Tag Archives: Carrefour

‘Juicy beef balls’ have no meat

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Sorenne’s taken to making “That’s what she said” jokes.

Must be her environment.

French-based megalomart Carrefour is, according to China Daily, involved in yet another food safety scandal and this time it’s over their juicy.beef.ballsjuicy beef ball which apparently doesn’t contain meat.

According to the national food production requirement, the juicy beef ball can be mixed with a certain amount of pork and lamb to boost its taste. However, as for the beef balls sold at the retailer’s Lishuiqiao store in Beijing, the beef remains to be seen.

Carrefour said on Thursday it removed its beef ball products form shelves of all stores in Beijing, as an immediate reaction to resolve the scandal, while related products and suppliers will be investigated.

The beef ball safety problems are only limited to the Beijing area as other Carrefour stores in East China do not carry such products, according to a report of CBN Daily on Friday.

Irony is lost on some folks.

Retailer recalls oysters in Belgium amid norovirus concerns

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Supermarket chain Carrefour has recalled oysters marketed under its own brand as well as the Cultimer brand after testing positive for norovirus.

The supermarket chain urges customers who ate ‘Normandy oysters’ and who SUN0705N-Oyster7display symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea and/or a temperature to see their doctor.

Color doesn’t cut it when cooking burgers – French edition

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Our French food safety friend, Albert Amgar, sent along a statement from retailer Carrefour involving a recall of hamburger and patties contaminated with E. coli O 157: H7 and produced by Elivia Eloyes.

“In general, it should be noted that cooking (ie the disappearance of the pink color) hamburgers and chopped meat products helps prevent the consequences of such contamination … these recommendations for cooking are most appropriate when the meat is intended for young children and the elderly.”

What’s more appropriate is a tip-sensitive digital thermometer because 30 per cent or so of hamburger will turn brown before it is actually cooked to a safe temperature.

Color is a lousy indicator: stick it in.

Smile: you’re on camera; McDonald’s, Carrefour sorry for food violations in China

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Staff at McDonald’s and Carrefour outlets in China were caught on camera selling expired chicken products and meat that fell on the ground.

The report by China Central Television offered no evidence of widespread problems with the China operations at either company. But their quick apologies highlight the pressures foreign companies can face in China, as well as rising food-safety worries there.

CCTV reported late Thursday that a Beijing branch of McDonald’s sold chicken wings an hour and 24 minutes after they had been left on a warming tray, compared with the 30-minute limit that the store sets. The report also said outlet personnel cooked and sold beef that had fallen on the outlet’s kitchen floor.

China’s Food and Drug Administration said late Friday that it sent health investigators to the McDonald’s outlet featured in CCTV’s report and ordered the company to act in accordance with food-safety laws and to boost employee food-safety awareness. The incident should be a warning to all McDonald’s outlets, it said.

The network also said a Carrefour outlet in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou, in central Henan province, sold expired chicken and labeled regular chicken as more the expensive free-range variety.

CCTV’s report came as part of an annual broadcast feature marking World Consumer-Rights Day on March 15, or what is known in China as "315." Analysts say that China has historically used the day as an educational tool to give Chinese consumers more information on the products they use and as an outlet for their complaints.

Frenchman finds mouse in can of green beans

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Vincent Kluska, a 24-year-old car body worker, found a mouse head in a can of Carrefour brand green beans, while preparing his lunch in Annemasse in the Haute-Savoie, France, reported RTL.

The young man noticed something strange in the pan where he was cooking his beans. "I thought something had fallen into the pan," he said, "I looked closer: it was a mouse head with a mustache and hair and a mutilated body. "

Vincent, very surprised, admits he retched. "I couldn’t believe it, it’s crazy. Sometimes you hear things like that but when it happens to you it’s unbelievable." The young man was still in shock from the strange discovery and couldn’t understand how this mouse head made its way into the can. The surprise was all the more unpleasant because Vincent had already started eating the can of beans the night before. "The worst part is that I didn’t notice anything different. I went at it head down," he said disgusted.

The Carrefour Market in Annemasse (Haute-Savoie) opened an investigation to determine the origin of this foreign body. "Customer service contacted the client to apologize and to thank him for the alert," said the store, adding "Despite the exceptional nature of this situation, to avoid any inconvenience to another client, Carrefour has decided to recall the remaining lot on the market."

Human tooth found in hamburger in France

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A human tooth was found in a burger made by Bigard in Quimperlé, sold by a supermarket in Angers, France.

Nathalie Dayiot discovered the tooth crown was in a burger prepared by a friend at his home in Angers. He bought it in trays guaranteed "100% muscle" in the Grand Carrefour Maine Angers. "I felt something hard, says the young woman. I spit. It was a tooth on a pivot."

