WASHINGTON A salmonella contamination problem at a facility making a popular flavor enhancer for a wide range of foods could lead to the recall of a large number of products, but it is too early to know the extent of such pullbacks, U.S. Food & Drug Administration officials said Thursday.
No illnesses have been tied to products associated with the contamination problem, stressed federal officials, who added that at this time they believe the risk to consumers is “very low.”
In a briefing for reporters Thursday afternoon, assorted officials from the FDA, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and Food Safety & Inspection Service, among others, said that salmonella contamination was confirmed at a facility run in Nevada by Basic Food Flavors Inc. of Las Vegas. The plant makes hydrolyzed vegetable protein, or HVP., which is used in many processed foods, including soups, sauces, chilis, stews, hot dogs, gravies, seasoned snack foods, dips and dressings, they said.
The federal officials said that only the HVP product is involved in the recall.
Officials for Basic Food Flavors were not available for comment at press time. The company has posted a list of BFF products affected by the recall, which can be downloaded here.
Citing potential salmonella contamination from Basic Food Flavors’ HVP, Castella Imports of Hauppauge, N.Y., said in a statement it is voluntarily recalling Castella Chicken Soup Base sold to foodservice and retail.
Though the HVP manufactured by Basic Food Flavors is used in numerous foods, making the potential number of products that may ultimately be recalled “large,” there are mitigating circumstances that may make recalling many such items unnecessary, according to Jeffrey Farrar, FDA associate commissioner for food protection.
“Many of the foods that incorporated this [HVP] product at a low level have kill steps in place [during further manufacturing] that eliminate Salmonella,” Farrar noted.
He said the government will continue to monitor the situation and is working with manufacturers to determine if recalls of their products are needed or if contamination, if any, was eliminated in the production process. He also reminded consumers to read product labels and follow cooking instructions to further reduce the risk involved.
Still, Basic Food Flavors’ hydrolyzed vegetable protein is already being named in recall announcements by some manufacturers, though apparently primarily with retail products at this time, including Earth Island of Chatsworth, Calif.,, which is recalling some Follow Your Heart brand products and T. Marzetti Co. of Columbus, Ohio, which said it is recalling some specific lots of T. Marzetti Veggie Dips, Oak Lake Chip Dips and Great Value Chip Dips.
The FDA said it conducted an investigation at the Nevada HVP facility after a customer of Basic Food Flavors reported findingsalmonella Tennessee in one production lot of HVP to the new FDA Reportable Food Registry. FDA is advising industry that the recalled bulk HVP product should be destroyed or reconditioned according to FDA-approved procedures. FDA is also recommending recalls of certain products that might be eaten by consumers without any processing or cooking steps to address the potential risk. It is recommending that businesses and consumers check the www.foodsafety.gov website for a list of recalled products. Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Contact Alan Liddle at [email protected].