Botulism Alert ? Finland, Germany, United Kingdom and USA

[Anne]

Italian olives tainted with botulinum toxin sickened two members of a Helsinki family last week. Both individuals reported having eaten Gaudiano Organic Olives Stuffed with Almonds. Lab tests confirmed that the jar from which the two patients had eaten the olives contained botulinum toxin.
The tainted olives were packed in 314ml glass jars, with a best before date of 09/2012. They were imported into Finland by Kespro as early as September 2010. The olives were sold in Finland to K-food stores KCM Big Apple (Espoo), KCM Jumbo (Vantaa) and KSM South Centre (Rovaniemi), and to a few restaurants.
The olives have been withdrawn from sale in Finland, and consumers who purchased this product are asked to return it to the store.
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According to a notice posted October 21, 2011 on the Rapid Alert System for Foods and Feeds (RASFF) and updated this morning (October 24th), these olives also were distributed to the United Kingdom and the USA. So far, neither the U.S. Food and Drug Administration nor Britain?s Food Standards Agency has issued a Consumer Alert or a public health advisory of any sort.

more here :


http://efoodalert.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/botulism-alert-finland-germany-united-kingdom-and-usa/

 

[Missouriwatcher]

Re: Botulism Alert ? Finland, Germany, United Kingdom and USA

Pure Italian, LLC Recalls Bio Gaudiano Brand Stuffed Olives With Almonds Because Of Possible Health Risk

November 1, 2011 - Pure Italian, LLC, Watertown, MA, the US Distributor, in conjunction with the manufacturer and packer, Bio Gaudiano, Italy, is recalling Bio Gaudiano Organic Olives Stuffed with Almonds all sizes (glass jars and cans) and all lots because it has the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause life-threatening illness or death. Two adults hospitalized in Finland were diagnosed with botulism after consuming almond stuffed olives produced by Bio Gaudiano lot# H2510X expiration 09/2012.

Consumers are warned not to use the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled...

Pure Italian, LLC distributed product at SoWa farmers market in South End MA in 314 ml glass jars. Almond stuffed olives in 314 ml glass jar have a white label that reads Bio Gaudiano with a green twist off metal lid that has an E0511X lot number and 05/2013 expiration date on it. Distribution of other sizes and lots were made to Massachusetts retailers.
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm278254.htm