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Peppermint Organic Herbal Tea Recall Expands

By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

Another retailer has recalled peppermint organic tea produced by a Washington state company because it may be contaminated with Salmonella.
In an expansion of a recall first announced Monday, Seattle-based RemedyTeas said Tuesday it was recalling 20 pounds of Peppermint Organic Herbal Tea produced by one of its vendors, Aromatics Inc. of Basin City, WA.
The recall was the result of a batch sample testing program, which revealed that the finished products contained the bacteria.
Aromatics has ceased production and distribution of the tea as the FDA and the company continue their investigation to determine the origin of the contamination.
RemedyTeas'  #137 Peppermint Organic Herbal Tea and #120 Tranquility Herbal Tea were distributed in its retail store and through mail and Internet orders. #137 Peppermint Organic Herbal Tea or #120 Tranquility Herbal Tea is sold measured to customers orders in retail stores and sold in 2 oz., pre-packaged pouches by mail order or via the Internet.
There are no lot/batch identifying markings on the store or ecommerce packaging. Retail stock of #137 Peppermint Organic Herbal Tea was sold between Jan. 18 and March 4, 2011. Retail stock of #120 Tranquility Herbal Tea was sold between Feb. 22 and March 4, 2011. Any purchases not within those dates are not affected by the recall.
While no illnesses related to the voluntary recall have been reported, potential health risks can be significantly reduced by following the printed brewing instructions on the package or available online, i.e. using 205 F water temperature.
Consumers who have purchased RemedyTeas #137 Peppermint Organic Herbal Tea or #120 Tranquility Herbal Tea are urged to return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers may also contact RemedyTeas customer service at 206-323-4832 (Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. PST) 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, please 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 09, 2011 (boomark / email).