FDA hydrolyzed vegetable protein recall grows in scale

FDA hydrolyzed vegetable protein recall grows in scale
Tags: Food & Beverage, Mexican, Safety, Sandwich
March 9, 2010 - Christa Hoyland

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced a recall of many products containing a substance referred to as hydrolyzed vegetable protein. The hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) in these recalled products may be tainted with salmonella, and the FDA has requested all affected batches of powder and paste HVP be destroyed by the manufacturer.

The recall has an impact on Johnny's Fine Foods, T. Marzetti, Castella Imports, Tim's Cascade Snacks, Homemade Gourmet, Earth Island, McCormick & Company and Fresh Food Concepts products, among others. (Click here to download the full recall list.)

While many of those products are sold in retail stores, some quick-service brands do sell varieties of chips and snacks in their stores, some of which may be on the recall list. Other brands, like TacoTime, have had sauces impacted.

From TacoTime parent company Kahala:

The safety and welfare of our customers is always our top concern. That's why when we learned that a sauce we were using in a limited time only TacoTime product was possibly affected, we immediately took action. Our TacoTime stores were instructed to remove and denature the potentially affected sauce, and we provided them with a safe recipe they could use instead.

Kahala has been monitoring the situation and has been working closely with our vendors and distribution centers. In addition, we are continuing to communicate any important updates to our franchise system.

Other brands were not impacted but worked to assure customers nonetheless. Below is a statement from pretzel brand Auntie Anne's:

Upon learning of the HVP recall and the FDA's guidance, Auntie Anne's Inc. conducted a comprehensive review of the ingredient statements for all the standard products offered at its more than 1,050 franchised locations. The ingredient statement review and certified documentation from its vendors confirm that none of Auntie Anne's standard products are subject to this recall.

Despite none of Auntie Anne's products being impacted by this recall, franchisees and corporate customer relations representatives have been provided with guidance on how to address any consumer concerns.

Subway restaurants spokesman Les Winograd said none of the producuts in the chain's U.S. and Canada stores were impacted by the recall.

The FDA also is recommending consumers discard or return potentially affected products to stores, and to keep abreast of a growing list of food items concerned. The manufacturer of the HVP in question is listed as Basic Food Flavors, based in Las Vegas, and makes hydrolyzed vegetable protein that ends up in thousands of packages of food all over the country. The batches of HVP, a common flavor booster in many packaged food items, possibly affected by the recall include any lots manufactured by Basic Food Flavors as of September 2009. The FDA's recall of Basic Food Flavors brand HVP, and products that may contain the tainted ingredient, comes after a consumer complaint citing positive test results on a Salmonella test. Follow-up testing by FDA officials confirmed the presence of a strain of Salmonella in a batch of the Basic Food HVP, prompting the recall announced yesterday on the food safety council's Web site.

This new hydrolyzed vegetable protein recall comes on the heels of several food recalls over the last several years, including recalls of commonly consumed food items such as produce (spinach, tomatoes, green onions) and pantry staples such as peanut butter. "This situation clearly underscores the need for new food safety legislation to equip FDA with the tools we need to prevent contamination," said Dr. Jeff Farrar, associate commissioner for food protection, FDA's Office of Foods, in a press release.