The grocery store chain Kroger has recalled four of its popular spices – Kroger Bac’n Buds, Kroger Coarse Ground Black Pepper, Kroger Garlic Powder, and Kroger Ground Cinnamon — due to a possible salmonella contamination, USA Today reports.
There have been several national food recalls in the past few months due to salmonella contamination, including a walnut recall at Trader Joe’s. The warm weather during summer is the perfect season for salmonella. “Both heat and humidity facilitate bacterial growth,” Darria Long Gillespie, MD told Yahoo Health.
The warm weather is a great environment for bacteria, as both heat and humidity facilitate bacterial growth.
The FDA found salmonella present in a sample of Kroger Garlic Powder from a store in North Augusta, South Carolina. There have been no illnesses reported to date, but the company has recalled all four of the seasonings produced on the same equipment as a cautionary measure.
The recall covers the seasonings sold in supermarkets across several states including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. The recall also includes other grocery stores under the Kroger franchise including Jay C, King Soopers, Fry’s, Fred Meyer, Ralphs, Food 4 Less, and Smiths.
Customers who purchased the recalled spices are warned not to consume them. The products can returned to Kroger for a full refund or replacement. Customers with questions or concerns may contact Kroger at 800-576-4377.
According to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, salmonella is responsible for 19,000 hospitalizations and 380 deaths in the United States annually. Around 1 million cases of salmonella occur every year.
Symptoms include fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea and occur 12 to 72 hours after infection. Illness will last four to seven days, and most people will recover without treatment.
