Possible Salmonella Concerns Prompt Voluntary And Precautionary Spinach Recall

According to the California Department of Public Health, Ippolito International (based in Salinas) has announced a voluntary and precautionary recall of select “Queen Victoria” and “Tubby” bunched spinach.

The spinach affected by the precautionary recall was packed in 12-count and 24-count spinach bunches in cardboard boxes with “Spinach” printed on the side panel, in wire bound crates or reusable plastic containers. The cartons of recalled spinach were also labeled with the following Code Date Stickers which can be located on the outside edge panel of the carton:

  • 10522441 5 205 (harvested September 1, 2009);
  • 10522451 5 205 (harvested September 2, 2009);
  • 10522461 5 205 (harvested September 3, 2009).

The Tubby label was packed only on Code Date 10522451 5 205.

In turn, the individual 12-count and 24-count spinach bunches were bound with a twist tie which says “PLU 4090 UPC 33383-65200.” The twist tie associated with the “Queen Victoria” label has the Queen Victoria logo on it. The twist tie for the Tubby label has a generic spinach band on it.

Of the 1,715 cartons of bunched spinach recalled, a total of 1,515 cartons were packed under the “Queen Victoria” label and distributed to California, Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and to British Columbia, Ontario, and Manitoba in Canada. The remaining 200 cartons were packed under the “Tubby” label and distributed in California and New York. The recalled spinach was distributed to retail, food service and wholesale buyers.

Ippolito International immediately announced the precautionary recall following the discovery of Salmonella during routine product testing. It is also important to note that, to date, there have been no illnesses associated with the consumption of these products. Nevertheless, consumers who purchased these products should discard them or return to the place of purchase for a refund. Consumers with questions, or who need additional information on where the recalled products were sold, are also invited to contact Ippolito International at 1-831-772-9991.

Recalled Spinach Distributed In Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota

Working closely with the FDA, KLEEN-PAK FOODS refined its spinach recall, originally announced yesterday, to include spinach products distributed to Minnesota. The precautionary recall was announced following the discovery of Salmonella in limited product samples during routine testing.

The precautionary recall involves 10 ounce and 1 pound packages of fresh spinach distributed in retail stores and food wholesalers in Wisconsin, the Chicago area, and Minnesota. The products are marked with a use by date of 4/29, 4/30, and 5/01.

No illnesses have been reported, and KLEEN-PAK is continuing to work closely with the FDA to determine the original source of the potential contamination.

Prepackaged Spinach Recalled In Wisconsin And Illinois

Wisconsin health officials have announced that bags of Kleen-Pak brand fresh spinach are being recalled after Salmonella was discovered during routine food safety testing. Kleen-Pak, of Milwaukee, is working closely with health officials to facilitate the recall.

The precautionary recall involves approximately 8,000 packages distributed to grocery stores in the Milwaukee, southern Wisconsin, and parts of Illinois. An additional 1,200 pounds of spinach were distributed to food wholesalers and restaurants. Jane Larson, spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, confirmed that the recall was prompted by routine testing, and there have not been any reports of illness.

Jerry Kowaleski, vice president of Kleen-Pak of Milwaukee, confirmed that the spinach had been packaged almost two weeks ago. As a result, "people may [still] have a package of it in their refrigerator at home," he said. In turn, consumers are advised to either discard any 10-ounce bags of Kleen-Pak curly-leaf fresh spinach with the listed "use by dates" of April 29, April 30 and May 1, or return the bags to the store where they made the purchase.

The precautionary recall is NOT associated with the ongoing national investigation of salmonella contamination of peanut butter products, pistachios or alfalfa sprouts.