Greencore USA, Inc., of Cincinnati, Ohio, is recalling approximately 57 pounds of salad products that contain meat and poultry, because the grape tomatoes used in the salads might be contaminated with the <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/salmonella">Salmonella pathogen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) just announced. This recall has been deemed a Class I by the FSIS, which means that is a health hazard situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of the recalled salad product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.
The recall includes 5.6-ounce plastic bowl containers of “Thornton’s Quick Café’s Chef Salad” with an “Enjoy By” date of “09/30/11,” “10/02/2011,” or “10/03/2011.” Every package bears a label with the establishment number “P38518” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products subject to the recall were produced on September 26 and 28, 2011, and were distributed to retail stores in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on FSIS’ website.
The potential contamination was discovered when Pearson Foods, its grape tomato supplier, advised that one lot of grape tomatoes was being recalled due to potential Salmonella contamination. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) previously announced this recall of grape tomatoes on September 28, 2011.
Consumers with questions regarding the recall should contact Greencore USA’s Technical Manager, Mary Young, at 1.513.377.0715. Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1.888.MPHotline (1.888.674.6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time (ET), Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.
The FDA also announced that Thorntons, Inc. issued a recall of its 6-ounce Garden and 5.6-ounce Chef Salads over concerns about Salmonella contamination. As the FSIS noted, these recalled salads were manufactured and distributed by Greencore U.S.A. and are distributed in a black bowl with clear lid marked with expiration dates 9/30/2011, 10/2/2011, and 10/3/2011 on the label on the front of the package. The potential for contamination was noted when a lot of grape tomatoes revealed the presence of Salmonella. Salads produced for Thorntons contain grapes from the same lot.
Consumers who have purchased a garden salad or chef salad with an expiration date that matches those listed above are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Thorntons Inc., toll-free, at 1.866.473.0017, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Last week, we wrote that Andrew Williamson Fresh Produce recalled one lot of its organic grape tomatoes sold under the Limited Edition® and Fresh & Easy labels, over a possible health risk from the dangerous Salmonella pathogen. That recall initially involved 18 states and was just expanded in its geographic scope to include all states in the U.S. The recall also includes the two Canadian Provinces of British Columbia and Ontario, as initially stated.
