The number of products being recalled because of Salmonella fears continues to grow. More than 100 products have been recalled so far. The Food and Drug Administration announced more than a half-dozen recalls just on Wednesday and admits that the recall could continue to grow over the next several weeks. A so-called “flavor enhancer” supplied by Las Vegas company Basic Food Flavors that is used in thousands of products is being blamed. Tests show it may be contaminated with salmonella. The product in question is hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP). The additive is mixed into foods to give them a meaty flavor. The food industry uses it in soups, cheese, sauces, hot dogs, frozen dinners, snack foods, dips and dressings. The FDA says that the company continued to manufacture and ship HVP even after its own testing found Salmonella in the product. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems, according to the government. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses. Some of the recalled food products include some Herrs potato chips, Pringles potato chips, and Quaker snack mix. In February, a customer of Basic Food Flavors alerted the FDA that it had detected Salmonella in the company’s HVP product. That led to an FDA inspection at Basic Food Flavors that began on Feb. 12. That inspection led to the FDA’s positive findings of Salmonella in the manufacturing facility. FDA inspectors also found problems in the company’s manufacturing processes, including a lack of microbial- contamination control. There were also problems with the cleaning and sanitizing procedures of equipment and work areas where food meant for human consumption was processed, as well as plumbing and drainage issues. The FDA says the chances of a consumer getting sick are small because the foods are generally cooked before they are packaged. To date, there have been no reports of illnesses. For more information on the recall and an updated list of the products being recalled . For the full list click here.

Recall: Products Containing Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Federal health authorities announced Thursday the recall of a commonly used flavor enhancer after samples of the product were found to contain salmonella.

“I would say it’s likely to be in thousands of food products,” said Dr. Jenny Scott, senior adviser to the director at the Office of Food Safety at the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, about the product, called hydrolyzed vegetable protein, also called HVP.

The bacterium, identified as Salmonella Tennessee, was found in HVP manufactured by Basic Food Flavors Inc. of Las Vegas, Nevada, the officials said.

HVP is used in processed foods, including soups, sauces, chilis, stews, hot dogs, gravy, seasoned snack foods and dressings.

“We are working hard to respond to this particular outbreak; we also are working hard to put in place the kinds of preventive control measures to prevent this kind of contamination from happening in the first place,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg.

Officials noted in a telephone conference call with reporters that no illnesses have been reported and any risk to consumers would be considered low.

“Many of the foods that incorporated this product at very low levels have kill steps in place that would eliminate salmonella,” said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, FDA’s principal deputy commissioner. He was referring to steps in preparation that would heat the product enough to kill any bacteria. “For those that don’t, we’re providing specific guidance around the need to recall,” he said.

But officials acknowledged they did not yet know just how many products might wind up being recalled.

“The manufacturer had many first-level consignees who obviously had individuals and firms that they sold to,” said Dr. Jeff Farrar, associate commissioner for food safety, FDA’s Office of Foods. “We expect this to get larger over the next several days to, actually, maybe several weeks.”

A call to the manufacturer was not returned immediately.

Sharfstein said the agency learned of the problem in early February, when a Basic Foods customer tested the product and reported to FDA that it was contaminated.

Farrar said he did not know when the plant was last inspected.

The recall affects all bulk HVP produced at the facility since September 17. The FDA posted several dozen products containing the ingredient at www.foodsafety.gov, but officials said the list was not complete. The recalled products include dips, salad dressings and soup mixes.

Farrar said the agency was recommending recalls of those products containing HVP that might be eaten without processing or cooking that would kill the bacteria. But more needs to be done, he said. “This situation clearly underscores the need for new food safety legislation to equip FDA with the tools we need to prevent contamination,” said Farrar.

Salmonella bacteria sometimes cause fatal infections in young children, elderly people and anyone with a weakened immune system.

Symptoms in healthy people might include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest said the recall is “yet more proof that the Food and Drug Administration needs more authority, more inspectors and more resources to ensure that our food supply is safe.”

It added, “Most Americans would be stunned to learn that FDA doesn’t even have the authority to make recalls like these mandatory.”

A bill passed in July by the House with overwhelming bipartisan support would go a long way toward beefing up the agency’s ability to intervene in such cases, said Erik Olson, director of food and consumer product safety at The Pew Charitable Trusts.

