FDA Warns Veggie Booty May Contain Salmonella

WASHINGTONAfter 52 reports from 17 states of children under 10 suffering food poisoning illnesses, FDA warned the public Veggie Booty snacks may contain Salmonella wandsworth, which can cause gastrointestinal (GI) illness. The agency advised the public to throw away any bags of the veggie snack, and asked parents to monitor children who have recently eaten it, looking for any signs of GI problems and seeking medical attention if such illness arises. The victims were mostly toddlers and the primary symptom was bloody diarrhea; four children were hospitalized. FDA was alerted to the contamination by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which had been connecting cases from numerous states, including California, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

Veggie Booty marketer Roberts American Gourmet (www.Robscape.com), based in Sea Cliff, N.Y., and the products contract manufacturer are fully cooperating with FDAs investigation into the cause of the contamination. Following the FDA findings, manufacturing and distribution of this product ceased, and Roberts American Gourmet recalled all potentially contaminated inventories, including all expiration dates and lot codes. As a precautionary measure, the company subsequently added Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks to the recall, including all lots and sizes. The products are sold in all 50 states and Canada at retail locations and over the Internet.

Preliminary independent test results have indicated the salmonella contamination is in the veggie seasoning, which the company confirmed is used only in the two products under recall. They further confirmed sources of origin on all components of the seasoning have been determined to be primarily from China.

Roberts Gourmet advised any of its customers who purchased Veggie Booty or Super Veggie Tings Crunchy Corn Sticks and still have product in their homes should discard the product and contact the company at 1-800-626-7557 for reimbursement.