Costco frozen mixed berry recall. Looks like only AZ, CO, CA, NM, NE.
- Thread starter curious1
- Start date
thanks my daughter bought this
in CA. So now I'm concerned. here is an image I found of the packaging
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/pubsforms/PublishingImages/TownsendFarmsMay2013.jpg
in CA. So now I'm concerned. here is an image I found of the packaging
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/pubsforms/PublishingImages/TownsendFarmsMay2013.jpg
mariadnoca
Moderator
Thanks...organic frozen berries were one of the reasons I reupped my membership
I wanted just organic strawberries and were annoyed they didn't have them. So didn't buy that as protest (shakes fist at sky!)
Resigned, almost went there yesterday to give into buying the mixed bag. I would've been eating this daily in my green smoothies if not for that annoyance...almost sure to fall ill.
I'm more than a little appalled that these were ORGANIC and yet unsafe. When I renewed my membership a friend mentioned she'd never eat the food from there and I quote: "all those food recalls are always stuff sold to places like Costco and Walmart." I don't know what to think.
I wanted just organic strawberries and were annoyed they didn't have them. So didn't buy that as protest (shakes fist at sky!)
Resigned, almost went there yesterday to give into buying the mixed bag. I would've been eating this daily in my green smoothies if not for that annoyance...almost sure to fall ill.
I'm more than a little appalled that these were ORGANIC and yet unsafe. When I renewed my membership a friend mentioned she'd never eat the food from there and I quote: "all those food recalls are always stuff sold to places like Costco and Walmart." I don't know what to think.
mariadnoca
Moderator
I'm sure they can. Plus, Costco's customer service so far has be wonderful
When deciding to renew, they were able to pull up everything I'd bought to help me decided if renewing was worth it, so I'd expect they'd this information/would offer a refund. They might even just tie the refund to your card so you don't have to bring it back - they did that for me on some rx medicine.
Crossing my fingers it's not in the recall/everyone is ok.
When deciding to renew, they were able to pull up everything I'd bought to help me decided if renewing was worth it, so I'd expect they'd this information/would offer a refund. They might even just tie the refund to your card so you don't have to bring it back - they did that for me on some rx medicine.
Crossing my fingers it's not in the recall/everyone is ok.
I don't think that's true. I did a bit of googling and going back to 2003 I found 22 recalls on
food for Costco on this site at link. I also searched for Whole Foods and the 100 results are for wholesale, whole, etc as well as for Whole Foods, so I started counting the Whole Foods recalls. I got to 40 recalls for Whole Foods and was still in 2009 with 5+ years to go. See that page at the image link. And Whole Foods sells a lot less food than Costco does, at least that's my guess. I honestly don't think Costco is worse than any place else when it comes to those safety issues.
http://www.recallowl.com/recalls/costco
http://www.recallowl.com/recalls/whole%20foods%20market
food for Costco on this site at link. I also searched for Whole Foods and the 100 results are for wholesale, whole, etc as well as for Whole Foods, so I started counting the Whole Foods recalls. I got to 40 recalls for Whole Foods and was still in 2009 with 5+ years to go. See that page at the image link. And Whole Foods sells a lot less food than Costco does, at least that's my guess. I honestly don't think Costco is worse than any place else when it comes to those safety issues.
http://www.recallowl.com/recalls/costco
http://www.recallowl.com/recalls/whole%20foods%20market
I have started looking at Country of origin the past few years
Some countries have higher standards in many cases than the U.S. for food safety and what can be constituted as a food safe product/additive. But I stay clear of many other countries. I probably would not have purchased these berries but my daughter did so for smoothies that she makes regularly.
Aside from that, I find it really deceptive that a company can package something with a USDA badge on it of any sort, much less "Organic," but have a country of origin outside of the U.S.
Although the U.S. has problems there is no way that the USDA can guarantee that something originating from outside of the U.S. has followed any kind of standards or practices. At least if something has U.S. origins there is at least the pretense of some accountability at the source.
Some countries have higher standards in many cases than the U.S. for food safety and what can be constituted as a food safe product/additive. But I stay clear of many other countries. I probably would not have purchased these berries but my daughter did so for smoothies that she makes regularly.
