Salmonella Continues To Pepper Our food Supply
On the heels of one Salmonella outbreak comes word of yet another. This time, a variety of spices manufactured by the Union International Food Company (and distributed under the Lian How brand name) have been identified as the likely culprits. Investigators with the Oregon Department of Human Services reacted quickly, and were able to isolate the outbreak strain from a sample of ground black pepper. Congratulations for a job well done.
Although Union International has announced a recall of its products, the ultimate origin of the spices has yet to be identified. Could it have come from outside of the United States, we wonder? It will be interesting to find out. In the meantime, we are being told that consumers – especially patrons of Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants – should avoid adding ground pepper or other spices to their prepared dishes. So far, the company has recalled White Pepper, Whole White Pepper, Black Pepper, Whole Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Chopped Onion, Onion Powder, Garlic (chopped, minced, powder and granulated), Curry Powder, Mustard Powder and Wasabi Powder.
In related news, the CDC evidently couldn’t wait, in the midst of a pepper recall, to warn us that we’re all eating too much salt. In a new study, released at about the same time as the recalls were being announced, the CDC complained that Americans on average eat twice the daily "recommended" sodium levels. Thanks.
Thus, in addition to not eating pepper, we must also cut back on salt.
So, next time you sit down for a meal, instead of passing the salt and pepper, you might be well advised to just . . . “pass.”
