The Food and Drug Administration announced a series of related recalls of products, including waffle mix, kettle chips and macaroni and cheese, because of possible salmonella contamination.
Over the past week, eight recalls have been issued because the products contain contaminated milk powder. The milk powder, made by Valley Milk Products, was recalled after salmonella was found at the company’s manufacturing facility. This includes Valley Milk’s Sweet Cream Buttermilk Powder and High Heat Nonfat Dry Milk Powder, both sold in 50-pound bags.
“These products are not sold directly to consumers, but are used ingredients in a number of foods such as bakery products and distributed by brokers,” said the recall statement from Valley Milk Products. No samples of milk powder have tested positive for the bacteria, according to the company.
However, this prompted several companies to issue their own recalls of products made with the recalled milk powder. The recalled products have been shipped to dozens of states nationwide.
One Ohio company, Brand Castle LLC, had shipped 16-ounce red boxes of monkey bread mix to nearly 40 states in every corner of the country — from Arizona to Washington, Florida to Massachusetts — that are now being recalled.
“The health and safety of our consumers is always our top priority,” Jim Goldberg, founder of Deep River Snacks, said in a statement regarding its sour cream and onion kettle chips. “Although we haven’t found any contaminants in either our seasonings or our finished products, we are taking great precautions to protect our customers.”
The full list of companies who issued recalls:
When recalls occur due to contaminated ingredients, additional recalls are to be expected as companies discover they’ve used a the ingredients in their products.
No one has reported getting sick from these products, but exposure to salmonella can result in diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. However, most people who are exposed to the bacteria recover, even without treatment.
For those with compromised immune systems, for example due to chemotherapy, this kind of infection can be much more serious and require hospitalization. The elderly and infants can also have a hard time fighting off these infections.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story identified Boulder Brands Inc. Earth Balance Vegan Mac & Cheese as being recalled due to potential salmonella contamination, but it is not.