Popular snack food involved in latest food scare in the U.S.

Jul 2 2007

In the latest food scare to hit the United States consumers are being warned not to eat a popular snack food because of contamination from Salmonella.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers that the Veggie Booty flavor of snack food, marketed by Robert's American Gourmet, is possibly contaminated with a Salmonella bacteria that causes gastrointestinal illness, and to throw the product away.

Robert's American Gourmet brand Veggie Booty comes in a flexible plastic foil bag in four ounce, one ounce, and one-half ounce packages; the FDA says no other flavors or varieties of snack food marketed by the company are associated with Salmonella Wandsworth contamination.

Veggie Booty is a snack popular with children and the FDA is warning parents to check their children and seek medical care if they observe signs of illness and to report it immediately to state or local health authorities.

Those who have recently eaten Veggie Booty and who have experienced any of the following symptoms need to contact a doctor or other health care provider immediately:- diarrhea which may be bloody, accompanied by abdominal cramps and fever.

Salmonellosis is a bacterial infection that can cause diarrhea, fever and vomiting and symptoms usually begin within one to four days after exposure to the bacteria.

In infants, people with poor underlying health and those with weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections.

The warning follows 52 reports of illness across 17 states, beginning in March; almost all the illnesses have occurred in children under 10 years old, with the most cases in infants and toddlers.

Most reports have stated bloody diarrhea and five people were hospitalized as a result; all have now recovered.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) first alerted the FDA on June 27th and an investigation into the extent of the illnesses revealed 7 cases in California, 5 in Colorado, 1 in Connecticut, 1 in Georgia, 1 in Indiana, 3 in Massachusetts, 2 in Minnesota, 2 in New Hampshire, 2 in New Jersey, 13 in New York, 1 in Oregon, 3 in Pennsylvania, 1 in Tennessee, 1 in Texas, 3 in Vermont, 4 in Washington, and 2 in Wisconsin.

The company and its contract manufacturer are apparently working with the FDA to establish the cause of the contamination but microbiological analysis can take up to seven days.

Meanwhile manufacturing and distribution of the product has stopped, and all potentially contaminated products have been recalled.

The product is sold in all 50 states and Canada at retail locations as well as over the Internet.

FDA has promised to provide additional updates as the investigation progresses and more information becomes available.

Most people will recover without the need for medical attention, but anyone who has eaten Veggie Booty and is ill with bloody diarrhea or diarrhea with fever is urged to contact their doctor.