An Asian food importer in Maryland has recalled a mushroom product sold in 15 U.S. states, including New York and New Jersey, “because of possible health risk.”
Tai Phat Wholesalers, headquartered in the town of Capitol Heights, announced Monday that it was recalling four types of packages of its “Three Coins Dried Mushrooms” because the product has “the potential to be contaminated with salmonella.”
The company issued the recall after routine testing performed by the Maryland Department of Health revealed the presence of salmonella in mushrooms bought at a retail store.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration posted Tai Phat’s recall announcement on its website on Tuesday.
In addition to New York and New Jersey, the recalled Dried Mushrooms were distributed in specialty retail stores in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
According to the company, the product, sold in a sealed plastic bag, comes in four different sizes and types: Nam Meo Soi 2.5 and 10.5 ounces; and Nam Meo Nguyen, 2.5 and 10.5 ounces.
The company said that it’s investigating the matter and that no illnesses have been reported.
Consumers who have purchased the products are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at (703) 538-8000.
Salmonella contamination can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, as well as those with a weakened immune system.
People could experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, according to the recall announcement. In rare circumstances, salmonella could get into the bloodstream and “produce more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that salmonella causes about 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths in the U.S. every year.
Most people recover without specific treatment, the CDC says. However, contamination could sometimes lead to severe illnesses that require hospitalization.