Aside from that, I find it really deceptive that a company can package something with a USDA badge on it of any sort, much less "Organic," but have a country of origin outside of the U.S.
Although the U.S. has problems there is no way that the USDA can guarantee that something originating from outside of the U.S. has followed any kind of standards or practices. At least if something has U.S. origins there is at least the pretense of some accountability at the source.
melissa-dallas
Well-known member
But somebody handling them with dirty hands doesn't have anything to do with organic
G
Guest
Guest
I don't buy produce that has to come on a boat or plane.
We have a pretty good farmer's market and I belong to a statewide food co-op so can usually buy local.
A lot of the produce sold here comes from Mexico and is generally of adequate quality as far as I can tell. I think it was on a Rick Bayliss show that a large Mexican farm selling organic produce to the US was featured. I know that's no guarantee but I was impressed with what I saw.
We have a pretty good farmer's market and I belong to a statewide food co-op so can usually buy local.
A lot of the produce sold here comes from Mexico and is generally of adequate quality as far as I can tell. I think it was on a Rick Bayliss show that a large Mexican farm selling organic produce to the US was featured. I know that's no guarantee but I was impressed with what I saw.
michael-in-phoenix
Well-known member
I have a different opinion on Mexican produce. I spoke to a produce buyer...
...from one of the "big three" supermarket groups. He told me, off the record, that he would NEVER serve any produce grown in Mexico that touches the ground to HIS family. He said he witnessed Mexican farm fields being irrigated with water from highly questionable sources, and he thinks it is risky to buy Mexican strawberries, melons, squash, scallions and any other "ground" produce. He says tomatoes, cukes, peppers, mangoes, and any other "hanging" produce is safe.
This conversation took place a number of years ago, so maybe things have improved. Who knows? I'm STILL not willing to chance it.
Michael
...from one of the "big three" supermarket groups. He told me, off the record, that he would NEVER serve any produce grown in Mexico that touches the ground to HIS family. He said he witnessed Mexican farm fields being irrigated with water from highly questionable sources, and he thinks it is risky to buy Mexican strawberries, melons, squash, scallions and any other "ground" produce. He says tomatoes, cukes, peppers, mangoes, and any other "hanging" produce is safe.
This conversation took place a number of years ago, so maybe things have improved. Who knows? I'm STILL not willing to chance it.
Michael
If something has a USDA Organic stamp, it means
"Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too."
"Organic" does not mean anything other than the following:
"What does “organic” mean?
Simply stated, organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones."
It is in no way immune to contamination.
http://www.organic.org/home/faq
"Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too."
"Organic" does not mean anything other than the following:
"What does “organic” mean?
Simply stated, organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones."
It is in no way immune to contamination.
http://www.organic.org/home/faq
G
Guest
Guest
thanks for sharing
What you say makes sense and I think I will, for the most part, follow your example.
I wash all produce with a mind toward removing external contamination. Melons in particular, which get a scrub with dish soap. Strawberries get a swish in a bowl of warm water containing a couple drops of soap followed by a thorough rinse. That may not adequate given what you have said.
What you say makes sense and I think I will, for the most part, follow your example.
I wash all produce with a mind toward removing external contamination. Melons in particular, which get a scrub with dish soap. Strawberries get a swish in a bowl of warm water containing a couple drops of soap followed by a thorough rinse. That may not adequate given what you have said.
I understand BUT
it is deceptive in the same way that "All Natural" marketing lingo and "Natural Flavors" in the ingredients, is deceptive when all kinds of obscene things can be hidden in our food as "natural flavors." People are busy and conditioned to shop in certain ways. Essentially they want to feel safe that the government serves their best interests. So an ingredient that is "natural" we assume that it falls under what are generally accepted social norms of what is "natural" in our society. We see a USDA badge on food and it is natural to also make assumptions, rather than to need to hire an attorney for each product purchase to be able to drill down into what exactly could be encompassed within a particular term that is on packaging / ingredients.
Putting a big USDA stamp on something lends credibility with the implication that there is some official quality control going on overseen by the U.S. gov't. IF (which I highly doubt) some government official goes oversees to say Turkey to visit some farm, that only means that at that one time that inspector saw what they wanted him/her to see on that one occasion. But realistically they could even be getting their stuff somewhere else and just passing it through some superficial operation. The USDA only has the resources to deal with a tiny fraction of U.S. production. There is no budget to be flying around the world or even any legal authority to do so.
