Aunt Jemima Tainted by Salmonella

Well, it seems that March Madness isn't only about the NCAA Tournaments. With food outbreak cases popping up every month, March has seen a little more that its fair share of Salmonella outbreaks. From a Long Island food handler infected with Salmonella typhi to a bad batch of cantaloupes, it seems that at every turn Salmonella is making the news.

Earlier this month, Salmonella also made an unwelcomed visit into certain boxes of the well-known pancake and waffle mix company. The Quaker Oats company recalled some Aunt Jemima boxes because of its contamination. Although, no illnesses were reported Aunt Jemima boxes with "best through" dates from Feb 8, 09 H through Feb 16, 09 H were recalled. The boxes are no longer on store shelves but consumers are advised to return Aunt Jemima boxes with the following UPC codes to the store of purchase for a full refund:

Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Complete, 5 lb. box, UPC code 30000 43272
Aunt Jemima Original, 2 lb. box, UPC code 30000 05040
Aunt Jemima Original Complete, 2 lb. box, UPC code 30000 05070
Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Complete, 2 lb. box, UPC code 30000 05300

A little less than 1000 cases of the recalled Aunt Jemima boxes were shipped to Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin and Utah. News reports I've encountered inform consumers to call Quaker with any questions at 800-407-2247 or check out the Aunt Jemima website. After checking the website myself I noticed there was no mention of the Salmonella risk anywhere. But, I did find a great recipe for banana bread pancakes.

The problem with Salmonella poisoning is that while some people will have troubling symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, others may experience more serious problems. For those with weakened immune systems, young children, the elderly and transplant recipients Salmonella may lead to complications such as dehydration or Reiter's Syndrome. Reiter's Syndrome is an inflammatory condition in which the person experiences eye irritation as well as painful joints and urination.

Unfortunately, food outbreaks occur and that's when the CDC and FDA step in to get information out to the public and minimize the number of people affected. You have to take precautions to assure that you and your family won't be affected by contaminated food. So, next time you grab that griddle to make pancakes be sure you've thrown out any potentially unsafe boxes of Aunt Jemima. Although the risk is considered to be low, contaminated boxes should just be thrown out to minimize your risk of getting sick and to prevent cross-contamination. With all that mixing and pouring making pancakes can be a messy job. Batter may drip on kitchen surfaces resulting in possible cross-contamination when you're cooking later. So, be safe and take a look at your UPC code and best through dates. If your box is listed as being contaminated get rid of it.

Sources: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20080305/salmonella-spurs-aunt-jemima-recall