FDA: Rolf's Patisserie Recalling All Desserts Made After November 1

Baked goods and pastries may be repackaged, sold under other labels

SILVER SPRING, Md., Dec. 24, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

Fast Facts

• Rolf's Patisserie, a gourmet European style bakery located in Lincolnwood, Ill., is recalling all desserts made after Nov. 1, 2010. The products include tiramisu, cakes, cobblers, decorated cookies, tarts, pastries, and pies.
• The desserts have been connected to several outbreaks of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) food poisoning.
• Because Rolf's Patisserie sells the desserts in both retail and wholesale markets, as well as online and to institutions, the products may not carry a Rolf's Patisserie label.
• A food item contaminated with S. aureus, the bacterium responsible for producing toxins in foods, can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea. The illness usually lasts for one to two days, although severe cases may last as long as three days. However, certain individuals, such as the elderly or very young, may require medical treatment for dehydration.
• Consumers should not eat the desserts and should dispose of them in a sealed container so that people and animals (including wild animals) cannot get access to and eat them.

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What is the Problem?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to eat desserts from Rolf's Patisserie of Lincolnwood, Ill., because they have been linked to several outbreaks of S. aureus food poisoning.

The desserts are available through retail, wholesale and internet sales, and may not be labeled as coming from Rolf's Patisserie. Resellers include grocery stores. Rolf's Patisseries also distributes the products through a catering service and to institutions such as nursing homes.

A total of 100 cases of illness have been reported from four separate events in November and December. Three of the events occurred in Illinois and resulted in 30 illnesses. Seventy illnesses have been reported from a single event in Wisconsin.

What are the Symptoms of Illness/Injury?

A food item contaminated with S. aureus, the bacterium responsible for producing toxins in foods, can cause gastrointestinal illness that usually begins 1-6 hours after eating contaminated food. The most common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. In more severe cases, headache, muscle cramping, and temporary changes in blood pressure and pulse rate may occur.  The illness is usually mild and most patients recover after one to three days. In a small minority of patients the illness may be more severe.  In these cases, some people, especially the very young and old, may require medical treatment for dehydration from vomiting and/or diarrhea.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) web page on Staphylococcal food poisoning: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/staphylococcus_food_g.htm

What Do Consumers and Product Sellers Need To Do?  

Consumers should not eat the desserts. Consumers and product sellers should dispose of them in a sealed container so that people and animals (including wild animals) cannot get access to and eat them.

To report problems, including adverse reactions, related to any food except meat and poultry, contact the FDA district office consumer complaint coordinator for your geographic area (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/ReportaProblem/ConsumerComplaintCoordinators/default.htm).

What Does the Product Look Like?

Because the desserts are sold through wholesale and catering services, as well as Rolf's Patisserie's retail bakery, they may not be labeled with the Rolf's Patisserie name. Rolf's products include cakes, cobblers, decorated cookies, tarts, pastries, and pies.

Where is it Distributed?

Rolf's Patisserie desserts are sold online and through retailers and wholesalers, as well as through the bakery's catering service.  The FDA is working with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to obtain a distribution list, but individuals or businesses may have already purchased goods for the holidays, so it is important to ask where the dessert is from and to not eat desserts from Rolf's made after Nov. 1, 2010. 

What is Being Done about the Problem?

Rolf's Patisserie is contacting retailers and restaurants to remove and discard these products from their shelves. The FDA is working with the CDC and the State of Illinois and Cook County departments of public health to investigate the situation. Rolf's Patisserie has ceased production and distribution.

The information in this press release reflects the FDA's best efforts to communicate what it has learned from the manufacturer and the state and local public health agencies involved in the investigation. The agency will update this page as more information becomes available.

For more information:

Foodsafety.gov S. aureus page: http://www.foodsafety.gov/poisoning/causes/bacteriaviruses/staphylococcus.html

IDPH Press Release: http://www.idph.state.il.us/public/press10/12.23.10Bakery.htm

SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration