Remember when we learned about food safety in school and were told not to put raw chicken directly on the countertop, or eat raw cookie dough, and that was basically it? Well, as you probably already know, that list has gotten much, much longer, and now includes foods you never thought could be an issue—like onions.
The latest unexpected victims of a food recall are an assortment of dried herbs and spices from two different companies—both over salmonella concerns. Here’s how to find out if the ones in your rack or cupboard at home are on the list.
Sauer Brands
More than two dozen spices from The Spice Hunter are part of a voluntary recall from Sauer Brands, Inc., over concerns about salmonella. Technically, there was only salmonella found in the parsley, but they’re recalling the other spices manufactured at the same time out of an abundance of caution.
What and where
The spices in question include organic cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, sesame seeds, paprika, Chinese ginger and several others, which are all listed in the FDA announcement, along with the lot codes for the products. They were sold online, as well as in stories in Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
What to do
If you’ve purchased The Spice Hunter products on the FDA’s list, don’t use them, and bring them back to where you purchased them for a full refund. If you have any questions, you may contact Sauer Brands, Inc. at 1-800-444-3061, Monday thru Friday, from 8:30 am to 4 pm.
Red Monkey Foods
Basically, it’s the exact same situation with Red Monkey Foods: parsley’s the problem (salmonella again), but they’re voluntarily recalling a few of their products. Actually, they’re all some form of parsley or Herbes De Provence, and you can find the lot numbers and other information in the FDA announcement.
What and where
The Red Monkey spices were sold under the “Great Value” brand at Walmart, the house brand at Cost Plus World Market, plus a few others. They were sold in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
What to do
If you’ve purchased a product with the listed “Best By” dates, don’t use them. Either throw them out or bring them back to the store for a full refund. Call the company’s Customer Service Center at (417) 319-7300 or by e-mail at [email protected] for more information. Customer Service will be available in person from 8 am to 5 pm CST Monday to Friday.