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Salmonella Problem At Ralcorp Bakery

By Dan Flynn and Suzanna Schreck

The rapidly growing St. Louis-based Ralcorp Holdings Inc., which through acquisitions and sales growth is nearing the $4 billion annual revenue mark, has a problem.

It appears that one of the Bloomfield Bakery operations Ralcorp now owns, either the 155,000 square foot bakery in Azusa, CA or the 80,000 square foot operation in Los Alamitos, CA, has turned out granola bars that are contaminated with Salmonella.

Bloomfield Bakery's customer was Monrovia, CA-based Trader Joe's Company. It has now recalled Trader Joe's Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars.

The Uniform Product Code (UPC) number 82818, and Use by Dates/Lot Codes of 16JUL10H2 and 17JUL10H1 can identify the recalled product.

The Salmonella pathogen can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Once infected with Salmonella people often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, and 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.

The product involved in this recall was distributed at Trader Joe's stores nationally and comes in a 7.4 oz box marked with Use by/Lot Codes 16JUL10H2 and 17JUL10H1 on the top of the box and stamped individually on the side of each granola bar.

Production of the granola bars has been suspended while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigates at Bloomfield Bakery.

No illnesses have yet been associated with this recall.

Anyone who purchased the recalled granola bars can return them for refunded.  Questions should be directed to Trader Joe's Customer Relations Monday through Friday, 6am to 6pm PST at (626) 599-3817.

Full post as published by Food Safety News on February 13, 2010 (boomark / email).