“The existing law is basically a reactive law,” he said. “If you find contamination problems, the FDA reacts and goes out and tries to find the problem and asks for a voluntary recall.”

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, the law pending in the Senate, “would change the whole system, modernize it to say we’re going to try to prevent the contamination before it occurs.”

But support for the bill is not universal.

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is seeking changes in the bill before passage, according to Senior Policy Associate Kate Fitzgerald.

“The last thing we want to do as a government is to inhibit these regional food systems by poorly crafted regulation,” she said. Under the proposed legislation, a farmer selling broccoli heads would be classified as a farmer, but a farmer selling broccoli florets would be classified as a facility and subject to more rigorous controls, she said.

“No one benefits if we pass a food-safety bill but it doesn’t make the food system better,” she said.

Steve Etka, legislative director at the National Organic Coalition, offered a similar view. “We want to make sure the bill is clear that it’s targeted toward the riskiest behaviors,” he said. “Right now, we think it’s kind of missing the mark in that regard.”

Information current as of noon March 04, 2010
56 entries in list
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Containing Products Recall List: Main Page

Note: This list includes products subject to recall in the United States since February 2010 related to hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) paste and powder distributed by Basic Food Flavors, Inc. This list will be updated with publicly available information as received. The information is current as of the date indicated. Once included, recalls will remain listed. If we learn that any information is not accurate, we will revise the list as soon as possible. When available, this database also includes photos of recalled products that have been voluntarily submitted by recalling firms to the FDA to assist the public in identifying those products that are subject to recall.

A Rhode Island meat company recalled 1.24 million pounds of pepper-coated salami Saturday, after officials conducting a months-long, multistate investigation of a salmonella outbreak compared shopping receipts of those who got sick.

The recall by Daniele Inc. comes amid an outbreak that has sickened 184 people in 38 states since July.

Daniele has been identified as the source of the ongoing outbreak by William Keene, a senior epidemiologist at the public health division in Oregon, where eight people have fallen ill.

Keene said Saturday that some questions remain, such as whether it was the meat or the pepper that was contaminated.

Investigators in Washington state found that many of the 14 residents there who got sick shopped at Costco, Keene said. Costco did not return calls seeking comment on the recall Saturday, but it has posted notice of it on its website.

HAYWARD

April 4, 2009 6:27pm

• Possible contaminated pepper used in egg rolls

• Still more spices recalled

More than six tons of egg rolls stuffed with chicken are being recalled by EDS Wrap and Roll Foods LLC of Hayward. The egg rolls were sold to restaurants throughout California, the government says.

Meanwhile, the company at the center of a recall of the pepper used in the egg rolls has expanded its recall of still more spices.

The egg rolls contain black pepper spice products that may be linked to a multi-state outbreak of salmonellosis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says Saturday.

The following products are subject to recall:

• 9.38 lb. packages of EDS Wrap and Roll Foods LLC “Chicken Egg Roll” which contains 100 pieces of 1.5 ounce chicken egg rolls

• 18.75 lb. packages of EDS Wrap and Roll Foods LLC “Chicken Egg Roll” which contains 100 pieces of 3.0 ounce chicken egg rolls

The frozen chicken egg rolls were produced between July 28, 2008 and March 27, 2009 and bear case codes “80210 through 80365″ or “90001 through 90089.”

The packages bear the establishment number “P-20350″ within the USDA Mark of Inspection printed on the side of the packages.

FSIS says it learned of the problem from the California Department of Public Health as a result of an ongoing investigation into the dry spice recall announced by FDA. FSIS has received no reports of illnesses associated with the consumption of these frozen chicken egg rolls.

The chicken egg roll products were distributed to restaurants and institutions in California.



