Food Safety News

Gear Isle is voluntarily recalling chocolate products because they have been found to contain undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients, sildenafil and tadalafil.

The recalled products are: Gold Lion Aphrodisiac Chocolate Sachet, UPC 795847916279, LOT# no lot number, Expires: 06/2027; and ilum Sex Chocolate, UPC 1002448578911, LOT# no lot number, Expires: 12/25/2027.

Use of products with undeclared active ingredients sildenafil and tadalafil may pose a threat to consumers because the active ingredient may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs, such as nitroglycerin, and may cause a significant drop in blood pressure that may be life-threatening. Among the adult male population who are most likely to use these products, adult males who use nitrates for cardiac conditions are most at risk from these products. To date, Gear Isle has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall.

The product is labeled as a dietary supplement. The products were distributed nationwide via internet sales.

Gear Isle is notifying its customers by notification letter and is arranging for returns and refunds of all recalled products. Consumers who have the products that are being recalled should stop using them.

Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to taking or using this drug product.

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.

• Complete and submit the report Online: www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm
• Regular Mail or Fax: Download form www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm2 or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178

Schreiber Foods Inc. of Green Bay, WI, is recalling 144 Cases of Honey Almond Cream Cheese Spread, because it may contain undeclared almonds. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to almonds run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.

The cream cheese was distributed to store locations in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming through Einstein Bros. Bagel locations.

The product is a 6-ounce plastic cup labeled Einstein Bros. Bagels. It has a Honey Almond lid and a Plain cup. The lot code located on the bottom of the cup is Best If Used By Jul 21, 2026 LO.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

This voluntary recall was initiated after shipment of product with mismatched lid and cup was discovered. The lid correctly identifies the product as Honey Almond, but the cup incorrectly identifies the product as Plain (containing no almonds). Subsequent investigation indicates there was a limited packaging staging issue that was corrected, and review confirmed the issue was contained to this product only.

Consumers who have purchased retail Einstein Bros. Brand Honey Almond Cream Cheese Spread with a Lot Code of Jul 21, 2026LO with a mismatched cup and lid are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. 

Falcon Trading Company Inc. is recalling organic black bean products because they contain pesticide residue.

The Royal Oaks, CA, company is recalling the three items listed below. Because these items are sold in bulk, the lot numbers can be mixed in the sales bin. Therefore, the company is recalling all lot numbers of the following items:

FTC item # 003040 Black Organic, UPC 086700930403, 25 Pound sack
SRF item # 003056 Chili Bean Blend Organic, UPC 086700030561, 15 Pound Box
SRF item # 013000 soup Mix Organic, UPC 086700130001, 25 Pound Box

There have been no illnesses reported to date.

Falcon Trading Company discovered through routine testing that the organic black beans it purchased from a certified organic handler contained pesticide residue. Due to the presence of pesticide residue in an organic product, the company initiated the product recall.

Consumers who have purchased any of the products listed above are urged to return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund.

A report from the Government Accountability Office says the Food and Drug Administration should finalize conflict of interest procedures for advisory board members and make those procedures public.

There was a decline in Campylobacter cases in England in 2025 while Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli O157 hardly changed compared to the year before.

Figures recently released by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show the number of confirmed laboratory reports for gastrointestinal infections in England, including cases acquired overseas.

By Cindy Jiang

As the food industry continues to navigate increasing complexity across global supply chains, regulatory expectations, and consumer demands, artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a powerful tool to strengthen food safety systems. The 2026 Food Safety Summit will open with a forward-looking, highly interactive workshop titled “Leveraging AI for Food Safety: From Strategy to Impact,” setting the tone for the three-day event.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted food safety efforts in Cameroon and the Philippines.

Cheese ingredients included in certain Hello Fresh brand meal kits has been recalled in Canada because of Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

The recall includes shredded Parmesan cheese, cheese curds, feta cheese, goat cheese and Mozzarella cheese. The recalled cheese is not branded. It was sold nationwide. The recall was triggered by the company, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The recall notice did not include any specific information about what Hello Fresh meal kits contain the implicated cheese.

Consumers can use the following label information to identify the affected cheese:

Brand

Product

Size

UPC

Code(s)

None

Cheese - Shredded Parmesan Cheese

28 g (1/4 cup)

None

571607805 BB 2026 AL 02; 152607702 BB 2026 AL 15; 152607801 BB 2026 AL 15; 152607803 BB 2026 AL 16; 152607811 BB 2026 AL 16; 152607813 BB 2026 AL 16; 152606510 BB 2026 AL 17; 152607902 BB 2026 AL 17

None

Cheese - Shredded Parmesan Cheese

56 g (1/2 cup)

None

571607806 BB 2026 AL 02; 152607703 BB 2026 AL 15; 152607812 BB 2026 AL 16; 152607802 BB 2026 AL 16; 152607814 BB 2026 AL 16; 152606509 BB 2026 AL 17; 551606506 BB 2026 AL17; 152607901 BB 2026 AL 17

None

Cheese - Cheese Curds

113 g (1 cup)

