Latest Food Safety Recall: Trader Joe's Granola Bars

Photo: Daniel Kourey / Istock

related articles

The latest food safety scare is embodied by granola bars, which may be contaminated with salmonella in Thumb Oilseed Producers soy grits. Another brand of granola bar was added to the list of granola bar recalls Friday:

Trader Joe's is expanding the recall of the Trader Joe's Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars (SKU 82818) to include all code dates, manufactured by Bloomfield Bakery, a subsidiary of Ralcorp Holdings, Inc. Details.

Lovin Oven, LLC is recalling certain Health Valley Organic Peanut Crunch, Dutch Apple and Wildberry Chewy Granola Bars because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Details.

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Inc., is recalling all "fresh&easy" Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars as a result of the recall initiated by Thumb Oilseed Producers. Details.

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.

Even if you're trying to stay on top of food recalls, they can be easy to miss. The U.S. food system is regulated by two different agencies -- the Department of Agriculture, which is responsible for meat, poultry and dairy products, and the Food and Drug Administration, which is responsible for everything else. (It's actually even more confusing than that, but we'll leave it there for the moment.) Each agency issues its own recalls, so you might miss the latest USDA meat recall while checking on the allergen alert issued by the FDA.

The Obama administration, though, recently made it easier for consumers by creating the widget you see below. It includes a list of the latest recalls from any branch of government, so you can quickly see what's been identified as unsafe.

Bookmark this page if you want to keep tabs on food recalls, and enjoy your next meal free of worry.

Food Safety Widget.
Flash Player 9 is required.

COMMENTS ()