Zachary Confections has recalled cartons of chocolate-covered marshmallow eggs. (Image credit: Zachary Confections)
Zachary Confections announced the voluntary recall of the Easter treats Wednesday after a sample taken during routine testing revealed “the potential for salmonella contamination,” according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause serious and sometimes deadly infections in the very young and the very old, as well as in people who have weakened immune systems, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The foodborne bacterium kills roughly 400 Americans each year, the agency says.
Even healthy adults exposed to salmonella risk fever, pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. In rare instances the organism can invade the bloodstream, leading to infections of the heart and arteries, as well as arthritis.
The recall covers 5-ounce packages of the Easter sweets that are sold in white egg crates with purple, green and yellow lettering, carry the product number 31-797 and the best buy date of Feb. 14, 2014. The packages were shipped from the Frankfort, Ind., factory Feb. 21 and 22, and have been distributed to stores in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, according to the FDA.
Zachary Confections has not received reports of illness linked to its products, according to the FDA but has suspended production while it investigates the potential contamination.
“We are dedicated to manufacturing wholesome products for our customers,” George Anichini, vice president of operations for Zachary Confections, said in a statement. “Consistent with that dedication, we are taking this voluntary action.”
The FDA recommends that consumers who purchased the recalled products destroy them or return them to the store. Click here for more information about the recall
Cantaloupes Blamed for 141 Salmonella Cases, Including Two Deaths
Health officials have learned that cantaloupes are to blame for a
salmonella outbreak that has infected 141 people in 20 states, sending
31 people to the hospital and killing two.
More than a third of those salmonella Typhimurium cases happened in Kentucky, which is also where both deaths occurred, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The bad melons came from a farm in southwestern Indiana, according to the CDC, which cites an investigation by federal, state, and local agencies. Officials interviewed 24 ill patients, and discovered that 18 ate cantaloupes prior to becoming ill.
They then found the bacteria in two cantaloupes purchased at a grocery stores.
Cantaloupes often bear a sticker that says where they were grown, so health officials have advised consumers to check the sticker and throw away melons from Indiana.
"If no sticker is present, consumers should inquire about the source," a CDC page devoted to the outbreak says. "When in doubt, throw it out."
Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, vomiting and cramps, which develop between 12 and 72 hours of infection.
The illness usually runs four to seven days, unless the person is hospitalized with a severe case.
The infection originates in the intestine, but it can spread to the blood stream and other parts of the body, which can lead to death without proper treatment
More than a third of those salmonella Typhimurium cases happened in Kentucky, which is also where both deaths occurred, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The bad melons came from a farm in southwestern Indiana, according to the CDC, which cites an investigation by federal, state, and local agencies. Officials interviewed 24 ill patients, and discovered that 18 ate cantaloupes prior to becoming ill.
Cantaloupes often bear a sticker that says where they were grown, so health officials have advised consumers to check the sticker and throw away melons from Indiana.
"If no sticker is present, consumers should inquire about the source," a CDC page devoted to the outbreak says. "When in doubt, throw it out."
Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, vomiting and cramps, which develop between 12 and 72 hours of infection.
The illness usually runs four to seven days, unless the person is hospitalized with a severe case.
The infection originates in the intestine, but it can spread to the blood stream and other parts of the body, which can lead to death without proper treatment
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