None

551606511 BB 2026 AL17

None

Cheese - Cheese Curds

56 g (1/2 cup)

None

551606510 BB 2026 AL 17

None

Cheese - Feta Cheese

28 g (1/4 cup)

None

152606513 BB 2026 AL 17

None

Cheese - Feta Cheese

56 g (1/2 cup)

None

571607809 BB 2026 AL 02; 551606507 BB 2026 AL 17; 152606511 BB 2026 AL 17; 152606512 BB 2026 AL 17

None

Cheese - Goat cheese

28 g (1/4 cup)

None

551606508 BB 2026 AL 14

None

Cheese - Goat cheese

56 g (1/2 cup)

None

551606509 BB 2026 AL 14

None

Cheese - Mozzarella cheese

85 g (3/4 cup)

None

571607807 BB 2026 AL 02

None

Cheese - Mozzarella cheese

170 g (1 1/2 cup)

None

571607808 BB 2026 AL 02

About Listeria infections
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any recalled cheese and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure.

Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. 

Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. 

Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.

A new annual report from a multi-agency group shows chicken, leafy greens and dairy products were most frequently the cause of outbreaks of Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, respectively.

More than 6,200 consumer complaints about food safety were submitted to a dedicated service in Belgium in 2025.

The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) consumer contact point received 6,268 complaints. This is up from 5,222 complaints in 2024 and 4,865 in 2023.

In 2025, 25 complaints per working day were received. FASFC said this demonstrates that food safety is a major concern for the public.

A retailer in New Zealand has been fined for failing to properly escalate and manage a rodent infestation at one of its supermarkets.

Woolworths was fined NZ $33,000 (U.S. $19,000) at Dunedin District Court following a prosecution by New Zealand Food Safety, having earlier pleaded guilty to one charge under the Food Act.

Salmonella surveillance in meat in Hong Kong has revealed a high prevalence of the pathogen, mainly in pork.

Researchers investigated the prevalence, serotype distribution, antimicrobial resistance patterns, and genetic relationships of Salmonella in retail pork, beef and chicken collected from all 18 districts across Hong Kong from July 2022 to June 2023, according to a recently released report.

Auricchio brand Gorgonzola D.O.P dolce is being recalled in Canada because of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

This recall was triggered by Canadian Food Inspection Agency test results. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

The implicated cheese was distributed in Ontario and Quebec.

Consumers can use the following label information to identify the recalled cheese: 200-gram plastic packages with UPC number 8 004603 100770 and codes L 2595282E2 Best Before 08/05/2026.

About Listeria infections
Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look, smell or taste spoiled but can still cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections. Anyone who has eaten any recalled cheese and developed symptoms of Listeria infection should seek medical treatment and tell their doctors about the possible Listeria exposure.

Also, anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products should monitor themselves for symptoms during the coming weeks because it can take up to 70 days after exposure to Listeria for symptoms of listeriosis to develop. 

Symptoms of Listeria infection can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache, and neck stiffness. Specific laboratory tests are required to diagnose Listeria infections, which can mimic other illnesses. 

Pregnant women, the elderly, young children, and people such as cancer patients who have weakened immune systems are particularly at risk of serious illnesses, life-threatening infections, other complications and death. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, their infections can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn, or even stillbirth.

1. The severity of the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to raw cheddar cheese from Raw Farm LLC continues to grow. Out of nine cases so far, more than half are in children younger than 5 years old. Although the FDA has reported that raw milk cheese from Raw Farm dairy is the most likely source of the bacteria, the company has refused to recall its product.
2. Mexican authorities and U.S. regulators are committed to ensuring the safety of fresh and minimally processed foods as food-related trade between the two countries grows. Administrators from Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER), through the National Service for Agri-Food Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA), and the Federal Commission for the Protection Against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS), renewed their collaboration with the FDA under the Food Safety Partnership. The initiative aims to prevent contamination in agricultural products traded between both countries through technical cooperation, traceability and preventive practices.
3. In England, the Food Standards Agency estimates that there are 300,000 cases of foodborne Campylobacter a year with a societal and economic cost of £716 million ($959 million), compared to 32,000 foodborne Salmonella cases with an estimated burden of £212 million ($284 million). The agency identified multiple, interdependent drivers of the contamination including the expanded use of PCR testing, which may have enhanced case detection; increased imports of poultry and eggs, potentially introducing higher risk products; and travel-related exposures, particularly for Salmonella in Turkey and Spain.
4. Food safety scientist Huub Lelieveld, from the Netherlands, has been named the 2026 World Food Prize Laureate for his efforts to build international consensus on food standards and facilitate the safe flow of trade. Lelieveld established the Global Harmonization Initiative (GHI), an organization that connects more than 1,600 volunteer experts across countries to advance science-based food safety and reduce barriers to the safe and efficient distribution of food.
5. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. falsely claimed that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has closed the “GRAS loophole” during a podcast, according to the New York Times. GRAS stands for “generally recognized as safe.” The process allows food companies to self-affirm the safety of additives and other substances without a review by the FDA. A 2013 Pew Charitable Trusts study estimated that 3,000 GRAS substances have evaded FDA review.

