Raja Foods Recalls Bindis in USA

Most Indian women consider the bindi to be an integral part of their traditional dress. Indeed the bindi is believed to complete the attire and lend grace and elegance to the persona. Even today, many women do not step out of their homes without a pretty coloured 'bindi' on their forehead.

Yet, after sindoor, it is the bindi that has come under the radar of the US FDA.

Alleged as containing a high percentage of unsafe chemicals including lead, the bindi has as off now been forced off American shelves. Raja Foods, the primary supplier for the USA market has withdrawn bindis from the market there.

Lead is considered to be a dangerous chemical and can have serious effects on the central nervous system, kidney and heart.

Bindis are generally manufactured unchecked in India. There is no regulatory agency to oversee the production of such goods, and the market is filled with many spurious and unbranded products. Manufacturers are able to take the advantages offered to them by cheap synthetic dyes and salts to mass produce this product. The safety of such chemicals itself is in doubt.

In response to this recall, the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forest has observed that a mandatory standard does need to be established with the aim of addressing these shortcomings with a view to public health. The Drug Controller General of India still does not have any safety regulations for consumers.

It is important to note that most doctors advise that bindis should not be used if one experiences even the slightest of skin irritations.

Gorton's Seafood Recall

Suspected adulteration in Gorton's 6 Crispy Battered Fish Fillets is the cause for a recall issued by Gorton's Seafood. A Massachusetts based company, Gorton's is voluntarily recalling this frozen seafood product as it may have been adulterated with pills. So far one case of adulteration has been reported from the product.

This precautionary measure applies to:

Gorton's 6 Crispy Battered Fish Fillets
11.4 oz -- UPC #4440015770
Date code: 7289G1
Best if used by date: April 2009
It was produced on October 16, 2007
Distributed to retail outlets in Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

The said product is being removed from retail shelves, and consumers are being asked to check their freezers for products bearing this particular code. Gorton's is also conducting an investigation and working with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Food & Drug Administration.

To return the product and receive a refund, call: 800-896-9479.

To complain, find you local districts FDA's complaint coordinators on the FDA website at: FDA Complaint Coordinators

For further information, read: FDA.

Recall Alert: Michigan-Based Company Issues Voluntary Recall for Canned Beans

Michigan-based New Era Canning Co., has made the voluntary recall of canned green beans and garbanzo beans because of potential botulism contamination, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday. The codes on the affected products begin with the numbers '00249', or the letters 'GREEN' or 'GARB'.

Acting in the interest of public health, New Era noted that the beans may be contaminated with Clostridium Botulinum, which is often the cause of botulism,a serious and sometimes life-threatening condition.Today, the company expanded its recall to include Mexican-style Chili Beans and Dark Red Kidney Beans also.

According to the FDA, the affected cans are institutional-sized containers, weighing around 61/2 pounds. The FDA has also said that the cans and contents must be thrown away very carefully. The smallest quantity of the C. botulinum toxin can cause a very serious illness. At the same time, the FDA has noted that:

To date, no illnesses have been reported to the FDA; however, consumers should not consume these products, even if they appear to be normal.

Product Labels affected include:
Bunny brand, Distributed by Bunn Capitol Company, Springfield, IL

Classic Sysco brand, Distributed by Sysco Corporation, Houston, TX.

Code brand, Distributed by Code, Atlanta, GA.

ComSource brand, Distributed by ComSource, Atlanta, GA.

ComSource Medallion Premium Quality brand, distributed by ComSource, Atlanta, GA.

ComSource Merit Excellence Food Service brand, Distributed by ComSource, Inc, Atlanta, GA.

ComSource Traditional brand, Distributed by ComSource, Atlanta, GA.

Frosty Acres Restaurant's Pride Preferred brand, Packed for F.A.B., Inc., Alpharetta, GA.

GFS brand, Distributed by Gordon Food Service, Grand Rapids, MI

goodtaste brand, Distributed by New Era Canning in New Era, MI.

Harvest Value brand, distributed by U.S. Food Service, Columbia, MD

Kitchen brand, Distributed by Potato Products, Detroit, MI.

Kitchen Essentials brand, Distributed by Gordon Food Service, Grand Rapids, MI.

Monarch brand, Distributed by Reid, Murdoch & Co., Columbia, MD

Monarch Premium brand, packed for PYA/Monarch, Inc, Greenville, SC.

Mount Stirling brand, Distributed by Pocahontas Foods USA, Richmond, VA.

Necco brand, Packed by New Era Canning Company, New Era, MI.

New Era brand, Distributed by New Era Canning Co, New Era, MI.

Nugget brand, Distributed by Nugget, Atlanta, GA.

Pocahontas brand, Distributed by Pocahontas Foods USA, Richmond, VA.

Reliance Sysco, Distributed by Sysco Corporation, Houston, TX.

Sysco brand, Distributed by Sysco Corporation, Houston, TX.

US brand Distributed by U.S. FoodService, Columbia, MD.

USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, Special Nutrition Programs, Alexandria, VA label.

For further information, read: FDA, CDC-Botulism, and New Era Canning Company Recall.

Related News Links:
Reuters.