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Salmonella Outbreak Traced to White Pepper Spice Source of
Article: http://www.ktvn.com/Global/story.asp?S=10103146&nav=menu549_2
Posted: March 31, 2009
10:32 AM PDT
From the Washoe County
District Health Department: Washoe County and Carson City
public health officials announced today that local consumers should avoid
eating ground white pepper which has been processed, packaged and/or
distributed by Union International Food Company in Union City, California
until further notice. Local restaurant and food store managers, restaurant
suppliers and spice wholesalers should check their inventories and remove
this product immediately. Ground white pepper
products from the UIFC have been linked to a multi-state outbreak of
Salmonella. The discovery of Salmonella in food samples collected
from restaurants and food distributors prompted these recommendations. Thus far, two people in
Washoe County and two in Carson City are among the 42 who have been confirmed
ill as a result of consuming the contaminated product. Other affected states
and corresponding number of cases to date include California (33), Oregon (4)
and Washington state (1). The last known date of onset of illness for this
outbreak is March 13, 2009. No deaths have been reported, though eight people
were hospitalized. While only ground white
pepper has been connected to illness in Northern Nevada, the UIFC immediately
announced a voluntary recall of all of the following spices:
These products do not bear
lot codes and were sold primarily to distributors and restaurants. They are
packaged under the Lian
How brand name (red label) for commercial use in the following sizes and
types of containers:
Following the Lian How brand
name, the wording "Packed by Union International Foods" or
"Union International Foods" appears. The items intended for
individual consumer purchase and recalled from retail stores could instead
display the "Uncle Chen" brand name. "Investigators in all
four jurisdictions are to be commended for their teamwork in finding the
source of this outbreak so quickly and implementing steps to prevent
consumers from being affected, especially given that this is a very rare type
of Salmonella," stated Dr.
Randall Todd, Director of Epidemiology for the Washoe County Health
District. Todd said that federal and
California authorities are continuing the investigation in an effort to
better understand the contamination and distribution processes involved with
this outbreak. Salmonella
infections cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in infants, frail or
elderly individuals, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy
individuals infected with Salmonella often experience diarrhea (occasionally
bloody), fever, abdominal cramping, nausea and sometimes vomiting. Symptoms
typically last less than a week. In rare circumstances, the infection can
result in the organism getting into the blood stream and producing more
severe illnesses. Anyone with these symptoms should consult with their
healthcare provider. Consumers with questions
about the recall may contact UIFC at 510.471.6799. |
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