Tropical Nut & Fruit of Charlotte, NC, Voluntarily Recalls its Walnut Products

• Date: December 27, 2010
• Source: Admin

Tropical Nut & Fruit of Charlotte, NC, has issued a nationwide recall of all its products containing walnuts supplied by Atlas Walnuts, LLC after November 16, 2010.  Possible salmonella contamination prompted the action. The voluntary recall was initiated when Atlas Walnuts, LLC recalled its product after learning that one of its customers tested positive for salmonella. Atlas conducted additional Salmonella tests on the same product lot and the results were negative.

Tropical Nut & Fruit of Charlotte, NC has not received any consumer illness complaints from the consumption of the products. The nationwide recall was initiated by way of abundant caution. Consequently, it is withdrawing the affected products from retail store shelves and the entire distribution system. Consumers should return the products to the store concerned for a full refund.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Occasionally, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. 

Regulations

Manufacturers of defective products voluntarily carry out most recalls. Alternatively, the FDA may identify a defective product and instruct the company concerned to recall the product. If the company does not recall the product, the FDA can seek legal action under the FD&C Act.  These include seizure of the available stock of the product, and/or injunction of the firm, including a court-directed recall of the product. FDA guidelines that companies should follow while recalling defective products are published in Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 7.

Source:

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm236656.htm

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm165546.htm