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• Recall of Asadero and Oaxaca Cheeses due to Possible Listeria Contamination

• Neco Foods Recalls Atlantis Brand Smoked Fish Dip

• FDA Warns Consumers About Potentially Contaminated Cheese

• Use of Oral Sodium Phosphate Products For Bowel Cleansing May Lead To Kidney Injury - Canadian Visitors Only

• Caution Using Topical Anesthetics Prior to Mammography

• Marron Foods Recalls Instant Non Fat Dry Milk Boxes That May Contain Foreign Material

Torres Hillsdale Country Cheese of Reading, Michigan announces the recall of Asadero and Oaxaca soft Mexican-style cheeses due to potential Listeria contamination.

Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause Listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. Listeriosis can cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness and nausea. Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths. The very young, the pregnant, the elderly and persons with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to infection. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.

A routine sample of Asadero cheese, taken by an inspector from the Michigan Department of Agriculture's Food and Dairy Division on February 23, 2009, was subsequently tested by the Michigan Department of Agriculture Laboratory and discovered to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Products were distributed to the following states:

• Georgia
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Michigan
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Tennessee
• South Carolina
• Wisconsin

The recalled Asadero and Oaxaca cheese products were distributed to retails stores and delis:

• Aguas Calientes
  10 lb balls, 16 & 12 oz plastic packages


• El Jaliciense
  6 lb blocks shrink-wrapped in clear plastic


• Packaging may also include a label with the name Torres Hillsdale Country Cheese LLC

The recall encompasses all productions dates between August 1, 2008 (expiration date 10/29/2008) and February 27, 2009 (expiration date 5/10/2009).

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the recalled products. Consumers and retailers are urged to return all unused recalled product to the manufacturer.

Consumers with questions may contact Salvador Torres, Manager, Torres Hillsdale Country Cheese LLC at 517-368-5990.

Neco Foods, LLC of Lantana, Florida is recalling 231 cases of 7 ounce, 32 ounce and 5 pound packages of Atlantis Brand SMOKED FISH DIP, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The recalled Atlantis brand Smoked Fish Dip was distributed in Florida in 7 ounce containers through retail stores, 32 ounce containers through club stores, and in 5 pound packages through foodservice distributors. The product is distributed in the following packages:

• 7 ounce, Atlantis brand, Smoked Fish Dip in a clear plastic container marked with Lot # 048 on bottom, with an expiration date of April 23, 2009. UPC code: 0 3469611124 5


• 32 ounce, Atlantis brand, Smoked Fish Dip in a clear plastic container marked with Lot # 048 on bottom, with an expiration date of April 23, 2009. UPC code: 0 3469611134 4


• 5 pound, Atlantis brand, Smoked Fish Dip in a white plastic container marked with Lot # 048 on the lid, with an expiration date of April 23, 2009. No UPC code. Foodservice distribution, not for retail sale.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. Neco Foods has notified all Customers and confirmed that all affected product remaining in the customers inventory has been removed from store shelves and destroyed.

The potential for contamination was noted after routine testing by the company revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in a returned heat abused shipment of 5 pound containers of the product. No other products have been found to be contaminated.

Consumers who have purchased Atlantis brand Smoked Fish Dip, Lot # 048, are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Neco Foods at 1-561-582-6089 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese Mexican style soft cheese (two specific lots) or any Queso Cotija Molido Mexican style grated cheese manufactured and distributed by Peregrina Cheese Corp. of New York City. These products could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in pregnant women, young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria monocytogenes infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women. Consumers who may have recently consumed these products and have these symptoms should contact their health care providers.

No illnesses are known to be associated with the products at this time. The company is recalling certain products based on sampling and analysis by the FDA that detected Listeria monocytogenesin some of the samples.

The company is recalling two lots of its Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese Mexican style soft cheese and one lot of its Queso Cotija Molido Mexican style grated cheese.

The Queso Fresco Fresh Cheese comes in a 14-ounce foil wrapped packages marked with lot number 4469 or 4477 affixed to each package on a white sticker and bearing UPC number 8 17424 00024 6 and Plant # 36-8431.

The Queso Cotija Molido Cheese comes in 15-ounce clear plastic bags that are marked with UPC number 8 17424 00027 7 and Plant # 36-1388, but do not contain a lot number or production date.

Both products were distributed to retail stores in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Manhattan, and two towns in Pennsylvania (Scranton and Hazelton) in early February. The company has contacted all its customers and instructed them to destroy all affected products in their inventory.

