Organic Chia Powder Salmonella Outbreak Spreads to Canada

The previously reported outbreak of Salmonella from organic chia powder in the United States has apparently spread to Canada, where another recall is underway.  The Public Health Agency of Canada announced Saturday that it is investigating nine Canadian cases of Salmonella infection linked to the consumption of dried sprouted organic chia seed powder. Sprouted chia seed powder is made from ground, dried chia seeds.  In Canada, two strains of Salmonella have been identified as associated with this outbreak: Salmonella Newport and Salmonella Hartford. Patients have been detected in three provinces: British Columbia (6), Alberta (1) and Quebec (2).  The investigation is ongoing, but currently, all seven cases interviewed have reported consumption of dried sprouted organic chia seed powder. As a part of this investigation, The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a food recall warning for various products from Advantage Health Matters containing sprouted chia seeds under the brands Organic Traditions and Back 2 the Garden.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are also investigating similar cases of Salmonella Newport, and Navitas Naturals of Novato, CA, has recalled three sprouted chia seed powder products after they were linked to 12 cases sickened in seven states: Arizona (1), California (2), Connecticut (1), Massachusetts (1), New York (4), Utah (1) and Wisconsin (2).