Spices and Pepper Recalled due to Salmonella Contamination

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received reports of food poisoning at the end of March, 2009 and health officials began investigating a multi-state Salmonella outbreak that was isolated from an open container of Lian How White Pepper at a restaurant where some outbreak victims ate.

Union International Food Co., of Union City CA, first recalled 15-pound and smaller size packages of the Lian How brand spices and Uncle Chen brand white pepper & black pepper (whole and ground) in 5oz. retail containers. The recall was further expanded to include various size packages of all Uncle Chen and Lian How dry spice products, sauces, oils, and oil blends because these products have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella.

The Lian How brand spices are distributed in the states of California, Oregon and Washington to wholesalers, distributors, restaurant suppliers and restaurants and are packaged in 10 or 15lbs. boxes with plastic liners, 5-pound plastic jars or 5-pound plastic bags (and 2.2 pound foil bags of Wasabi powder). The Uncle Chen brand white & black pepper products (whole or ground) are sold at retail in 5oz. containers.

Products first recalled are: white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, chopped onion, onion power, garlic (chopped, minced, powdered and granulated), whole black pepper, whole white pepper, curry powder, mustard powder, and wasabi powder.

The products included in the expanded recall are:

• 100% Pure Sesame Oil Hot Broad Bean Sauce
• Chinese Sesame Oil Hunan Red Chili Sauce
• Chinese Style Sesame Sweet Sauce
• Jaisun Sesame Oil Sweet Flour Sauce
• Jaisun Blended Soybean and Sesame Oil Sriracha Chili Sauce
• Meiwei Sesame Oil Fresh Ground Chili Paste
• Meiwei Blended Soybean and Oil Garlic Chili Sauce
• 100% Black Sesame Oil Chili Sauce
• Sesame Oil Garlic Chili Extra Hot Sauce
• Chili Oil Fresh Chili Sauce
• Superior Chili Oil Fresh Chili Extra Hot Sauce
• Hot Sesame Oil Black Bean Garlic Sauce
• Chili Sauce Bean Sauce
• Hot Bean Sauce Superior Red Chili Oil

Over 42 people in four states (CA, WA, OR, NV) have now been linked to this outbreak of Salmonella Rissen, a rare but dangerous strain of salmonella. 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. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that Salmonella causes 40,000 confirmed cases each year, but is probably responsible for close to 40 times that amount (approximately 1,600,000). The CDC and it adds that 2,500 subtypes of Salmonella exist.