UNION CITY Calif. Asian foods supplier Union International Food Co. has again expanded its recall of products because of concerns about possible salmonella contamination. This latest round of recalls includes 51 Uncle Chen and Lian How branded sauces, oils and pastes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said last week.
The Union City-based company in late March and again earlier this month recalled a number of Uncle Chen and Lian How dry spices and seasonings sold to restaurants and their suppliers, retailers and wholesalers in U.S. western states. As of mid-April, 57 cases of illness caused by Salmonella Rissen have been reported. Government investigators and UIFC have said that a similar strain of salmonella was isolated from an open container of Lian How White Pepper found at a restaurant where some victims ate.
The complete list of products being recalled is available at the FDA website at: http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/unioninternational_list3.html.
AUIFC press release about the expanded recall is posted at: http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/unioninternational304_09.html.
According to UIFC, the sauce, oil, and oil-blended products and pastes were packaged in retail and institutional sized containers ranging from 6 ounces to 1 gallon, in plastic or glass bottles. They were distributed in the states of California, Oregon and Washington.
“The chili sauce, sesame oil and chili oil products have not been linked to the outbreak but Union International Food Co. is acting with an abundance of caution to protect the health and well being of our customers,” UIFC officials said in that company’s latest statement.
Restaurants, retail outlets and other purchasers should stop using the recalled products immediately and dispose of them, the FDA has said. It also advised users to discard any food made with the recalled products and to remove the spices from dispensers on tables and at kitchen workstations. All equipment and utensils that have come into contact with the recalled products should be washed, rinsed and sanitized before further use, the agency said.
Alist of UIFC customers posted online by the California Department of Public Health includes 1,388 businesses, the vast majority of them restaurants, from that state alone. However, state health officials said that wholesalers may have repackaged the products and distributed them to additional foodservice establishments. They also noted that some of the listed restaurants maintained they had not purchased recently from Union International Food Co., suggesting the list could be out dated.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. The Center for Disease Control says healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience fever, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Contact Alan Liddle at [email protected].