Four types of those fantastically popular Goldfish Crackers and several types of Ritz Cracker products have been recalled across the U.S. after the company that owns the brands, Mondelez, voluntarily reported that they may be be contaminated with Salmonella. They’ve set up a web page for news and updates…
Do your kids pitch a tantrum if they can’t have their Goldfish crackers? I know at least one young family with this problem. On the other hand, doling out a few of the cute little crunchies is usually enough to quiet their kids down, even at bedtime.
Now, however, a voluntary recall of four flavoured varieties of Goldfish has sparked a shortage and things could get ugly.
The following flavours of Goldfish Crackers have been recalled across the U.S.:
- Flavor Blasted® Xtra Cheddar
- Flavor Blasted® Sour Cream & Onion
- Goldfish® Baked with Whole Grain Xtra Cheddar
- Goldfish® Mix Xtra Cheddar + Pretzel
Visit this special recall info page for details and a link to a list of product numbers and best before dates included under the recall.
Some Goldfish products have also been recalled in Canada. Visit the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) website for details.
Ritz affected, too…
No fewer than 16 Ritz Cracker products have also been recalled, for the same reason. You can find a list of them and details on the Ritz recall in this article at Food Safety News.com.
Five varieties of Ritz products have also been recalled in Canada due to Whey contamination. The CFIA recall notice is posted here.
What happened?
It seems that the making of he affected Goldfish cracker types uses Milk Whey in the flavour coating process, and a bad batch of contaminated Whey was detected at the plant only after product containing it shipped. The Goldfish Update web page has a link to a list of the batch numbers affected.
What you should do…
If you have any affected products, don’t eat them. If they still in sealed packages, don’t open them. you should simply throw them out. The CFIA says you can also take them back to the store where you bought them. They may offer a refund. Goldfish Crackers (by Pepperidge Farms) is offering a reimbursement program.
The takeaway…
This massive recall just shows that not all Salmonella outbreaks are cause by infected Meat or Dairy products. Even highly-processed foods, incorporating highly-processed Dairy products such as the powered Whey in question can harbour dangerous bacteria.
And, while we’re at it, don’t forget that Lettuce isn’t the only food to carry E. coli and other nasty bugs!
~ Maggie J.