Salmonella is anything but the spice of life, but Americans are putting it into their food and putting their families at risk after a line of spices manufactured by Union International Food Co. and distributed to the restaurant industry as well as retail, are putting lives at risk.So far, a total of 42 people in 4 states have become ill. While no deaths have been reported, a definitive link to the salmonella spices has been found. The strain of salmonella involved—Salmonella Rissen—is of particular concern given that it is considered both rare and dangerous.
The salmonella spice recall was originally initiated towards the end of March when officials investigating a multi-state outbreak of salmonella isolated the outbreak to an open container of Lian How white pepper found at a restaurant where some of the victims were known to have eaten.
While the Lian How products are packaged in large containers for the restaurant and wholesale sector and not sold to the public at retail, the Uncle Chen brand IS sold to retail and could possibly be sitting in your kitchen cupboard at this very moment, ready to pounce on your unsuspecting family.
While the initial recall encompassed a handful of spice products in both the wholesale and retail lines, the recall was soon expanded to include all dry spice products manufactured by Union International Food in both the Lian How and Uncle Chen line sold in 15-pound or smaller containers (boxes, plastic bags and wide-mouth jars), together with 30-pound boxes and smaller packages of crushed chili.
As of this morning, the recall has further expanded to include every product manufactured and sold in the Uncle Chen and Lian How line—including oils, oil blends and sauces.
Union International Food Co. of Union City has ceased production of these products at its California facility pending further investigation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the California Department of Public Health.
It has been reported that Lian How is distributed in 3 states—California, Washington and Oregon. The confirmed cases of salmonella, which so far remain at 42, represent individuals from those 3 states as well as the State of Nevada.
The FDA carries a complete list of recalled products on its web site, but suffice to say that any product, either dry or otherwise carrying the Uncle Chen and / or Lian How line should be considered suspect and should not be used.
And here's why: Salmonella is bad stuff, as most know from the myriad of media reports flogging recall after recall of food and other consumables tainted with the deadly bacteria.
Not deadly for everybody, mind you: healthy Americans can look forward to nasty bouts of nausea and vomiting, diarrhea (often bloody), fever and abdominal pain. Just imagine, then what salmonella can do to children, the elderly or to people with compromised immune systems. For them, salmonella can kill. And even for healthy individuals, salmonella can get into the bloodstream and serve as a catalyst for far more serious illnesses such as arterial infections including aneurysms, endocarditis and arthritis.
READ MORE Foodborne Illness LEGAL NEWS
Any illness, regardless of severity, can result in time off work and other factors that could pose a threat to your livelihood and that of your family. Not only is the food industry continually dropping the ball, but also federal regulators have long since lost the trust of Americans looking to the FDA for the assurance of a safe food supply.
If you have been negatively affected by the salmonella spice outbreak, we would like to hear from you. With the help of a qualified attorney, you can pursue compensation to help with medical bills and costs incurred from time off work—expenses foisted upon you through no fault of your own.
Also by Ron Simon, Simon & Luke, Houston, Texas