ucm480889A New Jersey company has ceased producing and distributing a spice used in Indian cooking and recalled the product after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found it was contaminated with Salmonella. New Brunswick-based Shakti Group USA LLC has recalled 50 and 100 gram sizes of L.G Compounded Asafoetida Powder, both coded with Lot Number: 2323.   Asafoetida Powder is sometimes referred to as Hing. No illnesses have yet been associated with the recalled product, which was distributed in Ohio, New Jersey, Virginia, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. The discontinued product is packaged in a white screw cap plastic bottle with UPC 840222000149, Lot Number: 2323. Salmonella is a pathogen known to cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially in children, the elderly and others with weakened immune systems.   Those infected will experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Infection with Salmonella sometimes results  in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)