UPDATED CONTENT 9:30 EDT — This story has been updated to include recall information for Longo brand peppers, also sold by Veg-Pak Produce Ltd. The Canada Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has announced another hot pepper recall, this time from Veg-Pak Produce Ltd. of Toronto. It comes just after Toronto-based Canada Herb recalled fresh chili peppers. All of the recalled brands were distributed to retailers in Ontario. The hot pepper recalls stem from CFIA test results, which detected the presence of Salmonella. The agency stated that no illnesses had been reported in connection with either recall and that CFIA is making sure the recalled hot peppers have been removed from the marketplace.
The Veg-Pak recall, announced Wednesday, involves Red Thai hot peppers imported from Vietnam. A Veg-Pak manager told Food Safety News on Thursday that Canada Herb was the supplier. “We purchase from them, and it’s our name that’s being thrown out there,” he said. The recalled peppers from Veg-Pak can be identified by the following label information:
- Veg-Pak Produce Ltd. brand Hot Peppers-Red Thai in 75-gram packages with the UPC number 0 59559 00021 4 and one of the following product codes, A496201 186, A518901 186, G496201 185 or C496201 181; and
- Longo’s brand Hot Red Thai Chili Peppers in various sized packages with UPC numbers that begin with 0200175 and that were sold through July 6.
Canada Herb recall
The Canada Herb recall was announced Tuesday and expanded Wednesday to include additional product information identified by CFIA. “Only fresh chili peppers imported by Canada Herb and sold from June 19, 2016, to July 05, 2016, inclusively are affected by this recall. This product has been sold in clear plastic bags bearing the name Canada Herb. This product may have also been sold in bulk or in smaller packages with or without a label and may not bear the brand or product name (described in the initial recall notice). Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased the affected product are advised to contact their retailer.” CFIA recommended that anyone who believes they have become sickened from consuming a recalled product should consult a health care provider. Anyone with the recalled products in their home is advised to throw them out or returned them to the store where they were purchased. 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 from Salmonella infection such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis. For more information about Salmonella, click here. (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)
