WASHINGTON – Public health officials monitored ongoing recalls due to vegetable contamination with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes over the weekend.

US Dept. of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) reported its first recall on Oct. 16 and posted 11 more since Oct. 21. Some of the recalled items were linked to contaminated corn, onions, celery and vegetables. The current list continues to be updated on the USDA website.

The US Food and Drug Administration announced that it was investigating vegetable products from McCain Foods USA Inc. FDA officials identified five companies, GH Foods, CA Mary’s Harvest Fresh Foods, Taylor Farms Northwest LLC, GHSE LLC and Prime Deli Corp., as confirmed recipients of McCain food products. All of these recalls were between Oct. 16 and Oct. 17.

Hy-Vee, a Midwest regional grocery retailer, voluntarily recalled six meat and potato products for similar reasons on Oct. 19.

Two major recalls were cited by the USDA FSIS service as well.

The first came on Oct. 19 when Denison, Texas-based Ruiz Foods Products Inc. recalled approximately 2,490,593 lbs. of ready-to-eat meat and poultry taquitos that may have been adulterated with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.

On Oct. 16, Ruiz Foods received notification that diced onions used in the production of its beef and cheese taquitos were possibly infected.

The ready-to-eat meat and poultry taquitos were produced between July 1 and Oct. 10, 2018.

The following products are subject to recall:

• 4.5-lbs. cardboard cases containing 24-count Go-Go Taquitos “Beef Taco & Cheese Taquitos” with a case code 86183 printed on the label.
• 4.5-lbs. cardboard cases containing 24-count Go-Go Taquitos “Buffalo Style Cooked Glazed Chicken Taquitos” with a case code 86006 printed on the label.
• 4.5-lbs. cardboard cases containing 24-count Go-Go Taquitos “Chipotle Chicken Wrapped in A Battered Flour Tortilla” with a case code 86019 printed on the label.

The products bear the establishment number “17523A or P-17523A” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to distributors nationwide.

The second recall was announced on Oct. 21 by Carson, California-based Bakkavor Foods USA Inc., which included approximately 795,261 lbs. of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products thought to contain onion that suspected of being contaminated with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.

On Oct. 16, Bakkavor received notification that the onion used in production were possibly contaminated. The ready-to-eat meat and poultry items were produced between Sept. 27, 2017 and Oct. 15, 2018.

The following products are subject to recall:

• 8-oz. butcher-paper wrapped packages containing HARRIS TEETER FRESH FOODS MARKET DELI-BAKERY brand “CHICKEN SAUSAGE, EGG WHITE and CHEESE BREAKFAST BURRITO,” with “Use By” dates from 01/24/18 through 10/25/18 (inclusive) printed on the case packaging.
• 8-oz. butcher-paper wrapped packages containing HARRIS TEETER FRESH FOODS MARKET DELI-BAKERY brand “BACON, EGG and CHEESE BURRITO,” with “Use By” dates from 01/24/18 through 10/25/18 (inclusive) printed on the case packaging.
• 10-oz. butcher-paper wrapped packages containing “TRADER JOE’S CARNITAS WITH SALSA VERDE Burrito,” with “Use By” dates from 10/08/17 through 10/24/18 (inclusive) printed on the retail packaging.
• The products subject to recall bear establishment numbers “EST. 19198,” “P-19198,” “EST. 46937” or “EST. 45335,” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations nationwide.

There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products from the recalls.