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Organic Herbal Tea Recalled Due to Salmonella

By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

A retailer has recalled 2,659 pounds of Peppermint Organic Herbal Tea produced by a Washington state company because it may be contaminated with Salmonella.
Atlanta-based Teavana Corporation announced the voluntary, nationwide recall Monday of tea produced by Aromatics Inc. in Basin City, a small town  in Eastern Washington. Teavana, in a news release, said Aromatics exclusively produces and distributes Teavana's Peppermint Organic Herbal Tea.
A batch sample testing program revealed that the finished product contained the bacteria, the company said. Aromatics has ceased production and distribution of the tea as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration works with the company to investigate how the tea became contaminated. The Peppermint Organic Herbal Tea was distributed nationwide in Teavana retail stores and through mail and Internet orders. Teavana, according to its website, has more than 150 retail stores in the U.S. and Mexico. Its Peppermint Organic Herbal Tea is measured to customer's orders in stores and sold in 2 oz., $4.30 pre-packaged pouches by mail order or via the Internet. There are no lot/batch identifying markings on the store or ecommerce packaging.
Retail store stock was sold between Dec. 4, 2010 and Feb. 16, 2011. Mail order and Internet stock was sold between Nov. 30, 2010 and Feb. 16, 2011.                 While no illnesses related to the tea have been reported, any potential health risk can be significantly reduced by following the brewing instructions, which are printed on the package or available online. Consumers who purchased Peppermint Organic Herbal Tea are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers may also contact Teavana Customer Service at 1-877-832-8262 (Monday through Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m., EST) for instructions on how to return the product.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis.
For more information on Salmonella, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site at http://www.cdc.gov or call 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636). 

Full post as published by Food Safety News on March 08, 2011 (boomark / email).