Dieffenbach’s recalls chips for Salmonella threat in seasoning

Potential Salmonella contamination from powdered milk ingredients spurred Dieffenbach’s Potato Chips Inc. to recall an unrevealed volume of its Sour Cream & Onion Kettle Chips. The Womelsdorf, PA, company did not indicate where it had distributed the chips.

The Wednesday recall notice from Dieffenbach’s also did not identify the supplier of the powdered milk that necessitated the chip recall. Several other food companies, including several chip manufacturers, have issued similar recalls in recent days, naming Valley Milk Products LLC as the source of the powdered milk.

Only the Sour Cream & Onion Kettle flavor chips from Dieffenbach’s are implicated in the recall, which is posed on the Food and Drug Administration’s website. They are packaged in 2-ounce and 9-ounce bags. Consumers can identify the recalled chips by looking for the following label codes:

•  Dieffenbach’s Sour Cream and Onion Kettle Chips in 9-ounce bags with the UPC number 7.85654.00014.8 and a date code of 18DEC2016 or 02APR2017; and
• Dieffenbach’s Sour Cream and Onion Kettle Chips in 2-ounce bags with the UPC number 7.85654.00015.5 and a day code of 01JAN2016 or 02APR2017.

“This (recall) decision was made after being informed by a seasoning supplier, that an ingredient in the seasoning may contain traces of Salmonella,” according to the recall notice.

“Although tests have shown no existence of Salmonella in the seasoning that was supplied to Dieffenbach’s, out of abundance of caution we are voluntarily issuing the recall of these products in conjunction with FDA guidance. To date, there have been no reported illnesses associated with this product.”

There is concern that consumers may have the recalled chips in their homes because of the long shelf life of the products. Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick, according to the recall notice.

Consumers who purchased the recalled product should dispose of it immediately or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with additional questions may contact Dieffenbach’s toll-free at 877-790-9559.

Since Dec. 7, more than a dozen companies have recalled a wide variety of food products, from macaroni and cheese to frozen cream puffs, because of potentially contaminated powdered milk ingredients.

Anyone who has consumed any of the recalled products and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctors about the possible exposure to the pathogen.

Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems may contract serious and sometimes deadly infections.

Healthy people may experience short-term symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis.

Related recalls
The companies that named the powdered milk supplier said the potentially contaminated ingredients came from the Valley Milk Products production plant in Strasburg, VA. At the request of the FDA, armed U.S. Marshals raided the plant on Dec. 1 and seized 4 million pounds of powdered milk and powdered buttermilk.

On Dec. 9 Valley Milk Products recalled 3.1 million pounds of powdered milk products produced and sold in the period from Dec. 5, 2015, through July 10, 2016. While the FDA has access to company records showing who bought the recalled powdered milk, and when, it cannot publish those details because of a federal law protecting “confidential corporate information.”

In a document filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia the FDA reported environmental swabs collected at the production facility returned positive results for Salmonella. Inspectors also found internal records at Valley Milk that showed the company itself had found Salmonella in the facility and in finished products.

For additional details on other recalls related to the Valley Milk Products problems with Salmonella, please see:

• Armed federal agents seize milk products from major cooperative
• Publix recalls mixes; cites powdered milk Salmonella problem
• Stonewall Kitchen recalls mixes for tainted powdered milk
• Great Value, other mac & cheese brands recalled for Salmonella
• Monkey bread mix recalled for Salmonella in powdered milk
• Chips recalled for Salmonella in powdered milk seasoning
• Mac & cheese sold at Aldi, Dollar Tree recalled for Salmonella
• New Hope Mills recalls crepe mix because of powdered milk
• Frozen desserts recalled for Salmonella risk in powdered milk
• Powdered milk Salmonella risk hits Roundy’s, Old Dutch chips
• Powdered milk forces Albertsons, HEB, Safeway bakery recalls
• Williams-Sonoma recalls mix for problem with powdered milk
• Houdini recalls gift baskets from Costco, Sam’s Club, others
• Snyder chips recalled for powdered milk Salmonella risk
• Nationwide recall for two more brands of chips for Salmonella

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