Health officials have urgently upgraded a recall of popular sweets sold at Walmart stores across the US due to concerns about contamination with a deadly bacteria.
Iowa-based Palmer Candy Company voluntarily recalled its ‘White Coated Confectionary Items’ in early May after finding they could be contaminated with salmonella, a foodborne illness that infects 1.3 million Americans a year.
Now health officials have escalated the severity of the May recall, upgrading it to a ‘Class I’ designation on August 6 – the most serious category of product recalls.
According to the FDA, a ‘Class I’ recall means a ‘situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.’
The FDA said that affected products – mixtures of snacks like pretzels, cookies, popcorn and chocolates – were distributed nationwide in Walmart, HyVee, Target, and Dollar General stores.
They were also sent to distributors in the following states: Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
The FDA said there have not been any injuries or illnesses linked to the products yet.
The potentially harmful sweets are covered in a sugary coating that appears white, and come in a variety of packaging, such as bags, pouches, and tubs.
The affected sweets were sold under brand names including Palmer Candy, Great Value, Casey’s, and Every True Tiger – a brand out of the University of Missouri.
Palmer Candy was notified of the potential danger by its liquid coating supplier, who said the products could potentially be contaminated with salmonella.
‘Palmer Candy Company, Sioux City, Iowa, is recalling its ‘White Coated Confectionary Items,’ because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems,’ the FDA announced in May.
The products were sold under several brand names, including Walmart’s Great Value
Salmonella is caused by eating foods contaminated with animal feces. It typically causes diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps that begin six hours to six days after initial infection, according to the CDC.
Most people recover within days, though the illness is responsible for more than 26,000 hospitalizations and 400 deaths a year.
Production has been suspended while the FDA and Palmer Candy investigate.
Consumers who have purchased any white coated confectionary items manufactured by Palmer Candy Company are encouraged to return the items to the place of purchase for a full refund.
