Popular supermarket chain Hy-Vee announced on Wednesday that it is recalling its two-ounce Macadamia Nuts products from stores because of possible salmonella contamination.
The Iowa-based company said that it is pulling out all of its macadamia nuts products that were sold to 240 supermarkets and grocery stores in eight different states from July 2, 2015 to Feb. 3, 2016. The products are packaged in small plastic bags with blue coloring.
The order for recall was issued after Marathon Ventures, Hy-Vee's supplier of raw macadamia nuts, discovered that one of its products may have been tainted with the salmonella bacteria during an inspection by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Marathon Ventures has since conducted a product recall of its own including various bulk and retail packages that contain raw macadamias.
Customers who may have bought macadamia products covered by the recall are advised not to eat them. They should dispose of the tainted nuts or return them to the supermarket or grocery store they bought it from in order to receive a replacement or a full refund.
Customers can contact Hy-Vee's Customer Care at 1-800-772-4098 or Marathon Ventures, Inc. at 402-934-8223 for questions regarding the product recall.
Salmonella
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, salmonella is a bacteria that can cause people to become sick with fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea, which typically occurs from 12 to 72 hours after contracting the microorganism.
Despite lasting from four to seven days, the bacterial infection (salmonellosis) often goes away on its own, leaving patients to recover immediately.
However, if a person contracts a serious form of infection, he or she may experience severe diarrhea that may require hospitalization. In such cases, the salmonellosis may spread from the patient's intestines to the blood stream and other parts of the body.
Salmonellosis can be particularly devastating to babies, older people and even those with weak immune systems.
Trader Joe's also issued a recall of its raw cashew products from partner stores in different states because of a similar salmonella contamination. Products affected by the pull out include those that have best-before dates that read "07.17.2016TF4."
Photo: Jessica Merz | Flickr
