Crushed red pepper may have been an accomplice to black pepper in the Salmonella outbreak that continues to befuddle food safety authorities in the United States.
That concern has for the third time led Rhode Island-based Daniele Inc. to expand its ongoing recall of ready-to-eat meats.
Daniele has expanded the original Jan. 23rd recall three times, on Jan. 31, Feb. 4, and, the latest two days ago on Feb. 16. With that latest addition of 115,000 pounds, the recall by Daniele Inc. totals more than 1.41 million pounds.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said:
“The recall is being expanded as a result of a confirmed finding of Salmonella in an unopened salami product tested by FSIS, and by ingredient testing performed by the company. The product was sampled during the course of an ongoing investigation of a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella serotype Montevideo illnesses.
“These products were not subject to recall previously because they are not sausage products that contain black pepper on the external surface, or packaged with such products. Based on preliminary testing results, the company believes that crushed red pepper may be a possible source of Salmonella contamination.”
Anyone waiting for a pepper recall, however, is going to have to keep waiting. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates pepper that is used by Daniele to coat some of its Italian-style salami products, clearly isn’t ready for that. It says:
“The FDA is actively investigating the supply chain of the black pepper used in the manufacturing of the recalled meat products to see if it poses a risk to consumers. The Agency has collected and analyzed nearly 70 domestic and imported black pepper samples. All of FDA’s samples have tested negative for the outbreak strain of Salmonella.”
The FDA is continuing to investigate the possibility that pepper might be responsible for this outbreak and has not yet reached any conclusion. In abundance of caution, both of Daniele International Inc.’s immediate suppliers of pepper have temporarily placed the remaining supply of black pepper in potentially affected lots on hold while FDA continues its investigation.”
The latest recalled products include:
- 8-ounce packages of “DANIELE HOT SALAME PANINO WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA.”
- 8-ounce packages of “BOAR’S HEAD SALAME PANINO, SALAME ROLLED IN MOZZARELLA CHEESE.”
- 8-ounce packages of “DANIELE ITALIAN STYLE SALAME PANINO, HOT SALAME ROLLED IN MOZZARELLA CHEESE.”
- Random weight packages of “DANIELE ITALIAN STYLE SALAME PANINO, HOT SALAME ROLLED IN MOZZARELLA CHEESE.”
- 8-ounce packages of “DIETZ & WATSON ARTISAN COLLECTION HOT SALAME PANINO, HOT SALAME ROLLED IN MOZZARELLA CHEESE.”
- 8-ounce packages of “DANIELE SALAME PANINO WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA AND BASIL.”
- 1-pound 8-ounce variety packages of “DANIELE CAPOCOLLO PANINO WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA AND BASIL; PRESIDENT’S PROSCIUTTO PANINO WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA AND BASIL; HOT SALAME PANINO WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA,” with UPC Code 736436709582.
Products contained in the variety three-pack may be sold individually as well.
Each package bears a label with establishment number “EST. 459” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The above products are sold individually packed, except as noted above.
The products subject to recall have sell-by dates ranging from February 3, 2010, through May 26, 2010, and were distributed to retail establishments nationwide.
The second expansion to the recall was made Feb. 4th for:
- 3-ounce packages of “DANIELE NATURALE SALAME COATED WITH COARSE BLACK PEPPER.”
- Approximately 6-pound packages of “DANIELE SALAME GRANDE COATED WITH PORK FAT & PEPPER.”
Those products add 23,754 pounds to a recall.
The first amendment to the original Jan. 23 recall came on Jan. 31 when three products and 17,235 pounds were added. Those products included:
- Packages of “DANIELE HOT SOPRESSATA CALABRESE,” produced on 11/7/09, 12/16/09 and 12/18/09.
- Packages of “DANIELE SOPRESSATA CALABRESE,” produced on 12/16/09 and 12/18/09.
