P97-18 Bradford Stone: 301-443-3285
June 20, 1997
Consumer Hotline: 800-532-4440
FDA REISSUES WARNING ABOUT FOODS FROM CEDAR'S MEDITERRANEAN
FOODS, INC.'S PLAISTOW, NH FACILITY, CITING INADEQUATE RECALL
The Food and Drug Administration today is reissuing its
nationwide warning against the purchase and consumption of hommus
dips and salads produced by Cedar's Mediterranean Foods, Inc., of
Plaistow Road, N.H., and is calling for the recall of all such
foods manufactured or processed at the firm's Plaistow Road,
N.H., facility. FDA is taking this action in light of evidence
that the firm's recall efforts to date have not adequately
removed all potentially affected products from the market. The
agency is also concerned that the firm has failed to provide
adequate information about which product lines may have been
involved and how they may have been distributed.
FDA initially issued a warning on June 12, because of the
possible contamination of the firm's hommus dips and salads with
Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and
sometimes fatal infections in newborns and infants, frail or
elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Even
though healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms
that may include as high fever, severe headache, stiffness,
nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, listeria infection can cause
miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
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Page 2, P97-18, Cedar Recall
Although Cedar's Mediterranean, Inc., agreed to recall
hommus dips, garden lentil and taboule salads on June 12, FDA has
learned that these products are still being found for sale in
some retail stores and that some customers of Cedar's had not
been notified of the recall. The agency has also learned that
although most of Cedar's Mediterranean, Inc.'s, line consists of
a variety of hommus dips and salads sold in round 8 oz.- and 16
oz.-clear plastic packages under the "Cedar's" brand label, other
products may also be affected. These include salsa dips produced
at the Plaistow Road, N.H., plant and grape leaves products that
were handled at that facility.
Other hommus dips and salad products, marketed under the
"Vita" and "Mr. Hommus" label, were produced by Cedar's and are
also under recall.
In addition, FDA has learned that the Cedar's Plaistow Road,
N.H., plant also manufactures hommus and salads for distribution
in Canada under the "Sidon" brand name. FDA is notifying
Canadian authorities that these "Sidon" brand products are also
potentially contaminated.
FDA's warning does not apply to the firm's baked products
such as breads, muffins and tortillas, which are produced at
another facility.
FDA continues to warn consumers not to consume any other
Cedar's Mediterranean, Inc., produced food.
Instead, they should return any of the firm's hommus dips or
salad products to the place of purchase for a full refund.
Consumers who have questions about these products can call
FDA at 1-800-FDA-4010. Consumers who believe they might have
been injured by consuming these products should consult their
physician.
# # # # #
This recall includes:
All Cedar's, Vita, Mr. Hommus and Sidon* brands of
-- hommus dips, including baba ghannouj
-- garden lentil salad
-- taboule salad
-- salsa
-- grape leaves
*Sidon brand is distributed in Canada
This is a mirror of the page at HTTP://www.fda.gov:80/bbs/topics/NEWS/NEW00572.html