Union International Food Co. of Union City is recalling 15-pound and smaller size packages of its Lian How brand dry spices, 30-pound boxes and smaller size packages of Lian How crushed chili, Uncle Chen brand black pepper (whole and ground) in 5-oz. retail containers, Uncle Chen white pepper (whole and ground) in 5-oz. retail containers and 5 pound plastic bags and the Uncle Chen brand Wasabi powder in 2.2 pound foil bags, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

But there’s more. Also recalled by Union as of Saturday evening are the following:

• Cumin powder

• Cloves

• Crushed chili powder

• Dried cloves powder

• Orange peel powder

• Coriander powder

• Black sesame seed

• Coriander

• Peppercorn powder

• Fennel seed

• White sesame seed

• Fennel seed powder

• Tumeric

• Cinnamon powder

• Ginger powder

• Garlic salt

• Meat tenderizer

• Black pepper salt

• Bay leaves

• Five Spicys powder

• Nutmeg

• Star anise powder

Officials are investigating a multi-state Salmonella outbreak isolated Salmonella from an open container of Lian How White Pepper, which was found at a restaurant where some outbreak victims ate.

The Uncle Chen and Lian How brand spices are distributed in the states of California, Oregon and Washington to wholesalers, distributors, restaurant suppliers and restaurants.

The Lian How brand products are packaged in 10 or 15lbs. boxes with plastic liners, 5-pound plastic jars or 5-pound plastic bags.

The Lian How crushed chili is sold in 30-pound boxes, 8-pound boxes and 3-pound plastic jars.

The Lian How brand products are not generally sold directly to the retail consumer.

The Uncle Chen brand white & black pepper products (whole or ground) are sold at retail in 5oz. containers.

The Uncle Chen brand white pepper (whole or ground) is sold in 5-pound plastic bags.

The Uncle Chen brand Wasabi powder is sold in 2.2 pound foil bags.

Union International Foods Company says it has ceased the production and distribution of these products as the FDA, the California Department of Public Health and company continue the investigation as to nature and full extent of the potential contamination.

It comes just weeks after thousands of products containing peanuts were voluntarily recalled in a salmonella outbreak that sickened about 700 people, and follows highly publicized food-borne disease outbreaks connected to peppers and spinach.

www.Malt-O-Meal.com/VoluntaryRecall
“As consumers, we all have that reaction, ‘Here we go again,’ ” said Jeff Levi, executive director of the Trust for America’s Health, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that works to reform the food safety system.

But the string of alerts keeps food safety on the minds of Americans and could lead to legislative changes in California and the rest of the country.

The Food and Drug Administration told consumers Monday to stop eating anything containing pistachios — an effort to keep people from getting sick while investigators looked for the source and the extent of the problem.

The government was tipped off by Kraft Foods Inc. on March 24, after it found salmonella in routine testing and recalled some trail mix.

Audits are not required by the government, but food companies are increasingly requiring suppliers to undergo them as a way to ensure safety and minimize liability. The rigor of audits varies widely and many companies choose the cheapest ones, which cost as little as $1,000, in contrast to the $8,000 the Food and Drug Administration spends to inspect a plant.

Typically, the private auditors inspect only manufacturing plants, not the suppliers that feed ingredients to those facilities. Nor do they commonly test the actual food products for pathogens, even though gleaming production lines can turn out poisoned fare.

As in the Georgia peanut case, auditors are also usually paid by the food plants they inspect, which some experts said could deter them from cracking down. Yet food companies often point to an auditor’s certificate as a seal of approval.

The baking institute, which is based in Manhattan, Kan., and is also known as AIB International, says it inspected more than 10,000 food production sites in 80 countries last year. James R. Munyon, its president and chief executive, said his group’s inspections were reliable and tough, no matter who pays for them, but he declined to elaborate on specific audits.

Even worse, employees with safety concerns are told to defer to the private audits.

Both the government and industry are aware of the problem. The government’s solution? “Expanding the role of private auditors to inspect the more than 200,000 foreign facilities that ship food to the United States.”

Robert A. LaBudde, a food safety expert who has consulted with food companies for 30 years, said, “The only thing that matters is productivity.” He added that “you only get in trouble if someone in the media traces it back to you, and that’s rare, like a meteor strike.”

Dr. LaBudde said a sausage plant hired him five years ago to determine the species of bacillus plaguing its meat. But the owner then refused to complete the testing. “I called them ‘anthrax sausages,’ and said they could be killing older people in the state, and still they wouldn’t do it,” he said, declining to name the company.

Food Safety Problems Slip Past Private Inspectors [The New York Times]