Pringles Recall By FDA Over Salmonella Risk

By: Rob Adams
Staff Writer
Published: Mar 13, 2010

Procter & Gamble Company has issued a voluntary recall on Pringles products in response to an FDA recommendation over potential Salmonella risk.

Pringles has issued a voluntary recall from potential Salmonella contamination in response to an FDA recommendation. There are two products affected that include Pringles Restaurant Cravers Cheeseburger and Family Faves Taco Night potato chips. If the products contain a "Best by" 2011 stamp, they may be at risk.

The chips contain hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), a common "flavor-enhancer" that is contaminated with salmonella. The recall is a protective measure because it doesn't guarantee that the chips are safe to eat. The FDA is still investigating products from 26 other brands that have already been recalled.

Procter & Gamble Company, the company that makes the Pringles brand, was notified by one of its suppliers about a possible seasoning contamination. The seasoning is manufactured by Basic Food Flavors, Inc., which has voluntarily recalled several lots of this ingredient because of potential salmonella exposure. As a result, the FDA has recommended that food manufacturers recall certain types of products containing HVP manufactured by the company.

Vegetable Protein Recall After Salmonella Contamination Found

Vegetable proteins, such as this additive known as hydrolyzed vegetable protein or HVP, is commonly used in thousands of foods. However, the recall is only for a few specific brands of chip dip, salad dressing, soup mixes and other foods. The Salmonella contamination was discovered last month.

The FDA also expects this problem to get larger over the next several days. The tainted HVP was made at a plant operated by Basic Food Flavors Inc. of Las Vegas. A customer tested a batch of the food additive and found Salmonella.

Food and Drug Administration officials were called to the plant to run tests. Inspectors subsequently discovered Salmonella bacteria on equipment. Basic Food immediately announced a recall of all paste and powdered versions of HVP manufactured since September 17, 2009.

Salmonella Can Become Very Serious

Salmonella infections can be transmitted by humans to animals and vice versa. Infection via food is also possible. Salmonella can cause diarrhea, which usually does not require antibiotic treatment. However, it can become very serious for people at risk such as infants, small children, and the elderly.

There are approximately 40,000 cases of Salmonella infections reported each year in the United States. According to the World Health Organization, over 16 million people worldwide are infected with typhoid fever each year. More than 500,000 of these cases are proving to be fatal.

Salmonella can survive for weeks outside a living body. In fact, they can be found in dried excrement after 2 years. To protect against Salmonella infection, it is recommended that food be heated for at least ten minutes at 167 degrees fahrenheit.

It's also important to know that the Salmonella is not destroyed by freezing. The genus Salmonella was named after Daniel Elmer Salmon, an American veterinary pathologist. In 1885, Dr. Salmon was the administrator of the USDA research program, and thus the organism was named after him.