected by the peanut butter-borne salmonella became ill in August of 2006, so if you bought your peanut butter (assuming it's Peter Pan brand) around that time, or even a bit before, it is wise to throw it out and start with something fresh.
Just over six months ago, Cadbury went through a major recall of some of their best selling products in the UK because the bars tested positive for traces of salmonella. In Canada, at about this time last year, the company had to recall some Cadbury Easter eggs because "pieces of hard plastic" were found in them. Now, the company is faced with yet another recall. This time, thousands of Easter eggs and chocolates were shipped out with no nut-allergy warning on the packaging, which puts those with such allergies at serious risk.
Since many of the chocolates have already been distributed, Cadbury is not only recalling them from stores, but chose to run ads in the newspapers to try to draw consumers' attention to the potential risk. A Cadbury spokesman could not give an estimate as to the exact number of products involved in the recall, but he speculated that the number of candies - primarily Easter-themed Cadbury Creme Eggs - would be in the thousands not the millions. The real danger for the company in this third recall comes from decreasing consumer confidence in their brand and whether the love of Creme Eggs (properly labeled ones) is enough to make consumers stay with them.
The FDA has issued an alert for Jamba Juice Strawberry Smoothies sold in stores in Arizona, Southern Nevada and Southern California between November 25 - December 1, 2006 because they may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The information that there may be contamination came from one of their supplier's, Cleugh's Frozen Foods of Salinas, CA who notified the company that some of their frozen strawberries tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. 
The HoneyBaked company is recalling 46,941 lbs of their turkey and ham products due to a concern that the meat could cause be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The recall includes cooked, glazed and sliced ham and turkey, all of which was produced between September 5 and November 13. The meat in question was sold in and around the Toledo, Ohio area and was also distributed across the country through internet and catalog orders. There have been no reports of illness yet, but listeriosis primarily affects pregnant women, infants and the elderly, or those with preexisting health conditions. It can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing and can trigger miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as opening the door for more serious diseases. It is most commonly found in unpasteurized milk and unpasteurized milk products (like some cheeses) and prepackaged deli meats and hot dogs.
Remember when Cadbury had to recall a large number of candy bars in the UK earlier due to the discovery of traces of salmonella in their factory? It looks like Hershey's is now having a similar problem. The company voluntarily recalled several brands of chocolate chips, chocolate bars and candies, including Oh Henry!, Reese Peanut Butter Cups and Glosettes, that were manufactured its Smiths Falls, Ontario, factory. All totaled, there are 25 items included in the recall and they can be easily identified "by checking the back of the package for date codes, starting with four digits ranging from 6417 to 6455." The recall did not include any Halloween or Christmas candy, and company spokespeople said that most of the potentially contaminated products were still in warehouses and had not been distributed. The factory was closed last week after "after a routine quality control check detected an 'externally sourced ingredient' which could potentially cause salmonella" and will not reopen until the company can guarantee the safety of its products to consumers.
With a few simple steps, you can make sure your mushrooms are caramelized rather than oil-filled and steamed.
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Cakes so amazing they'd be hard to cut into
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