The snack food, popular amongst children and their parents, was recalled by manufacturer Robert's American Gourmet earlier this year after reports of salmonella contamination began to surface. More than fifty incidents were investigated by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) in Atlanta, tipping off the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which in turn notified Robert's American Gourmet on June 28th.
Along with Veggie Booty, another product - Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks - was recalled over concern that the product shared the same seasoning as Veggie Booty, seasoning that is considered the source for the salmonella contamination. According to information listed on the Robert's American Gourmet web site, the FDA confirmed on July 12th that test results of the suspected seasoning delivered a positive result for salmonella contamination.The seasoning was manufactured from ingredients sourced in China.
A number of lawsuits have been filed against Robert's American Gourmet after children became sick from eating the contaminated snack food. A class-action lawsuit is also being considered.
The concern over salmonella is understandable when one considers the impact of the bacteria on human health. This isn't just an upset tummy we're talking about here.
Salmonella is a serious contamination that has the capacity for making people severely ill for up to 10 days. Many need to be hospitalized as a result. Children, and the elderly are at most risk. Diarrhoea, often bloodied, can result in severe dehydration that can prove fatal for people at highest risk.
What's more, the salmonella bacteria can move beyond the gastro-intestinal area, and move into the bloodstream, resulting in a serious blood infection that could carry dire consequences.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) there are over 2500 strains, or serotypes of Salmonella, which is usually contracted through eating contaminated food of animal origin such as meat, poultry, eggs and milk. However, green vegetables that may have come in contact with contaminated animal manure has also been implicated.
In this case, it is not the vegetables in Veggie Booty that are suspect, but rather the seasoning.
For most people, the most prevalent strains of salmonella will bring on gastroenteritis. Symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea and sometimes vomiting. A relatively healthy person will be in a position to battle through the discomfort without the need for medical treatment. However, for people with weakened immune systems, the elderly or the very young, the onset of salmonella poisoning can be traumatic.
Given that Veggie Booty was marketed as a natural, healthy snack food for children, it's hardly surprising that almost all the reported cases of salmonella poisoning were in children, and all under the age of 10. Most were toddlers, and many had to be hospitalized.
Initial reports indicated that Salmonella wandsworth was involved, but further tests have revealed the presence of Salmonella Typhimurium in some of the tainted bags.
Typically, salmonella is treated with the use of antibiotics, and microbial drugs. However, an increasing concern is the continuing emergence of drug-resistant strains of the bacteria, making effective treatment that much more challenging.
On average, 580 deaths are blamed on salmonella poisoning each year, in the United States. The salmonella outbreak, which covers 17 states, is considered to be ongoing.
Veggie Booty was sold in a flexible plastic foil bag in 4-ounce, 1-ounce, and 1/2-ounce packages. All product has been recalled from store shelves in all 50 states, including Canada.