People who bought Tupperware brand chipotle seasoning mix after Aug. 2, 2016, are urged not to use it because of potential Salmonella contamination from a powdered milk ingredient.

recalled Tupperware seasoning mix Valley Milk
Consumers can identify the recalled Tupperware Southwest Chipotle Seasoning mix by looking for the lot number (circled in red) on the back of the packet.

Tupperware U.S. Inc. of Orlando, FL, posted the recall with the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday, joining almost 20 other companies that have recalled foods because of the problem with powdered milk ingredients from Valley Milk Products LLC in Strasburg, VA.

Foods recalled since the first week of December 2016 include pudding mix, potato chips, snack cakes, frozen foods and a wide variety of other products.

Tupperware, best known for its containers, distributed its branded “Southwest Chipotle Seasoning” nationwide to consumers. Only packages marked with the lot number 16189305 on the back, above the best-by date, are subject to the recall.

“The product was manufactured for Tupperware by a third party blender of fine spices and seasonings. … FDA found traces of Salmonella at the facility where buttermilk powder, one ingredient in the seasoning mix, was manufactured,” according to the recall notice.

“To Tupperware’s knowledge, no Salmonella has been found in the buttermilk powder shipped to its seasoning manufacturer by the ingredient supplier, and Tupperware has not received any information from the manufacturer indicating that Salmonella has been found in the Southwest Chipotle Seasoning itself.”

Anyone in possession of any of the recalled seasoning with the lot number 16189305 should send it to Tupperware for a $15 eGift certificate per package to cover the cost of the seasoning and shipping costs. The returning party should include a name, address, phone number and email address.

The recalled packages should be sent to:

Tupperware U.S. Inc.
Attn: Julie Castro
14901 South Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, FL 32837

Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctors about the possible exposure to the pathogen.

Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems may contract serious and sometimes deadly infections.

Healthy people may experience short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.

Related recalls
At the request of the FDA, armed U.S. Marshals raided the Valley Milk plant in Strasburg, VA, on Nov. 30 and seized 4 million pounds of powdered milk and powdered buttermilk valued at almost $4 million.

On Dec. 9 Valley Milk Products recalled 3.1 million pounds of powdered milk products produced and sold in the period from Dec. 5, 2015, through July 10, 2016.

While the FDA has access to company records showing who bought the recalled powdered milk, and when, it cannot publish those details because of a federal law protecting “confidential corporate information.”

In a document filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia the FDA reported environmental swabs collected at the production facility returned positive results for Salmonella.

Inspectors also found internal records at Valley Milk that showed the company itself had found Salmonella in the facility and in finished products.

Close to 20 other companies’ have similarly named potentially contaminated powdered milk from Valley Milk Products LLC of Strasburg, VA, as the reason for their recalls of products as varied as pudding mix, potato chips, frozen cream puffs and macaroni and cheese.

For additional details on other recalls related to the Valley Milk Products problems with Salmonella, please see:

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