A recall of fresh organic basil products sold by Florida-based company Infinite Herbs LLC has been extended amid fears some items could be contaminated with salmonella.
When the recall was first announced on Thursday, it applied only to 2.5-ounce sized packages of Infinite Herbs fresh organic basil (UPC 8 18042 02147 7) that had been sold between February 1 and April 6. However, on Friday, this was expanded to include Melissa's brand fresh organic basil in both 2-ounce (UPC 0 45255 14142) and 4-ounce packages (UPC 0 45255 14439 0), which were sold at Dierbergs stores between February 10 and 20 in Missouri and Illinois.
Both Thursday's initial recall announcement and Friday's extension were published on the federal Food and Drug Administration website. The FDA says that the newly recalled products were "part of the lot that was previously recalled" and therefore "has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella."
The agency warns salmonella "can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems."
In a statement provided to Newsweek, an Infinite Herbs LLC spokesperson said: "We are deeply concerned about this recall and the illnesses reported by consumers. Our priority is always the health and safety of our consumers, and we are working diligently to investigate the cause and address the issue promptly.
"Our heartfelt thoughts go out to those affected, and we are dedicated to ensuring that such incidents do not happen again in the future."
The announcement states the 2-ounce and 4-ounce packages are "outdated and no longer available for sale" but urges consumers to "check their refrigerators and freezers and not consume the recalled organic basil if they have it."
Any customer with queries about the announcement can contact Infinity Herbs LLC via 305-599-9255 x 148 between 8.30 a.m. ET and 4:30 p.m. ET on Monday to Friday or by emailing customer_service@infiniteherbs.com.
Thursday's initial recall notice said the impacted 2.5-ounce packages of Infinite Herbs fresh organic basil had been dispatched to Trader Joe's retail distribution centers in Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Connecticut and a pair of Fruit Center Marketplace stores in Massachusetts.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that 12 salmonella infections have been linked to the product, and Infinite Herbs LLC announced the first recall after being provided with this information, which was obtained from epidemiological data and food questionnaires.
In this notice, the FDA also provided more details about salmonella and listed the symptoms a patient may experience.
The notice read: "Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
"In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis."
Separately, on April 12, the FDA announced gluten-free meal company Feel Good Foods had voluntarily recalled its Plain and Everything flavored Cream Cheese Stuffed Mini Bagels amid fears they may have become cross-contaminated with gluten.
The Roly Poly Bakery in New Britain, Connecticut, has also recalled 20-ounce loaves of Roly Poly Multigrain Bread over concerns they may contain undeclared traces of eggs that were used in the production process.
Update 4/20/24 9:07 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with a statement from Infinite Herbs LLC.
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