Basil Recalled Due to Salmonella Fears
Some 5,500 pounds of basil sold in the U.S., but grown in Mexico, has been recalled because of fears it may be infected with salmonella.
In December the basil was imported from a farm in Mexico's Baja California region and sold to food distributors in Southern California, Texas, and Illinois, said Alberto Martinez, a spokesman for the importer Top Line Specialty Produce.
The Southern California distributor sold the basil to restaurants and other food service customers, but it was unknown whether the other distributors sold to food service customers or retailers.
At this time no illnesses have been reported.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspectors detected the possible contamination during a random check as the basil passed over the Otay Mesa border crossing in San Diego County.
Top Line continued to import basil and other herbs from the Green Paradise farm where the potentially contaminated product was grown, processed and bagged, until the FDA alerted the company about its inspection results.
The company immediately stopped imports from that farm and issued a recall, Martinez said.
FDA spokeswoman Cathy McDermott said Top Line did not learn about the potential contamination until two weeks after the samples were taken because it took that long for the specimens to be analyzed and for the results to be reported.
The Green Paradise brand basil affected by the recall was shipped in sets of 12 one-pound boxes marked with lot No. 1219.
Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps within 72 hours of consumption.
Reference:
"Salmonella Fears Prompt Basil Recall," AP, Jacob Adelman, December 2007.