Consumers who purchased any of the products are urged to discard them immediately. Although the FDA detected Listeria monocytogenesin only one production date of Peregrina Cheese Corporation's Queso Cotija Molido Cheese, the agency is urging consumers to discard all of these products because they do not contain a lot code or production day code to allow consumers to distinguish between a product that is of concern and a product that is not of concern.

Please direct questions regarding this recall to Peregrina Cheese Corporation at (718) 456-2391, Monday - Friday from 9 am – 4:30 pm EST.

Health Canada is warning Canadians not to use oral sodium phosphate products as bowel cleansers ("purgatives"), unless recommended in an individual case by a health care practitioner, as they may cause serious adverse effects. Oral sodium phosphate products are currently available over-the-counter as natural health products in Canada. These products have a long history of safe use as laxatives, but when taken for bowel cleansing (purgative dose) they have been associated with serious adverse effects, including electrolyte disturbances and kidney injury.

In Canada there are three authorized oral sodium phosphate products that have instructions for laxative and purgative use on their labels:

• Phoslax (by: Odan Laboratories Ltd.; NPN 80000689)
• Phosphate Solution (by Pharmascience Inc.; NPN 02230399)
• Fleet Phospho-Soda Oral Laxative (by Johnson & Johnson Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals; NPN 02206218)

which is also sold under the following brand names:

Health Canada is working with these companies and is taking appropriate actions to reduce risk and ensure health and safety to Canadians. Johnson & Johnson Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals has notified Health Canada that they have voluntarily discontinued the sale of the Fleet Phospho-Soda product in Canada.

The instructions for purgative use on the labels of these products should no longer be followed, unless recommended by a health care practitioner. These products are still considered to be safe and effective for laxative use. Canadian consumers are also cautioned not to use unauthorized health products containing oral sodium phosphate with a purgative dose for bowel cleansing.

Health Canada received 53 Adverse Reaction Reports in association with oral sodium phosphate products, of which 30 case reports involved kidney dysfunction including 27 reported as serious. Other adverse reactions included gastrointestinal symptoms, cardiovascular and neurological problems, and allergic reactions. Canadians who have used an oral sodium phosphate product and are concerned about their health should consult with a health care practitioner.

Health Canada previously issued the following risk communications related to oral sodium phosphate products issued in December 2005 entitled: Important Safety Information on Fleet Phospho-Soda (Sodium Phosphates Oral Solution.

Consumers requiring more information about this advisory can contact Health Canada's public enquiries line at (613) 957-2991, or toll free at 1-866-225-0709.

FDA is alerting patients and healthcare professionals about the potential danger of using topical anesthetics to relieve pain before having mammography or other medical procedures. The concern is that patients may apply these drugs improperly, which could cause excessive absorption of the drug. This could result in seizures, cardiac arrhythmias, respiratory failure, coma, and even death.

In a recent study (published in the journal “Radiology”) of the use of topical anesthetics to relieve pain during mammography, women spread lidocaine gel over a wide area of skin and covered it with plastic wrap before the getting the mammogram. No serious side effects from the drug were reported, but the study was too small to detect rare but serious events, like toxicity from systemic absorption.

FDA is concerned that as more women become aware of this study through the Internet or word-of-mouth, they may start using topical anesthetics without medical advice before getting a mammogram, and this could set the stage for at least a few tragic events.

FDA is aware of two cases in which the use of topical anesthetics led to fatal outcomes. In these cases, young women applied topical anesthetics before having laser hair removal. They experienced seizures, became comatose and died. They apparently applied a large amount of the drug to a large area of skin, then covered it with plastic wrap to increase the numbing effect.

Before using a topical anesthetic for a mammogram or other procedures, women should talk to their doctors about whether it is advisable to do this. If the doctor recommends using a topical anesthetic, use a product containing the lowest concentration of the drug, and apply it sparingly. To decrease the chance that the drug may be absorbed into the body, do not apply it to broken or irritated skin, do not wrap the skin, and do not apply heat to the area.

Marron Foods, a Durand, WI. company is voluntarily recalling approximately 140 cases of Non Fat Dry Milk that may contain a piece of metal that came off the packaging equipment which was discovered as part of regular maintenance.

Swallowing fragments of metal may constitute a choking hazard. Product was distributed in Safeway Food stores nationally. The following products are subject to recall:

• Safeway Instant Non Fat Dry Milk, 25.6 oz Box.
  UPC code # 2113038511

The following code dates are printed on the top of each box:

• BEST BEFORE FEB-12,10
  55-343 043
• BEST BEFORE FEB-13,10
  55-343 044

Consumers can return product with these production dates to the store they purchased it from for a refund. There have been no reported injuries.

Consumers who may have questions or concerns regarding this matter can be directed to Matt Pearson at 914-967-2442.