Pretzels Recalled for Possible Salmonella
National Pretzel Company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is recalling all of its Honey Mustard Onion flavored pretzels made since December, 2009 because a seasoning ingredient could be contaminated with Salmonella, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The honey mustard onion seasoning contains Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) that was previously recalled by Basic Foods Flavors, Inc., of Las Vegas, Nevada, for potential Salmonella contamination. This is one of many recent product recalls involving the company’s HVP.
The FDA has been investigating Salmonella Tennesse in HVP, a widely used flavor enhancer, found in various processed food products such as soups, sauces, chilis, stews, hot dogs, gravies, seasoned snack foods, dips, and dressings. Also, HVP is often blended with other spices for seasonings used in or on foods.
So far, over 50 products are affected by call backs, but to date, no illnesses have been reported.
These particular Honey Mustard Onion seasoned pretzels were distributed nationwide in retail stores and through repackers. The complete list of recalled items is at the FDA Website: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm203372.htm. Other National Pretzel products are not part of this recall.
The FDA wants consumers to return affected products to the place of purchase for a full refund. Questions about the recall can be answered by the company at 1-717-637-5931.
Salmonella, often in food and water contaminated with animal feces, is an organism that can cause serious, sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons sometimes experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstance, Salmonella infection can result in the organism entering the bloodstream and producing severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis. Salmonella poisoning can trigger Reiter’s Syndrome, a difficult-to-treat reactive arthritis characterized by severe joint pain, eye irritation, and painful urination.
Posted on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 2:49 pm under 