Vegetable Protein Recall After Salmonella Contamination Found

By: Michael Stevens
03/05/2010 11:06 AM ET

A vegetable protein is part of an FDA massive recall over Salmonella contamination feats. The Food and Drug Administration could not confirm if there were any illnesses linked to the food additive, but the agency isn’t taking any chances. It has asked food producers to check inventories for products that used recalled lots of HVP.

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.

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