Pasta night just got complicated for shoppers in most of the country. The Coffee Connexion Co. is voluntarily recalling 913 cases of Alfredo sauce sold across 41 states over possible salmonella contamination.
The Tennessee based company pulled the product on May 6. The reason traces back to its supply chain. According to an FDA enforcement report, the sauce contains dry milk powder that its supplier had already recalled over potential salmonella. As a result, the finished sauce came under scrutiny too.
Where the Alfredo sauce was sold
The recall covers a huge swath of the country. Per the FDA, the sauce reached Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
In other words, only a handful of states escaped the recall entirely.
Why the FDA is so concerned
On June 4, the agency upgraded the action to a Class I recall. That label matters. It is the most serious classification the FDA hands out, and the agency reserves it for cases where eating the product could realistically cause severe illness or even death. Therefore, anyone holding the affected sauce should not take chances with it.
What salmonella can do
Salmonella bacteria cause an infection known as salmonellosis, according to the CDC. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Moreover, they can appear anywhere from six hours to six days after exposure.
Most healthy people recover on their own within four days to a week. However, the illness can hit some groups much harder. Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems face a higher risk of severe infection. In those cases, the CDC says medical care or even hospitalization may become necessary.
The recall adds to a busy stretch for food safety regulators, with several salmonella related alerts issued this month alone. So shoppers should check their pantries now and toss or return any affected sauce.
Source: The Hill
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