Soy Lecithin not confirmed as Salmonella source in 'Peanut Butter' Recall
 

Soy not confirmed as salmonella source in Hershey recall: CFIA
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2006/...y.html?ref=rss

Friday, November 17, 2006 |

Hershey's finding that a soy ingredient was*responsible
for*a salmonella scare that led to its recall of candy products
is still being investigated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency,*
a federal official says.

Garfield Balsom, a food and safety recall officer with CFIA,
said*the soy ingredient*is being considered*as a*possible*source
of contamination, but the agency's assessment hasn't been completed.

Hershey spokeswoman Stephanie Moritz*told CBC on Thursday
that*the company*found*the source of the contamination was
soy lecithin.

"During one of our routine quality checks, the soy lecithin
tested positive for salmonella," she said.

Soy lecithin is*an emulsifying agent used to help chocolate flow
during the manufacturing process.

But Balsom said CFIA's investigation hasn't been concluded.

"Because the bacteria was found does not necessarily mean
that it was the source,"*he*said Thursday. "What contaminated what?
What came first, the chicken or the egg?"

Meanwhile, the Ontario Ministry of Health is investigating
three reports of illness possibly linked to the products
involved in the recall, Moritz said.

"Hershey is also following up on reports of illness associated
with the product codes announced in the recall, but has yet to
confirm these," she said.

Moritz also noted that most of the recalled products,
which did not include Halloween or Christmas candy,
have been returned to the company.

The company, which employs 500 workers in the eastern Ontario town,
shut down production and recalled 25 products after a routine plant inspection
detected salmonella on Nov. 9.

CIFA said the plant will remain closed until an
investigation has been completed.

The recalled products can be identified by date codes —
ranging from 6417 to 6455 — on the back of each package.

__________________________________________________ _

Smiths Falls salmonella melts profit at Hershey's
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/...e4d200&k=22314

Full production didn't resume until all equipment and
production lines were sanitized. Hershey's also said it
would buy the emulsifier from a different supplier.