A recall over possible salmonella contamination was expanded to include two frozen pizzas sold at one of the country’s popular grocery chains.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) expanded the recall to six different products on Friday, May 1, including two frozen pizzas sold at Walmart. According to the agency, the recall concerns a potential Salmonella outbreak in meat and poultry products prepared with previously recalled dried milk powder.
As of May 3, two pizzas manufactured for Walmart’s in-house label, Great Value, were affected – Thin Crust Chicken Bacon Ranch and Stuffed Crust Chicken Bacon Ranch. The recall involved two Mama’s Cozi pizzas previously sold exclusively at Aldi, the Biscuit Crust Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Pizza, and the Biscuit Crust Cooked Pork Belly Crumbles, Cooked Bacon Topping, Peppers and Onion Breakfast Pizza.
In an emailed statement, a Walmart spokesperson said the health and safety of its customers is “always our top priority.”
“We have issued a sales restriction and have removed this product from our affected stores,” the spokesperson said. “We are working with the supplier to investigate.”
‘Downstream product’ identified
The current public health alert was initially published on April 30 but updated on May 1. The Food Safety and Inspection Service said it “expects that additional downstream products will be identified as the recall of this ingredient progresses.”
In April, Ghirardelli Chocolate Co. voluntarily recalled several powdered beverage products after a supplier recalled milk powder used as an ingredient due to possible Salmonella contamination, according to the company and the Food and Drug Administration.
According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service, there are no confirmed reports of illness associated with the recall.
In addition to the pizza and Ghirardelli products, the dry milk powder recall also includes Sour Cream and Onion Pork Rinds distributed by Pork King Good, as well as Ultra Thin Crust Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza distributed by Culinary Circle.
Salmonella Symptoms and Risks
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Salmonella is a leading cause of foodborne illnesses in the United States. It is also a leading cause of hospitalizations and deaths associated with foodborne illnesses.
Symptoms, which usually appear within six hours to six days after consuming a contaminated product, include:
- Watery diarrhea that may contain blood or mucus.
- Stomach cramps, which can be severe.
- Headache.
- nausea.
- vomit.
- loss of appetite.
While most people recover without treatment in four to seven days, vulnerable groups — older adults, infants and anyone with a weakened immune system — may experience more severe illness that requires hospitalization.
The Agriculture Department has urged customers or retailers who have affected products to either throw them away or return them to the place of purchase. People with food safety questions can contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854 or email questions at (email protected).