I also think that many people would naturally assume that if it has a USDA badge that it was produced in the USA. Most people do not read country of origin information and often that too is pretty obscure and there may in fact be some other sentence on the labeling like "distributed by" XYZ Farms Small Town, OR but then somewhere else "made in China" so you see that first sentence and again assume that it is a U.S. product. Some of the big companies like Proctor & Gamble do this very effectively and you really have to be a detective to find out that your toothpaste for example, was Made In China.
On a related note, I just read yesterday that a Chinese firm paid almost $5 billion for Smithfield (Smithfield hams).
it is deceptive in the same way that "All Natural" marketing lingo and "Natural Flavors" in the ingredients, is deceptive when all kinds of obscene things can be hidden in our food as "natural flavors." People are busy and conditioned to shop in certain ways. Essentially they want to feel safe that the government serves their best interests. So an ingredient that is "natural" we assume that it falls under what are generally accepted social norms of what is "natural" in our society. We see a USDA badge on food and it is natural to also make assumptions, rather than to need to hire an attorney for each product purchase to be able to drill down into what exactly could be encompassed within a particular term that is on packaging / ingredients.
Putting a big USDA stamp on something lends credibility with the implication that there is some official quality control going on overseen by the U.S. gov't. IF (which I highly doubt) some government official goes oversees to say Turkey to visit some farm, that only means that at that one time that inspector saw what they wanted him/her to see on that one occasion. But realistically they could even be getting their stuff somewhere else and just passing it through some superficial operation. The USDA only has the resources to deal with a tiny fraction of U.S. production. There is no budget to be flying around the world or even any legal authority to do so.
I also think that many people would naturally assume that if it has a USDA badge that it was produced in the USA. Most people do not read country of origin information and often that too is pretty obscure and there may in fact be some other sentence on the labeling like "distributed by" XYZ Farms Small Town, OR but then somewhere else "made in China" so you see that first sentence and again assume that it is a U.S. product. Some of the big companies like Proctor & Gamble do this very effectively and you really have to be a detective to find out that your toothpaste for example, was Made In China.
On a related note, I just read yesterday that a Chinese firm paid almost $5 billion for Smithfield (Smithfield hams).
mariadnoca
Moderator
I know, but I guess my inner Pollyanna thinks if they are organic they should be stricter
in how they handle the produce/cleanliness.
in how they handle the produce/cleanliness.
My philosophy is if you care about something, educate yourself about
what the operating definitions are within that realm.
With regard to the frequency of inspections, it is important to understand the system the USDA operates within. I suspect if we really knew precisely how USDA facility and processing inspections are done, we might seriously reconsider purchasing any food that is mass produced.
In fact, when one considers the sheer quantity of food that is produced and consumed, identified contamination and food-born illness is a rare occurrence.
As far as food labeling goes, "natural" is essentially meaningless as far as I am concerned. I view it as a marketing tool, as opposed to a "guarantee" of something.
what the operating definitions are within that realm.
With regard to the frequency of inspections, it is important to understand the system the USDA operates within. I suspect if we really knew precisely how USDA facility and processing inspections are done, we might seriously reconsider purchasing any food that is mass produced.
In fact, when one considers the sheer quantity of food that is produced and consumed, identified contamination and food-born illness is a rare occurrence.
As far as food labeling goes, "natural" is essentially meaningless as far as I am concerned. I view it as a marketing tool, as opposed to a "guarantee" of something.
Ha, don't ever move to Alaska then. we would succumb to scurvy in the fall/winter/spring
if we didn't buy, wash, eat, cook, eat our grocery store produce. We generally ignore all these articles(not recalls though)---we have to. what would we eat? and we're just fine up here. just stay away from fermented seal flipper if it was buried in tupperware----botulism for sure.
if we didn't buy, wash, eat, cook, eat our grocery store produce. We generally ignore all these articles(not recalls though)---we have to. what would we eat? and we're just fine up here. just stay away from fermented seal flipper if it was buried in tupperware----botulism for sure.