Today's topic: Adulterants
From the time food safety became a science to the modern era, the word "adulterant" is used whenever the talk turns serious.

An adulterant is a substance that is discreetly added to another substance, posing a risk to safety or effectiveness. The history of food adulteration includes actions motivated by efforts to reduce costs or to overcome production difficulties.  

According to press reports, the Food and Drug Administration has issued its most serious recall for peeled garlic sold in New York, Vermont and Pennsylvania over a potential botulism risk.

The Class I recall is for Christopher Ranch Garlic, sold in 6-ounce containers at Tops stores in those states, according to a March 27 announcement from the supermarket chain.
“Eating the food may cause health problems or even death,” the store notice warned.

The FDA’s Class I recall is for a Christopher Ranch peeled garlic that was stored at the wrong temperatures.

The garlic was improperly stored in open-air coolers when it should be stored at temps between 32 and 37 degrees — allowing a potential for botulism growth, according to the notice.

The affected garlic contains the UPC codes 00068826753408 and 00071894000005, and all best-by dates are affected.

Tops grocery stores will issue a refund for the affected products with valid proof of purchase.

About botulism
Food contaminated with spores that cause botulism poisoning does not look or smell bad. Untreated, botulism can paralyze the muscles needed for breathing, resulting in sudden death.

Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled product and developed signs of botulism poisoning should immediately seek medical attention. 

In foodborne botulism, symptoms generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food. However, symptoms can begin as soon as 6 hours after or up to 10 days later.

The symptoms of botulism may include some of all of the following: double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, a thick-feeling tongue, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. People with botulism poisoning may not show all of these symptoms at once.

If untreated, the disease may progress, and symptoms may worsen to cause paralysis of specific muscles, including those used in breathing and those in the arms, legs, and the body from the neck to the pelvis area.

Since the last update on March 15, 2026, 2 additional illnesses have been reported from California. A total of 9 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli have been reported from 3 states – California 7, Florida 1 and Texas 1. 

Illnesses started on dates ranging from September 1, 2025, to February 20, 2026. Of 8 people with information available, 3 have been hospitalized and 1 person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure. No deaths have been reported. Over half of the illnesses are in children under five (5) years old.

State and local public health officials are interviewing people or their caregivers about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 8 people interviewed, all 8 (100%) in this outbreak reported consuming or being served unpasteurized milk or cheese. This percentage was significantly higher than the 6.4% of respondents who reported eating any raw or unpasteurized milk or cheese in the FoodNet Population Survey, a survey that helps estimate how often people eat various foods linked to diarrheal illness. This difference suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from eating raw dairy products.

Of the 8 people interviewed, 7 had brand information available. One person drank raw milk but didn’t know the brand. Of the 7 people interviewed who knew a brand, 7 (100%) reported Raw Farm brand dairy products. In 2026, 5 people reported consuming or being served Raw Farm brand raw cheddar cheese. In 2025, 2 sick people reported consuming Raw Farm brand raw milk.

FDA has initiated an onsite inspection at RAW FARM, LLC in coordination with state partners. To date, FDA is not aware of any positive E. coli tests in RAW FARM-brand raw cheddar cheese products from this time period. FDA will update this advisory should additional information become available. 

Prior Raw Farms Outbreaks and/or Recalls

DateProductContaminantRecall/IllnessesSeptember 2006Raw MilkE. coli O157:H76 ill, 2 with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome September 2007Raw CreamListeria monocytogenesRecall IssuedDecember 2007Raw MilkCampylobacter8 Illnesses September 2008Raw CreamCampylobacterRecall IssuedNovember 2011Raw MilkE. coli O157:H75 ill, 3 with Hemolytic Uremic SyndromeMay 2012Raw Milk/CreamCampylobacter10 Illnesses October 2015Raw MilkCampylobacterRecall IssuedJanuary 2016Raw MilkE. coli O157:H79 ill, 2 with Hemolytic Uremic SyndromeMay 2023Raw MilkCampylobacterRecall IssuedAugust 2023Unpasteurized Cheese SalmonellaRecall IssuedDecember 2023Raw MilkSalmonella19 IllnessesOctober 2024Raw MilkSalmonella171 IllnessesDecember 2024Unpasteurized CheeseE. coli O157:H711 illnesses March 2026Raw Milk and Unpasteurized Cheese E. coli O157:H79 illnesses, 1 with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome

An increase in Campylobacter and Salmonella infections in England has been attributed to multiple factors.

It is estimated that there are 300,000 cases of foodborne Campylobacter a year with a societal and economic cost of £716 million ($959 million), compared to 32,000 foodborne Salmonella cases with an estimated burden of £212 million ($284 million).

The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed.

Recent modifications to FDA’s import alerts, as posted by the agency, are listed below.

The European Union (EU) has announced funding for food safety reforms in Ukraine.

The EU will provide €12 million ($14 million) as part of the third phase of the EU4SmallFarms and EU4SaferFood projects.