Salmonella-Contaminated Spice Linked to Massive Egg Roll Recall

Egg Rolls Contain Spices That Linked To Previous Recall EDS Wrap and Roll Foods LLC is recalling over six tons of chicken egg rolls because the egg rolls contain black pepper spice that is likely linked to previously recalled spice products made by Union International Food Company (UIFC) and an ongoing salmonellosis outbreak.  UIFC issued recalls on several varieties of its white and black pepper, as well as other spices as a precaution.

Banned Foods reported that the recalled EDS Wrap and Roll frozen chicken egg rolls were sold to restaurants in California and include the following products:
•    9.38-pound packages of EDS Wrap and Roll Foods LLC “Chicken Egg Roll” which contain 100 pieces of 1.5-ounce chicken egg rolls
•    18.75-pound packages of EDS Wrap and Roll Foods LLC “Chicken Egg Roll” which contain 100 pieces of 3.0-ounce chicken egg rolls

The recalled EDS Wrap and Roll 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, reported Banned Foods

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said it learned of the problem from the California Department of Public Health due to the ongoing investigation into the UIFC spice recall, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last month.

Health Officials Warned Consumers

KTVN in Nevada reported late last month that health officials warned consumers to avoid eating ground white pepper that was processed, packaged, and/or distributed by UIFC in Union City, California.  According to KCRA in California, the warning was later expanded to include white and black pepper products from the company’s Union City facility in the Bay Area.

In total, four varieties of pepper are included in the recall:  Whole and ground Uncle Chen’s White Pepper and whole and ground Uncle Chen’s Black Pepper. All four products are packaged in 5-ounce containers.  Restaurant and food store managers, restaurant suppliers, and spice wholesalers are being asked to check their inventories and remove this product immediately, said KTVN.

UIFC’s pepper products have been linked to a multi-state outbreak of salmonella poisoning following the discovery of the pathogen in food samples collected from restaurants and food distributors.  To date, over 40 illnesses have been tied to the contaminated spice, at least eight people have been hospitalized, and illnesses have been reported in Nevada, California, Oregon, and Washington state, said KTVN.

Salmonella can cause serious, sometimes fatal salmonellosis infections in young children, weak or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems.  Healthy people may experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, if infected.  Without treatment, severe cases of salmonella poisoning can result in arterial infections—such as infected aneurysms—endocarditis, arthritis, and death; however, some salmonella bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, largely due to the use of antibiotics to promote the growth of feed animals.

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