WASHINGTON – Daniele International Inc., with operations in Pascoag and Mapleville, R.I., is expanding its Jan. 23 recall to include approximately 115,000 lbs. of salami/salame products that may be contaminated with Salmonella, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (F.S.I.S.). This recall expansion comes as a result of a confirmed finding of Salmonella in an unopened salami product tested by F.S.I.S., and by ingredient testing performed by the company.

Products were sampled during the course of an ongoing investigation of a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella serotype Montevideo illnesses. These products were not subject to recall previously because they are not sausage products that contain black pepper on the external surface, or packaged with such products. Based on preliminary testing results, the company believes that crushed red pepper may be a possible source of Salmonella contamination.

Testing continues at a state health partner laboratory, and it may determine if the product contained the Salmonella Montevideo strain associated with the multi-state outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.), the Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.), F.S.I.S., state health and agriculture departments and Daniele International are cooperating in this investigation. C.D.C. has posted information about the multi-state outbreak on its website (http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella), but the investigation is ongoing and the root cause of the contamination has not yet been determined.

F.S.I.S. continues to work with the C.D.C., F.D.A., affected state public health partners and the company on the investigation and will update the public on the progress of this investigation as information becomes available.