Salmonella Risk Prompts Recall of Sweet Superior Fruit Cilantro

About 104 crates of fresh cilantro produced by Sweet Superior Fruit Co. of McAllen, Texas have been ordered recalled by the Food and Drug Administration because the food may be contaminated with salmonella bacteria.

The cilantro, also called coriander, was sold between July 13 and July 16, 2009 in 15-pound black plastic crates. It was available for purchased directly from Sweet Superior Fruit’s location or through other retailers in and around McAllen, Texas who have may have used the cilantro to make other foods, officials said.

There have so far been no reports of illnesses or injuries caused by exposure to contaminated cilantro, health officials said.

FDA testing of samples of Sweet Superior Fruit cilantro detected a potential for salmonella contamination. Salmonella is an organism that can cause severe, even fatal infections in young children, elderly and frail people, and others who have weakened immune systems. Most healthy people develop symptoms such as fever, diarrhea which may be bloody, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. However, in some cases, Salmonella infection can reach the bloodstream and cause severe arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis.

Consumers who purchased fresh cilantro from Sweet Superior Fruit during the time indicated above should refrain from consuming it and throw it away. Food manufacturers who used the cilantro in products of their own should recall their products to protect consumers from potentially severe infections, the FDA said.

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