The contaminated milk powder products in question, made by Valley Milk Products, include Valley Milk's High Heat Nonfat Dry Milk Powder and Sweet Cream Buttermilk Powder. Both sold in 50-pound bags to food companies across the nation.
"These products are not sold directly to consumers, but are used as ingredients in a number of foods such as bakery products and distributed by brokers," said the recall statement from Valley Milk Products.
The FDA’s announcement followed last week's decision from Publix Super Markets to recall three of its waffle and pancake mixes. The recalled products were sold at stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Fear of salmonella contamination
At the company's production facility, the FDA found Salmonella residues on processing equipment and food contact surfaces after they had been cleaned. Exposure to Salmonella can result in diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and fever.
While most people who get sick from the bacteria recover without any treatment, for young children, the frail and elderly, and those with compromised immune systems, this kind of infection can have serious, even fatal, consequences. In rare circumstances, the Salmonella bacteria can make it to the bloodstream, causing septicemia, arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis.
According to Valley Milk, none of the analyzed milk powder samples tested positive for the Salmonella bacteria. Nonetheless, the announcement prompted several companies using the contaminated milk powder in their products to issue their own recalls.
One Ohio company, Brand Castle LLC, has recalled 16-ounce red boxes of monkey bread mix shipped to nearly 40 States - from Arizona to Washington and Florida to Massachusetts. Virtually all the food manufacturers that used the possibly contaminated milk powder in their end product made voluntarily recalls over the past week.
"The health and safety of our consumers is always our top priority," Jim Goldberg, founder of Deep River Snacks, said in a statement. "Although we haven't found any contaminants in either our seasonings or our finished products, we are taking great precautions to protect our customers."
Here’s a full list of companies and affected products:
- Valley Milk Products: nonfat high heat milk powder and sweet cream buttermilk powder
- Publix Super Market: pancake and waffle mixes
- Shearer's Foods, LLC: kettle chips, potato chips, and nacho chips
- Deep River Snacks: kettle chips
- Boulder Brands, Inc.: macaroni and cheese
- Stonewall Kitchen: pancake and waffle mixes
- TreeHouse Foods, Inc.: macaroni and cheese
- New Hope Mills: crepe mix
- Fourth Street Barbecue Inc.: macaroni and cheese
- Brand Castle, LLC: monkey bread mix
For now, no one has reported getting sick from these products. However, all customers who have purchased any of the products mentioned above should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a refund.
According to the FDA, Valley Milk is currently investigating the cause for the positive environmental samples. Valley Milk has notified all companies that used the recalled milk powder or buttermilk powder in their ready-to-eat products and instructed them to return the bags of contaminated milk powder or document the destruction of the powder. Furthermore, all involved companies are advised to review their processing system and thoroughly clean their equipment to avoid contamination
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