Subject: Food Recall
Date: 2/26/2010; 12:00:33
Message#: 101555-2-26-2010-PHIN
Contact Info: Alan L. Talarsky, NJDHSS/CEHS/Food and Drug Safety Program
Phone: 609-588-3123; Email:
at2@njlincs.netAttachments: None
Please review the following message from Alan Talarsky, Environmental Scientist 1, Food and Drug Safety Program, DHSS regarding the following Class 1 Recall issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration:
Wholesome Spice of Brooklyn, NY is recalling all lots of 25 lb boxes of Crushed Red Pepper sold between 4/6/09 and 1/20/10, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), 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 such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
The 25 lb boxes of Crushed Red pepper were distributed in the Northeastern U.S.. The product was not sold on the retail level to consumers.
The Crushed Red Pepper product is packaged in a clear plastic bag which is placed inside of a cardboard box with an adhesive white label with a blue border and blue and black lettering. The brand name on the product labels is WHOLESOME SPICES. The product name is listed as CRUSHED RED PEPPER.
It cannot be determined at this time if this product has been related to any illnesses to date.
The firm was informed that samples of its product have tested positive for Salmonella. The firm is currently working with the FDA to determine how the contamination occurred.
Manufacturers who have purchased 25 lb boxes of WHOLESOME SPICES brand Crushed Red Pepper are urged not to use the product and to recall any product they further distributed. Manufacturers with questions may contact the firm via telephone at (718) 388-1549. Our hours of operation are from Monday to Friday 8:30-4:30pm Eastern Standard Time.
No action is required of local health departments at this time for this recall. If any requests for assistance are received from FDA, the Food and Drug Safety Program will contact you. For additional information regarding warnings and recalls, please click on the weblink below.
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For all recalls - http://www.recalls.gov
This information has been distributed to: DHSS Senior Staff; DHSS Staff; LINCS Coordinator Backups; LINCS Coordinators; LINCS Epidemiologists; LINCS Health Educators; LINCS Health Officer Assistants; LINCS Health Officers; LINCS Health Planners; LINCS IT Specialists; LINCS Partnership Coordinators; LINCS Public Health Nurses; LINCS Regional Health Planners; LINCS Team Members; LOCAL Health Officers; LOCAL Public Health; Food Safety Organizations
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