- Packages of “BOAR’S HEAD BRAND HOT SOPRESSATA CALABRESE,” produced on 11/28/09, 12/9/09 and 12/14/09.
The recalled products are all associated with the nationwide outbreak of Salmonella Montevideo.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta reports 230 people have been infected with the matching strain of Salmonella Montevideo in 44 states and the District of Columbia.
Because of the long shelf life of these products, here’s the original recall list:
- 10-ounce packages of “DANIELE NATURALE SALAME COATED WITH COARSE BLACK PEPPER.”
- Catch weight packages of “DANIELE PEPPER SALAME.”
- 9-ounce packages of “BLACK BEAR OF THE BLACK FOREST BABY GENOA PEPPER SALAME.”
- 20-ounce packages of “DANIELE DELI SELECTION, GENOA SALAME, SMOKED SALAME, PEPPERED SALAME, RUSTIC SALAME.”
- 340- and 454-gram packages of “DANIELE SURTIDO FINO ITALIANO, SALAMI GENOA CON PIMIENTA, LOMO CAPOCOLLO, SALAMI CALABRESE.”
- 16-ounce packages of “DANIELE ITALIAN BRAND GOURMET PACK, HOT CALABRESE, PEPPER SALAME, HOT CAPOCOLLO.”
- 8-ounce packages of “DIETZ & WATSON ARTISAN COLLECTION PARTY PLATTER PACK, HOT CALABRESE, PEPPER SALAME, HOT CAPOCOLLO.”
- 8-ounce packages of “DANIELE ITALIAN BRAND GOURMET PACK, HOT CALABRESE, PEPPER SALAME, HOT CAPOCOLLO.”
- 16-ounce packages of “DANIELE GOURMET COMBO PACK, PEPPER SALAME, CAPOCOLLO, CALABRESE.”
- 500-gram packages of “DANIELE ITALIAN BRAND GOURMET PACK EMBALLAGE ASSORTI GOURMET ITALIEN, HOT CALABRESE, PEPPER SALAME, CALABRESE PIQUANT, SALAMI AU POIVRE, HOT CAPOCOLLO, CAPOCOLLO PIQUANT.”
- 8-ounce packages of “BOAR’S HEAD BRAND ALL NATURAL SALAME COATED WITH COARSE BLACK PEPPER.”
- Catch weight packages of “DIETZ & WATSON ARTISAN COLLECTION, BABY GENOA PEPPER SALAME, MADE WITH 100% PORK COATED WITH BLACK PEPPER AND PORK FAT.”
- 20-ounce variety packages of “DANIELE DELI SELECTION, GENOA SALAME, SWEET SOPRESSATA, PEPPERED GENOA, MILANO SALAME.”
- 21-ounce variety packages of “DANIELE GOURMET ITALIAN DELI SELECTION, SWEET SOPRESSATA SALAMI, PEPPERED GENOA SALAMI, HOT SOPRESSATA SALAMI, MILANO SALAMI, SALAMI SOPRESSATA DOUX, SALAMI GENOA POIVRÉ, SALAMI SOPRESSATA PIQUANT, SALAMI MILANO.”
- 7-ounce packages of “DANIELE SALAME BITES PEPPER SALAME.”
- 14-ounce packages of “DANIELE GOURMET ITALIAN DELI SELECTION ASSORTMENT DE FINES CHARCUTERIE ITALIENNE, SWEET SOPRESSATA SALAMI, MILANO SALAMI, SALAMI SOPRESSATA DOUX, SALAMI MILANO.”
- Catch weight packages of “DANIELE NATURALE SALAME COATED WITH COARSE BLACK PEPPER.”
- 32-ounce variety packages of “DANIELE DELI SELECTION, GENOA SALAME, SWEET SOPRESSATA, PEPPERED GENOA, MILANO SALAME.”
Each package bears a label with establishment number “EST. 9992” or “EST. 54” inside the USDA mark of inspection.
Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, and Costco are among the national retailers selling these products.
