TJX Companies Inc. is recalling “ecoato” Sweet Paprika Powder products as they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The potential for contamination was noted after spot testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealed the presence of Salmonella in some samples of the product.
Upon learning of the potential risk from FDA, the company alerted its stores to remove the product from store shelves immediately and has put in place additional measures to prevent sales of the product.
The specific product being recalled comes in a 160-gram, light-green tin package and is marked as lot #8147, with an expiration date of October 2015. The company estimates that approximately 150 units were sold between June 2014 and July 2014 at its T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods stores in Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. While no illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this issue, consumers who have purchased a product under this lot of “ecoato” Sweet Paprika Powder are urged to return it to any T.J. Maxx, Marshalls or HomeGoods store for a full refund. Consumers with questions should contact the company at 1-800-926-6299. In addition to actions taken to remove the product from store shelves, further sale of the product has been suspended while FDA and the company continue their investigation into to the source of the problem. Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (e.g., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.