Romuald Gross, who made the purchase, has every intention to complain to the Directorate General for Competition, Consumption and Fraud.

The hamburgers were manufactured at Bigard in Quimperlé. The consumer advocate, Mr. Julien Roulleau, said two of the four who had attended the lunch were victims of food poisoning recorded this morning by their doctor, following the consumption of hamburgers. "The remaining burgers were seized by the DGCCRF. Beyond the problem of the tooth, it is important to know if the lot was consumed," said Me Roulleau.

Carrefour’s management promised an internal investigation and states that "the traceability of the product was traced back to the supplier concerned and to the manufacturing site."
 

Hamburger recalled for E. coli O26 in France

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Carrefour, the France-based retailer, is recalling frozen hamburger patties sold under the Carrefour Discount brand in its stores.

Albert Amgar sent along the notice and Amy translated, but I’m still struck with the unique way France has of blaming the consumer; maybe something is lost in translation.

“As a precautionary measure and with no consumer complaints to date, Carrefour has begun a recall of a batch of ground hamburger patties sold in the frozen food section under the Carrefour Discount brand in Carrefour, Carrefour Market, Carrefour City, Carrefour Contact and Carrefour Montagne stores.

“During regular testing undertaken by the supplier, Escherichia Coli O26 H11 bacteria were discovered. Carrefour immediately began to remove these products.

“Carrefour recommends that clients who might still have these products in their possession do not eat them and return them to their store where they will be refunded.

“In general, it is important to remember that thoroughly cooking hamburger patties may prevent the consequences of such a contamination, with the bacteria being killed by a temperature of 65C.”

Good for the supplier for testing for non-O157 shiga-toxin producing E. coli. But it isn’t so easy as cooking; cross-contamination is a huge issue in the food service or home kitchen, especially with frozen patties that people may handle like Frisbees.

Carrefour recalls cheese cause of E. coli

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France-based Carrefour is recalling a batch of cheese type "Fourme d’Ambert," due to the presence of harmful bacteria, according to a statement released Wednesday.

Carrefour has conducted self-checks on these cheeses sold under the brand cutting Carrefour Selection, and discovered E. coli.

These products were sold between October 29 and November 30, 2010, and to date, no consumer complaints have been reported.

This bacterium can cause in the week following its consumption, severe gastroenteritis, which may be followed by severe renal complications in young children.

That makes it sound like it’s E. coli O157:H7 or some other shiga-toxin producing E. coli.
 

E. coli O26 positive; Carrefour in France recalls frozen hamburger patties

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Escherichia coli O26 H11 has been found in ground beef, prompting the large distribution group Carrefour to recall a batch of frozen hamburger patties sold under the brand name Carrefour Discount with a best-by date of June 18, 2011.

The frozen hamburger patties, sold in Carrefour, Carrefour Market, Carrefour City and Carrefour Contact, have a sanitation stamp IE 565 EC.

The Carrefour group explained in a press release that consumers who have purchased products with this stamp should not eat them and must return them to the store where they will be reimbursed.

That’s different from advice with other recalls in France, where consumers have been advised to simply cook the burgers until well-done. The new advice probably takes into account the risks of cross-contamination in any kind of kitchen. There was no explanation how the E. coli O26 was detected – whether it was through regular testing or part of a foodborne illness investigation.

Carrefour has set up this toll-free number (for France): 0805 909 809.
 

France: Recall of Carrefour Discount brand frozen hamburger patties

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The bites/barfblog French team of correspondent Albert Amgar and Manhattan (Kansas) translators Abby Herald and Amy Hubbell have provided news of the latest E. coli related recall from France, this time in Carrefour Discount Frozen Hamburger Patties (right).

Product recalled by: Carrefour

Department: Food and Drinks

Brand: Carrefour

Product: Lot Number/Serial Number: The aim of this recall is for lot number IE 565 EC with a “best by” date of August 5th, 2010.

Reason for recall: Discovery of contamination by the E.coli bacteria

Recommendation: Consumers having bought this product are asked not to consume it.

Place of recall: Consumers who have purchased the product are asked to bring it back to the store where they will be reimbursed.

Additional information: Carrefour states that they have received no consumer complaints. According to the distributer this bacteria is destroyed at a temperature of 65° C (149° F) and the hamburgers are of no risk if they have been thoroughly cooked. The products related to this recall have been removed from Carrefour, Carrefour Market and Champion stores.

Consumer Hotline: For more information, call the toll free hotline 0 805 90 80 70

Again, the recommended cooking temperature seems low, and it’s really risky to say there’s no-risk with any product. Cross-contamination in any food preparation area is a huge issue. That’s why everyone tries to get the pathogens out, rather than blaming the cook.